Hi folks,

I wanted to get your opinion on whether or not to plant now or wait a couple weeks.

I've used a method at home for the last few years that allows me to plant three or four weeks early. I weave large bulbed christmas lights in my tomato cages and cover my raised beds with row cover fabric and plastic using PVC pipe as a structure. I have to do quite a bit of covering and uncovering, but I can protect my plants down into the 20's with the lights on. I planted my plants at home last week and they are doing great.

My question deals with my raised bed at a church garden. I was thinking about planting over there tomorrow. The soil had probably warmed into the upper 50's or low 60's---we've had some mild temps. the last 2 weeks.

I was thinking of using black plastic mulch to help increase soil temps, and using row cover(Argibon-19) that would be tucked under milk jugs filled with water, with the milk jugs on the inside of the row cover. Four milk jugs would surround each plant, acting as a crude wall of water. The jugs, I'm hoping, would radiate some heat at night as would the warmed soil. If temps fell into the 30's I could add a second layer of row cover. Is it worth it? My plants are planted in gallon milk jugs, fully hardened off and will turn 8 weeks on March 4. Here's a link to the weather forecast.

http://www.accuweather.com/us/tx/plano/75074/forecast-month.asp

Thanks,

Pete