It does feel much chillier today than yesterday. Not sure what the low was, probably around 44. Supposed to be 44 lows tonight here. Outdoor planted tomato here were just fine.

I wouldn't leave my seedling trays outside overnight as yet because those have no protection. But the ones in ground are well mulched in there nests of leaves I pile around them.

So I have been planting my tomato seedlings in ground these past few days. Planted some more today. I am slow but I am making progress.

Night time temps seems to be good. Daytime highs are nice.

I plant my tomatoes so the roots are in pure compost. I dumped lots of compost on my veggie beds last fall. I actually had to have it delivered by the truckfull. I just put it on top of the soil and leave it. Then everything is heavily mulched.

Each plant gets a little nest of leaves to protect it as soon as it is planted. And watering. So slow going but it is going good.

Same here, Rita. Better to have slow progress than no progress.

pirl said:Same here, Rita. Better to have slow progress than no progress.

Nights are too cold here for anything but peas.....I will plant carrots, beets, etc today....only the seeds....no plants! I have had snow here the 2nd week of May!

RobinD said:Nights are too cold here for anything but peas.....I will plant carrots, beets, etc today....only the seeds....no plants! I have had snow here the 2nd week of May!

I saw last night that areas to the north and west of us had frost warnings last night.

Still bringing my seedling trays out each morning and back in each evening. Still planting which I started just as a test with a very few plants on Sunday afternoon. Monday morning I checked and they were fine so I started planting my tomatoes in ground. So planted Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and today. Will plant tomorrow and all weekend. Unless it rains.

Unless I'm mistaken, you should be past your last frost date at this point Rita...only by a week or so, but still...past that date.

Nope, not even close. Average last Frost date is April 18th. But that is only average. The nurseries around here say that the safe past frost planting date is May 10th. Looking on line it gives May 2nd as our last frost date. So conflicting information.

Calling for frost here tomorrow night.....

RobinD said:Calling for frost here tomorrow night.....

Too bad we can't outlaw frost by Earth Day!

@Newyorkrita you plant your tomatoes before the last frost date & Nestle them in with leaves for protection. This works?

I have always waited. Our last frost date is near Memorial Day, so it is quite a wait. Maybe I will try planting one or two earlier. Just harden them off really well?

Last year I got a tomato planting tip from a fellow in the Netherlands. I tried it & those tomatoes outperformed the ones I had planted in the regular way. ,(I did a test comparison). He takes all the leaves off his tomato transplants except for a little tuft at the top. He then plants them horizontally with the root ball slightly lower and covers with compost. He then buries 2\3rds deep a 2 litre bottle head down with the bottom cut off next to the root ball. He fills the 2 litre bottle with water or manure tea or tea from comfrey booking 14. I don't have any comfrey booking plants so I just used manure tea. The bottle obviously delivers moisture directly to the root ball.

I plan on planting all mine this way this year. Can I interest you in trying it with one plant? Or anyone else?

Yes, the idea appeals to me so I'll give it a try. Thanks, Cayuga!

Cayuga said:@Newyorkrita you plant your tomatoes before the last frost date & Nestle them in with leaves for protection. This works?

I have always waited. Our last frost date is near Memorial Day, so it is quite a wait. Maybe I will try planting one or two earlier. Just harden them off really well?

Last year I got a tomato planting tip from a fellow in the Netherlands. I tried it & those tomatoes outperformed the ones I had planted in the regular way. ,(I did a test comparison). He takes all the leaves off his tomato transplants except for a little tuft at the top. He then plants them horizontally with the root ball slightly lower and covers with compost. He then buries 2\3rds deep a 2 litre bottle head down with the bottom cut off next to the root ball. He fills the 2 litre bottle with water or manure tea or tea from comfrey booking 14. I don't have any comfrey booking plants so I just used manure tea. The bottle obviously delivers moisture directly to the root ball.

I plan on planting all mine this way this year. Can I interest you in trying it with one plant? Or anyone else?

When it gets near planting time, I pay very close attention to the extended forecast for 10 days out. Daytime temps and especially nighttime lows. When those lows are high enough I plant. But yes, I Nestle them for protection.

I have planted many of my leggy plants in the trench method. I don't strip any of the leaves, I just plant. As to the compost or manure teas, I don't make or have any. The bottle, well not in my garden and really we usually get plenty of rain. If not I just water. I have too many plants for such a method anyway.

I do take off the lower leaves, but that's about it....fertilize when the blossoms come out....I usually have more than enough tomatoes, but I don't do much with them...just eat them fresh....

Oh, I forgot to say I don't need the compost or manure tea as I put compost on my veggie beds and plant the tomatoes directly in compost. Later I like the feed them the Neptunes Liquid fertilizer.

Began doing some prep work to my garden area today. I always start by going through and picking rocks out that have been heaved up during winter, and then there is always a bit of my dirt driveway that gets pushed into one corner of my veggie garden growing area due to plowing (unavoidable nuisance). Got most of that work done, then did some minor cleanup work on my flower beds. Next up for the garden will be adding a thick layer of compost, tilling it in, and then making raised rows.

robertduval14 said:Began doing some prep work to my garden area today. I always start by going through and picking rocks out that have been heaved up during winter, and then there is always a bit of my dirt driveway that gets pushed into one corner of my veggie garden growing area due to plowing (unavoidable nuisance). Got most of that work done, then did some minor cleanup work on my flower beds. Next up for the garden will be adding a thick layer of compost, tilling it in, and then making raised rows.

You do know that the compost doesn't have to be plowed in. I put mine on all my veggie beds. I do rake it around so that it is sorta even. But I just leave it on top. Comes planting time I just plant direct into the compost. The veggie plants love it.

Of course everyone has their own way of doing things. Mostly they all work pretty well.

I was planting tomatoes again today. I will be planting the rest of the week I guess as I am no where near done and I am slow!!

After tomatoes I have to plant the summer squash, the cucumbers and the melon seedlings I also have.