Pffffttttttt.........So much for "last frost date" being March 18th.....

[David from Dothan]

In 1993 our worst Alabama snowstorm was in late April. We usually plant by Easter.

In 1968, we moved to Birmingham (actually Center Point/Roebuck area. Went to E.B Erwin High School) the first Thursday of April. We woke up the next morning to 3" of snow on the ground......Will NEVER forget that........

 

[vette-kid]

Just REchecked the extended forecast for Dothan, AL.............NOW, the low's predicted to "be": April 5th.....56*, April 6th...58*, and April 7th.....59*...........Apparently, the other prediction was made after happy hour......."Stuff" is going in the ground........

That sounds more righter! Go for it!!!

 

[DirtMechanic]

I don't go by "last frost date" because in about 20 years of observing that date, it isn't the last more than half the time. I go by pecan trees budding, the wildflowers showing up, and dewberries blossoming.
One of our local weather forecasters famously said, "You never know when it's going to rain!" and I think you never know when the last frost date will be.
Right now we have everything in the vegetable gardens except cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell pepper plants. I told all the other plants that we were well past the last frost date so they could come up and thrive!

I personally have been observing the details trickling in about the solar minimum. It makes me predict a longer cooler spring. I have not checked - but I believe Feb had no sunspot activity so something of a record. Plus @Chuck might haunt me if I planted before the soil temps could "BUFFER" a temp change, which is a little past some of the soil temp posts we have seen on the board in the recent period. Its ok that a soil temp arrives at a particular number, yet a completely different thing if it stays that number. I speculate that grace period should be 2 to 4 weeks.

 

[Chuck]

I personally have been observing the details trickling in about the solar minimum. It makes me predict a longer cooler spring. I have not checked - but I believe Feb had no sunspot activity so something of a record. Plus @Chuck might haunt me if I planted before the soil temps could "BUFFER" a temp change, which is a little past some of the soil temp posts we have seen on the board in the recent period. Its ok that a soil temp arrives at a particular number, yet a completely different thing if it stays that number. I speculate that grace period should be 2 to 4 weeks.

You may well be right. All I can say is that here the extended forecast is getting warmer and warmer. Mid 80's this week with a cold front coming in with predicted low's of mid 50's and highs in the 70's next week. But do they really know? I doubt it. My normal frost free date is April 1. Anyway I hope they are right. If not I should have listened to myself as I have already planted tomatoes and beans and my soil temps are perfect.

 

[David from Dothan]

I personally have been observing the details trickling in about the solar minimum. It makes me predict a longer cooler spring. I have not checked - but I believe Feb had no sunspot activity so something of a record. Plus @Chuck might haunt me if I planted before the soil temps could "BUFFER" a temp change, which is a little past some of the soil temp posts we have seen on the board in the recent period. Its ok that a soil temp arrives at a particular number, yet a completely different thing if it stays that number. I speculate that grace period should be 2 to 4 weeks.

Welllllll......I don't know ANYTHING about "solar minimum" or sunspot activity as it pertains to planting time, BUT......when you go to the garden dept at Lowe's and there' soooooo many people there, you can't shake a stick at em (like yesterday)......its time to plant.....

 

[Chuck]

Welllllll......I don't know ANYTHING about "solar minimum" or sunspot activity as it pertains to planting time, BUT......when you go to the garden dept at Lowe's and there' soooooo many people there, you can't shake a stick at em (like yesterday)......its time to plant.....

When I go to Lowes or Home Depot or anywhere else and see all those people buying plants I wonder if they are buying them because the store has them or because they know what they are doing. All of the stores (and nurseries) have plants a month before it's safe to plant. I know why they bring them in early. It's so they can sell again to the same folks who don't know any better and their plants froze.

 

[David from Dothan]

When I go to Lowes or Home Depot or anywhere else and see all those people buying plants I wonder if they are buying them because the store has them or because they know what they are doing. All of the stores (and nurseries) have plants a month before it's safe to plant. I know why they bring them in early. It's so they can sell again to the same folks who don't know any better and their plants froze.

Truth........Lowe's and Home Depot have had vegetable plants out for over (I'm guessing) 6 weeks, here.....BUT, there wasn't many "takers" that I saw while visiting the stores...........until this weekend.

 

[Chuck]

Truth........Lowe's and Home Depot have had vegetable plants out for over (I'm guessing) 6 weeks, here.....BUT, there wasn't many "takers" that I saw while visiting the stores...........until this weekend.

Don't forget that many people repot their plants too. And these are the folks who realize what cold soil does

 

[DirtMechanic]

Welllllll......I don't know ANYTHING about "solar minimum" or sunspot activity as it pertains to planting time, BUT......when you go to the garden dept at Lowe's and there' soooooo many people there, you can't shake a stick at em (like yesterday)......its time to plant.....

Well this being the internet and all we have this thing about being exactly precise that came from somewhere. Are you sure you did not start the perfection prediction?

 

[DrCase]

As a scientist, I have to respect isobars and 30 day forecasts but I also fall back to "absolute truth" in my faithful pecan tree which has never lied in about 40 years of watching...it is now budding out.

The more practical thing to go on is "does the plant really benefit from early starts in the soil"? Some do, most don't.

Old timers say
It’s safe to plant here . when the pecan leaf is as big as a squirrels ear

 

[DirtMechanic]

Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly and without law, and must be plucked where it is found, and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration.

Some hippie named
DH Lawrence so I heard.

Maybe he waited to long to start his peppers.

 

[David from Dothan]

Well this being the internet and all we have this thing about being exactly precise that came from somewhere. Are you sure you did not start the perfection prediction?

Uhhhh....."perfection"..........let me google that.....brb................Ya know, I saw a wise quote from Abraham Lincoln on "the net" a while back......."You can't believe everything you read on the internet".

 

[DirtMechanic]

Uhhhh....."perfection"..........let me google that.....brb................Ya know, I saw a wise quote from Abraham Lincoln on "the net" a while back......."You can't believe everything you read on the internet".

Shhh I do not want your distractions ...The lightning bugs have come...