Topic: Where are you?

[Tee Gee]

Note in case you think you are seeing double! let me explain that I have placed this article in both the Edible & Basic forums

Just took this quote from another thread and thought the subject wanted another airing; 

Where are you?  (South is usually warmer than North) Do you have a greenhouse?

Each year at this time we are inundated with questions that at first glance requires such an answer.

To avoid this and to get you the answer quicker, simply fill in your profile to give the area you are from ( not necessarily your full address) or better still write it under your avatar.

Nearest town will do.

As you can see under my avatar;  my district is Huddersfield but I actually live in a village on the outskirts of town.

This allows the one who is answering the question to adjust their answer relative to geographical position.

It can also be quite helpful if when asking your questions if you give a brief description of your facilities eg;

I have/have not a greenhouse/propagator
It is heated
It is unheated

Personally if I answered a question that said; when do I sow such and such a seed I would be able to give you a better answer if I was also given all/some of the aforementioned information.

Please accept my apologies if this this post seems a bit condacending, but for some reason the situation seems to persist each year! Where I think; a simple adjustment/s like those I have mentioned above, could mean,the process of getting the information you want and need would be speeded up!

Thanks for your co-operation in this matter  TG

[tomatoada]

Good idea but can you tell me how to put my area  on the left?

[tonybloke]

change your profile! the bit where you got 'I love A4A', put in your location? ;)

[nilly71]

Well put TG, I've wanted to say the same since i joined :)

Neil

[growmore]

Teegee , I think more important than the question where are you? Are the questions, what is the outside temperature where you are?.What are your soil conditions? ..
IMHO, trying to tell folks when to set stuff by giving certain dates is too broad a yard stick to adhere to..It's more important to look at the local conditions where they are at the time of sowing.. I think dates on seed packets are only a guide as to when we could reasonably find conditions favourable between the two dates shown. Not as a hard and fast rule that stuff should not be sown before or not after the dates shown on the packet.. Lets take You and I. We are probably less than 20 miles apart.  So would it  be reasonable to think our sowing dates and planting out dates would be similar?.. But as we know with Your ASL up there on the hills, and mine down here in the Don valley the temperatures are going to differ quite a bit as will our sowing and setting out times....
But by virtue we have allotments, most of us on here are optimists. So  come March. We will be chomping at the bit and thinking"Well its' only the price of a packet of seeds" .  So despite what it says on the seed packet, despite the thoughts that its too early, we will be there merrily sowing away trying to lick the odds :)

           

 

[Tee Gee]

I agree with you Growmore but my basic intention was in the first instance,to get members to give their 'location'  first.

By doing this; I see this as a step in the right direction for better communication.

Once we get that, then we can try and get the members to give a bit more information on things such as you mention.

I used the greenhouse examples because generally at this moment in time (January), people in the main, tend to be discussing seed sowing.

I often find when gazing into my crystal ball to answer some of the questions we get here that it is often the things that are 'unsaid' that are more important.

My advice to the members would be don't be embarassed when making a query!

Give us your query/problem warts and all and in that way you are more likely to get the answer you require.

I know when answering some of the questions I have to ask myself more questions such as; does he/she mean this or does he/she mean that?

Whereas with a bit more information I could perhaps answer your question more quickly and accurately, and I guess other subscribers replying to the same qery would too.

While I am on my 'soapbox' let me tell you why I answer some questions and not others;

Firstly; if when I open a thread and I see someone else has answered the question in more or less the manner I would have I don't bother replying!

Secondly if I can add some constructive to that answer I will do.

Thirdly;..............the question I know nothing about!!

If someone has asked a question and after a couple of days it is still unanswered I often give an opinion based on my experience and I will let the subscriber know this.

I see this as good forum etiquette.

Finally; let me say as one who is past his 'use' by date, I too, learn quite a lot on these forums so it is not just a facility for the 'newbies' us oldies can learn something too!!

As they say; You are never too old to learn!!

So here's to a good 2009 growing season, and I look forward to us all sharing our experiences.

[Lauren S]

I think you mentioned this last season too Tee Gee, so like a good gal, I too added my location  ;D