When to plant crops during this crazy spring....

[savingdogs]

I have a large vegetable garden planned and designed myself an intricate calender based on frost dates in order to know when to plant what.

Unfortunately, we are having a really strange spring. Today we had hail and snow. It is a good thing I did not transplant things outside on my schedule, because not only did we have this snowstorm, but this is the second one in April. We are having February weather now. Night before last, it was 29 degrees. Daytime highs are in the 50s.

Should I push everything from this month into next month on my calender, grow more things inside, or move my entire schedule off another month? I'm supposed to be planting pumpkin indoors right now, and I still haven't gotten my other starts moved out. But if I had,they would have surely died. I really, really wanted to plant pumpkins and have the coolest seeds, but I also don't want to waste them if there isn't a long enough season this year.

Thoughts from more experienced veggie gardeners about "off" years and how to handle it?

 

[SKR8PN]

Here in Ohio, we never put anything out until May. If I were you, I'd push everything back at least a month.

Edit to add: I meant anything that can be killed by frost.

 

[Wifezilla]

Can you get a frost blanket? usually we can't plant until Mother's day, but I can push things to NOW with a frost blanket. Sam's had them for around $9 last time I was there.

You can also use 2 liter bottles filled with water to put some thermal mass around the plants.

 

[Kala]

Maybe something along the line of floating row covers? Basically along the same lines of what wifezilla said. But you still wouldn't want to push too much if the weather is gonna be REALLY cold. Hmmm...maybe a combo of waiting a while longer and using some sort of cover? Just in case...

 

[Wifezilla]

Unexpected cold snaps and spring weirdness is normal for Colorado. Our growing season is short so I push things anyway. If I wait too long I have to protect crops on the back end or get nothing.

You could start planting things that don't mind cold and some snow. Chinese greens, peas, some lettuces, spinach, etc...

 

[Kala]

Unexpected cold snaps and spring weirdness is normal for Colorado. Our growing season is short so I push things anyway. If I wait too long I have to protect crops on the back end or get nothing.You could start planting things that don't mind cold and some snow. Chinese greens, peas, some lettuces, spinach, etc...

good point

 

[savingdogs]

I have planted peas and lettuce so far, nothing has sprouted. I have some indoor ones as well.

My quinoa is going to TOWN, I have that all over and it LOVES it here. That is my one success so far.

I was using the planting dates from the seed packages based on my weather. I do have spring plants starting to bud outside, such as lilac, etc., so spring is TRYING to make it .....

I'm thinking I need some protection if I want to plant pumpkin or peppers or watermelon. If not, I just won't have enough time.

 

[ems_chick]

I use almanac.com and looked up planting dates by my zip code. It seems to be going ok... so far so good!

 

[savingdogs]

I looked it up by almanac date too. But the almanac is wrong this year in my area.

 

[FarmerJamie]

I looked it up by almanac date too. But the almanac is wrong this year in my area.

I don't know SD, this weather has me confused. The locals just took down the sap buckets, it's almost like we're a month behind here.

This time last year, we were already eating asparagus out of the garden. I cleaned up the bed and did a little side dressing with aged chicken poo over the weekend - didn't see anything that remotely looked like new spears coming up...