My Soil Temperature >.<

[digitS']

It's so cold!!

I seem to post this link about this time every year: Days to Germination, University of Minnesota. Everyone gardens someplace where local conditions make seed sowing more or less successful at different times during the growing season. There are other factors but temperature can provide a guide for when to plant.

In the warmest part of my yard - full sun and well protected - the soil is 36F! It was kind of like, "No!! It must be warmer than that!" So, I checked the 2 nearest sites where The Washington State Department of Ag keeps track of these things. Farm country but . . . 38 there at both!

We get in a hurry for things to go in but at a thawing temperature of 32, the University of Minnesota reports that germinating lettuce seed takes 49 days! Everything else tested took longer or the seed didn't sprout. In fact, cucumber seed will NOT sprout at 50! I have to wait until the soil temperature gets above 41 for peas or they will require over a month to come up. A lot can happen to a seed in a month . . .

By the way, a good way to hedge your bets with pea seed is to sow only the unwrinkled seed varieties early. Save the wrinkled seed for warmer soil temperatures. The wrinkling is caused by seed starches changing into sugar when the seed was drying. A sugary seed is a good target for microbes that cause it to decay.

Steve

 

[NwMtGardener]

Yeah, pretty sure my soil would come in right around that temp, or lower, since we just got another buncha SNOW yesterday!! Blah.

 

[thistlebloom]

That's an interesting tip about wrinkly peas Steve. Mine will have to wait since I only grow the sweet edible podded ones.

What we need around here is a giant magnifying glass suspended above our gardens to concentrate the suns heat. And then figure out a way to actually get the sun to shine.

 

[swampducks]

I have no idea what my soil temp is as I don't have an appropriate thermometer to test it with, though maybe the one in the coop with the attached sensor probe might work? Supposedly it is used for water temps....

But I planted some pea seeds today, just 12 feet of row. I figure plant some more a week from now, then in another week, etc till the usual planting time comes up and see what happens. It was nearly 80 degrees here today when it should be 45 at most. Crazy

 

[joz]

I want peas, but by the time I got my seed it was early Feb, and I figured I was too late. It's in the 80s now, and I don't expect any properly cool weather until November. I figure I might start some in September. My local extension made a distinction between English Peas and Southern Peas. I didn't know there were Southern varieties.... black eyed don't count, do they?

 

[The Mama Chicken]

I want peas, but by the time I got my seed it was early Feb, and I figured I was too late. It's in the 80s now, and I don't expect any properly cool weather until November. I figure I might start some in September. My local extension made a distinction between English Peas and Southern Peas. I didn't know there were Southern varieties.... black eyed don't count, do they?

Southern peas ARE black eyed peas, they're also known as field peas here in the south. They are totally different than regular peas, they should be planted much later and actually require heat to produce well. I've never grown them, but my grandpa (originally from Alabama) loves them and still grows them every year.
*Edited because I can't spell tonight

 

[digitS']

They only count a whole lot for good taste, Joz.

I have never had a soil thermometer. The aquarium thermometer that I used disappeared . . . I'm sure I didn't leave it in the soil since that was years ago and I've dug out that bed repeatedly.

An old outdoor thermometer works okay for me, Swampducks. It only stays down there for a few minutes and I use the shovel to mark the spot.

For seed that is sown very near the surface, I think the average air temperature may as well be used. And of course, sunshine will warm that first 1/2" of soil quickly but there's a huge mass of soil below that surface that will influence things once the sun isn't shining directly on it.

Steve :coolsun

 

[Collector]

I was sort of being optomistic and thinking the soil might be a little warmer here abouts, until I read this post. Guess I'll sit here till you give me the green light! Where doyou find a soil thermometer? last year I wasnt aware of all these Small details, Probbly why I had to seed some things multiple times.

Who would have ever thunk there would be so much to learn about this gardening gig.

 

[thistlebloom]

I was sort of being optomistic and thinking the soil might be a little warmer here abouts, until I read this post. Guess I'll sit here till you give me the green light! Where doyou find a soil thermometer? last year I wasnt aware of all these Small details, Probbly why I had to seed some things multiple times.

Who would have ever thunk there would be so much to learn about this gardening gig.

Most seed catalogs have soil thermometers in their garden goody section Collector. I forget what I paid for mine, but I think it was around $15. My garden beds are still covered with snow, :/ so it's a little pointless for me still.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

My father in law gave me one a couple of years ago, but I've only ever used it to check the temp in my compost pile. I guess I should try it out next spring to see how early I can really plant.