I'm Planting tomatoes tomorrow

[BOSSHOG]

In Southern Mississippi. I can't stand it any longer. I have to plant something. I know I should wait a couple of weeks but I'll tempt the frost monster once again.

[zanana]

1. You're planting outside?

I won't be able to plant my tomatoes until June 1! Do you have two growing seasons, then?

[markus]

2. Argghhhh!

I'm originally from N'wawlins, but live in Fargo, ND. I hope to tempt the frost monster myself again this year, and put in tomatoes before June 1.

Oh, man, for a creole tomato!

Where about in SoMiss are you? I have relatives in Waveland.

And I suddenly have a powerful urge to sit on the beach flying a "satellite" listening to Jimmy Buffet's "Biloxi".

We now return you to your regularly scheduled ice storm already in progress.

[BOSSHOG]

6. Hello Markus and Zanana

I'll plant outside and tempt fate. Its 70 degrees today but we still may have a frost. And yes, I'm planting Creoles. I live east of Picayune in Pearl River County. I want home grown tomatoes by Memorial Day. Two growing seasons easy, although I get lazy after the first one. And cranking up Jimmy Buffet is in order. How might one celebrate Mardi Gras in Fargo?

[markus]

9. By flying to N'wawlins, of couse

But not this year. I get to go home in June, when my wife has a conference. Which is marginally better than going in August. And of course we'll troop over to have lunch at Annie's at Henderson Point, which is owned by my relations, with my 82 year old Uncle.

I'll be watching the Bourbo Cam Tuesday night and sulking, wishing I was 20 again and sitting on the Royal and (Conti?) corner of the Wildlife and Fisheries Building, where I was saw Mr. Buffett stop, borrow a guitar from a couple of the dead heads who used to hang on that particular (dopers) corner, and belt out Volcano before the crowd started to get out of hand.

Ah, memories. There used to be a song they played on the College Statin in N'wawlins (WTUL) called "Pearl River Turnaround" with the line "if you don't turn around at the Pearl River Turnaround", well, you were probably never coming back from N'wawlins.

<sigh>

I'll be thinking positive thoughts about your tomatoes.

[BOSSHOG]

10. Thanks Markus

and if you miss the Pearl River Turnaround (heading north), you can forget about Nawlins. The W&F Building has had about 10 zillion dollars poured into it and it will (one day soon) become the state supreme court building. Quite an impressive edifice. The quarter is packed as we type but I think I will maintain some sanity this year and hit the quarter next weekend (yeah, I'm a wuss.)

I'd love for you to enjoy some homegrown creoles. Although the plants I have were not grown in Plaquemines, rather they are creole plants grown in Mississippi. The Louisiana natives insist on making that distinction and I love them for it.

[TheMightyFavog]

12. BY MEMEORIAL DAY???

Fresh tomatoes by memorial day?

Now I wann move down south!

*Jealous

[supernova]

3. Starting seedlings indoors?

My grandma used to start tomatoes in a big tin washtub filled with potting soil and mulch.

She kept it inside until the last frost had passed.

Same with peppers.

[LoneStarLiberal]

4. I Already Got Walloped By Frosty

Put out some antique roses late last month...deep prepared beds, gravel on the bottom for drainage, good loose soil, perlite, mature compost, and a thick layer of mulch.

Didn't matter; one of the four I put out had a good bit of new growth on it because our winter (I chuckle as I type that) in North Texas has been very Exxon-Mobil like, i.e. very warm. The weekend after I put the roses out, whammo! Our first hard freeze.

The new growth on one died back but the others made it through fine.

Antique roses are the best for landscaping...hardy and as long as you put in the work to prepare their beds, very long-lasting.

[markus]

8. My antique rose

The people we bought our house from asked if they could dig up and take the antique rose bush that started as their grandmothers. I told 'em, sure, go ahead. Just fill the hole or leave a few bags of topsoil there so I can do it.

They went the easy way, and I ended up filling the verg large hole they left with the cheap K-mart topsoil they left me.

The next year, up came the rose bush. It's a monster, and is perfectly happy in North Dakota and blooms every year for my birthday in June (which is so damned early for anything to bloom up here).

They can be terribly hardy.

[Eumenides]

5. I live in Florida

Started three different types of seedlings indoors (in 3 different containers). When the weather is nice I take outside for some sun. Well, last Sunday evening I brought them in and, while looking over from the computer, SHOCK & DISMAY, one of my cats had destroyed the two inch seedlings in one container and partially destroyed another one. Argh! I now locate them strategically in a cat safe location when I bring the seedlings in.

[Gman]

7. If you can get away with planting in February

you're a couple of weeks ahead of things.

I'm planning on planting some tomatoe plants tomorrow too. I'm in San Antonio. Generally you can get away with it here starting about the first week in March. This last week of February coming up may be ok as there's no really freezing cold front on the way anytime soon.

[Rowdyboy]

11. I'm TRYING to wait until March 1st and hearing you

makes it that much harder! I am a couple of hours north of you, though. I do have a lot of flower seed started though: zinnias, marigolds, spider flower, sunflowers and some vines in peat pots.

[BOSSHOG]

13. Rowdyboy, I'm probably crazy

but I can't go another day without digging in the dirt. I got to plant something and tomatoes are easy and easily replaceable if they get zapped by frost. Best of luck to you with your horticultural endeavors.

[Maddy McCall]

19. Boss, I understand you being eager...

but we haven't had our last frost yet. Although today might fool us, because it's warm enough to run the AC. Still, hold off a week or two.

;-)

[geniph]

14. Tomatoes? In FEBRUARY?

:wow:

and hell, I live in a fairly mild climate! But we don't plant tomatoes here until May!

[fudge stripe cookays]

15. One of the FEW nice things about Texas!

Two sprouting seasons.

One in the spring,

Blast furnace through summer that tries to kill everything that's not being irrigated,

One in the fall.

Those 70 degree days in January are part of the reason I haven't left yet!

[BOSSHOG]

16. I'll keep you apprised of any success

I might have. I'm just antsy to get digging.

[fudge stripe cookays]

17. Me too!

I've been so busy that I'm finally giving myself the ENTIRE WEEKEND to garden. I'm really looking forward to it.

Believe it or not, I've had amazing luck with seeds from Big Lots the last few years. Some of these annual seeds are 10 cents a package! (for really dependable re-seeding bets like bachelors buttons!)

They had lots of great new varieties this year, so I got tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and more herbs.

I'm sOOOOOOO psyched about tomorrow. :)

[librechik]

18. I've been having that feeling too, and I'm in the Rockies!

today was disgustingly springlike (since I had to go to work)

I'm down to nothing but patio tomatoes at the moment--my garden area is under renovation...