Planting dates.....

[longwinters]

With the discussion on Pink tomatoes etc... and their longer (to me) harvest dates, I was wondering how long your growing seasons are?  Maybe what growing zone you're in. I am on the border of zone 3-4.  Typically up here we can plant Memorial weekend (and usually cover a couple of times for frost) and better have the tomatoes picked by early Sept. (covering occasionally) for frost.  So I never go with varieties that need more than 65 days.  Seems my tomatoes always take longer that what the seed packs say.  Course we tend to have lots of nights in the 50's and then some in the 80's.  Not so many in between.
 
Long

[keith44]

Hi Longwinters,
This could be an interesting comparison.


I am in zone 6 (some say 6a, some 6b, one place puts us in zone 6.5 ??)  The root crops can go in as early as mid March (potatoes, carrots, onion sets,etc) the squash and cucumbers, and tomatoes and the like are put in around the first week of May and corn and beans by mid May.  With cold frames some of these can go in the first week of April.  There have been mild enough winters to have everything planted in April.  First frosts usually come in October, but some years it is into December before we have a killing frost.  I try to have the garden timed to have all harvesting done by the first week of November.

[jvs]

Around here, Spinach and Peas can go in in March, the Cabbage family can go in at the middle to end of April.
 
 Just about everything else (Zucchini, Beans, Tomato's, Peppers) goes in no sooner than mid-May, sometimes the beginning of June.  Garlic goes in between Sept and Oct for the following season.
 
First frost usually hits from mid Sept to mid Oct.  Killer frost easily by the end of Oct.
 
I don't normally have to watch the 'days' unless it goes in late for some reason.  In a year with a early spring and warm/late autumn, I can probably get 150+ days total.
 
 

[longwinters]

We can plant onions and even brocolli in late april with cold frames. Usually green beans have to be planted mid-June or they just don't seem to come up.  Squash etc  seem to be ok with the end of May date.
 
Long

[OLDHandgunner]

Our growing season over the past 10-20 years has been extended for 2-4 weeks ( most of the time ) up here in VT. I remember 20-30 years ago mid Sept was our first hard frost. Then I'd have my garden tilled by 1st of Oct. These past few years I've been picking tomatoes, peppers and digging potatoes in mid Oct. Didn't till my garden this year until the 1st week of Nov.
 
Now the spring planting has pretty much stayed the same. A week or two before Memorial Day. Peppers not until 1st or 2nd week of June. I put in 1 batch of corn & 1 row of Yukon Gold potatoes the 1st week of May. Most of the time it works.

[longwinters]

I guess I'm surprised you have that long of a growing season in VT.  Rode a 5 speed peddle bike throught there back in 74.  Beautiful country!
 
Long

[Bugflipper]

I'm in zone 7. I could actually plant in the first week of April for warm weather crops, but I wait until the second week because it is usually a full moon and just in case there is a late frost. Usually there is a frost around the 31st of Oct, so I guess about half the year. I usually still have tomatoes and melons on the vine until mid to late November ripening off but production stops after the first frost. Root crops can be left to grow over the winter.

[longwinters]

If I ever get to retire.....I'd love to live at least 50 miles south of where I do.  It always surprises me the difference in weather when we head 100 miles south to go to a city to shop at that has more than Walmart.
 
Long

[keith44]

for me to really notice a difference I would need to go more than 250 miles south, but then with the freeze line moving further south every few years I may not be able to move far enough to notice much difference

[longwinters]

In a small berg just south of us there is a sign that says..."PRAY FOR GLOBAL WARMING".  I think they are tired of 5 months of snow every year.
 
Long

[keith44]

Thats funny!!!

[smokehouserex]

 
 
  Hey longwinters:
  Maybe you just need to tell those people to call Al Gore, he might be able to help them out.
  HM

[longwinters]

Al does seem to have the answers.....
 
Long