The farmers know the answer to this one already.

Don't Jump The Gun

I was visiting with a friend who recently got some "cuttings" to plant and quickly realized that West Texas weather was not going to cooperate with her plan. There was a strong likelihood of a freeze killing everything she's got. I have made this mistake myself so I kept my landscaping projects to just mulching and not planting this weekend.

It's Spring Break

It is "Spring Break" and of course that makes you think of all things Spring. The truth is that Spring isn't officially here until the 20th. Even with Spring landing on the calendar next Tuesday, that date is not magical and does not stop any possibility of freezing. You just cannot make that broad of an assumption about the weather on the South Plains.

The Farmers Know

Of course, your friendly neighborhood farmer or farm worker knows that we're most likely not even close to the last freeze of the year. We can even lean in and check with the Old Farmer's Almanac which tells us that we may see a "Frost Date" until April 2nd and that some years that date goes all the way to Mid-April (The "Frost Dates" are the days when the first and last freezes happen).

What Will Die

Just a light freeze will kill a lot of fragile plants. If it hits the mid to upper 20's it's going to kill a lot of plants and around 24 degrees you are looking at most plants dying. I have noticed a lot of places beginning to sell plants so keep in mind, you may have to make an effort to keep those plants alive when you buy and plant this early. The smart money says to wait at least two weeks, and maybe just a bit longer.