Tina, you haven't started the toms yet? You're way late! Mine are 6" tall and will go out into the Wall O'Waters around May 1st. Or did you start them and you're wondering when to set them out?

Zucchini spreads into a giant basically round bush maybe 4-5' in diameter and 2-3' tall, depending on your soil.

You put out tomatos May 1st? Wow, I don't dare until May 20th-June 1st and I am in the southern portion of the state. Then again I haven't used the WoWs either.

Warm season crops generally just sit in the cool ground and do nothing until end of May for me.

justaguy2- I am new to gardening myself, and curious as to where you get dates to plant? I've been searching around, and I must not be looking in the right places. TIA for any advice.

ummmm this is risky on a garden forum LOL , but i Buy my plants from steins already 6-8" tall. (blush)

Tina,
I agree with justaguy and am planning on putting out my tomato plants on or around May 20th. Weather permitting, but I am also in the southern part of the state. My peppers will go out memorial weekend.

I am going to try to post a link for you for Gardening in Wisconsin. Just click on the county you live in. On the left side click on the climate table - this will give you the last spring frost and 1st fall frosts for your county.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening In Wisconsin

justaguy2- I am new to gardening myself, and curious as to where you get dates to plant?

I find this to be a good resource for vegetable planting dates. I use the earliest listed date as a target. Some of the cool season plants that are listed as April 15th I typically try earlier (from seed) and replant mid April if it doesn't work out (often doesn't).

For the warm season crops (listed as May 20-June 1) it has been my experience that planting in the ground any earlier just results in plants that stall until the ground warms more.

Some folks go a little earlier if the weather looks good or if they have place plastic sheeting on the ground to warm it faster and some swear by WoWs (Walls of Water). I tend to just stick with April 15th, May 20th and June 1st as pretty reliable times.

I would think pots would be an advantage though to early outdoor planting. The potted soil would probably warm up earlier and if it did get nasty you could drag them into the garage.

Otherwise, for planting in the ground, I too don't plant until middle to end of May.

Shirley

Yeah, with pots you can be a lot more flexible! Mine have been moving in and out for the last week or so. Today they'll go out into my unheated greenhouse. The forecast looks great so they might be out for good! I'm not sure when I'll put them in the ground, probably the first weekend of May which is usually when I plant.

justaguy2--

I'm one of those people who cover the entire veggie garden with black plastic, set up the WoW's, let them warm up, and stick the toms in them when they are still fairly small. Works great for all my crops; the ground is warm and the garden is weed free. Slippery when wet, though, LOL!

Elvis,

Using these warming methods may I ask when (approximately) you set out warm season crops such as tomatos, peppers and vine crops like cukes:squash:melons?

justaguy2- Thank you! That list is fantastic, and exactly what I was looking for.

Sorry I didn't get back to this quicker, justaguy~~

I'll be putting out toms and peppers inside Wall O'Waters first week of May, after laying out the black plastic and setting up the WoW's to warm up for a couple of days, assuming we have temps warm enough to do the warming job.

Cukes, beans, corn, etc. won't go out till Memorial Day. Carrots, parsnips, and beets go into the ground 2nd week of May, as they are very pokey about coming up.

Makes sense, Elvis, thanks for that info. Just as an FYI I sowed carrot seed outside on March 15th and while they took forever to germinate (3-4 weeks) they are growing. They were in the ground during that last snow storm we had.