HelpfulGardener.com

New to Forum, live in Western NC. We have had extremely mild winter, no snow. Not sure if it will snow but its always up to at LEAST 40 deg the next day so it never lasts. Our temps range from 50-60 right now, but then we get an occasional 40's day and some rain too. At night its in the high 30s but tomorrow it will be in the 40's at night and stay that way for a while...
I have gardened 4 years and love to learn and share with others.
What I would like to know is - What can go in the ground now? It is always possible that even though we have had a very mild winter, we could get a cold front come thru or even a snow in March. Are peas, cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts ok? I could always cover them with a tarp if we get a cold front.
(I've already started tomato and pepper seeds indoors) Let me know! Thanks!!

Yes indeed, definitely ok to plant all the cold weather stuff like peas, cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts now. Also lettuce, spinach, chard, carrots.... All that stuff is frost tolerant and will be fine even if you do get a bit more snow.

I have broccoli seedlings and dill and fennel hardening off about to be planted and planted seeds of lettuce, spinach, chard, radish, onions/chives a couple weeks ago and I am north of you.

dub-enn-see!

peas should go in asap. mine are about an inch tall at the moment. brassicas can too...this time of year I tend to seed some in the garden and some indoors, to transplant a bit later - sometimes one group does better, sometimes the other (depending on conditions)...cool-weather mustard greens like mizuna or tatsoi are good to direct-sow early. (though maybe plant some of them inside, too)...

!potatoes! wrote:dub-enn-see!

Boy I feel dense, but I can't figure out what that means and my curiosity is overwhelming me..... . ...wait! N..C.. As in North Carlina? OK what's "dub"? Oh! Is that like " Fellow North Carolin...-an? -ian...?"

Must be another language ??? Maybe stands for neighbor - tenn e see?
Anyhow, thanks for your posts! appreciate them. So even though we have cooler weather that could come, these things can go directly in the ground. That is neat. I am learning some new things every year.

gee, phonetic typing not going over too well.

dub-enn-see for wnc for western north carolina. you live there, I live there...

I got two out of three

I sowed broadbeans, turnips, beets, carrots, radishes and lettuce yesterday. It was so hot and it's going to be like yesterday all week (hopefully with less wind) -- much more of an April-like weather. Good luck with your gardens in WNC.

we've got highs in the upper 70's to 80's next week with a chance of thunderstorms everyday...april or even may weather. not complaining, I've got grafting work to do.

my pessimist side expects at least killing frost in late march, but I'd be happy to be wrong about that.