Topic: Planting and frosty weather

[Garden Manager]

Now i realise you cant plant if the ground is frozen but what about when you get frosts at night but any freezing disapeard during the day?. Whats the best advice if you want to plant undeer these conditions?

I got a bit behind with my autumn planting out thanks to all the wet weather (seems a distant memory now). Now of course its dry but frosty at night. i need to get these plants into theground  but am worried i am doing more harm than good.

I confess to having put in some spring bedding this afternoon, but with frost forecast didnt water it in (will do that in the morning).

Opinions please?

[OliveOil]

You could always warm the soil by covering it in polythene and then lifting before you plant!

[manicscousers]

got any cloche type things ?

[Garden Manager]

Sorry, not quite what i meant. I dont really need to warm the soil up first, and cloche -ing would be impractical. I was kind of asking if it was OK to carry on planting when its frosty at night. I still have loads to do.

I guess its a bit of a novicey question, and i am not exactly a novice but with these sharp frosts coming so early this year (i reckon the earliest since i started gardening - about 6 years), i have not really been in this position, or maybe i am thinking and worrying too much - perhaps in the past i have just done it without thinking about it.

A case of ignorance is bliss, and a little knowledge dangerous, maybe?

[supersprout]

I'm going to plant out garlic sometime this month too gc - the word on the plot is NOT TO PLANT TILL NOVEMBER and heaven help those who do ;) If the soil's soft enough to plant in, go for it. Our first hard frost was mid-November last year (made a note <proudsmiley> and I'm sure I didn't get the garlic in until after that (didn't make a note <ashamedsmiley>) ;D

maybe i am thinking and worrying too much - perhaps in the past i have just done it without thinking about it.
A case of ignorance is bliss, and a little knowledge dangerous, maybe?

possibly, I do that too - let's go with the flow and See What Happens? ::)

[OliveOil]

SS is right - we havent had a hard frost yet... so keep on going!  You could always fleece over anything a bit more delicate

[Robert_Brenchley]

As long as you can work the soil, don't worry about it.

[Garden Manager]

Wise words. Thanks.

Guess I am geting a bit too 'edgy' with all this frost around. -2c here last night, -1c the night before. I know to some of you it doesnt seem much, but it still looked and felt bad at the time.