By Tim Barnes, Owner of the Landscape Shoppe
Even with all the sun and the 90 degree heat, we are running a month behind this year. As of this writing, it was 44 degrees last night. That’s not a good thing for vegetables. Since we’re still seeing early Spring weather, soil and night temperatures can be cold. While you should be cautious about planting tomatoes too soon, cucumber, radishes, carrots, and potatoes are all good for early planting.
Personally, I won’t be planting tomatoes until about the second week of June. If you already have yours in the ground, make sure not to over water them. With the cool soil and air hindering evaporation, too much water may drown the roots. A way to see if this is the case, is to watch for them turning color and wilting down. Overall, you will have a better chance of success by waiting for soil temperatures to warm up.
If you’re using any starts, keep in mind that those starts just recently came from a greenhouse, where temperatures are both consistent and warm. Planting them in cool, wet soil will shock the roots and halt their growth.
Hope this helps, and happy gardening!