We definitely haven't been having any record temperature days lately.

It's been VERY, VERY dry though. Everything is quite parched and I am having to water the areas that are already seeded.

I haven't planted anything out for the same reasons. Expect some rain maybe Sunday (10% - I won't hold my breath), but better chance T-W-Th. Not the 60% they were saying yesterday, but 30-40%. Let's hope that doesn't get revised down by Monday. We didn't have much snow this winter, so soil in my front shrubbery beds is crusted and cracked - soil in garden beds looks better (either mulched all winter or just spread this month, no time to crust but it's dry).

We had 3" of snow on Sat, it all melted Sunday, but you wouldn't know it. That was one of the bigger snowfalls (not counting the 2ft we got in October!) of this winter.

I'm starting lettuce, etc. near the house this weekend so I can water it if we don't get rain next week. Might not do peas at all (start inside and grow in pots just for the shoots?). I really want to start potatoes and onions too, those would just be for us so again maybe do potatoes in those burlap bags I got and keep it/them near the house so I can use the hose.

I hope we get some rain so I can put out my tomato and pepper starts in May!

It's been dry around here also. We get a little rain, if any at all. tonight, a freeze warning north of us and low of 31. One of the teachers has sweet corn up about 3" tall, I just hope he didn't plant all of his corn seed.

Marla

Wow, early for corn. I noticed some of the corn fields around here being tilled, hopefully they're just manuring, not planting.

People have been planting here since April 1. For most crop insurance, if you plant prior to April 1, they won't cover you so the planters were sitting at the edge of the fields until Sunday morning.

Now they are all sitting again as we got 2.5 inches of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, very muddy! Now I wish I would have weeded more instead of planting.

Jay

When went into town yesterday to pick up some tractor parts I noticed a field of corn not only planted but up. At this pace they will be cutting by the begining of August - provived that the summer does not turn out to be a real baker.

Jay, you're at least 2 weeks ahead of me, and I'm probably at least 2 weeks ahead of ajsmama. Tom, you and I are probably only 1 week apart, if that.

Funny Marla b/c according to the USDA we're in the same zone (and Jay is too, don't know if he's 5a or 5b), what's the soil temp there right now?

Then again, I may actually be a little colder than 5b since pretty much the entire town is considered 5b, just over my property line into the next town is 6, but the 5b town's center is in a small valley with a river running through it, I'm at least 300ft higher elevation (I'd have to check town hall's elevation, my house is just under 1000ft, field a little lower headed toward the zone 6 town).

I think I'm in a microclimate. Couple of my daffodils have bloomed, rest are up but not budding, and the lilacs are just starting to get flower buds. Blueberries are budding but only those down toward zone 6 end of property are starting to blossom (and only a couple of the bushes that get a lot of sun). Apple trees are leafing out but no blossoms yet. Elderberry just starting to bud. No strawberry blossoms yet.

I looked at the new USDA maps and I am now a 6a, but 5b is only about 10-15 miles away. Many of the lilacs in the area are done blooming. Some of our rose bushes have big buds, probably open in the next week. The wheat is starting to head out.

If we get a freeze it will cause a lot of damage.

Jay

Wow, lilacs have bloomed already??? They're not even in full leaf here yet. I guess I shouldn't be surprised if it's been 90 there. I haven't even uncovered my rose bushes yet (pine boughs) since we've had lots of nights at/below freezing.

I hope the weather stays warm (well, maybe not that warm) for you.

I was in 5b by myself, basically a small bubble inside of the 5a. Now everyone around is 5b. Our lilacs are blooming, and have been for the last week or so. Our nearest elevation that I know is 686'. Most all of the daffodils are done blooming. No wheat nearby enough for me to see if heading out or not, it is standing very nice tho.

Our maples are leafed out and mushrooms have been found for the last 2-3 weeks (usually in late April, morels).

The last few nights have been around freezing, most the days highs around 60-80s.

Marla

The Weather Underground station nearest me is 650ft elevation so yes a good 330ft below my house though my field is a bit lower - maybe only 250 - 280ft above the weather station.

Supposed to be mid-high 50's all week with lows in the high 30's (though it could get close to freezing Tuesday night). We just need RAIN! Best days look like Tues-Wed. Right now still have fire warnings since RH is in teens and 20% and gusty winds. Neighbor was burning on the edge of his lawn Friday and I had to call 911. He shoulda done it last weekend when we had snow on Sat (and a little rain on Sunday). Though we have a lot of dead cedars around and if a spark landed in tree instead of the ground I don't know how quickly those would go up.

I told DH yesterday I'm not even going to plant in the new raised beds unless we get some rain the next couple of months. Just keep it around the house where I can water easily. Limed the beds Friday, we'll see if I can get pH up from 4.4 to 5.5 and plant some potatoes end of next week, maybe some oats but oats take a lot of water. Tomatoes and peppers might just have to go near the house after I get some lettuce in June.

Wow, that pH is low, probably due to all of the cedars. Mine usually run 6-7 the last we checked. I understand needing the rain, but I'd like to hold off any substantial rain under after Saturday (we're having a block mason come out and lay a new foundation on Saturday).

According to the 3 online weather, we have 1 MORE freezing or about that in the next 10-25 days. After that, some plants HAVE to go outside, I've used almost everything I've got for tables in the greenhouse. can't use the ground, that's where all the extra supplies are, plus don't bend over as easily as a few years ago.

Marla

Marla - the native soil is very acid around here, we have wild blueberries and laurels, pine trees, juniper (and cedar which is actually in the juniper family) all over. Not just here, I gather all of New England (or at least Southern NE) is the same.

I get you on not bending over as well as you used to - I was digging in the new beds, soil was compacted, I had to stand on the shovel with both feet and at one point the shovel did not go in, I fell over backward and hit my head, pulled muscles in my chest and both sides of my neck, hurting this weekend. I'm too old for this - DH was able to finish digging no problem.

I'm on the very edge of the continent - very dry here also. Turned out to be a bad spring to choose to plow and till an entire acre of light soil. Let's hope this dry pattern does not hold for weeks but I have a feeling it will.

I've got strawberry blossoms - big ones! From wild strawberry plants I transplanted from our lawn into a raised bed on the south side of our foundation. The alpine strawberry I bought at a church plant sale last year has some tiny blossoms on the interior (very dense, don't know if these bushy plants w/o runners should be thinned?).

Lots more blueberry blossoms too, those only a few are open.

Planted peas yesterday (finally!), lightly raked the mulch away from where we had tomatoes last year (pulled all the plants out and put in trash since diseased), it was like the Dust Bowl! I think our garden will be restricted to a few areas near the house (and maybe 200 row ft near the pond, always wet down there) if this weather keeps up. I was hoping to sow oats (if nothing else) in the new beds just for green manure but oats need a lot of water. What the heck, it's only a couple bucks worth of seed, I may throw it down but don't know about watering if it stays really dry. Worried about our well.