Question
Hi
Ive started some annuals in small peat pots indoors, when is it okay to put them outside, I live in Massapequa.
When do you like to put flowering plants purchased at local nursery outside.
Thanks for your help.
Joan

Answer
Annuals bought on Long Island started life in the fast lane months ago. Time is money in the nursery business and this is the high season.

It is likewise the perfect time of year to put new plants in the ground. Frost is finished; sun is shining; life is good.

Besides the beaming solar system, there is another benefit: balmy spring temps. The chlorophyll in annual leaves works best when it's in the low to mid 70s.

The moderate dips in degrees at night are also beneficial to plants we grow around here.  Remember, without sun, chlorophyll rests.  The pores in the leaves of Petunias, Begonias, Impatiens and Roses -- "C3" plants, named after their system of building 3-carbon compounds out of CO2 -- open during the day to breathe.  The C3 chemical reactions are highly efficient in cool, wet weather of spring.  It is why we mow grass more often in spring than summer.

The biggest threat to seedlings at this time of year is slugs.  Not the weather.