Zone 3B Gardening Tips for May - 3rd Week

When can you plant your seedlings outside?

The May Long Weekend (the third weekend in May) is generally recognized as being “after last frost” for Zone 3B. After this time, your warmer garden seeds, flower seeds, and hardened off bedding plants can be planted and left outside. Of course, this is always going to be forecast-dependent! Be prepared to cover your plants with a light blanket (not plastic) if the forecasted lows dip into the negatives.

What does it mean to be “hardened off”? If you plant your own seedlings, it is essential to expose them to the outdoors a bit at a time. This means exposing them to cooler (and warmer) temperatures, natural sunlight and light breezes. This moderate exposure to the elements will help the plants toughen up their stems so they aren’t overwhelmed by being left out. Hardening off is done by transporting seedlings outside during the day and bringing them in at night or using a cold frame to protect them at night for at least a few days. Most plants from commercial greenhouses are usually partially through this process.

Happy planting!