Tips to prevent early germination in the Midwest zone 7a
There is still plenty of winter left here but we have some warmer weather coming up. My jugs sit in the shade all day, but is there anything else that can help keep them a bit cooler?
If I still have snow in the area, then I pile the snow on top of my jugs, pots and trays.
Any-Usual377
Keep them in the shade
If possible
The_Poster_Nutbag
Native plants have lived in the area for millenia, they’ll be okay.
Most often I don’t see plants germinating until the temps reach into the 50’s for a few days. The exception being spring ephemerals. Zone 7 is warmer too so unless you get a true cold snap they should be fine.
You can top your containers with leaf litter to help insulate them if you want.
El_Bacone
Air temp is not soil temp.
IkaluNappa
Also note, germination requires a number of factour depending on the plant. Temperature is one but day/night length is another for many plants. And note that air temp is not the same as ground temps. It takes a while for the ground to warm up and cool down.
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If I still have snow in the area, then I pile the snow on top of my jugs, pots and trays.
Keep them in the shade
If possible
Native plants have lived in the area for millenia, they’ll be okay.
Most often I don’t see plants germinating until the temps reach into the 50’s for a few days. The exception being spring ephemerals. Zone 7 is warmer too so unless you get a true cold snap they should be fine.
You can top your containers with leaf litter to help insulate them if you want.
Air temp is not soil temp.
Also note, germination requires a number of factour depending on the plant. Temperature is one but day/night length is another for many plants. And note that air temp is not the same as ground temps. It takes a while for the ground to warm up and cool down.