Subscribe to Gardening Subscribe to Gardening's comments

Each winter, on average, your risk of frost is from November 18 through March 14.

Almost certainly, however, you will receive frost from December 12 through February 11.

You are almost guaranteed that you will not get frost from April 14 through October 27.

Your frost-free growing season is around 249 days.

Another Frost

So much for being past the last frost date.  It froze last night and everything was frosted white in the morning sunlight.  Just a reminder that it was the ‘average’ last frost date.  The ‘never happens after this date’ last frost date is still a ways away.

I started my garden last weekend.  The most important thing, got the sweetpea starts planted.  Then, after hearing about the crop failures in Calif, I went back to the Coop and purchased some lettuce starts and planted those also.  The lettuce isn’t looking too happy though.  Might be in part to the fact that Ell decided to ‘play’ with them.  I’ve fenced out the bunnies and the chickens but kitties are much harder to deter.

2 weekends ago, I started.

Flats planted and now under growing lights in the basement.  I thought at first it might be too cool downstairs, but things are sprouting so I guess we’re doing okay.  Planted 2 types of broccoli, lettuce, leeks, scarlet runner beans, …?  Will have to check my notes again. Also started some sugar snap peas & sweet peas in flats outdoors.  No growth on those yet.

Built a worm bin this last weekend.  Very easy to do.  Still needs a few holes poked into the bottom and also some kind of drip collection.  I thought maybe it would be good to put it on wheels that elevated it off the deck so I can slide collection trays underneath and also roll it around the deck when I need to.  A project for next weekend:)  I do need to finish it up quick though, because I have already started saving stuff to put into it!

We had the most extreme weather a week ago.  First was the snow, more than I can remember seeing here.  It came down fast and just kept on coming, over a foot.  Then while the snow was on the ground we had a 12degree low at night, following by an 18degree low.  Meanwhile daytime temps never got above freezing and all this occured after mild, spring like weather had encouraged bud growth.  It will be interesting to see what the ultimate result will be.