Are you not getting any effects from all these "noreasters" they keep showing on the national news? It sure looks like all of MD is getting hit with miserable weather by them. If so I'd thinking your garden planting will be delayed this year. ;-)

Dave

Nope. Just cold and dry. They stay either north or south of us.

Next week’s storm looks like a better bet, but it looks like mostly rain/mix.

I still want to try to harden them off, because I have got to make room under my grow light to start my tomatoes.

In fact, I’m actually more concerned about developing drought.

We are technically in a moderate drought, although soil moisture has been good thanks to a wet February.

March so far, has been dry, and if next weeks nor’easter doesn’t produce something for us, we have very little in the way of decent precipitation prospects in the next couple of weeks.

Pay attention to the wind direction and strength as well. High winds can and will lay the onions flat or splay them out.

Thanks.

They are pretty sheltered there.

Looking good. When did you start yours? Very nice transplants! Your forecast does look a little chilly haha

Onions are looking great. I have similar weather outlook (maybe slightly colder here) and I'm starting to harden my onions off this weekend. I may even throw a few rows out in the garden under hoops and row cover just for S&G to see if I can transplant without hardening off that way.

Would you go ahead and plant out with this forecast, or maybe wait until next weekend, since the longer-term suggests it’ll be at least a little bit warmer?

Too many freezing nights in that forecast for me.

Dave

i would plant out with row covers.

What about snow on the row covers? How much snow can they take without collapsing?

Really depends on how strong they are and how much snow. Mine have survived a couple inches of snow in the past- but I haven't been able to test them with more than that. Mine are just 3 10 ft. Length pvc pipes bent into a hoop and stuck in the ground. Plastic and fabric lain over top.

If you have row cover, heck, why not. Your onions could survive the temperature they show, but weather forecasts are not always accurate. If it's anything like ours has been, anyways. Our temps have been as low as 12 degrees below what they forecast on clear nights. Thus, I would not put my onions out with that forecast.

When are they normally put out in your area? It may be better to wait anyways, as started at the right time, they will grow much quicker. Put them in the ground when it's too cold to grow and they'll just sit there stunted. Of course, this is if you don't use a row cover.

i have overwintered onions under a row cover (in zone 6a). they can handle the temperature. the agribon can handle the snow with enough support.

I planted out an experimental row. I have more than enough plants, (the rest are still in the pots) so we will see what happens.

Our lows seem to be right around what is forecast. Despite the persistent cold, our coldest low this month has been a rather benign 23F.

If the snow verifies, temps will stay near 32, so I may be better off pulling back the row cover for the day. Snow around the plants seems less likely to damage them than my crude low tunnel collapsing ON them. The really cold lows are forecast after the snow - so I can put the row covers back or, if they’re actually buried under snow, they will be insulated.

I got my Dixondale onion plants today and promptly planted them. The ground worked up so nice and mealy.

I also planted broccoli under row cover. Despite five days of hardening off and using row cover, there is a bit of leaf scorch today.

I like to not plant broccoli, cauliflower, and such in freezing weather...seems to stunt them a bit. They are a crop that does not like a single setback...kinda like sweetcorn.

Yeah, in hindsight I should’ve waited, but as I was saying upthread: I need to free up room under my grow light!

The planted onions and broccoli are completely buried in snow at the moment.

these greens are as well

They look OK so far, but a lot of them seem to be leaning somewhat.