May 09. 2014
Wow! This weather is ugly. I for one am very tired of all this WIND and COLD COLD nights for us vegetable gardeners. Come on! I want to start planting in earnest! I can hardly believe it’s still getting below freezing at night. Looks like mother nature is going to take us right up to the May 15th date of ‘first frost free date’ before we get out of danger of freezes at night and maybe not even then. Unbelievable! We’re expected to get up to 1 foot of snow up in our local mountains but just a trace down here in Santa Fe. Still, Colorado has it worse tonight! What are all those giant pumpkin friends gonna do to protect their babies tonight?!
I need to wait to plant warm season veggies like corn, gourds, squash, cucumbers, beans, eggplants, peppers, and of course my beloved tomatoes and giant pumpkins. So there they sit in the house, under their lights, getting huge, staying warm just waiting for their time to shine. I hope it’s soon. I don’t think I’ve ever planted my tomatoes so late-I always am able to sneak them in earlier with wall of waters which I still could do but every time I wanted to plant them this spring, I knew we were going to have freezing weather that night. I just keep telling myself-patience, patience.
giantveggiegardener 
I’m with you, Jeannine!
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Reblogged this on Linda's wildlife garden and commented:
Lovely post thanks for sharing
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Hello Jannine,
Yes, this is a frustrating time for High Desert gardeners. We have snow this morning and the greenhouse will be totally enclosed for a couple of days.
This will be a short season I fear and after I ended up with so many green tomatoes last Fall, I am wondering about planting outside only those veggies that should mature in short order. Which specific seeds do you recommend?
Good gardening,
Gene
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Buy tomato, peppers and eggplant starts (not seeds) so they have enough time to mature. Buy tomatoes that are 75 days or LESS to harvest (look at the label, it should tell you). Beans, cucumbers, corn (again early to harvest-like 65 days), beets, carrots, summer squash and some early maturing winter squash. Look at the labels for transplants or the seed packages.
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i planted my pumpkins about 2 weeks ago, big mistake. i have already got hail damage, and weather swings from too cold to too hot, plants seem to be slow, in shock. good luck with your babies, its not looking good for me this year.
Olin Z
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Olin! Good to hear from my one competitive buddy! Mine are still in the house and I plan to put them out on the weekend. Been too cold up here with this wild spring weather. Do you have any backups? I wish you the very best and hope we can compete again! Please let me know how’s it going thru the season. Best to you and your babies!
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i am starting my backups today. have you started your long gourds yet? I know they like it warm but i have no idea when to start
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I’m starting my seeds as well inside and will put them out late this month with protection. They like heat!
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I hear you — I’ve finally been able to put my 72 tomatoes out onto the porch the past 2 days; been too cold til now. Like you I try to get mine out in the wall of waters by now, but we’ve had snow about 5 or 6 times so far in May and temps in the 20s-low 30s at night. We are supposed to have a week of above freezing after tonight. I really don’t like planting in my boots and parka 😦
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Yes my are going out in my unheated greenhouse tomorrow as tonight is still 30 °F. After tonight, it should be smooth sailing LOL
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They are only going out in the greenhouse to harden off and then into the garden!
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