Hey fellow gardeners in Zone 5B, especially those in Wisconsin! I'm curious about your typical dates for transplanting things like tomatoes and pepper seedlings. I really want to join in on the fun and plant my seedlings, but I know I need to be cautious. My house is overflowing with these little plants and I can't wait much longer! What date do you usually start your garden?
5 Answers
If you're feeling brave and can't handle those seedlings taking over your space, you could risk putting some out now! In my experience, you can sometimes get away with it before Mother's Day, but it's definitely a gamble. If you want to play it safer, try staggering your plantings and note which ones do best. Just prepare for some unpredictable spring weather!
Are you hardening them off yet? That process can take a week or two. I’m in Zone 6a (Ohio) and I usually wait at least another week. I've had frost hit as late as May 15, so I prefer to play it safe. It's much easier to keep seedlings cozy in the garage rather than put them in the ground and risk losing them to frost.
When I was in Wisconsin, I always aimed for June 1st to be safe, especially for anything frost sensitive!
I found this resource from UW Extension for southeastern Wisconsin that might help you out: [Spring & Fall Vegetable Planting Guide](https://milwaukee.extension.wisc.edu/files/2016/11/SpringFallVegetablePlantingrevised2012.pdf). It's got a good timeline to follow for planting.
From what I've gathered, a lot of people say around May 14 is a good time, but I've had mixed luck with it. My peppers sometimes don’t do well when I plant then. Last year was tough with the rain, too. Some locals recommend waiting until Memorial Day, so this year I've planned to transplant around June 1, weather permitting. Fingers crossed!
I’m also in 5B, just a bit over in NE Illinois, and I’ve already put some stuff in the ground since our average last frost is around mid-April.