welcome to the earliest minnesota spring on record! i'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that it's only mid-march and yet it's been hitting almost eighty degrees and sunny for over a week now. apparently my garden is also confused. the bees are out and buzzing, and many things are blooming and sprouting already...lilac, st. john's wort, yarrow, lavender, borage, chives, oregano, rhubarb...
i'm trying to figure out if i should go ahead and start planting some early crops like peas and greens. normally a freak warm day or two in march would definitely get me excited but i know it's still way too early to plant. but this year is different. they're not predicting any more snow or really cold temps. it will probably get down to the thirties again, but maybe not even a frost. there's some chatter on my local community gardening list-serv about whether it's too early to plant this year, most folks are suggesting to go ahead and try it (why not?!). what i'm really wondering about is whether or not i should be starting my seeds indoors now, i had planned to wait another three weeks or so (planting around april 8 or so, which is about what i did last year), but now i'm all freaked out that i'll be way behind if i wait that long!
either way, it's pretty exciting to see all the sprouting and blooming!
how are you dealing with your early spring (if you're having one)? are you planting already, or holding off?
Here in SE Michigan we're having the same type of weather. It is just crazy, and really lovely too.
ReplyDeleteAccording to this article at the Climate Prediction Center: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html
It looks like the warm is here to stay, but will even out by the end of April/beginning of May.
Our normal last frost date is May 15th. I've started almost all of my brassicas, onions, leeks,herbs, and peppers. This or next week I'll be starting everything else that gets started indoors. I have gone ahead and planted my peas in the garden, and unearthed my garlic (it's already a foot tall! ) and strawberries. Might as well let them soak in the sunshine, if it's going to freeze again, I'll just throw some straw on them to protect them.
I'm trying not to get too over zealous/impatient, but it's hard not to!
With spring in full swing here, sometimes it feels like summer is around the corner, it is nice to see early spring in other parts of the states. Only a few weeks ago we looked like this...
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to think either. But, I'm itching to start planting.
ReplyDeleteI lived two years on Lake Superior near Duluth, MN. We've been chatting with a couple of our farmer friends up there about the crazy early weather. I guess in the almanac it did this years & years ago. Could mean you're in for some awesome thunderstorms this summer! I know my friends have got stuff in the green house they are keeping good & vented..... but they're holding off in case a freeze comes. Of course.... they've got an awful lot of stuff to move and cover if it does freeze....
ReplyDeletei am planting early. just this past weekend i saw tomato and basil seedling in the nursery - crazy! i didn't plant those until mid april last year and used row covers for a couple weeks to protect them. i think i have already missed the window for cool-temp plants like peas and some greens. it is downright hot already. i am going to wait a couple more weeks for tomatoes, but i think i will plant at least two weeks ahead this year.
ReplyDeleteif you have plenty of seeds, i would say go ahead and plant. just know that you might have to plant again.
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