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Temperature and Watering Tips for Planting
Potted flowers
Temperature - Day Time versus Night Time

Plants enjoy similar temperatures to humans. If you want to put your indoor plants out on warm sunny days. Please, put them out above 50 degrees and bring them back in as temperatures head down below 50. Also a sunny window inside is like shade outside. Your plants will get sunburnt if you put them out in direct sun all day. Start with a few hours in the morning sun and ease into a full day of sun over a two week period. You can also do this for seedlings to grow them strong and sturdy. Set a timer so you don’t forget them!

Plants That Don’t Mind Cool Weather (Plant now)
  • Peas (plant first)
  • Onions
  • Lettuce/Spinach (salad greens)
  • Radish
  • Nasturtium
  • Petunias (not all varieties)
  • Potatoes

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Cool Weather Veggies

Plant peas, lettuce, spinach, onion, radish, white potato, as early as the frost is out of the ground. When the soil temps get into the 50’s the roots will start active growth.

After St. Patricks Day is the when to start (at least in the North East). Plant some of your seeds once a week for a month to be sure you get something. Weather is so variable now it’s hard to know when plants can be started.
Snap peas

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Plants That Need Above 50 Degrees at Night

  • All squash (Cucumber, Zucchini, Pumpkin)
  • All tomatoes
  • Okra, Eggplant
  • Peppers
  • Tropicals

TomatoGardenia

Warm Weather Plants

  • Okra
  • Sweet potato
  • Squash (like cucumber, zucchini, butternut)
  • Beans
  • Zinnia

These all must have night temperatures in the 50’s. Tomato plants will loose their blossoms below 50 degrees. (No blossom = no fruit). Late May early June is best for planting these plants. If you want to start seeds inside wait until May and start under lights or put them outside in the south sun in a protected spot during the day until the night temperatures warm.

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Consistency is Key for Containers

Petunias

Water Wise

  • Clouds outside - water the soil - starter plants can dry out even when it’s cloudy. It takes a few weeks for their roots to grow outside the ball of roots you plant them with
  • Hot sunny day - water the soil
  • Water well when you water - make sure you water the soil that has the roots the plant came with when watering your new plants
  • Water doesn’t travel side to side in a pot so water all around the base of the plant
  • Cold rainy day - don’t water- just like you they don’t like cold wet feet!

Plants Like What You Like

They like to be cozy, warm, well fed, well watered, and loved by all...
Pigs can too fly!


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