It was sunny but chilly outside today. Still, what matters is the soil temperature, not the air temperature. We can get below freezing nights, and frosts, but the soil won't freeze again. A soil thermometer can help you a lot in determining when to plant seeds and seedlings all through the season. So, while the air temperature was in the low 40's today, the soil temperature was just about 50 in one of my gardens. I planted peas, chard, kale, carrots, lettuce, spinach, collards, and bok choy. Always look at your seeds to see the minimum soil temperature for germination. A lot of seeds can be planted now, but not all of them! Remember, only seeds go into the ground now, the night time temperatures are way too cold for seedlings. The soil thermometer is also very useful throughout the rest of the season. Gauging when to plant your seedlings, if the soil is too warm for planting lettuce in the summer, and when to start your fall crops. I'll be talking about all those things as the season progresses. This is not an expensive tool, but it's a very useful one.