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Are you a gambling gardner?

B

Be Ready

Guest
Everyone has a frost/freeze date for your area. My area is the first of May. How many are guilty of planting before those/your dates. As for me I always gamble a couple weeks out. Only plant enough that i can cover easily and keep fingers crossed. I check the forecast and if i don't see anything to scary ... I'll Gamble. Last week we were in the 80's with beautiful weather. Tilled the garden area and checked the forecast. Planted 8 tomatoes and peppers. Well last night a freeze came through that wasn't on the 14 day forecast last week. I covered everything ,but things are looking pretty sad this morning ... Time will tell if I lost the gamble...
 

w_r_ranch

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8b
No. I believe in doing things right the first time so I don't have to do them again. Life is too short...
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
I don't push it at all. I've gone as far as layout planting schedules based on the Saturday after the last frost date.

My former co-worker pushed it each year. One year we "raced" yes he had a tomato to harvest before me but in the end we were almost exactly the same for the season harvest. Only he spent huge amounts on heating his greenhouse and lighting and I just had a few LED bulbs going in my basement.

I'm reading conflicting info on the last frost date for my new location. Ranges between May 1 and May 20.
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
Case in point why I don't gamble in my planting out.

I just moved here last summer and have heard a few frost free dates around here. Most of the dates are either May 10 or May 15 but some people are now saying it has shifted to May 1.

This is now May 6 and we have had 2 hard overnight frosts in a row and the forecast for Friday the 8th into Saturday the 9th has us hitting 26 F as a low. If I can go by weather.com I will be safe planting Wednesday the 13th or Thursday the 14th.

But my kale, onion, leeks, and the like have been on the deck for about a week now. Those guys are fine with cold.
 
B

Be Ready

Guest
The unseasonal weather this year has thrown a wrench in planting this year. I gambled early and got burned by the weather around here. I lost a few plants. I replanted those last Saturday which is usually just fine by then. Now there calling for another Frost/Freeze this weekend... I just straw and cover the plants that can't take the cold and replace if lost. 9 times out of 10 I can start my garden a few week early and not get burned. This year has been the lesson learned year... Will i gamble in the future .... Absolutely, it's just what i do and most of the time it's just fine.
 
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