Baby, It’s Cold Outside
I think I have officially crossed the line and become a total garden nerd. Why? I bought a soil thermometer. And I am addicted to checking it. Like five times a day.
You see, I have this book The New Seed-Starters Handbook. On page 33 it has a cool chart that tells you the number of days it takes for vegetable seeds to germinate at different temperatures. Peas will germinate in soil that is as cold as 40 degrees F, but it can take up to 36 days. If you wait to plant until the soil is just 10 degrees warmer (50 degrees F), the big fat seeds germinate in 13 days. And if you can hold off until the soil hits 59 degrees it only takes those babies 9 days to pop their heads out of the soil. With this information in hand, I marched out to my garden last week and stuck my finger in the nearest raised bed. My soil felt cold. How cold? I had no idea.
Enter the soil thermometer. I plunged it into the ground and it came back with a reading of a cool 42 degrees F. Then it snowed the next day and the soil temperature dropped to 35 degrees. I was pretty much tortured at the thought of having to wait days, possibly weeks, for the mercury to make the long climb up to 50 degree F.
So I caved and bought two very lovely six packs of pea starts at the nursery. I justified this unnecessary and impulsive purchase by reasoning that I would have a staggered pea harvest by planting the seedlings now and then planting my seeds when the soil warms up a bit. I mean, who can have enough peas?
When I looked out my office window today at 4:00 pm the sun was shining. The wind was still. The air temperature a very manageable 50 degrees F. I decided it was the perfect time to start my 2009 garden. (Note: The soil temperature was still 44 degrees. The same temperature as this morning, damn it).
When I planted the pea seedlings they looked lonely and small all by themselves in the garden. So I decided to pop in a few lettuce seedlings to keep them company. And sow some spinach seeds for good measure. I held myself back from sowing bok choi and carrots. I’m waiting to plant them until the soil thermometer holds steady at 45 degrees F, if I can stand it.
I have to admit, Willi that I was tempted to get a soil thermometer myself. I was curious to know if the soil in my stock tanks would be warmer since it’s above the ground. Now, I think I will have to find out
I just thought you would like to know that you are not alone.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:27 pmThere is no such thing as “too many peas” in my world. You nearly inspired me to get a soil thermometer, too. But, since we didn’t get around to really closing the garding last fall, we’ve got some work to do before we can plant anything. In the meantime, I’ll dream of the lovely peas vining through your gardn.
March 4th, 2009 at 11:19 amwelcome to the garden nerd club. I sensed you had gone over, actually, quite some time ago. Its seedy over here. Truly seedy.
March 4th, 2009 at 12:32 pmI couldn’t stand it either. Pea seeds went in the ground on President’s Day and so did squash (leftover seeds from last year), onions, and broccoli. All into the greenhouse though. Yesterday I put tomato and pepper seeds into the greenhouse and a round of lettuce into the garden. I’m ready to get this show on the road.
March 4th, 2009 at 2:07 pmMy soil thermometer broke last year and you’ve officially convinced me I need a new one ASAP, as I already impatiently planted my pea seeds, along with spinach, kale and arugula!
March 4th, 2009 at 4:49 pmStef–Get the soil thermometer! You won’t be sorry. And let me know if the stock tanks are warmer and by how much. I would assume since they are metal they’d heat up fast. Have you grown warm season crops in them before? If so, how’d they do compared to in ground crops?
Amanda–I still have two tomatoes in my garden (gasp). I procrastinated taking them down in fall and now they are all slimy and rotted and I don’t want to touch them. But I must. Maybe this weekend…
Mary Ann–You’re right. The thermometer didn’t throw me over the edge, the purchase of the book Botany for Gardeners did.
Elle–I’m so jealous you have a greenhouse. I have the perfect spot for one in my yard if you ever feel the need to get rid of yours
Justine–I should have guessed you already had a soil thermometer! Good idea with the arugula! I should have thought to plant it too.
March 4th, 2009 at 5:03 pmWilli, we put in the stock tanks late in the season last year so I’ve only planted cool season crops. I’m looking forward to trying out the peppers and tomatoes in them. I’ll keep you posted on the temps.
March 4th, 2009 at 7:12 pmI started my peas inside, but I’m still tempted to pick up one of those thermometers!
March 4th, 2009 at 8:04 pmWilli,
March 4th, 2009 at 8:50 pmIt’s ok to be a garden nerd; at least you didn’t grow up to be a college professor.
I’ve been preparing my own garden, and–sans thermometer–I can tell you my fingers get really cold from the mud coating my gloves.
Keep up the good work.
Barry
Hey Willi,
March 4th, 2009 at 8:55 pmCan you post that page w/the temps? that would be most helpful.
Willi,
I am so excited to start my vegetable garden! I heard you on NPR Tuesday and am now inspired to check your website and to follow your lead:)
Thanks for the help,
Julie (UPS) Freise
March 4th, 2009 at 9:55 pmI went and bought my sugar snap pea seeds today, along with bamboo for a trellis- thanks for the inspiration (and the great work on Weekday)!
March 4th, 2009 at 10:46 pmHi Willi- Don’t ask me how, but some spinach and chard has lasted through two or three snows, and is actually starting to come back! I might make an omelet with them tomorrow. I also had three dino kale plants that have lasted three years in my garden, but we will see how much the chickens let it grow this year…There is hope for spring in the city- and still snow in the mountains for snowboarding!
March 5th, 2009 at 12:44 amHi Willi,
This post really got me. It seemed to reduce planting to a “fast food” kind of thinking. Ok, I get it that seeds will germinate much faster if they are planted in warmer soil, but the REAL question I have is: will that mean the crop will taste better, or is there maybe something about the “fight” of colder weather that (maybe) intensifies the flavor? I don’t know, but I really wonder if faster equals better.
March 5th, 2009 at 9:49 amNatalie–You certainly bring up a good point! And I agree that faster does often results in a lack of flavor, especially for plants that are bred to ripen more quickly–like ‘Early Girl’ tomato, which is the go-to fast tomato variety, but has no taste.
However, when it comes to spring crops, I am concerned about how fast the seed will germinate. When a pea seed sits in cool soil for 36 days it is much more likely to rot or succumb to disease, reducing germination rates and harvests. I’ve decided to plant at 50 degrees for a few reasons: first, I want to avoid wasting seed due to preventable rot. Second, the seeds will germinate in a reasonable time (under two weeks) and the pods will be ready for harvest while the weather is still cool enough to encourage the development of high quality pods.
You’re absolutely right in noting that waiting until the soil is 59 degrees would most likely result in less tasty peas (unless you were planting in fall) because the pods would mature just as the summer weather was heating up. Thanks for your comment!
Mary Ann–I’ll see if I can find a link to a similar chart, or if I can take a photo of the page.
Jayne–It’s great you had so many greens overwinter. I just harvested a ton of chard from last year and then removed the plants to make room for new crops.
Carrie and Julie–Thanks for listening in on KUOW!
Melanthia–I think that you’ll find a thermometer is really helpful, especially for summer crops like tomatoes that prefer to be planted in soil that is 60 degrees or warmer.
Barry–40 some degree soil is cold! I was working without gloves the other day and my hands froze.
March 5th, 2009 at 10:08 amI have been using floating row covers in the possibly vain hope that my peas will be protected from the crows and sprout a few days sooner….
March 5th, 2009 at 10:17 amHey Willi,
I think I would be the same way if I had a garden thermometer. I plan on getting my pea seeds in this weekend. The weather is supposed to be nice. That seed starters Handbook looks interesting. I may have to put it on my wish list.
P.S. I responded back to your latest email…
Have a good one!
March 5th, 2009 at 6:11 pmI love my soil thermometer, and was sad when I dropped it and it broke! I immediately ordered another one.
Have you ever warmed your soil by putting sheets (plastic? ugh, or other material)over it for a week or two before planting? That worked for me last year.
March 28th, 2009 at 6:49 am