itellicast.com is a weather site that can be customized to your area. It has a 'historical weather data' link which has the temps by month and by day per month. Just scroll the main page down about 1/2 way and click the link.

Thank you Petzold! I will check it out now -

I have always been a condo dweller and finally have a yard to plant and am so excited

In Fort Worth, you would want to get your tomato plants in before the 15th so they can be growing and putting down a root structure, even if you have to protect the tops occasionally. Hopefully, 2-3" is their current size, not what you expect the size to be by mid-March.

Hi Suze - Well they are 1/2 inch to 3 inches right now - they sprouted differently --------- How big should they be by March 15th to plant outside? Much appreciated :)

Ideally, I like a 6-8" transplant, minimum. 5-6" is usually "good enough", though - if well-grown and healthy. Much smaller than that, and I'm almost tempted to leave it in the pot for a couple more days to get bigger before planting out - tough call.

For instance/example, if it was 3/12 and I was ready to start planting, I would start with the largest seedlings first. After all, you don't have to plant them all the same day. So, you might as well go ahead and get the decent sized ones in as soon as possible. Then I might wait a couple or three more days on 3-4" seedlings, etc.

Much past the 18th, from what I recall living in the metroplex, it starts to get iffy. Much the same here; it's not too different. And, I think we are in for another spring (hope I'm wrong :-)).

One yr I got a late planting start (3/23) and got some decent fruit, but overall production was on the low side. Think that was '04.

Getting them outside in general - if you still have seedlings under lights, you should be able to move them outside during the day now to *gradually* harden off and start catching sun. Just be careful at night - put in garage or bring in if cold, etc. The longer you leave plants under lights, the longer it takes to harden them off.

Suggestion: start seeds earlier next year. What you've described should -just- work - assuming the seedlings are well-grown from this point on. The smaller ones might be a bit of a stretch. Also, be careful of high wind when they go outside, it can damage your seedlings every bit as badly as just shoving them outside all day in full sun the first few days.

Basil - I am not generally in a rush to get it planted out in the garden since it grows like a weed once it warms up. I might put transplants in late March. I haven't even started mine yet, but need to do so soon (procrastinating). But any basil seedlings can go outside during the days now just like the tomato seedlings. Would also need to be gradually exposed/hardened off, too.

Unsure if you started under lights or not - if not, disregard the hardening off advice.

When I prefer/need to start, that means inside under lights for the first couple or three weeks, since I do not have a greenhouse.

We're supposed to have a few cold nights this weekend, then the ten day forecast says it's going to warm up. Depending on what the forecast says I'll probably put my tomatoes out next weekend (I've been hardening them off for almost 2 weeks and they're about 6-9 inches). I'm going to wait until April if I can for the basil because it really prefers it warm.

Yep put the basil, eggplant and peppers in at the same time. They all like the warmth.

FYI if your bell peppers don't do well in the spring, don't remove them. Keep them healthy and let them grow and they will put on peppers when it gets cooler in the evenings. My best bell pepper crop is in the fall. That's when I have basil, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and spinach all at the same time.

Thanks for all the info Suze

oh THANKS on the bell pepper advice

I do have two red bell pepper plants that are about 5 inches tall and like a dozen of the jalepeno + habanero + long pimento looking ones that are a few inches high