SE Iowa- Weird weather Qs

[margali]

Hi All,

The weather has been so weird this year. No snow and it is 45 oF today?! It has been running a good 10 degrees warmer than historical. This is my second winter here, so I don't know what to do? If it gets warm early, does it usually stay that way?

I'm itching to start the garden for the year. Can I start getting seeds out or should I wait based on the normal last frost date? Definitely going to start on prework of composting beds and such.

Thanks
Margali

 

[Carol Dee]

margali -
I also live in Eastern IA, a bit up river from you. (Near Davenport) I would wait until the normal last frost date. IA can be pretty unpredictable. ( Seems the whole country is this winter!) It would be sad to have things spoil in the ground or get nipped as they emerge. I am so ready to get in the garden. DH spent the day looking and dreaming with a stack of seed catalogs.
By all means go ahead and start planning. My husbands family ALWAYS planted potatoes on Good Friday. They ALWAYS had lots of them. Peas can usually go in a little early, too. Have Fun.

 

[margali]

Thanks for the info! Itching to get garden in because last year I didn't get started till July. Got a lot of cucumbers and some peppers but nothing else ripened in time. Sugar baby watermelon got to softball size before the freeze but that was it.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I am in Ohio and it is the same here. I am pretty sure that by the end of Feb./ early March everyone is going to be complaining about why winter is taking so long to start clearing out. I am thinking about starting on some beds though. I want to put in some new raised beds and if it stays like this much longer I am going to get busy.