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| That's the forecast for the Upper Midwest. I'm normally a season-jumper, but this year I doubt if I'll be able to get anything in the ground before mid-April. So it may be just as well that my sunporch, where I normally start my cool-season seeds, is way too cold for anything of the sort, even with heating mats. I'm setting up a table in the basement under the new light fixture I just bought, but I'll be putting off starting the broccoli and cabbage, etc. Who else is expecting a delayed planting season, and what are your plans for it? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by shermthewerm (My Page) on Thu, Jan 30, 14 at 23:45
| Noooo! I just started my cabbage & broccoli a couple of days ago. This is my first year starting ALL of my plants from seed, so I'm very interested in this. Although I probably jumped the gun (so excited...), could you tell me your source so I could check what kind of spring we're expecting here in the PNW? I have also started celery, celeriac, walla wallas...and a few others. Am holding off on the peppers, tomatoes, and others, but I'm finding it hard to wait (I'm not a very patient person!) According to the farmer's almanac (not sure how reliable this is!), our last frost is supposed to be earlier than normal. |
This post was edited by shermthewerm on Fri, Jan 31, 14 at 9:55
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- Posted by nicoleannB none (My Page) on Fri, Jan 31, 14 at 0:39
| we still experience the cold weather. We really can't predict the season we experience because of Global Warming. |
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| I love the "season-jumper" concept. I am a recovering season jumper. I have onions underway and can finally start cabbage now, but no-no on broccoli for at least two more weeks. Here the soil temp 4 inches down does not begin to rise until late March and my site is too windy for sheet plastic that time of year. By keeping notes from year to year, I've learned it's generally better to wait for the dates that work best and not worry too much about prevailing weather. |
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- Posted by theforgottenone1013 5b/6a MI (My Page) on Fri, Jan 31, 14 at 8:57
| I'm not sure what to expect this year until Punxsutawny Phil gives his prediction on Sunday. lol I don't start planting inside until March anyway so if there is a late spring it won't affect me too much. I'm not a season jumper. Rodney |
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| I have done some pilot sowing in my cold frame. When they germinate, I will go ahead and do more. I will start with some sweat peas and runner beans. . |
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| I check the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center. They have general outlooks up to 3 months. |
Here is a link that might be useful: National Weather Service
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- Posted by pearlgirl 7va (mlcapri2@gmail.com) on Fri, Jan 31, 14 at 10:10
| I'm definitely a season-jumper. A few warm days get the best of me always. I need to get some winter sowing done this weekend. Suppose to be 50-52 her, of course that could change. I checked my journal's Feb entries back over the years and there were some really nice days to get some chores done. Here's hoping!
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| I plan and plant by the calendar. Come March 16th I sow broccoli and butterhead lettuce and spinach. Come March 29th I sow tomatoes and peppers and perhaps plant sugar snap peas. Come April 1st I set out onions, .... etc |
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| I don't know, I guess I'm expecting a more normal spring since this is a more normal winter? But the previous two springs were actually very cold and late following incredibly warm winters and I think that messed up certain crops... I think coming from real cold into slowly increasing temps will work better for everything. I'm pretty conservative with my planting and sowing dates, though. So far I have some leeks sown and will be following up with some onions shortly. Then perhaps a few peppers of the slow-germinating/growing kind. |
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| Jumping early in the unusually warm spring of 2012 really paid off. We got about a month of extra spring growing season. Best year ever for crops like lettuce and spinach. otoh, it was devastating to the tree fruit crops. If February continues below-normal, with more subzero temps, I don't see the ground thawing for a while. |
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| Looks like we're supposed to run about 1.5 degrees below normal all year, and lower on precip too. It's warming up above freezing today and this weekend, but with highs in the teens and nights in single digits (I hope we're out of the below zero polar inversion but who knows what Feb will bring?) it's hard to think of starting any seed. I haven't even started my peppers yet and I usually like to start them in Jan b/c they seem to take so much longer (not just to germinate, but to get to size) than tomatoes. Might get out and plant more spinach (never set out my spinach and broccoli starts last year, so dry), kale, peas (again, didn't start spring crop since we went on vacation in April) and such this year. I hate to give up my late season tomatoes but if by mid-March we don't look like we're going to get the hoophouse up, I may just start early-mid season maters. And hope for the best with curcubits - may even try starting those inside and transplanting. |
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- Posted by tishtoshnm 6/NM (My Page) on Fri, Jan 31, 14 at 13:11
| We are forecast to be above average in temperature but I take it with a grain of salt. In my mountain clime, we often have warm spells followed by a severe cold snap for a few days. Last years predictions were awful. There was one night when I was expecting a low of 28 and it droped to 17 degrees. That set many things way back. I will proceed as normally with some things started early with protection and always on the lookout for unexpected cold snaps. |
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- Posted by TheKitchenette 7a Central VA (My Page) on Fri, Jan 31, 14 at 14:11
| Thanks @ltilton, I've never sent those extended forecasts before. I've also looked at the almanac.com long-range forecasts as linked below. I haven't bought the purchased version, just read the free snippets provided. I just started onions from seed for the first time, and of course every forecast for my area says that we're supposed to be above avg temps past the middle of feb! So it looks like maybe I started those onions two weeks late in a year where we maybe might get an early start on spring? Oh well. |
Here is a link that might be useful: almanac long-range forecasts
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| I just started onions, but I'll hold off on the rest. |
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| It looks like almost no major change around here, Northwest Washington State. Most changes forecasted for the lower south and Northeast states. I have to do something proactively. I have already built a cold frame. The next project will be a portable hoop (3' by 6' with 2' dome. We might experience very few light frosts from now til early April but the nagging rain and cool temps (low 30s to low 50s) will linger on. |
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| The cold should be limited to the region currently north of the jet stream - polar vortex territory. |
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- Posted by nancyjane_gardener USDA 8ish No CA (My Page) on Fri, Jan 31, 14 at 21:28
| We've had the most bizarre weather here in No California this year! 2nd year of drought! Only about 2-3" when we are used to about 25" by this time and more to come! We've been having lovely daytime weather (60-70) but had 2-3 weeks of freezing, as low as 19*! (remember, we're in California!) I'm actually thinking of making a mini greenhouse to get things started early! Everyone is starting on water saving. but we're on a well, which is doing fine!) I'm chomping at the bit to start things going, but I'll have to wait a couple of weeks to get started! Nancy |
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| I'm probably going to go ahead and just plan as normal no matter what long range forecasts call for. Start getting the tender plants out in the middle of May. The cold weather stuff will just have to go out in March/April when it seems about right. The weather varies so wildly here on the high plains that the only way many things survive is with the protection of tunnels or cold frames. Just put up another tunnel last weekend. Mostly it's just helping thaw the ground out now. Surprisingly the lettuce I planted back in October is still alive in that area although quite small. I put a whole variety of seed in that bed it'll be interesting to see if some of it germinates. |
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