Gordon Johnson, Extension Vegetable & Fruit Specialist; gcjohn@udel.edu
It has been a slow start to the growing season. We have had the coldest March and early April in the last 10 years. The average temperature in March 2013 at Georgetown was 39.8 F compared to 49.9 in 2012 (the warmest March in recent history), 43.8 in 2011, 48.0 in 2010, and 43.3 in 2009. The high temperature in March this year was 62 F (again the lowest high temperature in the last decade) whereas most years we have several days in the 70’s. In addition, rainfall for the first 3 months of the year was 10.6 inches which approached the 11.6 inches in 2010, a wet winter. Lack of heat units and wet conditions have slowed pea planting compared to the average. We will need a significant warming trend to consider early plantings of warm season vegetables this month and plant protection (windbreaks, clear and floating row covers) should be considered.