Along with the end of spring comes gardening, but when is the right time to do it around here? Turns out it's different each year, but around June is usually a safe bet.
"I have tomato plants at home, but I do not plant them until the snow is off Peavine," said gardener Denise Mckinnon.
This is a rule of thumb that a lot of people go by around here, but if you're getting anxious you do have a few options; just be prepared to protect your tomato plants in a lurch. In Reno, our last frost is usually April 24th and the latest on record is June 13th. To be on the safe side, Creative Gardens still has their tomato plants in their green house.
"The rule of thumb in Reno is when the snow is off Peavine, however there is a little leeway if you want to do a little baby sitting with them tomato plants," said CJ Sanders, owner of Creative Gardens.
While your tomato plants might be thriving now, it only takes one cold snap to ruin them.
Ironically after our record setting winter in 2017 most spots in our area were safe enough to plant by the beginning of May.
Now if it is supposed to get cold at night you can use something like a blanket, but the only downfall about that is it can break your tomato plants and it does not always protect them from the cold. But there are better options such as a tarp that's set up like a green house or Walls of Water. Walls of Water works best for one or two plants and can be reused. How it works is that you fill up the tubes of water and the sun heats them, and that insulates the plant overnight. They work well for peppers, too.
If you're getting anxious to start planting, you can have comfort that if you protect them, they'll be able to survive the cold. If you want to wait another month, you can be even more confident that they'll survive.
