As spring matures, warmer nights bring those chilly soil temperatures slowly up from the 30s to the 40s and 50s.
Warm soil is necessary for vegetable happiness, especially for plants from southern climes.
Beans, peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes all sulk in cold soil. In fact, cool nights can actually retard their growth, even when the days feel fairly warm. Fortunately, there are several good ways to keep these tropical vegetables happy in cool Northwestern gardens. For instance, we can give all our heat lovers a tomato cage or a wider-hooped peony cage. Come summer, these cages will provide appreciated support.