A simple consensus on a good time to plant

       The "quorum" was a group of old people, like me; and some young people, too. The location was the local rural grocery store, which is at around 36 degrees north latitude, and around  1,900 feet of altitude.  The general area was the Cumberland Plateau in east Tennessee.

            The general consensus was that we can plant cool season things already, like onions. Heck, I even have wild onions already growing up in my yard, and the dandelions have popped yellow flowers, too.

            Now the warm season plants, like tomatoes, are subject to frosts. And around here the suggested planting time follows the "ole granny" ideas, like May 15th.  Now lower in altitude, like 800 feet lower in Cookeville, TN, then the suggested tomato planting time is May 1st.

            Said another way, during the winter, what might be rain in Cookeville is snow where I live. What a difference 800 feet of altitude makes.

            Yep, we can still be politically incorrect in using terms like "ole granny" planting times, now that spring is here. Like nobody really cares as long as the best planting times are used.

            Maybe our ancestors did have some collective wisdom we can benefit by?

            I am, that is I do benefit by these ideas.

            Even I am going to do another micro garden idea, like using old tires full of local dirt to grow tomatoes and potatoes. While I don't have a green thumb, I do like to eat when hungry, and I appreciate learning things like "old granny" stuff. Mostly I like just using what my ancestors, and others, have already figured out.