Worrying about this Season...Though i like to keep my confidence high

So if you are one of those people who live in the u.s. and get snow every year, dont know if this is happening throughout all the states, or just the ones near mine, but there has been little to no snow this winter season. and it's nearing an end. I read an article from here: http://news.yahoo.com/wheres-snow-not-lower-48-elsewhere-230700692.html . I saw some things saying trees were starting out earlier, I'm kinda confused on when to plant this year, and if the harvest dates will be effected. I'm hoping it doesnt get as hot as it did last year around here which on some occasions the heat index would be like 100-104 degrees fareignheit, but then again, we did have winter storms and a lot of snow and ice around here last year. So im contemplating on my plant and harvest times this year. I'm looking forward to the season, and hoping this will be a big year for me. I'm doing my second grow, coming in strong with new ideas,plans,and knowledge much more improved than last year. I'm going to order quality seeds this year instead of bagseed. This year is gonna be a big one for me (first car,first actual job(besides corn detassaling)). Hope the season goes excellent for all you, and i hope yall are very successful.
~EJ

http://www.sunrisesunset.com/predefined.asp

check day length on there. looks like i will be planting june if i do anything outdoor this year. still not for sure yet.

as the weather is showing its been a strange season mother nature is confused, but dnt risk planting early, yes the average temps are high, but the daylight hrs arent, also u have a night fall to low and it screws u over, i say if u want to go early start inside, if u cant start outside in may to june, i plan to start early april and make a miniture greenhouse to make its own micro climate to protect from nightime temps, well see how it goes

That article is a bunch of shit. Weather changes year to year, last time this happened was '67, when you look at it, not really that long ago...
We have what, 200 years of recorded weather phenomenon. Of the Millions of years this planet has been here. What the fuck do we know about weather?

I will also be starting indoors if i do grow. Based on daylight hours, Im going to hold off. Plant wont suffer too much, since it would be started soon anyway.
A good 3-4 Month head start shouldnt be 2 bad.

I agree. It seems like with the extremely mild winter these sorts of questions are coming up a lot lately. If you live in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, or anywhere that has a "normal" changing of the seasons with cold winters and hot summer you still don't want to put them out until May regardless of how warm the Spring is. If you put plants out in April there is a good chance they will try to start flowering, only to revert back to veg later. That whole process tends to stun growth some, so it defeats the whole purpose of putting them out early to begin with.

I live in MN and its pretty crazy, t shirt weather in january and feb.

We had 3 feet of snow at this time last year

Not complaining, tho i would like to get the snowmobile out

just because its hotter dosent mean the sun decided to change its cycle, i would wait until at least late march

what should the day lenght, or sunrise/sunset hours be for me to know when to pop the germinated seed outdoors?

ej691 said:

what should the day lenght, or sunrise/sunset hours be for me to know when to pop the germinated seed outdoors?

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I believe he is asking how many hours of light per day do we need to have to keep them from going into flower

This brings up an important topic I was going to post anyways. The ground has not frozen, and it isn't going to with the increasing sun angle and long range forecasts I'm looking at.

This means we are going to have some serious issues with insects, so I'm considering a later planting...like mid-June.

thanks but no danks said:

just because its hotter dosent mean the sun decided to change its cycle, i would wait until at least late march

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March ?

Sunbiz1 said:

This brings up an important topic I was going to post anyways. The ground has not frozen, and it isn't going to with the increasing sun angle and long range forecasts I'm looking at.

This means we are going to have some serious issues with insects, so I'm considering a later planting...like mid-June.

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Good point. February is a cold month though, so there is still a good chance the ground might freeze over. Winter ain't over yet.

Bugs usually aren't a major issue for me. The first thing I do when I transplant outside is spray them with Safer End All. It's OMRI certified and completely safe. I use it until maybe a month into flower and never had any issues with residue come harvest. Pyrethrins break down fairly quickly in sunlight and are water soluble, so worst case scenario one good rain washes it away.

I find the best way to control bugs is to curb them before they can start. Prevention is the name of the game. Young plants are much more vulnerable than plants that are bigger anyway.

sonar said:

Good point. February is a cold month though, so there is still a good chance the ground might freeze over. Winter ain't over yet.

Bugs usually aren't a major issue for me. The first thing I do when I transplant outside is spray them with Safer End All. It's OMRI certified and completely safe. I use it until maybe a month into flower and never had any issues with residue come harvest. Pyrethrins break down fairly quickly in sunlight and are water soluble, so worst case scenario one good rain washes it away.

I find the best way to control bugs is to curb them before they can start. Prevention is the name of the game. Young plants are much more vulnerable than plants that are bigger anyway.

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One of my sites is in the middle of a swamp, bugs are always an issue early. By mid-June they move onto other plants for whatever reasons. I'll certainly look into the Safer End All, my other concern are Japanese beetles. I have ornamental trees(legal ones!)and a native garden, and those little fuckers will strip trees bare in a day...along with my ivy.

Also, I realize people get anxious to start growing outdoors, but I measured veg height rates at 10"/week last summer...in full sun of course. Those 1 footers I transplanted in the first week of June were 8' by mid-August.

TY for the spray tip, been using a straight pesticide on those beetles and it's really nasty stuff.

sonar said:

Good point. February is a cold month though, so there is still a good chance the ground might freeze over. Winter ain't over yet.

Bugs usually aren't a major issue for me. The first thing I do when I transplant outside is spray them with Safer End All. It's OMRI certified and completely safe. I use it until maybe a month into flower and never had any issues with residue come harvest. Pyrethrins break down fairly quickly in sunlight and are water soluble, so worst case scenario one good rain washes it away.


I find the best way to control bugs is to curb them before they can start. Prevention is the name of the game. Young plants are much more vulnerable than plants that are bigger anyway.

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How big, or old are your plants when you spray them? And do you like drench them in the stuff, I have issues with slugs and caterpillars, and those little yellow/red spit bugs that leave that ball of what looks like spit on the plants, have been using I think it's called BugX, but contains pyrethrins, but always spray a perimeter circle around them, and am too scared to spray right on them. But I can get safer end all, so it's safe to just douse them in that, even when young? And it will keep all this shit away?

Well, if you're lucky enough to have native Americans around, listen to them. Where I grew up, the elders said don't plant till the mountain takes her cap off. My mom's generation translated that to don't plant until the snow's off _____ Mountain. They were right.

As a younger gardener, I got sucked in by more than one early spring...and planted twice or more! Easier and cheaper when it was tomatoes, and taught me a life long lesson. Listen to the locals. The older the better! Global warming is real, but not established enough to risk putting out plants early because of the drop dead gorgeous weather many of us are experiencing!

TWS said:

March ?

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Location, location, location.... would be certain death for anything it put out in March! Look on line for the last frost date for your area. Here in the PNW, the soil is so cool it's a waste of time before May, and planting in early June is probably best. Definitely need cover to finish outdoors, too!

sorry for the double post...not triple...no idea how I did that.

peacenikchick said:

How big, or old are your plants when you spray them? And do you like drench them in the stuff, I have issues with slugs and caterpillars, and those little yellow/red spit bugs that leave that ball of what looks like spit on the plants, have been using I think it's called BugX, but contains pyrethrins, but always spray a perimeter circle around them, and am too scared to spray right on them. But I can get safer end all, so it's safe to just douse them in that, even when young? And it will keep all this shit away?

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Usually about 3-4 weeks old. I don't soak them to the point that it is dripping off, just stand back a foot or two and give them a mist. The only time I had a problem was when I sprayed them in direct sunlight on a really hot day. Damage was only minor though. I try to spray them once every week to 10 days for the first month or two. Once they get bigger, they can handle a little bit of munching. I pretty much follow the directions on the bottle. You are never going to stop them 100%, but spraying makes a huge difference.

Oh btw, try to stay upwind. The stuff doesn't taste very good, trust me.

sonar said:

Usually about 3-4 weeks old. I don't soak them to the point that it is dripping off, just stand back a foot or two and give them a mist. The only time I had a problem was when I sprayed them in direct sunlight on a really hot day. Damage was only minor though. I try to spray them once every week to 10 days for the first month or two. Once they get bigger, they can handle a little bit of munching. I pretty much follow the directions on the bottle. You are never going to stop them 100%, but spraying makes a huge difference.

Oh btw, try to stay upwind. The stuff doesn't taste very good, trust me.

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Sweet, thanks!! Excited to have a real viable bug solution!! One less thing to worry about, do you have slug issues? And if so, does the end-all do the tricks for those hungry bastards too? Oh, and ya I've eaten many a pesticide, and have learned the old upwind trick. Me= extremely logical, but such a dumbass sometimes. Thanks !

Weather in WI has been different in recent years. Seems like winters are getting shorter and shorter. I don't care too much about the weather before planting(planting is pretty much the same every year for me), but if we can have a nice long Indian summer I'm all for that!