Yesterday, reader Gwen left me this comment:

“My dad (you know, the one you are always supposed to listen to when he gives advice) said I should keep my tomato plants inside until June but I noticed yours are already planted outside. By the looks of your garden I should be following your lead. Do you always put your tomato plants out in May?”

Gwen, your comment made me smile.

Yes, here in Western Washington it is too early to plant to plant tomatoes outside.  It is also too early to plant cucumbers and beans as well.

But does that stop me?  Nope.

When I first started gardening I would see tomato, squash and other plants for sale at the hardware store and assume it was time to plant them outside.  I mean it makes sense right?  If tomato plants are sitting outside for sale at the local hardware store in mid April, it must be time to plant them in my garden as well.  Right?

Wrong.

Most likely, the plants you see at the hardware store in early spring will sell out in 2-3 days.  People will bring them home, plant the tomato plants in their garden, and then they will die a slow, miserable death. At least here in Seattle anyway.

The unknowing newbie gardener will think, “Darn, I can’t do this.  I must have  black thumb.” and give up.

Unfortunate, the only way the tomato plants have a shot, is if they are coddled indoors in a sunny window ledge or placed in a greenhouse until late May when it is safe to plant them outside.

The bottom line is, the local hardware store knows people are itching to get their garden started.  So they sell the desired plants.  Even if they are selling them a month earlier than they should be planted in the ground.

So, if it is too early to plant tomatoes outside, why did I go ahead and plant 20 {out of 110} tomato plants outside the other day?  For the exact same reason I planted a packet of cucumber seeds in the garden last night.

What if I get lucky.  What if this is the year, like in 2009, when we get blessed with a rip-roaring hot summer?  What if this is the year {out of every 7?} that I would look back on and say, “Man, I wish I would have set out my plants/started seeds a little earlier?”

So Gwen,

I’m a gambler.  And I am taking a {big} risk.

Only time will tell if the odds are in my favor.

Looking for a great gardening book? Amazon currently has Vegetable Gardening: From Planting to Picking–The Complete Guide to Creating a Bountiful Garden By Fern Marshall Bradley on sale for $13.59.

*Amazon prices can change at anytime and are accurate at of time of posting.