Hi Beth!

Well, yes, there are many challenges involved in planting cool-season crops in a wetter-than-average and colder-than-average winter/spring. I always tell myself, though, that if veggie-gardening were easy, there would be a veggie garden in every yard in America, and there isn't. I don't mind the challenges, and just try to go with the flow and plant when/how/if conditions allow. Don't get me wrong, I like to plant by the recommended dates, but sometimes the wet soil or cold weather makes that impossible.

I try not to let 'recommended planting dates' drive me crazy because they are just recommendations. I often plant cool-season crops much later than recommended and will get a good to great crop depending on how fast the weather heats up. If it heats up too fast (and it shouldn't this year), I might not get as good of a crop as in a cooler year, but I'll still get a crop most of the time.

For me, the consequences of planting warm-season crops late are much more severe than planting cool-season crops late.

I am thrilled to hear you're having better tomato seedling success this year than last year! See, every year it just get better and better as you gain more experience! I still think a lot of last year's problem was your soil mix.

Peppers can be difficult from seed. I have better success when I put them on the heated germination mat. You can place them anywhere there's some extra heat and that speeds up germination and gives you a higher seed germination percentage most of the time too. I am not really crazy about peppers in peat pellets--some years the peppers germinate just fine in the pellets and sometimes they don't. For peppers, I prefer Jiffy soil-less seed-starting mix.

I hope y'all get a break from the rain and you can get your new ground broken and planting. As hard as drought is on the garden in summer, I find it much easier to get my planting done when I have winter/spring drought. Our soil is so wet here, and has been for months, that I don't know when I'll get all my planting done, if ever.

There's almost no snow here today and the only way it is affecting us is that the highways are slick. Most of Oklahoma got a lot more snow than we did down here and, oddly enough, parts of Texas south of us have a lot more snow than us too. I'm not complaining though because I think we've had more snow in Love County this year than in the previous 10 years combbined, and I've had enough snow to last me a long, long time.

Dawn

I didn't want to start my things too early because it gets to be such a hassle taking them in and out after they are potted into larger containers. I got one flat of tomatoes started on time and the next one a little later. I almost waited too long to pot them up, so they had long, long, roots on them. They have had one feeding of fish fertilizer.

The peppers, on the other hand, were planted way too late and will probably go into the ground as tiny transplants. I knew I had to speed up the germination so I planted them in a flat with a domed cover and set them on top of a heat vent. Then I covered the entire thing with a under-the-bed style plastic bin and layed a small rug on top. I planted last Saturday, and by Friday I had germination on Yolo Wonder, Purple Beauty, and Frank's Thai Hot. I moved the entire flat to lights so I hope the others are not far behind in the germination process. I think 6 days for ANY pepper is a record for me. I must have created just the right conditions. I do know that it stayed warm all of the time because I checked it several times. Now if I can just speed up the growing process. LOL

I too, could not get out in my garden this early spring.I thought even about leaving some soil bare in the fall instead of a cover crop.But like you I'm keeping seed for a fall garden.

A tip that works for me on planting peppers is to heat a little bit of water to hot (not boiling, just very warm) and put your pepper seeds in to soak for 2-3 days before planting them - then put your trays (I use old take-out containers that have a lid on them - don't close lid tightly, just enough to cover and keep the warmth and humidity in)on top of a heat source till they sprout. I started my peppers in January this year because peppers are SO slow growing - I think every pepper seed must have multiplied because I'm sure I would never have planted this many - however, the neighbors are always happy when I have an abundance of extra plants of any kind. I did follow Dawn's advice this year and made sure the pepper plants never got as cold as the other seedlings and they have grown and look a lot healthier than in previous years.

Dawn,
You remember my trials and tribulations of last year, huh? LOL... I'm still laughing a bit at that. 57 seedlings, and ONE made it to the garden. This year I've kept the temps lower, and having a better light set up has made the difference. I planted them in CHEAP soil (not soiless mix, I KNOW..). Did what I could afford at the time. Luckily for me, they've done wonderfully. The thing tho is I started my peppers in the same temps... that's why the're not working. I'm beginning to hate those little peat pellets too. I did move the peppers to a warmer area and have had a couple more pop their heads up, so I'm not giving up on that flat yet. I am going to start a second flat, as soon as money can allow it. Last year I had peppers out the wazoo, hoping this year will be a good tomato year. (And peppers too, I'm greedy, LOL!)

It's ALL a learning experience! Every single durn day of my life... :). I got to thinking, next spring I'll have the beds prepped better. So, I'll probably have a better time of starting a spring garden. I'm also going to collect containers to grow lettuces in, thinking those under the bed containers like Carol mentioned. LOTS of ideas, just have to have patience to try them out when time and money allow.

I was hoping for a dry week. This is spring break week, and I have my oldest home with me. Durn it.

I'll put a heating mat on my wish list for Christmas! :)

Beth