While many people are eager to get into spring activities after what felt like a long winter, it might be best to hold off on getting seeds and plants into the ground.

Elsie Kathler with Steinbach and Area Garden Club says the ground is still too cold for most plants.

Jaxson is learning all about caring for perennials during his visits with Nana. The two of them spend a lot of time outdoors, appreciating nature while tending to the flower beds and potted plants. (Photo Credit: Jo Brandt)

“The best time is when the soil temperature is at 10 degrees. To get to 10 degrees, you need a consistent 2-week window of where the nighttime temperatures stay at about 10 degrees, the lowest it goes down. So, then the temperature in the soil has a chance to warm up. We haven't had that yet this year, so the ground is still pretty cool.”

If you’re eager to do some planting though, Kathler says some of the cool weather crops might do okay if they are planted right now.

“Things like beets and carrots, lettuce, peas, those are very much cold weather crops. So, you can put those in now.”

Kathler says crops like corn, kale and cabbage should wait until soil temperatures are at 10 degrees. If the soil is not warm enough for the warm weather crops, she says they will not do a lot.

“They’ll just sit there. And if it’s really wet, they'll even rot because they won’t germinate.”

The forecast indicates we can expect overnight low temperatures to continue to be below 10 degrees for at least another week or so.