Topic: Is this an exceptionally cold March

[George the Pigman]

Is this an exceptionally cold March or is it just my area (Birmingham)? Everything now seems backward after being early in February. Grass has stopped growing and rhubarb well behind.Very little annual weed growth (one plus after all!) Haven't sowed or planted anything yet apart from some broad beans and peas in root trainers today.

[Tee Gee]

I would say it has been relatively mild compared to recent years, certainly in my neck of the woods.

What I would say though that light levels have been quite low what with all the cloudy weather.

Based on what the climate experts say: we can expect milder and wetter weather in the future!

If they are right then  I guess we are going not going to get as many frosty, sometimes sunny cloudless mornings in future.

As I have mentioned before I am experimenting with my sowing dates and letting certain spring flowers determine my sowing date as opposed to the calendar and my old diaries.

Because we have had a relatively mild winter some spring stuff has flowered quite early so I started some of my stuff quite early. OK it germinated in a pretty normal manner,but after pricking out it all just stopped growing and I put this down to the low light levels. I don't think it is a lack of heat as my greenhouse has never gone below 42°F (6°C) and my hot bed according to my soil thermometer, is keeping my compost at around 65°F (18°C)

I have noticed that now the day lengths are getting longer things are starting to move on a bit faster.

So I guess if the climate does change like the experts say then a lot of text books are going to need rewriting!

[Crystalmoon]

Hi Tee Gee, here in Kent the weather is definitely colder now than it has been, we didn't really get any real frosts until a few weeks ago. Very little good light here most of the time as well so even on warmer days the skies are grey. Many of my plants are out of sync because of it....the heavy frosts coming after much milder weather has actually killed a few of my herbs & flowering plants off! I haven't started any seeds off yet as I'm hoping the seasons will sort themselves out soon. Jane

[galina]

George, my experience too.  I have never known a year when we had daffodils in December and still going strong and new flowers emerging almost 4 months later.  Rhubarb too - usually by Easter we have our first taste from short 3 or 4 inch sticks, this year definitely no, the leaves are barely showing yet.

Still spring proper is probably just around the corner 

[sunloving]

It been a mild march here, usually have thick snow in March, just a handful of frosts is all we've had so far.

[johhnyco15]

here on the east coast it has been milder this year than last we had icy blasts down from the Arctic last year right up until late April then it went straight to summer i keep a weekly diary in spring every year and we around 3 degrees warmer than last year but as teegee said light levels have been low low cloud equals warmer nights but nothing in the garden moves but this week with the sunshine and temp up to mid teens things are growing before my very eyes

[squeezyjohn]

I think it's been fairly normal temperature wise - maybe slightly warmer ... but a lot of things which came early in the exceptionally mild winter have been checked somewhat and are stalling.

[Paulines7]

It's been cold down here on the edge of Salisbury Plain.  The nights have been about the same as usual for March regarding frosts, but the days have been colder than normal, especially when it is cloudy.  If we are lucky enough to see the sun, there is always a cold wind accompanying it. 

Daffs, helebores and pulmonarias are still in flower and have been for several weeks.  They don't normally last this long so I put it down to the cold. 

My rhubarb is not as far advanced this year.  The crown is only just beginning to show signs of life, but there are no stalks or leaves.

[Paulh]

Chilterns - rhubarb slow, just small stalks so far (but tasty!) though I'll have bigger ones to pick this weekend. Very few frosts this year but it's not been warm either. Consistently wet as well. Let's hope April is when things start going.

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's been a bit chilly, but I can remember some that have been a lot worse.

[Tee Gee]

I would agree that March was chillier than February made more noticeable because February was relatively warm for the time of the year, but I was making my observations more generally  I.e. When we had distinct seasons eg Frost in January,Snow in February, March winds and April showers.

Ahhhhh! Those were the days when you new roughly what the weather was going to be like and you could plan for each.

Nowadays it seems we could get all the seasons in one week!

As I write this it is bright and sunny but I am led to believe wall to wall rain is forecast for tomorrow.

Happy Easter to you all, looks like you will be rolling your eggs in the mud.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Nice and mild today. I opened a beehive; they're a week or two behind, but no more than that, and the queen's laying eggs at a great rate.

[Crystalmoon]

We had torrential icy rain on Thursday night all night long then Friday was a gloriously sunny warm day, sunnt enough to actually get a bit sun burnt at the plot. But it was frosty last night & we are forecast awful rain & very high winds now for days on end. The weather really is being very contrary here in kent.