I know the town I live in is small, but made it to the coldest city in the state of Florida; but, we also live close to Pensacola about 165 miles from there. So my question is this, why do all the last frost dates in Florida end in Tallahassee, does people just disregard this part of FLorida I live in as nonexistant or what? This area has a lot of farmers in it, a lot of people grow things here, so how come a huge city like Pensacola is not even listed on the last frost date information sheets?
I'm a little aggravated as I've googled this and gotten two answers from the same charts as March 1-March 31st and Feb 1st to Feb 28th? Since I'm growing a huge number of tomatoes protecting them all from the cold is not going to be possible nor logical, so, I'm at a standstill for a plant out date???? I do intend to start my seeds in seed starting kits in the house, then move them outside after they have obtained a certain height, transplanting them into 1 gallon bags in the greenhouse, then moving them from there to the container they will live in after the bury the stem procedure brings the potting medium to the top of the 1 gallon bag.
joy
Confused here????
Joy,
Please post this question on the thread where TPlant, Bocabob and Aires44 (the Florida) growers are. They'd most likely have your answer.
Gymgirl: They don't live in the panhandle, they live in southern FL where up until this past Winter, I don't think they even had a last frost date they were worried about, I think they worry more about a last heat date. LOL Tallahassee is 4 hours from where I am, and that is the furtherest north in Florida these online last frost dates seem to want to take us. I can always call the local FL extension office on Monday also, as I was thinking about planting my first wave of tomato seeds February 14th; but, since I'll be planting 50 of them wanted to make sure first. The funny thing about Florida is it has three zones, and varied weather conditions across the state. It's still too cold here, its' about 31 degrees outside.
I did invest a little on a new book Giant Tomatoes (Giant Yields' Giant Weights); but, it's more for people who want to grow the 7 lber for a contest and I'll be tickled to just get some 2-4 lbers myself. A good book though by all means. Except when it comes to pruning they have you pruning off all the stems except one or two with the one being the main stem and the second one being the secondary stem. Then they have you searching for the megabloom, which is really a defect as it is like 5-7 blooms in one and then you help pollinate it, tearing off all the other blooms to send all the plants energy to the one huge tomato you want. Me, I just want lots of tomatoes and the bigger the better. They seem to imply that the Big Zac tomato plant has the mega bloom the most often, but that would probably be the one bloom I would cut off as it would not make it if you left the other blooms on, it would be malnourished.
joy
I wouldn't be surprised if Tallahassee is colder than you, because you're closer to the Gulf, but I bet it's pretty close. But anyways, there's data from Milton and De Funiak Springs, that should bracket Crestview pretty well?
Those are just averages, and you're looking to plant tomatoes specifically this year. So I would also look at the Climate Prediction Center, who are saying it's real likely to be colder than normal for at least the next two weeks. So I wouldn't be surprised if your last frost this year is later than average.
redbirdlady: Defuniak Springs is right next to me and Milton really close too. It has been extremely cold this year and it was slow in coming, and think it might be slow in leaving myself. Here of late, we've been getting nothing but pouring rain and that is not good either. I just don't want to jump the gun with the maters this year and lose them for starting too early. I do have the new greenhouse underway and that will help a little; but, isn't the answer either to the cold so will play it by ear and take your suggestion before planting my seeds Feb 14th, might be a week or two later if weather doesn't look like it should.
joy