Thank you, Carol, for posting this. I took inventory tonite and much to my dismay....I had 103 tomatoe plants. I've got over 4 trays that looks like that. My sister & her hubby came over for dinner tonite so I sent 4 home with her (of different varieties). I now know I'm not alone.

Jay - since I've also probably got several extra I can pitch in too. I have more of the Tuxhorn Yellow & Red than I can plant, along with Rutgers. Hope you get to make it to the Swap! You could take home all this years tomatoe plants without having to worry at all!

Do you think somewhere out there is a "Seed Starters Anonymous" group?

Paula

Carol and Paula, Y'all know it is not nice to tempt Jay that way when he already is planting too many of his own. lol Next thing you know, he'll be plowing up another half-acre to plant all the tomato plants we're all going to unload on him at the Spring Fling plus all the ones he's raising plus the few he'll be tempted to buy while walking through a nursery one day, and those poor horses won't have much pasture left to play in.

This week's hot weather is likely to make us all fly into an "oh, it's hot and I'm so far behind" type mode, but remember that hot weather in April often doesn't last!

Dawn

A whole group of enablers here. I love it. Yes I'm starting more than I could ever plant. Even if I worked up that much area I don't have the time to take care of that much. But sure if the temps look like they are going to stay warm I'll be adding a few for early maters. I'll be posting a list of what I started in the next few days when I finish. Like I said what actually goes in the ground will be different. Way more cherry types this year. They will be scattered around in containers and in open spots.

Dawn like you said many will get the fever this week and with a holiday weekend will want to put something in the ground. And then in 2 weeks will by trying to save it from a freeze. I think I've became too laid back. Easier every year to wait longer to get started. Jay

Jay,

I've become more relaxed about planting dates too and it is because I've spent too much time the last three years covering up way too many plants on way too many nights to protect them from late freezes, and not always successfully. Having said that, this year feels more like the years in the early 2000s when winter was winter and spring was spring, and not like 2007, 2008 and 2009 when spring had winter days sprinkled throughout it deep into spring. I hope I'm right about that.

I guess we're getting older and wiser and more experienced in terms of learning that earlier planting is not always best. It has taken me at least half a lifetime to learn that plants put into colder soil than they like just will not grow until the soil warms up to the level they prefer...so why do it? I also feel like you can push some limits....like planting plants closer than recommended if you wish...and others should not be ignored....like planting into soil that's too cold.

My average last freeze date has now passed, so anything I plant now has, theortetically, a 50% chance of not freezing. The reality, though, is that I think we've had a freeze after our average last freeze date for at least 8 or 9 of the years we've been here, so I don't trust it.

Dawn