![]() Beans can go in at 55° to 60° F, but okra needs 70° F or higher. These include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cantaloupes, watermelons, pumpkins and squash. The best temperature for transplanting local warm season crops is 60° to 65° F. It is best to get a consistent reading over a period of four to five days. Temperatures vary during the day with the lowest soil readings just after dawn and the highest in mid-afternoon. Use a soil thermometer and take the temperature at 2-3” deep around 10 to 11 a.m. Soil in sunny areas and raised beds will warm the quickest. Soil temperatures will vary among different areas in a garden and between different yards. Cool temperatures can also invite rot.ĭuring the week of May 11 in Fayetteville, the soil temperature in a sunny, raised bed was only 54° F. This affects root development and can stunt growth throughout the growing season. If the soil temperature is not right, transplants just sit there, biding their time until it warms up. Plants are sensitive to temperature both above and below ground. Warm soil allows plant roots to grow out into the bed quickly.įor the best start to the garden season, plant vegetables when the soil temperatures are best to do so. Jerry Parsons, Texas Extension Horticulturist. “Soil temperature is a factor which few of us consider important enough to check before planting, yet it is probably the most important factor affecting … seedling growth,” writes Dr. ![]() This year gardeners need to wait to allow the soil to warm up and the low air temperatures in the foreseeable forecast to be consistently in the fifties or warmer. ![]() More important than a date on the calendar is soil temperature. Home gardeners often plan to transplant seedlings after May 12, the last estimated frost date for our area. It’s been a cool, mostly cloudy spring in Franklin County and this means a later planting date.
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