The weather says it's time but... (flowers, iris, growing, strawberries)

[zugor]

the calendar says no, not yet.

Overnight lows are forecast to be well above freezing for the next 10 days to 2 weeks and daytime highs into the 70's on many of those days.

BUT - will we then get a return to much colder weather and maybe even some snow still?

I guess the only thing to do is get out and enjoy it, do as much prep as possible and then practice patience, which is not an easy thing for me. Time to get the fence guys in to close off a section of land above the pond so I can plant some fruit trees and know for sure that the darn goat won't be able to destroy them.

How are things looking in your neck of the woods?

[julian17033]

I grow a rather large vegetable garden along with growing giant pumpkins.
I am going to be tilling the garden area and pumpkin patch next week.
We are getting a slightly cooler version of your weather here
in Allentown, PA.
Next week seems to be averaging upper sixties for each day.
For me it's still too early still to be thinking about breaking out the cold frames and crossing my fingers.

[J&Em]

For me it is spring now and I am cleaning and pruning accordingly. This is a transition area that is generally mild but prone to late freezes making gardening a bit chancy, anyway. This year just seems more chancy than usual but one can hope that it will stay warm.

This past winter has been totally abnormal but my plants have been suffering from confusion since last summer with the unusual heat waves, dry periods and then warm fall with rain. Several of my perennials never quite went dormant. A few annuals that should have died still have some green left near the roots. Some spring bloomers were blooming for Christmas. Many are blooming again or just kept blooming (like candytuft and creeping phlox) some of the daffodils came up by early February only to be damaged by extremely cold weather after they were fully open. Several bulb plants started and stopped multiple times and may be damaged as well (like my gladiolas and a few tulips). The Iris have been green and growing since December.

The pulmonaria never quite went dormant but in the most recent cold snap got lots of brown leaves that now are mixed with new growth and lots of beautiful flowers.

The cherry trees are always at risk and this year they had just opened their beautiful pink flowers over a month ago (1 month early) when we had several well below freezing nights that turned them all brown. The trees had a few buds left that opened afterward, but it was not very pretty. The last straggler flowers are blooming here and there on the trees right now, looking pretty pitiful.

It's hard to resit getting out there and planting when the days get warm again. Experience says there will be another frost or two.... I'll just have to keep admiring the bulbs for now. From late and confused crocus, to hyacinths that are up and smell good, to 3 types of tulips and all sorts of daffodils, siberian squill,and snowdrops. Even the pansies are recovering from the wet winter and beginning to bloom more.

[hey teach]

Here the general rule of thumb is wait until the end of tax season to start planting season. While it is warming up really early, I've seen us have a frost in April.

[nmnita]

We usually have our last frost about the early part of April, but I would be surprised this year if we get another heavy one at all. We intend on getting the soil ready next week and probably start seeds in a couple weeks. Things like tomato plants will wait another 3 or 4 weeks I think. Basically, yes, we should all wait until mid April or later (depending on where we live) but it is so hard when the days are in the 60s and 70s and nights around 50 to 60. I know I can't wait. I would be out there right now except we are having a huge garage sale at my dauthers this weekend and I am busy marking things. It is saving me from rushing the planting I guess.

[jimboburnsy]

I started feeding my citrus trees in early February. We haven't dipped below 55 degrees since then. It's going to be a hot summer, methinks.

Tomatoes went in the raised beds the weekend before last. Strawberries are producing. Brussells sprouts don't seem to like the warm winter. Spinach is going like crazy. Blackberries and muscadines have been greened-up for a while.

Really not looking forward to July - September triple-digits.

[leftmyheartintennessee]

I've just put some seeds in the garden buckets today...I do container and raised bed gardening and according to our growing charts cool weather stuff like cabbage,brussel sprouts should have already been planted...
along with english peas...
We already have plants available at the nurseries,garden shops here...
tomatoes, peppers...
I won't put those out for another week or so, as it seems like we always get another frost just after I plant my maters,etc...

my rule of thumb for this part of texas is to put the plants in
right after Easter, less of a chance of losing them to a killing frost...
seeds can go directly in the ground by mid to late march...

If I wait til late april into may to start planting I will not harvest very
much before it gets too hot and the plants go dormant or die...

We'll see what happens...

[selhars]

In Maryland Zone 7 Wash. DC area -- it's going to be 75 all week.
I know it's only March, but because of our great weather, I'm chomping at the bit to start putting seeds in my porch pots.

But should I say "Whoa, Nelly!" and wait. Despite the great temps -- it IS only March.
Seeds are cheap, but there's no need to do the work if they won't make it.

If last chance of frost is needed would you go for it...or wait a little longer.
Even if I do wait, I'm hoping it's no later then mid April.

==============
(I went to the Philly International Flower show and heard a new timeframe for planting seeds. Before, I'd only heard of waiting for frost to pass. The lecturer said some seed packs -- and maybe this is just for vegetables -- say you can plant -- "As soon as soil is workable." She said if that's the case you can plant now, and even if cold if the soil is 'turnable.'...Interesting.

I posted this question on another gardening forum and everyone said wait till all chance of frost has passed.
But the 10 day forecast here calls for the lowest low of 50 degrees and takes us to March 24. I can't possibly see how we could get anymore temps down to frost, do you?

[Ohiogirl81]

Weather-wise, it's mid-April around here (NW of Philadelphia). I normally don't plant veggies until the first of May, except for peas, lettuce etc., which already are in. I'm having new fence installed in mid-April, so I have to wait until at least then, lest I want my veggies trampled.

I wouldn't be surprised if we get at least one or two good frosts sometime in the next four weeks, though.

[susancruzs]

Amazing "winter" season and mid-March so many perennials are coming up, surprising! In the 60's yesterday (record breaking for NE Wisc.), I did some clean out in my perennial beds.

Some plants, usually slower to show, already up so I put some loose soil/dried leaves on top of them, telling them to sleep some more!

We're going through a stretch of warm weather but realistically could have snow, several inches or more. Days of a hard freeze, not so much, I'm close to the lake.