Here on the Upper Plateau of Tennessee temperatures are running really cool this spring. The hottest temperature we have seen thus far here on my place is 83. We have yet to turn on the air conditioner and are still sleeping with widows open and an extra quilt in the 50ish degree nights. Bad thing is that I am struggling to get those warm weather crops to sprout from seed. The soil is cool and wet with 11 inches of rain already fallen this year. I have planted my okra 3 times with awful spotty results. SO I changed tactics and pre sprouted my seeds instead of just putting them in cups or direct sowing.
I took okra seeds and put them between 2 damp paper towels in a warm sunny window. I got a great germination rate so I know it is not my seeds. Then I took a pair of tweezers once the seed had sprouted and placed the seeds in holes in the garden just below the soil surface with the sprouts pointing up. Then they went ahead and put down roots and sent up leaves. Since okra is a heat loving plant I know they will languish until the temperatures come up though but atleast they are up.
This is a great way to test the viability of your seeds too!
Positive in this is that my cool weather crops are loving the weather with bumper crops of lettuce, spinach, peas, beets and spring onions. Fruit trees and berry bushes are a bit behind though an will be a little late ripening.
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