Hiya and welcome to VT ---

Thanks!

April is a bit early for peppers here. The last average killing frost
is about May 10 - though most gardeners here will not put more cold
sensitive crops in until the end of May.

Yeah I planted my seeds about two weeks ago and expect to bring them
inside for harvest probably. I have one strain that is about 160
days!!

For longer harvest crops, many people start the seeds inside under
grow lights in April, move out to the porch mid May, and plant at the
end of May. Also, trying to find varieties that mature in less than
120 days would be a good idea. Most seed/plant stores here will sell
you the appropriate varieties for the area. September is still fairly
warm so you can generally get extend the season into mid=September.

this makes sense and I should have done that but too little, too
late...next year...Mid-Late Septermber is about as far as you can
stretch growing in VA too so thats not so bad!

One of the tricks is to find cold tolerant things to plant in April -
I will generally plant potatoes, peas, carrots, onions in April, and
start everything else inside and move out in mid-May to the porch, and
plant at the end of May.

Duly noted (for next year at least)

Some people use outdoor growing shelters, basically a three sided box
up against a shed with a glass or plastic top that opens up - but I
tend to think it's easier just to keep things inside under lights
until mid May. It also depends on where you are in the state, you can
be a bit more aggressive in terms of when you plant if you are in the
Champlain Valley, which warms up a lot earlier.

Yeah I don't think an outdoor growing shelter is in my best interest.
I'd prefer to use full spectrum fluorescents- cheap bulbs/ballasts and
easy to maintain..

I am in the coldest part of Vermont- Granville. I doubt it gets
colder anywhere else. Literally sandwiched inbetween the Northfield
and Green Mountains..so I'm in the worst-case scenario....well- I
suppose worst-case would be on the summit of Killington but..

Thanks alot for the info!


Good luck --