North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>]

Jim,  The trouble is that we have been planting squash and cukes at the 
normal time of year, and then planting again, and only then scratching our 
heads and wondering what's wrong.  By now, the soil has warmed up.  We can 
figure it out in retrospect, but it's too late to check the soil temp 3 
weeks ago.  I remember a year though when I planted sweet corn, then it 
turned chilly and rainy the first week of June.  I did get out the soil 
thermometer that time, and realized my seeds were doomed.  I do use it most 
years, but only when I am trying to hurry up and get things in early.  When 
the calendar says the first of May, it's time to plant the warm season stuff 
here.  The trouble is that May seems to have been later in arriving than the 
calendar claimed.     Donna