Except for areas of the US that are more tropical like southern Florida or Hawai’i, most gardener’s planting schedules are set around winter weather and the possibility of frost or freeze. And even for gardeners in those more tropical areas, planting sometimes needs to be planned to schedule around the extreme heat of summer. Understanding these planting times can really lead to success or failure, especially for vegetable gardens, tender annuals, tropicals, and non-dormant perennials. There are a few tools that help us understand weather patterns and predict critical temperatures for planting, namely the USDA Hardiness Zone map and the Average Last Frost/Freeze dates. … Continue reading this article “Planting Prognostication: Understanding last frost and planting dates”
Tag: frost
Protecting plants from frost
What a difference a year makes. This time last year our growing degree day accumulations were nearly a month ahead of normal and we had already experienced temperatures in the 80’s, with more than a week straight of 70 + deg. temperatures. This year, of course, is a different story. But spring will come eventually. As trees and shrubs begin to leaf out or we get antsy and begin to plant annuals, we need to be prepared for late frosts.… Continue reading this article “Protecting plants from frost”