direct-seeding timing

[!potatoes!]

I'd like as many answers as possible, please to the following question:

What does 'sow as soon as soil can be worked in the spring' mean to you? how much unseasonably-warm weather did the folks who came up with that line take into consideration?

thanks.

[applestar]

Don't have answers to your question, but this thread may be of interest:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=125711#125711

[starwood]

To me it means as soon as the snow melts and the soil is not totally waterlogged.

Yes, the seeds may rot if the soil gets waterlogged again, but then I start over.

[soil]

I find its better to just know the seeds you are growing and plant them when you know its good. depending on the seed you can also put them out and they will stay dormant. the problem with that is tender plants sometimes are fooled by a short false spring and start to germinate and hit by more frost. so its best to avoid those and only toss out seeds that stay dormant or are seedling cold hardy.

once you save and collect and grow your own seed for a few years you know exactly what to do with it when and how.

[Bobberman]

Keep that plastic ready if you plant before the last suggested frost! Unless you are a gamble and then I will ask you. DO You Feel Lucky Punk-in?

[rainbowgardener]

Keep that plastic ready if you plant before the last suggested frost! Unless you are a gamble and then I will ask you. DO You Feel Lucky Punk-in?

It's not a gamble because the seeds that are suggested to be direct seeded in the ground "as soon as the ground can be worked" are the cold hardy ones like peas, carrots, spinach, swiss chard. You expect to get some frost after you plant those and they will be fine.

I take it as soon as the ground can be worked, means it is unfrozen and dried out enough that it doesn't clump up if you squeeze it. So you can hoe it or whatever and it will crumble not clump. If it is to that point, it doesn't matter if you are still going to get some more cold, your ground isn't likely to freeze solid again, is it? I'm planning to plant some things outside this weekend!

[Bobberman]

I am talking about the other crops not the cold hardy ones! Iplant the cold hardy ones in the cold frame now and put them out the middle of april here in pa. with the frost date about arond may15 here! If it gets below 25 some of them will freeze or be stunted for awhile!

[gixxerific]

"As soon as the ground can be worked" Yeah that's a good one. Maybe around August or something for me this year.

Every time it get's close we get hit with more snow.

But yeah as soon as it thaws out and has the right moisture content not too wet not to dry. As RBG said it's meant for the cold, frost, freeze hardy type plants. You will have to wait for the soil and air temps to go up for the warm weather plants (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and such).

I have been itching to get some early stuff in the ground but I can't get away from the snow. I should have done it last weekend but the beds were a little wet it would have been fine other than the compaction from me being on them. Now we have more dang snow just in time for the weekend. I can't win.