Green Babies

We’re getting there Sissy!

The unusual warm spell hitting the Midwest right now has everybody itching to get out and start working in the garden, but should we plant our tomatoes and peppers now? We could, but then we all know here in Chicagoland, it will get cold again (you’ve heard the saying “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes, it’ll change”? It’s true here. Especially in Spring).
Our last frost date is roughly around May 5th and we would have to keep a diligent eye on the thermometer and the Weather Channel so we can run out and throw buckets, plastic and the spare bed sheets over our tender little plants to protect them from frost. But that’s a lot of work and worry if you ask me. I used to do all that, planting my tomatoes as early as possible, closely watching the weather on TV every afternoon, then running out in the evening and covering everything up (yes, I’ve done the bed sheet thing many times) and then back out in the morning to uncover before the sun came up an cooked everything. But I had more energy then, and time. Now, older, lazier and a fuller schedule, I just wait until late April and early May to plant my tomatoes and peppers.
As for my little Organic Babies here, they won’t be planting out size until around then anyway. This early warm spell has caught most of us growers with our proverbial pants down. As I mentioned above, people are wanting to plant their gardens now, but unless you started your own tomato and pepper transplants early, most greenhouses and nurseries here aren’t quite ready (but we’ve all kicked into high gear now!).
I would though, start planting my lettuce, peas, onions and potatoes now, while the weather is nice and the soil is dry, for soon, this weekend actually, it will be back to more normal March temps (I peeked at the weather just now~ 60’s are forecasted for the weekend for us).