Weird growing season so far

As if I needed further proof how unseasonable the weather has been here in the mid-Ohio Valley, the first tomato blossoms showed up today. In a normal year, I'd be lucky to have the plants set in the ground at this time. Wild!

We had a mild winter in No. CA, so everything is early. I have two tomatoes on the Better Boy what are about an inch around already. Some herbs, like chives, marjoram, tarragon are going strong. Cilantro and parsley have bolted with daytime temperatures in the 80 - 90's.

we had a really early spring here in NE Oklahoma as well. Broccoli has mostly bolted, making tiny heads with pencil-thick stalks. Peas did well at first, but are being devoured by a sudden outbreak of aphids which the ladybugs are playing catch-up with, and not very well at that. Swiss chard is great, and I've got cucumber and Black Diamond watermelon seedlings up, and they both love the heat.

[Robin Garr]

As if I needed further proof how unseasonable the weather has been here in the mid-Ohio Valley, the first tomato blossoms showed up today. In a normal year, I'd be lucky to have the plants set in the ground at this time. Wild!

We got a dozen oxheart tomato volunteers sprouting in the garden in late February. It hasn't frosted since then, and they're good-size now, just about the traditional date (Derby Day) for putting tomatoes in. I don't know about blossoms, though ... will look tomorrow.

Local strawberries turned up at the farmers' markets last week. Normal arrival, last week of May, first of June.

And at the relocated Phoenix Hill farmers' market on Tuesday, Kathy Packard (of Misty Meadows Farm, pretty much right across the Ohio from Chez 'winger) told us she expects to have local peaches by the end of this month. That's just nuts. But I'll take 'em ...

As if I needed further proof how unseasonable the weather has been here in the mid-Ohio Valley, the first tomato blossoms showed up today. In a normal year, I'd be lucky to have the plants set in the ground at this time. Wild!

Yeah, but we're expecting a 36° low tonight and our CSA guy (Farmer Kevin) says that tomatoes will drop their blossoms if they get below 50°. He's gonna be out in the fields tonight with some sort of propane torch to try to keep the plants warm enough.

Mark Lipton

Boston has been a bit wacky. Warm and sunny in April (some 80s) and we've had rain every day so far in May (and cool).

Boston has been a bit wacky. Warm and sunny in April (some 80s) and we've had rain every day so far in May (and cool).

Same thing here.

[Jenise]

We had a mild winter in No. CA, so everything is early. I have two tomatoes on the Better Boy what are about an inch around already. Some herbs, like chives, marjoram, tarragon are going strong. Cilantro and parsley have bolted with daytime temperatures in the 80 - 90's.

Jealous!

[Jenise]

Too cool up here. Overnight lows are back in the 30's, so no tomatoes in the ground yet.

[Jenise]

We're planting tomatoes today. Two Sungolds, an early girl, something else that's a 60-day early tom with a Polish name, and a chocolate cherry tomato that I expect to be a small kumato-like tomato.

[Robin Garr]

We got a dozen oxheart tomato volunteers sprouting in the garden in late February. It hasn't frosted since then, and they're good-size now, just about the traditional date (Derby Day) for putting tomatoes in. I don't know about blossoms, though ... will look tomorrow.

Mary said they started blossoming during the first week of May - Derby week. I'm hoping we can start harvesting before the end of June. Why not, everything else has been early this year!

Well we tended to first of eight squares of garden yesterday, and transplanted several basil plants from Whole Foods, and planted three different lettuces from Johnny's. Have hope but not too much optimisms.

...transplanted several basil plants from Whole Foods, and planted three different lettuces from Johnny's.

Carl-
Just curious as to the reason you set out basil and lettuce starts as opposed to planting them from seed? (I do seem to recall Spring and early summer in coastal New England can be a tad chilly).
BP

Carl-Just curious as to the reason you set out basil and lettuce starts as opposed to planting them from seed? (I do seem to recall Spring and early summer in coastal New England can be a tad chilly).
BP

The lettuce was from seed. We may be a couple of weeks early on the basil plants, but they were not doing well in the pots True Love bought them in. If we lose them we will replace them. We do have some coming up in flats.