RobertSmalls' 2011 Garden

RobertSmalls · 02-06-11, 11:10 AM

My garden for 2011 will be very similar to (but more bountiful than) last year's. Last year, I planted my peas too late, my carrots too close together, and my tomatoes from abused sprouts. I'll try all those crops again, in addition to Rosemary and maybe Chives.

I'll also start three blueberry bushes, but I don't expect a harvest from them this year. I'd like to grow potatoes, but that's hard to do. Last year I said I wouldn't grow tomatoes again, but my homemade sauce turned out really well, so I'm actually going to double the number of tomato plants: 10 Roma this year.

I've added a compost bin, which is currently frozen. I'll make sure to attend the Buffalo ReUse rainwater barrel building workshop this year, which will probably be in April. I'll attach my garage's downspout to the top of the barrel, and a garden hose to the bottom.

According to the NOAA, there's a 10% chance of frost after May 6th, and a 10% chance of temperatures below 36F after May 22. So mid to late May is my target tomato transplant date. That means I need to germinate in mid to late March. Hopefully it will be warm enough in here for that.

I'm a scientist, so I'll start a few units in cold frames to see if it produces an earlier and more prolonged harvest. There's a 10% chance of temperatures below 28F after April 24th, so I need to start germinating those units on February 24th! Wow, that's early. Maybe I should germinate them earlier (e.g. next weekend), since the average temperature in my house is 55F.

It feels strange to be working on the garden now, while it's buried under a foot of snow, with little prospect of the ground thawing this month.

Would tomatoes survive a 28F night in an unheated cold frame, or is my schedule a little to aggressive?

02-06-11, 11:10 AM	#1
RobertSmalls Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 344 Thanks: 3 Thanked 17 Times in 15 Posts	RobertSmalls' 2011 Garden My garden for 2011 will be very similar to (but more bountiful than) last year's. Last year, I planted my peas too late, my carrots too close together, and my tomatoes from abused sprouts. I'll try all those crops again, in addition to Rosemary and maybe Chives. I'll also start three blueberry bushes, but I don't expect a harvest from them this year. I'd like to grow potatoes, but that's hard to do. Last year I said I wouldn't grow tomatoes again, but my homemade sauce turned out really well, so I'm actually going to double the number of tomato plants: 10 Roma this year. I've added a compost bin, which is currently frozen. I'll make sure to attend the Buffalo ReUse rainwater barrel building workshop this year, which will probably be in April. I'll attach my garage's downspout to the top of the barrel, and a garden hose to the bottom. According to the NOAA, there's a 10% chance of frost after May 6th, and a 10% chance of temperatures below 36F after May 22. So mid to late May is my target tomato transplant date. That means I need to germinate in mid to late March. Hopefully it will be warm enough in here for that. I'm a scientist, so I'll start a few units in cold frames to see if it produces an earlier and more prolonged harvest. There's a 10% chance of temperatures below 28F after April 24th, so I need to start germinating those units on February 24th! Wow, that's early. Maybe I should germinate them earlier (e.g. next weekend), since the average temperature in my house is 55F. It feels strange to be working on the garden now, while it's buried under a foot of snow, with little prospect of the ground thawing this month. Would tomatoes survive a 28F night in an unheated cold frame, or is my schedule a little to aggressive?