Topic: Snow!

[Laney]

Yikes! 

I've been lulled into a false sense of security and planted my second early spuds, and my onion sets.  I've also sown some wildflower seeds and spring onion, and planted out loads of alpine rockery plants(which should be okay ???).  I've just discovered that on Sun/Mon we are getting snow and temps of -6. :o

My spuds are in tubs so can be brought in for a few days, but will my white onion sets be okay? ???

[robkb]

Hope so, as I put mine in last weekend - and the shallots! Oh well, fleece to the ready... ::)

Cheers,
Rob ;)

[bennettsleg]

my shallots went in beofre Christmas and have weathered the er.. weather without protection so far. Its the continually growing chard that I will have to worry about!

[cambourne7]

though snow going going north of birmingham?

[Tee Gee]

If the snow comes before the low temperatures this will give some protection.

Your potatoes should be OK providing the tops have not emerged and you have sown them quite deep, I doubt if we will get any penetrating perma frost now.

Regarding the onions you might have to check them all after the frosts to see that they have not heaved out of the soil.

Now you see why Tim and I have left ours still in the trays/bags  ;)

[cambourne7]

though snow going going north of birmingham?

I stand corrected snow forcast for monday!

just as well i have not planted anything much yet, but will get all my plants back under flease. I had partialy unwrapped my gingers :-(

[Laney]

I've been covering my onions every night this week anyway, because I'm a wimp and wasn't brave enough to let them go it alone.  I've never grown onions before, can you tell? ;D

[debjay]

hopefully the weather forecaster has got it wrong  ;D
after all they have before :D

[Mrs Ava]

Ah, but my mate John Miller told me last week that he has been enjoying temps of -30 and he is the other side of 'the pond'.  Usually we get the tail end of their weather about a week later....so I am preparing for a cold snap next week!

[kitten]

I've only planted garlic (about 3 - 4 weeks ago) and red & white onions (a week ago) so fingers crossed they'll be okay.

TeeGee - what's perma frost?

[Shelle]

Oh heck!  Shows the wisdom of why we havent planted out yet! As a newbie, I have heeded the wisdom of others and only have garlic planted out in a tub (since february).  Do I need to cover that or is it ok?

[MrsKP]

cripes !  what happens to the blueberry and goosegog buds ???

 ::)

[redimp]

I've only planted garlic (about 3 - 4 weeks ago) and red & white onions (a week ago) so fingers crossed they'll be okay.

TeeGee - what's perma frost?

Perma frost is something we do not get in this country (I am sure TeeGee knows this and was using the term tongue in cheek).  It simply is permanent deep frost and occurs in the Tundra regions in and fringing the Arctic.  It is the melting of this that is causing one of the greatest concerns re global warming.  Perma frost containd tons of carbon dioxide and methane from plants and animals that rotted hundreds, thousands and millions of years ago.  Once perma frost reaches tipping point, there will be no going back as it will release sufficient greenhouse gases to accelerate the problem further.

[Tin Shed]

Just checked the forecast for my part of south essex and they are not mentioning snow at the moment so keep your fingers crossed Laney

[Tee Gee]

(I am sure TeeGee knows this and was using the term tongue in cheek).

Quite right what I was inferring was a frost/s that gets well in to the soil that would cause damage to the potato tubers. 

It is the melting of this that is causing one of the greatest concerns re global warming.

Strange you should mention this but there is an article in my evening paper entitled 'Moorland Timebomb' about the gas (Carbon dioxide) being given off by  heather moorland.

Apparently the warm temperatures we have had over the last few years is heating up the carbon rich  peat/soil resulting in the release of carbon dioxide.

It is estimated that this could be equal to a tenth of that given out by the total British industry.

So we have a catch twenty two here i.e. more global warming means higher carbon emissions from the peat meaning higher climate change. ???  ???

Do you think we will be encouraged to use peat based soils in the future? ??? ;)

I won't hold my breath!

I still think this is all a scam to take our minds away from the shortage of fossil fuels in the world and they are trying to scare us into using less because of this!

[kitten]

 :-[ doh!

[MrsKP]

I still think this is all a scam to take our minds away from the shortage of fossil fuels in the world and they are trying to scare us into using less because of this!

I make you right !

 8)

[Marymary]

Oh heck!  Shows the wisdom of why we havent planted out yet! As a newbie, I have heeded the wisdom of others and only have garlic planted out in a tub (since february).  Do I need to cover that or is it ok?

Garlic needs frosting to form proper bulbs [or so I have learned here]. :)

[saddad]

But then the negative cycle will kick in, altering the gulf stream and cooling the North and leading to more cold.... and little ice age like 1500-1815....

[Jeannine]

Mrs KP my blueberries have been out all winter  for 3 years with no fleece and they are just fine.XX Jeannine