February and March tend to be confusing weather months for gardeners. One day the temperature is 70 degrees F and the next it is in the 20’s. Daffodils are breaking through the ground with snow on them. So when is it safe to plant? Well, the answer to that depends.
Which plants are you going to grow? Some cool season plants such as spinach, carrots and pansies can be planted earlier since they can handle a little frost and cold weather. However, tomatoes, beans and petunias need warm conditions to thrive. Read about which plants will thrive in your plant hardiness zone and make selections accordingly. The official plant hardiness map can be found at: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/
What is the average first frost date in your area? The National Climatic Data Center keeps track of temperatures in the U.S. and around the world. You can access this data at: http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/
It is safer to buffer the last frost date by 10 to 14 days just in case. Following the averages is usually a safe course of action, but now and then we do have late frosts. Be prepared for this since the weather is always unpredictable and cold stress can stunt or kill your plants.
Good luck and good gardening!
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