I just took the soil temperature in my front garden, in a spot where I plan to set out impatiens, and it's only 50 degrees by my soil thermometer -- way too cool for these tropical plants.
Not sure what I'm going to do, but I need to move the impatiens out of the boiler room where I've been sheltering them against the flirting-with-frost temperatures of the last three nights. It's dark in there and too warm; though the soil is moist, the foliage, and that of all the other tender plants I moved down there, is drying out (even with my laundry hung on the lines to offer a soupcon of humidity). We're supposed to have another blustery night tonight, with rain, just not quite so cold.
So very dumb to have bought so many tender plants so soon, even though I knew better, as described in this Tribune story from Sunday warning against premature planting of vegetables.
I hadn't planted out any tomatoes, but I was fool enough to plant four kinds of basil I had lovingly raised from seed with other herbs in the porch boxes three stories up. I covered them carefully against the cold of the last three nights, but the basil leaves are shriveled and wilted. I'll have to pay money for replacements.
I'm making notes in my online calendar for 2011, reminding myself that we had basil-killing cold in the second week of May this year. Maybe that will restrain me from repeating this fiasco next year.
Got a garden question? I recommend you call or e-mail the Plant Clinic of The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, the Master Gardeners of the University of Illinois Extension or the Plant Information Service of the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe .
All contents of this post are copyright Beth Botts. Feel free to link or share a brief excerpt with a link, but please do not reproduce photos or any other part of this blog without my express permission.
4 comments:
Basil does not like temps in the 40's. Can you bring it in? Maybe it will perk back up. I hope it warms up soon! It looks like we will be back in the 60's with 50's at night by the end of the week. :)
"I'll have to pay money for replacements."
The Garfield Park Conservatory plant sale is on the 15th, right? I've found their prices can't be beat for herbs.
Beth, you can put the impatiens as long as it stays above 40 degrees at night. They just won't have much growth until it warms up. I am going to have to put mine in also, just keep them watered. Hopefully, we are past the frost!
Eileen
My husband & I are first time home owners and gardeners we've hit a few bumbs as well. First of all I have no idea what exactly is growing in my garden, I have never had a green thumb, so I am not familiar with many plants and flowers, I am hoping that what is growing is not weeds! I do know that this was a well maintained garden created by the previous owner, and I am hoping and praying that I can keep it up. As for veggies, my husband was so gung ho about building a vegetable box, which he did the moment we had a warm day last month and filling it with an array of veggies. One of them being basil which shriveled and die the moment we we went back to a couple of cold nights. Luckily our tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, and onions have survived thus far and now when I hear frost we cover. We only paid about 3.50 for the veggies at home depot and Loews, and we found tomatoes on sale for 1.50 at Jewel/Osco. So it's not a big financial loss if we need to replace. We also did buy two hanging plants, Lobelia I think they are called, but I have been bringing those in regularly on those cold nights. And I did plant some violas in some planter boxes that have actually started to really bloom very nicely after all this rain we've had recently. But for now and until this crazy weather starts improving I am putting off any further purchasing or planting and just going to maintain what I have. Our new problem is that we over fertilized our lawn and have brown spots now! Ugh, live and learn right? Anyway good luck to you and hope in the end both our gardens turn out well.
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