After Last Chance of Frost?

the bulbs germinate best at soil temperatures in the 80's F. In spring soil temperatures can be several degrees cooler than air temperatures (the opposite is the case in late fall). This means that Caladium should probably not be planted out until early summer. What does your bulb vendor tell you ?

So, what is the conclusion ?
The phrase "transfer outdoors after last chance of frost" has value because quite a number of plants should not be put outdoors until "after last chance of frost". Unfortunately, this one-liner is not nearly specific enough.

If taken at face value it can be outright misleading especially for very tender plants which require warm soil to grow. It also completely misses the point with the cool season crop like kale, cabbage, pansy, etc. The phrase could have been good advice, but today it is unfortunately used so uncritically that it has become practically meaningless, or even misleading.

Of course it safe for the growers to state that "pansies can be transferred outdoors after last chance of frost", but is this really very good advice ? Pansies should be put outdoors quite a bit earlier than that or you loose precious blooming weeks.

Have fun searching your catalogues for the dredded phrase.

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