Spring fever is going around. Don’t catch it yet.

Temperatures in the 70s in early March are enough to lure any
red-blooded gardener
into the yard, but your plants could pay the price. Remember the
March blizzard of
1993?

“Our last frost date in the Athens area is about April 10,” said
Wayne McLaurin, a
University of Georgia Extension Service horticulturist. “We
still have a chance of frost
for the next two to three weeks.”

The last frost date is calculated by using long-term data to
develop an average. The last
frost date could be later than that.

“Another problem gardeners face is the soil isn’t warm yet,”
McLaurin said. “It’s
going to take some 85-degree days to get the soil warmed so the
roots will grow.”

If the soil isn’t warm enough to encourage root growth, the
plant will just sit. Then it
becomes vulnerable to root rot and other root-damaging
diseases.

Some plants are safe to put in the ground now if you just can’t
wait for warmer
weather.

“You can plant potatoes now, or lettuce, cabbage or any of the
cole crops,” McLaurin
said. “They will withstand a lot more cold that tomatoes,
peppers or other vegetables.”

For almost everything else, it’s smart to wait until mid-April
to early-May to plant.

“You can plant the first of April,” he said, “but you’re still
facing the risk of one last
frost. So check the long-range weather forecast.”

There is still plenty for gardeners to do outside to take
advantage of warm spring days.

“You can start to get the soil worked up,” McLaurin said. “You
can sharpen tools,
make sure all your equipment is running smoothly, buy fertilizer
and starting checking
out where the good plants and seeds are available.”

One good outdoor activity for the preplanting season is to ready
the mower.

“Check your lawn mower and make sure it’s ready for the mowing
season,” McLaurin
said. “If your grass is growing now, it’s not too early to start
mowing.”