Foul Weather Gardener

The forecast is 18 degrees Fahrenheit tonight and only going up to 28 tomorrow. Despite the fact that we have moved daylight savings time up two weeks this year I'm having a hard time justifying putting Mescalum , Romaine, leaf lettuce radishes and dill in the green house in the basement. When you have to put the flats inside over night just so they are warm enough to put the seeds in, that should be warning enough. Warning for some.

I went to organincgardening.com this morning and exported the Seed Starting Plan from their website to Excel. Then I found New Jersey's proposed Frost Free Date from the Rutgers Extension Service on the Web. ( http://gloucester.rce.rutgers.edu/ ) Which for us is May 15th according to the Rutgers site. I began to plot out the garden calendar for the spring. I noticed some of the things according to their calculations should not go in for weeks. I was outside yesterday making flats and it was 30 degrees outside.

There is no way I'm gonna hold off until those suggested times. I just can't. I need justification to bump everything up at least two weeks. My southern exposed sun room and this quote where all the justification I needed. "The fair-weather gardener, who will do nothing except when the wind and weather and everything else are favorable, is never master of his craft."-- Henry Ellacombe

I know that my wife would like me to heed this quote in areas where I could make some side work money but alas here is my tentative calendar.

YOUR SEED-STARTING PLAN    
The Spring Frost-Free Date in My Garden is May 1st    
CROP   START INSIDE WEEKS SAFE TO SET OUT TIME  SETTING OUT DATE
              
Basil   March 17th  6    1 week after     May 8th
Beets*              4_6  2 weeks before   Apr 14th
BroccoliMarch 17th  4_6  2 weeks before   Apr 14th
Cabbage March 17th  4_6  4 weeks before   Apr 1st
CaulifloMarch 17th  4_6  2 weeks before   Apr 14th
CollardsMarch 17th  4_6  4 weeks before   Apr 1st
Corn*               2_4  0 to 2 weeks aft May 8th
CucumberApril 1st   3_4  1 to 2 weeks aft May 8th
EggplantMarch 11th  8_10 2 to 3 weeks aft May15th
Kale    March 17th  4_6  4 weeks before   Apr 1st
Kohlrabi            4_6  4 weeks before   Apr 1st
Lettuce March 7th   4_5  3 to 4 weeks bef Apr 1st
Melons  April 1st   3_4  2 weeks after    May 15th
Mustard*            4_6  4 weeks before   Apr 1st
Okra*               4_6  2 to 4 weeks aft May 15th
Onions  March 10th  6_8  4 weeks before   Apr 1st
Parsley March 10th  9_10 2 to 3 weeks bef Apr 14th
Peas*               3_4  6 to 8 weeks bef Mar 15th
Peppers March 7th   6_14 2 weeks after    May 15th
PumpkinsMarch 17th  3_4  2 weeks after    May 15th
Spinach March 10th  4_6  3 to 6 weeks bef Apr 15th
Squash  March 17th  3_4  2 weeks after    May 8th
Swiss chMarch 10th  4_6  2 weeks before   Apr 14th
TomatoesMarch 17th  6_8  1 to 2 weeks aft May 8th
"* These crops are usually direct-seeded outdoors, but they can be started inside."