I didn't know where to post this since it has to do with several different types of plants.
The weather has been erratic here lately, as it often is. The weather man keeps getting things wrong too. But I'm trying to coordinate my gardening with the weather. I have several kinds of peppers and a few tomatoes that need to be hardened off and then planted in the garden. I also have seed for corn and beans I need to sow, possibly lettuce, carrots and snap peas too.
Should I avoid doing all of these things in certain temperatures or weather conditions? I know the peppers aren't super resistant to cold, especially coming from being in a 73 degree room. Upcoming nighttime lows are mostly supposed to be lower to mid 50's with one or two nights in the 40's.
What could be even more problematic is the rain and clouds. Starting Wednesday the sun isn't supposed to shine for a solid week. And all but 2 of those days are forecast to have large amounts of rain. My peppers that need to go outdoors are currently in a closet that is pretty well lit by several cheap LED grow lights, so with so many days of being overcast and mostly rainy I'm a bit worried about them adjusting to that.
This is my first year starting from seed and hardening plants off. So I'm a novice here. I don't have a lot of experience with direct sowing either. My first couple years of gardening consisted mostly of buying seedlings from the local hardware store.
Thanks for any and all advice/suggestions.
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applestar
- Mod
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
How much corn are you planting? I only plant a small patch -- maybe 48 to 60 plants -- so I pre-germinate the corn in my seed sprouter, then sow them as they germinate in deep containers (at least 4 inch soil depth), then plant the started seedlings according to size so the similarly developed plants are grouped together to pollinate each other better (and I hand pollinate as well). I'm going to soak them today and then do the rinse/drain thing until they germinate.
I pre-germinate beans and sow the germinated seeds after the corn are planted out (about same time as tomatoes) and peppers are planted.
While the night time temps are in low 50's and dipping into 40's, and the daytime is cloudy and cool 50's, ideally, you should take the seedlings out when temperature is high enough low 50's or above for tomatoes, high 50's or above for peppers... and bring them back inside when too cold. Tomatoes can stay outside overnight with a cover if minimum of low 50's or above. One or two nights in upper 40's is OK, but multiple/extended exposure will set them back. Way too cold for peppers or eggplants, so treat them differently.
Note that I say this, but I can't do this for all of my own seedlings because I have (1) too many and (2) some are in need of uppotting and will dry out unless watered several times during the day.
If you can't babysit your seedlings and move them round during the day, set up or plan a really good progressive hardening off area that is protected from wind and won't get too much sun at first. Best to keep them up off the ground in case of slugs and other bugs and splashed up fungal and bacterial diseases.
I've used translucent storage totes before -- that works out really well for carrying them around and you can cover them with the lid AS LONG AS you off-set the lid for ventilation and secure them from falling in/blowing off (with bungee or bricks, etc.).
I pre-germinate beans and sow the germinated seeds after the corn are planted out (about same time as tomatoes) and peppers are planted.
While the night time temps are in low 50's and dipping into 40's, and the daytime is cloudy and cool 50's, ideally, you should take the seedlings out when temperature is high enough low 50's or above for tomatoes, high 50's or above for peppers... and bring them back inside when too cold. Tomatoes can stay outside overnight with a cover if minimum of low 50's or above. One or two nights in upper 40's is OK, but multiple/extended exposure will set them back. Way too cold for peppers or eggplants, so treat them differently.
Note that I say this, but I can't do this for all of my own seedlings because I have (1) too many and (2) some are in need of uppotting and will dry out unless watered several times during the day.
If you can't babysit your seedlings and move them round during the day, set up or plan a really good progressive hardening off area that is protected from wind and won't get too much sun at first. Best to keep them up off the ground in case of slugs and other bugs and splashed up fungal and bacterial diseases.
I've used translucent storage totes before -- that works out really well for carrying them around and you can cover them with the lid AS LONG AS you off-set the lid for ventilation and secure them from falling in/blowing off (with bungee or bricks, etc.).
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
Lettuce, carrots, and peas, are cool weather plants and can be planted early as soon as the ground conditions are right. It needs to be dried out enough that working it doesn't make it clump up.
Corn and beans plant the seed directly in the garden. About first of May.
Tomatoes and peppers are usually pre-started then transplanted. Harden them off a bit then plant them. I like to take a wooden shingle and poke it in the ground in front of them to give them a bit of shade until they get established.
Corn and beans plant the seed directly in the garden. About first of May.
Tomatoes and peppers are usually pre-started then transplanted. Harden them off a bit then plant them. I like to take a wooden shingle and poke it in the ground in front of them to give them a bit of shade until they get established.
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
About corn: Corn is a tall plant and needs some room to grow. It also needs company so it will get pollinated. I find that 3 rows spaced 30 inches with a plant about every 8 inches in the row works well.
Get it too crowded it will not make ears. Too thin it will make ears, but the kernels will not get pollinated so the ears will have patchy kernels on it.
Get it too crowded it will not make ears. Too thin it will make ears, but the kernels will not get pollinated so the ears will have patchy kernels on it.