In order to improve the distribution of the growth-inhibiting chemical, CAPM recommends placing several small quantities of straw around a lake. Place each net of straw roughly equidistant from other nearby nets and the shore. The placement of the nets does not need to be exact and practical considerations such as corridors for boating and angling may influence the location of the nets. In small ponds where only one net of straw is required, place the net of straw in the center of the water body. The Campbell Company, Inc.
Many gardeners like to jump the gun a bit to try and bring in the first tomato harvest.
Well, the answer really depends on what the weather is doing. Looking at the weather data collected at the Agronomy Farm in West Lafayette, the soil temperature at four inches under bare soil has ranged from 57 to 75 this week, so it would appear that we are in reasonable shape for warm season plants. But just the week before, soil temps were in the low 50's during the cool mornings. And the last week of April saw low soil temperatures in the 40's. Seeds that are too cool will germinate slowly or not at all, making them more susceptible to damping off disease as well as rotting.