i really hope so

Na we can't be that lucky. It was 32 this morning in Camp Verde. What I would like to see is a little more rain.

Me too, I have a waist-high key lime which only has frost damage on a few lower leaves (this is in Tucson). I think if it makes it through this "winter" it'll be that much more ready for the next one.

I'd like to see it bloom and pluck at least 1 lime off of it before the inevitable Arctic Blast kills it, like the one we had several years ago when it got down to 14.

It's been beautiful. I've already noticed the sun staying up longer.

Has anyone seen any San Marzano plants in any west valley stores or nurseries? I think I will roll the dice and get an early start on my tomatoes. I should have thought ahead and started seeds last month but didn't....

I just started mine on Sunday, about two weekends behind schedule that's just how it worked out. I start them with Roots Organics soil and I can usually plant out in six weeks. dd-I have San Marzano seeds you can have if you are interested, every time I grow those roma types, I lose them all to blossom end rot. And I've tried many times. I'm over them. Send me an email if you want some. If I get industrious I could pop some in soil for you, see if they sprout.

Thanks marymcp. I have seeds but wanted to get some in the ground now as an early gamble. I just forgot to start them last month. I've had pretty good success with them in the past. Last year was an exception due rabbits getting to some of my plants. They make a better pizza sauce than anything else I've tried. I do want to try Amish Paste though to see how they would do. I appreciate the offer though.

I'm going to hold you to that promise of no more frost. After Friday (in three days) it'll be spiking close to eighty degrees and the night temps may (MAY) stay above forty. Friday sees the first tomato and bell pepper plants going into the ground.

It's a risk, but i have over three times the plants intended for the garden, some started in the beginning of December and some last week, and so get two waves of frost death victims to spend if the weather goes bad again.

dd-check your soil temps, the plants won't do much until the soil warms to about 70 degrees. I use a cheap meat thermometer from the groc store.

Campv: id like more rain too.

Thanks for reminder on tomatoes. I had an ok crop for desert last yr. They were thriving in the winter but I didn't cover them during the frost and they are toast. Will have to start once again.

Onion sets are in their beds s/b about 100 if things go right

I have what appears to be little tomato plants sprouting where my old compost pile used to be. Seems waaay to early for that here in the Verde Valley.

It occurred to me that being originally from New Hampshire and the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, everything I knew about growing food was nearly a waste of time in Arizona. So I started winging it to see what worked here and what didn't.

One big thing is we lower desert people don't get those horrendous winter freezes and sometimes don't get any freezes at all, yet people say we can't plant until April or May. We have the most glorious Sunshine on this Earth and people tell us to buy grow lights. We are required to practice careful water management when others pray for less rain.

So I wing it. Sometimes the magic works. Sometimes, it doesn't. The conventional wisdom sure doesn't, not consistently at least. The pics are plants that have been in the ground for two weeks. All three are exactly the same age, sprouting-date-wise, and the third pic is the creche twin of the second. Being in the ground in January seems to have been better for the outdoors one than being babied for the "potted" one. Go figure!

The ground temp is right at 60 (15C) degrees today. Although I'm being statistically stupid about planting dates, they seem stout, properly green, and steadily growing. If it turns out I'm totally full of it, I'll be really crushed.

Lovely plants grubby! You've got a good start. A little tidbit about planting out dates: the soil should reach about 70 degrees before you transplant the starts. Otherwise, they will just sit and wait for the soil temp to come up, and might suffer from the lethargy. Once it hits at or about 70, the soil temp will pretty much stay there and then go up. HTH. m

I know what you mean grubby. We are starting our 6th year in Arizona and I am still trying to figure out how/when/what to plant.

Being raised in the Napa Valley, I grew up spoiled, as far as growing things. Didn't know how good I had it back then.

Still to early to plant here in the Verde Valley. We will most assuredly have more frost at 3500 feet.

I am building shade structures (never needed them near the coast), and will be hanging nearly 1,000 sq feet of shade cloth this spring.

Mild winter - hah! More like NO winter.
My chinese elms have had leaves budding since last week. Not even the end of January!
I put a bunch of seeds in a mini plastic greenhouse and have a bunch of seedlings needing to go in the ground already. At least I didn't wait until too late, like last year.

Yesterday afternoon we noticed A LOT of mason bee activity. I have two mb houses so I think they are coming out of hibernation. All good signs that spring is near at hand.

Came in to change into shorts...first shorts day of the year, smell of manure in my car...it's spring.