Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: ancellsfarmer on May 06, 2020, 09:15:05
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Forecasts suggest that we are due to receive an Arctic blast from Saturday 9th forwards. Caution planting without protection of cold/frost tender plants. See local forecasts for your area. Time to earth up yer spuds!
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I saw that on the weather forcast, Beans are ready but I will give them another week in pots. Spuds are getting to tall to earth up anymore. I got hit a few years back on the potatoes, it did not seem to hurt them apart from some scorched leaves. If it really looks too bad I will have to sprinkle a bit of straw on them. Fingers crossed the warm sea will tone down the chill.
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Yes, night-time temperatures a bit parky! Most of my stuff should be adequately hardened off as I don't heat anything outdoors, but the toms in the greenhouse might be back in for a few days, and will have to keep an eye on the spuds. The Swift in bags are too far on to earth up... must get the bubble out!
Anyone heard any word on how long it's expected to last? I realise that forecasting that far ahead is a mug's game but might as well plan a bit...
Adrian
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Yes, night-time temperatures a bit parky! Most of my stuff should be adequately hardened off as I don't heat anything outdoors, but the toms in the greenhouse might be back in for a few days, and will have to keep an eye on the spuds. The Swift in bags are too far on to earth up... must get the bubble out!
Anyone heard any word on how long it's expected to last? I realise that forecasting that far ahead is a mug's game but might as well plan a bit...
Adrian
Well in N E Hampshire, my location, its till Wednesday. We're 50ish miles from Aces' tropical zone, infact often colder here than many parts of the lowlands of England.Its the 30-40mph winds that give it the chill effect!
Best guide I find, is:
theweatheroutlook.com
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Should just about be ok in London at 4-5c and that's only for a night or two - wind doesn't look too bad and most stuff is pretty hardened off.
Glad I haven't given in to temptation and planted out on the plot yet though - it is in a dip and you can get cold air tumbling down to my plot..
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Thinking much the same, Nick - we are here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Port+Meadow,+Oxford/@51.7834021,-1.2918661,2678m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xe05f8b081a42329a!8m2!3d51.7717456!4d-1.2850855
on a water meadow with stuff-all shelter. My broad beans and some onions are in, but that's all until after this, I think!
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For the last two or three weeks, I've watched other plotholders plant out French beans and sweetcorn and so on while I've not yet sown all mine at home. We can get a bitter wind well into May that strips the leaves off the young plants and a frost isn't impossible, though unusual. So for a couple of years others are almost harvesting courgettes when I plant mine out. I've sown things a bit earlier this year (not going on holiday in May eases the timetable as well!) but I'm glad I've only peas and broad beans planted out so far.
I won't get any satisfaction if others lose their plants to several days of frost, it'll be a sad outcome, but I won't question my own caution either.
Now I've just got to move 30 tomato young plants, some chilies and basil out of my non-frost proof greenhouse (I lost a lot of lobelia last year) to somewhere safer for the next few nights.
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For the last two or three weeks, I've watched other plotholders plant out French beans and sweetcorn and so on while I've not yet sown all mine at home. We can get a bitter wind well into May that strips the leaves off the young plants and a frost isn't impossible, though unusual. So for a couple of years others are almost harvesting courgettes when I plant mine out. I've sown things a bit earlier this year (not going on holiday in May eases the timetable as well!) but I'm glad I've only peas and broad beans planted out so far.
I won't get any satisfaction if others lose their plants to several days of frost, it'll be a sad outcome, but I won't question my own caution either.
Now I've just got to move 30 tomato young plants, some chilies and basil out of my non-frost proof greenhouse (I lost a lot of lobelia last year) to somewhere safer for the next few nights.
You are right to be cautious. One sees folk who go too soon. I blame the 'B&Qs' , who ,in normal years,have bedding plants out on sale for Easter, irrespective of when it falls. This must cause so much disappointment amongst the public; its a wonder that they don't learn !!
From a personal perspective, I hedge my bets. For example, 3 courgettes have been out for 3 weeks now. They are covered with net cloche. They take their chance.
8 more, sown 2 weeks ago, will hopefully get out a week tomorrow. The remaining 5 were sown on Monday this week , and are 'spares'. Similarly, for peppers and the other 'softies'. Its growing them thats fun. Any crop is a bonus!!
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We have sweet corn, runners and courgettes out on the site... mine are still under cover. I had my minipop out hardening off but will be taking them back in at night.
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Well, the frost came last night or rather early this morning. The weather forecast said 2 or 3 degrees for my area of S. Lincs but, alas, I think it must have dropped to -1.
I'd covered the dwarf beans but the potatoes suffered badly. A sorry sight. I hope they will recover but I'm sure they will be set back by a few weeks. A few other casualties which it's too depressing to go through.
I've realised that in creating a nicely sheltered vegetable garden with quite thick hedging all round, I've probably created a first pocket. Ah well ...... I might be more aware next time.
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We got it too but only on the newly emerged potatoes... some others on the site had jumped the gun...
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Yes it got down to -1.6 in suburban Brum last night. The day before I went to the lotty and on seeing a few spuds had emerged from the soil used the old technique of earthing them up a bit.
Covered lettuce with fleece.
Could be another cold one Wed night.
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On Monday night the tops of my potatoes were hit where they touched the tarpaulin cover. Not badly enough (I hope) to affect the crop, but a few volunteers that had popped out on last year's potato area were killed, as were the ones on the compost heap. We get frosts till the end of May in our particular pocket, so I've been ready with the fleece and bubble even for the greenhouse. Better safe than sorry.
I remember many years ago a frost in the first week in June, the garden centre I knew then near Coventry lost all it's bedding plants overnight.
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Well it looks cold enough for me, 3C in London which is cold enough for a ground frost. Not sure about the stuff in the poly but some stuff left in the garden last night looks worse for wear. OH's plot is quite exposed and we lost a load of borlotti beans. Just when you think you know best eh?
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No frosts but we do have your Arctic chill making it very cold. This time last year we were in a serious heatwave and drought too so everything baking, wilting or already crispy.
This year we've had a wet tho mild winter, a very cold wet start to March and loads more rain than any year since we moved here October 17. Thanks to Covid OH has not been distracted by golf and I have no patchwork or mosaic classes and homework so lots of work done in the garden and veggie plot.
I potted up 2 doz each seedling seedlings of cavolo nero and PSB on Saturday in 30C sunshine so I carefully left them on a workbench in open air in their trays. That night we had a humdinger of a storm and I leapt out of bed at 7am to go and rescue them all from drowning. They seem OK now after draining in the shelter of the PT but it's way too cold to put th etrays outside again or plant out the courgettes and spaghetti squash as planned.
5C last night and again tonight. Not good for the figs and this year I thought we may get some before the bloody starlings strip the tree.
Main problem here is slimy things. Lost count of the hundreds of snails we've lobbed across the road into the hedgerows and this year has been so wet so far we have hundreds of slugs too.
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Lost count of the hundreds of snails we've lobbed across the road into the hedgerows and this year has been so wet so far we have hundreds of slugs too.
Its not far enough! They will return(slowly!) If you don't believe me, mark some with nail varnish and watch out for your 'friends'. Fill a container and liberate them (if you must) kilometres away when you exercise.
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I know but in normal times they'd either get run over or cook on the hot tarmac as they crawl back and any survivors will have to negotiate our own roadside verge, ditch, hedge and then grass or a sharp gravel drive.
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I know but in normal times they'd either get run over or cook on the hot tarmac as they crawl back and any survivors will have to negotiate our own roadside verge, ditch, hedge and then grass or a sharp gravel drive.
Ha Ha!
SO why the 'sporting chance'? Aren't they the variety for the menu?
Your reply is almost the same as I was given years ago by a very 'townie' lady to whom I had the pleasure of selling a 'humane' mouse trap.Seeing how squeamish she was, I delighted, while presenting her change, in asking "exactly what will you do when you catch it?"
Her reply involved a dual carriageway trunk road and the morning rush-hour. What fun!
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Everything looks good, it did not happen. It got a bit nippy in the breeze, a bit like a Scottish summers day.
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Ancell's Farmer - I confess that if they make me very cross by chomping on my clematis shoots and hostas or wiping out a whole row of precious veggie seedlings I am more likely to stomp on them but, if feeling, mildly benevolent, they get lobbed.
I know a lady in the garden club who "herds" them and feeds them for the pot but I can't bring myself to eat them. maybe I should keep them for her - once we're allowed to go and see friends again.
It's a bit warmer here, in theory, but the wind is now due north and perishing. We had 40C this time last year!
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I thought my fig tree at home was wilting the other day as the leaves were damaged on some of the tips. It's in a very large pot.
Then I realised that it was frost damage to the young leaves. Luckily there are plenty more not damaged.
It's an off shoot from the plant at the allotment for when i have to retire from the plot.
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My plot was fine while my wife plot 4 miles away suffered - spuds nipped and beans dead (not ours mind!)
Just shows how local conditions and local knowledge is important..
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When we moved to Belgium nearly 30 years ago every gardener I met warned me about the Ice Saints. Not being RC I hadn't a clue but learned fast.
It is not safe to plant out anything tender till after they're done with:-
George April 23, Mark April 25, Eutrope April 30, Croix May 3, John May 6 but the worst are the later ones who can be nasty surprise - Mamet May 11th, Pancras May 12 and Gervais May 13.
The only other saint they cared about is Saint Katherine on November 25th - the best time to plant trees and lots of local councils give away free native whips and saplings on that weekend to green up spaces and gardens.
The French have the same sayings for Saints days. Here near the coast and half way down we've had no frosts but it's been pretty cold and I've had to take treasures in to the polytunnel to keep them safe.
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My earliest 'farming' experience, aged about 7,involved keeping snails in a wooden box as pets. Feeding them on porridge oat flakes. Had over 100, of various species, at one time. They were often escaping as the lid was insecure. Much time spent trying to recapture them, evolving into putting Airfix paint spots on the shells to be able to distinguish 'my' snails. It was from this that I discovered how far they can travel, several hundred yards, in their own good time.
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The RHS did that with nail varnish, I believe, to prove the perishers have a homing instinct.
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Hi PKL,
I had done the pruning out of the dead extremities lost to the frost.. but realise I will have to take out a few more bits of my fig that have succumbed since! :BangHead:
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Oh dear mine is only a few leaves so no real damage.
The main tree is preety bomb proof, it's amazing how productive it is.