I saw a big box store in MD (the orange one, not the blue one) with tomatoes outside in 45-degree daytime temps last week.

Old timers in central MD say Mother’s Day.

I used to live in Akron and there the old timers said Memorial Day (although a week before that is usually OK).

Well no real harm with 45 degree day temps as long as it is sunny and they cover them at night. Not ideal by any means but then the big box stores don't know how to take care of plants anyway. All they care about is pushing for early sales

For peppers Memorial Day sounds about right since peppers aren't normally planted out until several weeks after last frost date which is usually 2-3 weeks after tomatoes go out.

Normally my last frost date is April 15th and I can get tomatoes out of the greenhouse by end of April and peppers out around mid-May but this year it will be at least a week later given the forecast.

Dave

They are starting to get too big for their pots but the next size up is really big. Keep in mind they are in the greenhouse. The north wall is a board painted black to absorb heat and it has thick clear plastic and heating elements inside.

What overnightLowes I risky? I figure as long as it’s over 35° in there it’s OK

If it's about making sure they don't die, it's all about keeping them above freezing. Tomatoes and peppers will do fine in the 40s. They just won't grow. If you're in the 30s, though, you have to be careful about wind-induced freezes, and microclimate freezes.

It isn't only a question of keeping them alive, of not letting them freeze. The primary concern is to not stunt them - poor root development, weaker stems, poor circulatory systems, poor nutrient uptake, necrotic leaf margins, etc. - to damage them to the point that they survive but will never be healthy and productive. That is what repeated exposure to cold will do. 45 degrees is the commonly recommended maximum low allowed in many GHs, 50 is better.

If they are already getting too big for 8" pots then likely you started them way too early so will have to transplant them to larger containers.

Dave

That's fair. Temperatures in the 30s can damage tomatoes, and especially peppers. Certainly pollination is inhibited at low temps, and misshapen fruit can result. I think it is mainly soil temperature that is the issue for roots. But my experience is that once it warms up, the plants will grow out of it.

I tend to plant very early and deal with cold temperatures, because for tomatoes, at least, my season is short. It pretty much ends in June when the temps are too high.

Never had pepper pants, I just wear blue jeans for all of my vegetables. Sorry, but somebody had to say it. ;-)

I agree with those who state that it is still too early to put out peppers in your area unprotected. Particularly this year - as you will see if you check the weather radar to your West. Winter storm warnings in the Upper Midwest, expecting the biggest snowfall of the year for many areas.

I put them out and everything worked out great. I have been picking peppers - including several ripe peppers for a week or two. Unreal to get them this early in my zone. Cold frame I built blankets and heating pads were more then enough. No frost damage at all. It really paid off.