Author Topic: planting weather  (Read 2748 times)

ACE

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planting weather
« on: May 18, 2021, 07:22:34 »
Planting every morning now, we seem to have a rain pattern happening this week. Sunny mornings and rain starting about tea time. saves a lot of messing about with the watering can. So far climbing beans, curly kale, sprouts, cauli and celeriac. Dwarf beans going in this morning.  I hope it is the same again next week so I can start planting the courgettes and squash.   The poly is nice and warm and the tomatoes are starting to flower, they are nearly self watering as I shake the condensation off every morning before it evaporates. I'll open the vents next week to keep it dryer otherwise the blight will find perfect conditions.

saddad

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2021, 09:35:39 »
Certainly is ACE.... and makes our heavy clay workable... allows new plantings to get their roots out, rather than lurking in the planting hole cell of compost.

gray1720

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2021, 11:16:13 »
Yes, I'm delighted - normally May is dry and I have a pig of a job getting decent germination from my swedes and parsnips. Sowed both under fleece last weekend, they should stay nice and damp and hopefully go like stink.
My garden is smaller than your Rome, but my pilum is harder than your sternum!

tricia

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2021, 12:35:03 »
Just the opposite here Ace! This month has been awful  - very early sunshine followed by heavy showers all day and skies clearing again early evening. Climbing beans (ravaged by slugs but still growing), and some squashes and courgettes are in but tomatoes and sweet corn really need to get planted out too. That's all I grow in my four raised beds these days and more tomatoes in my mini greenhouse.
I still manage to grow my own seedlings but can no longer plant them out myself. A friend does that as and when he can, so at the moment the weather isn't helping!

Tricia  :wave:

Beersmith

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2021, 22:10:04 »
Tomorrow morning, I'll be off to my plot to see what effect an inch depth of hail stones has had on my tomatoes, runners, and fruit.
Not mad, just out to mulch!

saddad

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2021, 09:53:43 »
As it dries out this week, the forecast is for less rain here as the week progresses, we will get our leeks out early... dibbing holes is possible while the soil is damp... much harder if it dries out.

gray1720

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2021, 10:56:53 »
Tomorrow morning, I'll be off to my plot to see what effect an inch depth of hail stones has had on my tomatoes, runners, and fruit.

Oooh, that sounds nasty!

If the top of mine will just dry up enough to let me hoe properly...
My garden is smaller than your Rome, but my pilum is harder than your sternum!

Obelixx

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2021, 12:25:53 »
This time last year we were coming to the end of a 2 month drought and heat wave.

This year I'm still wearing ski socks and jumpers and we light a fire some evenings.   My dahlias in pots have been out for about 10 days and are OK but not yet planted.   Squashes, courgettes and pumpkins are still in the polytunnel under cover as we've gone down to 2 or 3 C some nights this last week.

On the other hand, I did get 50 leeks planted out between downpours and some of the onion sets but not all the baby brassicas.   Hoping to do more of those this pm, once the throbbing stops after spending 2 half the morning at the dentist having a root canal done.   Lovely.
Obxx - Vendée France

BarriedaleNick

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2021, 12:43:19 »
Just enjoying a lovely sunny day, 26c outside and a couple of cherry toms and a couple of Red Alerts are ready for picking.  Still sowing and planting though as I have no idea what schedule to stick to.. 
Moved to Portugal - ain't going back!

Beersmith

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2021, 23:33:27 »
Tomorrow morning, I'll be off to my plot to see what effect an inch depth of hail stones has had on my tomatoes, runners, and fruit.

Well the good news is that things have survived.  A good proportion of more delicate crops did not look healthy. One clearly obvious sign was my physalis (Inca berries) where a lot of leaves are looking very black. The runner beans have hardly grown since planting them out, and look very pale and anaemic. My tomatoes are also  looking very poorly.  A few are a variety that were a gamble, probably better in a greenhouse or poly tunnel than outdoors. They may not survive. The outdoor varieties do not look great but should recover.

Growth of all my crops is slow. Parsnips sown seven weeks ago have eventually germinated reasonably well.  But most of the seedlings have not yet got a first true leaf. To cut a long story short, everything is very very slow.

But to be realistic, little harm that could not be remedied by a few weeks of mild weather, normal overnight temperatures, and a bit of sunshine.  Here's hoping!!

And a PS for Nick in Portugal.  Try not to gloat too much.   :sunny:

PPS Sincere admiration and a tip of the hat to some of you that have leeks ready to go in or already planted.  Mine are weeks away from being ready for that, at the moment they are looking more like blades of grass.  :icon_pale:

PPPS Fruit trees and bushes surprisingly good.  Fruit set on some gooseberries was a bit below average, but apples, pears, cherries and plums all look good as does the blackberries,  raspberries, strawberries, and currants. Every season is unique.  Probably why we love our  lotties!
« Last Edit: May 26, 2021, 00:14:19 by Beersmith »
Not mad, just out to mulch!

saddad

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2021, 08:41:35 »
The leeks went out yesterday, nowhere near "pencil" sized, but will grow away stronger for being planted out than left in the cells.

Obelixx

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2021, 09:19:38 »
I cheated - bought a bunch of 50 baby leeks when at a GC looking for herbs for daughter's new desire for plants to make tisanes and tinctures to help with her health and Covid depression.   Actually got her hands dirty splitting them and potting up which is a first since she was about 3 so to be encouraged.
Obxx - Vendée France

BarriedaleNick

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2021, 09:21:16 »
I can't gloat much to be honest.
It isn't that easy here although the season is quite long so there is time to rectify mistakes.
Firstly it was a cold winter and cold nights into May meant a lot of damaged plants or very slow growth.
Windy here too so plants really need to be hardened off properly - poly tunnel needed!
I also got 8 tons of manure which was too hot - I should have known better but I used it hot and it killed and stunted loads of young plants..
Ground is very hard and clay like - it's ok when wet but dries rock hard and cakes over, hence the manure!
Also in a month or so it will be up in the late 30s C or even as high as 42C - so I need to learn to cope with that..
But I have picked beans and sugar snaps, lots of broccoli and a few other bits so I am progressing..

Leeks here are 15 for €1 and they are decent sized - juts eating a few small ones from last years planting..
Moved to Portugal - ain't going back!

Obelixx

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #13 on: May 26, 2021, 10:00:06 »
We have a polytunnel here Barriedalenick with a door either end and a shade net for when it' shot.  It's a boon and keeps my citrus pots safe in winter and tomatoes free of blight in summer.   

For the heat, you need to learn to start early, pace yourself and then retreat when to shade when it gets really hot.  Water in the evening and use seep hoses and mulches where possible.
Obxx - Vendée France

Tee Gee

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Re: planting weather
« Reply #14 on: May 26, 2021, 12:59:26 »
Quote
pace yourself and then retreat when to shade when it gets really hot

Or in other words"Do not be an Englishman out in the Midday sun" :glasses9:

 

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