This time of year it’s hard not to succumb to the lure of the seed catalogs and rush out and plant everything. Unfortunately this will lead to a lot of rotten seed in the ground and a need to replant most things. To avoid this disappointment it’s important to read the seed package and see at what soil temperature it’s most likely to germinate.
To get a ball park figure for what your soil temperature is you can check out the AgWeatherNet site. To find out what your garden soil temp is the best way is to use a soil thermometer.
To warm your soil up you can cover with a plastic cloche or use black plastic. While these methods will give you a little head start things seem to even out over time.