Spring-like weather might have you ready to jump into the garden, but experts say its too early for most planting. New England weather can turn on a dime and late frost can be devastating if you plant too early.
Spring-like weather might have you ready to jump into the garden, but experts say its too early for most planting.
New England weather can turn on a dime and late frost can be devastating if you plant to early.
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WATCH HERE“Gorgeous day, we are going down to Hammonasset,” said Susan Grillon, who we caught on her way down to southern Connecticut for the day, with her husband.
They made a stop at Wadsworth Falls on their way.
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SIGN UP “Neither one of us had commitments today, how often does that happen?" she said.
It was clear talking to people that sun and rising temperatures has spring fever spreading.
“We have probably broken through, skunk cabbage coming up over there, a harbinger of spring,” Grillon said.
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No skunk cabbage at Country Flower Farms in Middlefield, though. They were busy stocking ahead of opening day.
“You have parsleys, lettuce, basils, sages, we actually do about 150 varieties of herbs,” Paul Schatzman said as he toured us around the greenhouse.
He expects to be busy once they are open for the season.
“They can’t wait to come and generally speaking, they flood us right away,” he said.
Front and center were the pansies, a cold hardy flower he says should be able to survive a cold night or two. Other than that, he explains it's still a little early for most planting.
“Other than pansies and hellebores, there isn’t much, there are some cold crop vegetables,” he said, offering peas as a potentially cold hardy vegetable.
It’s the potential frost that can roll over New England in the early spring you have to be cautious of. That’s why he recommends waiting a little longer before committing to the ground. Experts at UConn say the same.
“Keep the temperature in mind, not just the air temperature, but the ground temperature,” Heather Zidack, with UConn’s Home and Garden Education Center, said.
Zidack said the beautiful weather can still be spent outside or in the garden, just hold off on the planting. Instead, she recommends working on pruning non-spring blooming plants, clearing leaf litter or working on equipment ahead of the season.
She made clear, don’t prune spring blooming plants, otherwise, you’ll be left flowerless.
Work to equipment can include work on lawnmowers or power tools, or painting handles of tools to ensure you don’t lose them while you’re working. All good time killers while you wait for ground and air temperatures to warm up.
“Keeping your eye to the sky and knowing what’s going on, is really going to give you a key,” Zidack said.
She said any questions can be directed to the UConn Home and Garden Education Center, as they are a resource to the public.
Back in the Garden Center, Schatzman is still welcoming you in the door.
“We really do try to give you the right tip, the right answer, we don’t try to oversell, we try to give you what you need,” he said.
He noted it's never to early to come in, check in, and see what’s available. He encourages people to ask questions before they buy, noting the collective knowledge of his long-tenured staff has him confident no question will go unanswered.
“We have a really good staff here, they have been with us for a while and collectively I don’t think there are plant questions we couldn’t answer,” he said.
Even if you don’t have questions, he said no spring day spent in a greenhouse, is a day wasted.
“We will definitely get some curiosity I think people have cabin fever from being in all winter and the chance to come in a greenhouse and wander through with the sun on them and the flowers, I think that’s a good thing,” he said.
Country Flower Farm is set to open March 20.
