"plant as soon as soil can be worked"

Hi all,
I'm finding this to be just a tad vague *G*. Does this mean they can stand some cold weather, even a freeze? My soil can be worked most any time, but we do get freezes (like now:), and the temperature can fluctuate wildly (14 this am but 50 tomorrow). I know that there are lots of people in the same boat (wheelbarrow?), so I'm hoping for some advice. If I plant these seeds now, will they just hide until it's warm enough not to kill them off? I'm not thinking today, really, but in the next two weeks or so. But I can wait. I can. I swear. Just getting a bit itchy...

itchitchitchitchitchitch

Yes. It is really meant for our northern folks, whose ground freezes. It simply means that as soon the ground thaws out and ceases to be mud. These plants will germinate in cold soil and stand about all cold weather except that which causes the ground to freeze. Another way to put is "after the spring thaw"

If their cold tender seedlings you can protect them from sudden frosts with cloches or row covers. I usually start my tomatoes around the 1st of March and use row covers to protect them. I rarely lose any, you do need to monitor the covers however. I normally warm the soil first with black plastic.

Farmerdill wrote;" These plants will germinate in cold soil and stand about all cold weather except that which causes the ground to freeze"

Thanks, that's what I needed to know. I'll sort those out to try to cure my itchies :)

doccat5 wrote;"If their cold tender seedlings"

I don't think they are, and Farmedill has reinforced that. Still, after last years "Easter Freeze", I won't be putting out more than I can safely cover with my WalMart WitchHats.

Thanks! Now if I can just find the seeds I've lost...

I love the idea of the Wally World Witch Hats..............LOL too good :)

They really work! I have (knocking madly on wood) a volunteer petunia that has survived the very cold weather we've been having under one. What I have to remember is to space them so the Hats will fit. I can interplant later, but these will get a good start, I hope:)

I use them also, though mine are older than dirt and didn't come from Wally World. I also use floating row covers as well. Wonderful stuff! :)

That stuff ends up getting the best of me*G*. I struggle and struggle, and it does just what it pleases, which is flap around. The hats were a wonderful find, it the back of the garden department, for $.50 each, instead of the $3-5. I bought all they had, in two sizes.

I use it over my wide rows and run stakes along the side, tag it down and keep on going. :)

catmad,

I have freeze cloth over some of my plants. My daughter is collecting used bricks to make herself a patio -- in the meantime, I've co-opted her bricks to hold the freeze cloth down. LOL.

Karen

glendalekid wrote;"I've co-opted her bricks to hold the freeze cloth down."

And thereby producing the highly sought after "weathered" brick. *VBG*. How kind of you!

Yeah, you should charge her for rent or something.....LOL We scrounged a bunch of bricks and some cinder block that we sort of move around where we need it.

Has anyone here started tomatoes or peppers in an Aerogarden for transplant outside? I am thinking of trying that and would love any advice! I will be gardening exclusively in containers. Thanks in advance!!

I have seen them advertised but haven't tried one as yet. A little rich for the budget right now. Interesting concept though.

Should work fine, but you'll want to turn off the fertilizer supply.

Frank

I am starting about 12 types of heirloom tomatoes in my aerogarden. Here they are two weeks old and today at three weeks they all have 6 leaves already. I've never had any luck with specialty seed before so I hope that this time is the charm. I am in NE Florida and will set out March 1. I have 5 earth boxes on order and currently also have a 4'X16' raised bed to put them in. It will be interesting to see if they will survive.