dan1003
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Posts: 45
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:10 pm
Location: Richmond, Va

Planting tender vegetable too early--long term consequences?

So a I got very excited about the warm weather over the past few weeks and the minimal chance for a frost. I sowed cucumber, squash, and zucchini seeds which have since germinated and are coming up nicely. Would cool night temperatures (low 40s) hurt production long term? How about for well hardened off peppers in pots?

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Ozark Lady
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Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet

I think that is the question of the hour!

I honestly don't know. But, I am seeing the normal April crops coming up about as expected. I am surprised that your soil was warm enough to germinate them. I am just beginning phase 3 of hardening off, and thought that I was rushing it.

You said the peppers are well hardened off. Have they even stayed out overnight? I would try that before I would actually plant them in the ground. Mine will have their first night outside tonight, protected though.

You are so very brave, I want to plant so badly today, and I have been wracking my brain for what I can plant that is in between the cool weather crops and the warm weather ones!

Should I follow your example...I DON'T KNOW! :lol:
Eeny meeny miney moe... maybe tomorrow? ha ha Coward that I am!

Are they really looking good? (timidly asked?)

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smokensqueal
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Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:36 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO Metro area

I no longer harden anything off. I have a hand full of those blue few gallon water jugs that they put on the water coolers. I cut the bottom off and leave the top open for a vent. When I transplant I put one of these over them for a while (could be a week or more) then I just take it off and the plant seems to be happy. And for tomatoes and peppers I will just keep them on till we are way out of the cool night season. They like it warm anyway and so far it seems to work well. I just need to get more of those jugs.

dan1003
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Posts: 45
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:10 pm
Location: Richmond, Va

So for the peppers, I didn't really give you the whole story. They've actually been outside for a few weeks (!) now, and I've only brought them in twice-- on the two nights that were going to get into the 30s. I started them from seed early, being inspired by Duh_Vinci. They've now got 6+ flowers each, and the paprika and cayenne have little peppers growing. Any damage I've done is, well, done.

[img]https://lh5.ggpht.com/_nA9-JTXPm3A/S8TV2uP2FeI/AAAAAAAAAI0/nFDyWYxZZw0/s400/0413001619b.jpg[/img]
(the little yellow spots are pollen... which covers every flat surface in the city)

I really want to know if there will be significant benefit to covering the cucurbit sprouts/seedlings, or even just reseeding later. They sprouted in 4 days though, so the night temps must be decent enough for them. Now I think everyone should know that I'm in the city, so my night temps might be milder... I'd hate for someone to kill their starts on my account.



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