With the warm temperatures, I see a lot of the plants in my garden starting to green up. Do I really need to wait till April 15^th to plant my vegetables? LP

The answer to your question is a definite yes and no. Yes, it’s time to get your cool season vegetables in the ground like turnips, beets, radishes, potatoes, and onions etc. But, warm season vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc. Need to wait.

There’s no real magic about April 15^th other than it is our average last freeze date and we definitely want to get past that hurdle before putting our warm season crops in the ground. But here in Oklahoma, that last freeze can be a little tricky, so April 15^th is just a guideline.

According to the Mesonet, the last freeze date in 2022 was March 12^th with a close call on March 25^th. That is a few weeks before April 15^th but here’s some historical data for perspective: 2021 - Feb 20th_, 2020 - April 18^th, 2019 - March 16^th, 2018 - April 16^th, 2017 - March 14^th, or 2016 - Feb 26^th. As you can tell, the actual last freeze date varies from year to year, which means that, as gardeners, we are going to have to pay attention rather than just looking at the date.

As we get closer to that April 15^th date, soil temperatures are also important. With cool soil temperatures, there’s really no reason to get your veggies out early because they will likely just be sitting there waiting for the soil to warm up. So, you might as well keep your plants indoors until you know for sure rather than risk putting them out early when we still have a chance for cold temperatures.

If you are someone who just can’t wait till April 15^th, maybe have a plan for what you intend to do should we get a late freeze. One thing you can do is have some row cover fabric ready. In the event we have a late freeze, and your plants are already out, covering them with a layer of fabric will keep them a few degrees warmer than the outside air. If it gets really cold, you might have to add multiple layers of cloth. I’ve also seen people place upside down plastic milk jugs over small plants to help keep them warm. In fact, if you know the cooler air is coming, you can place these milk jugs over them for part of the day so they can warm up the soil like a little mini greenhouse. Just remember to remove them when the danger passes so that your little plants don’t get cooked. Good luck!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: OSU Ag. Communications