I know lots of folks around my area religiously abide by that last frost date and even push their luck by watching the forecast and planting as much as two weeks before if the temperatures look good. I don't think you gain a bit of growing time that way. Those extra cold nights don't have to freeze your seedlings to stunt their growth. Peppers are extra sensitive to this. Every single year, lately, I've had one or more neighbors plant around that time and end up losing everything to a freeze
Because the date is no longer reliable and I don't have a greenhouse, I start a lot of my seeds inside and as soon as they sprout, I start taking them to the edge of my porch every day where there's about six hours of sunlight in the early spring. I bring them back in in the evenings...it's a lot of work. DH helps me and every evening he says we are building a greenhouse lol. As the evenings warm, I leave them out on folding tables. Year before last, something ate all my bell peppers but six of the 48, leaving only about 1/2" of stem. I'm not sure a greenhouse would prevent that...I believe it was a mouse.
My sweet potato slips are in a tub that is so heavy, I quit moving it when nights warm up unless we have a chance of frost...they don't get stunted by cooler temps as bad as some. I left them out last night, April 16th...we had no chance of frost but when I took my others out this morning, I noticed some of the leaves looked burned on top and they were on the porch and under a roof. Thank goodness it only bothered a few leaves. DH leaves early most mornings and he said he had a heavy frost on his vehicle this morning.
Sometimes, I don't plant my starts until mid May. I do try to get my direct sewing done by the first of May.
Because the date is no longer reliable and I don't have a greenhouse, I start a lot of my seeds inside and as soon as they sprout, I start taking them to the edge of my porch every day where there's about six hours of sunlight in the early spring. I bring them back in in the evenings...it's a lot of work. DH helps me and every evening he says we are building a greenhouse lol. As the evenings warm, I leave them out on folding tables. Year before last, something ate all my bell peppers but six of the 48, leaving only about 1/2" of stem. I'm not sure a greenhouse would prevent that...I believe it was a mouse.
My sweet potato slips are in a tub that is so heavy, I quit moving it when nights warm up unless we have a chance of frost...they don't get stunted by cooler temps as bad as some. I left them out last night, April 16th...we had no chance of frost but when I took my others out this morning, I noticed some of the leaves looked burned on top and they were on the porch and under a roof. Thank goodness it only bothered a few leaves. DH leaves early most mornings and he said he had a heavy frost on his vehicle this morning.
Sometimes, I don't plant my starts until mid May. I do try to get my direct sewing done by the first of May.