Indiana's last frost could still be a month away
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Spring is in the air, but don't get out your gardening gear just yet.
- We've got another month before we're out of the woods for our final freeze of the season.
The big picture: Median last spring frosts can be as early as January and as late as June, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center.
State of play: Growing seasons are getting longer, increasing up to 2.2 days on the West Coast every decade. This results in the last spring frost date moving up by as much as 30 days in Arizona and California.
- Longer growing seasons could allow farmers to diversify crops or have multiple harvests for specific crops.
Zoom in: Indy's median last spring frost is April 16.
- Most vegetable plants and summer blooms can't be planted in the ground until after the threat of a freeze has passed.
Yes, but: Cool-season crops and flowers can be planted outdoors as soon as the soil is dry enough to work.
- Cabbage, kale, radish and peas are some cool-season vegetables that could be planted now.
💠Arika's thought bubble: With the weather finally turning, I've been itching to start outdoor planting.
- Instead of getting ahead of myself and killing a bunch of stuff, I'm channeling that energy into starting seeds indoors to transplant outside in a few weeks.
- I'm trying my hand at peppers, peas, green beans, lettuce and radishes this year. Hit reply to this email and let me know what you'll be planting!