Proctor’s Tips: What’s safe to plant?

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KUSA – It’s been a warm spring. I’d guess my garden is two to three weeks ahead of its normal schedule. With warm days comes the temptation to throw caution to the wind and plant everything – don’t.

While it appears somewhat unlikely that we will experience a hard freeze again, it’s still prudent to wait to plant some plants that are very sensitive to cool nights.

It is safe to plant trees, shrubs, perennials and many vegetables and annual flowers. Just make sure they have been “hardened off,” meaning that they have been gradually exposed to sun and outdoor conditions. If you’re willing to take a slight risk, I’d bet you’d get by planting popular annuals such as petunias and geraniums.

The plants that I would not plant yet are the heat-loving annuals and vegetables. They may survive an early planting, but cool nights may stunt their growth. No amount of fertilizer will help them recover from a premature planting.

Here’s my advice on what not to plant:

ANNUALS: Impatiens, coleus, salvia, zinnia, marigold, sweet potato vine, caladium, gomphrena, sunflower, torenia, begonia, dahlia.

VEGETABLES: Tomato, beans, corn, peppers, eggplant, okra, squash, melons, cucumber, basil.

This is not an exhaustive list. Check with your garden center specialist to make sure a plant can withstand cool night temperatures before you plant, and keep some sheets handy to cover your plants if the weather changes.

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