How is your gardening growing?

image from gardentabs.com

       IT is WED.  The sun was out early this morning, but now at noon it is overcast.  It was warming up nicely inside the greenhouse, but now it is cooling down. As I was working with plants, I noticed how cold the soil is.  The plants I were transplanting aren’t doing that well, and now I know why.  High today 64F(17C) cloudy skies and maybe some rain.  All the outside plants are wet, but I think I will start to water later today to stay ahead of it drying out.  Natalie and I are moving out plants that haven’t been out.  I will post pictures of what we are moving out.  Stay safe. 
 
Australia family and friends today May 29, Thursday weather for them are 64F(17C) Do you notice we are at the temperature?  Unbelievable being in different hemispheres, different seasons and miles away. Sunny conditions expected with wind up to 13MPH.  Enjoy your fall day.  Stay safe. 
 
I found this chart online with what our soil temperatures should be for vegetables.  Give it some thought about your vegetable gardening that you have done, and why the seeds aren’t coming up.  I just looked it up and the soil temperature for Cerro Gordo Co, and Franklin Co is 60 degrees.  Last week it was 51 degrees.  Now you can plant more in your garden.
Taken from a gardening site:  The author is in first person.  Not me.  
I see a lot of folks direct sowing seeds in their garden way too early. Yes, sometimes the seeds will survive and germinate when the soil temperature is right, but sometimes the seeds rot or get eaten by wildlife...so why not wait until garden conditions are right?
I use an accurate meat thermometer to test soil temperature in the morning. Doing these 3 days in a row, I take an average and only sow seeds when the soil has reached optimal temperature:
Green beans 60 degrees F.
Beets 50
Cabbage 45
Carrot 45
Cauliflower 45
Chard 50
Corn 60
Cucumber 60
Eggplant 75
Lettuce 40
Parsnip 50
Peas 40
Pepper 65
Radish 45
Spinach 45
Squash (summer & winter) 70
Tomato 60
Turnup 60
Credit: Proverbs 31 homestead 
Hope this helps with your gardening planting.  It proves that we have to be aware of the area around us and not looking at the calendar. 
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer, or Becky’s Greenhouse