Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Laney on March 15, 2007, 10:36:08
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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? ???
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Hope so, as I put mine in last weekend - and the shallots! Oh well, fleece to the ready... ::)
Cheers,
Rob ;)
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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!
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though snow going going north of birmingham?
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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 ;)
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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 :-(
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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
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hopefully the weather forecaster has got it wrong ;D
after all they have before :D
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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!
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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?
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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?
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cripes ! what happens to the blueberry and goosegog buds ???
::)
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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.
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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
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(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!
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:-[ doh!
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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)
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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]. :)
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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....
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Mrs KP my blueberries have been out all winter for 3 years with no fleece and they are just fine.XX Jeannine
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Mine too, and they are in pots which I dont cover with bubble wrap or anything.
cj :)
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Always remember - Waxing & Waning!
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thanks J & C.
I was just a bit worried as they are in full flight atm. would hate for all the buds to drop off !
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The met office site only gives a 20% chance of snow down here on the sunny sarf coast. They always overcook their forcast.
Scotland and the Northern wastelands will be hit.
Might be a bit nippy. Deffo not T. monday ;D
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Was going to the allotment this morning to sow my parsnips and carrotts maybe its best to wait now. Looked on met check they say snow for Tuesday in London.
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Yikes!! :o
Dunno what to do now... I received all my strawberry plants, raspberry canes and gooseberry bushes this week and they are in precarious positions just now (in the pantry with potting mix around them, still in their bags). I wanted to plant them this w'end, but here too (W. France) they are predicting snow!! What do I do?? Will they be alright in their temporary homes? or should I plant them and plastic cover them for a week or so??
I wanted to plant my carrots and parsnips too!! Actually I know parsnips are slow to germinate, maybe they will be alright as long as they are in the ground for a cold snap.
This is my first spring on the lottie and I don't know what I should do..ANY ADVICE from you old seadogs out there????
Adrienne
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Snow is not nearly as bad as frost it is generally a few degrees warmer.
If conditions are such that you cant plant out just dig a hole in a sheltered spot of sufficient size to plant your canes in a clump, backfill the hole and heel in (trample) around the clump
This should be OK until weather conditions improve, then you can lift them and plant them out in there final quarters.
I would just plant up the strawberries in boxes/trays as a temporary measure.
Forget about seed sowing for now.
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It is estimated that this could be equal to a tenth of that given out by the total British industry.
Thats all right then new labour have all but destroyed any industry we had we live on imports from other countries industry.
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thanks for that advice Tee Gee, maybe i should put the fruit bushes over next to the shed till the bad weather is over, I presume from what you have said that they don't mind being moved about a bit? maybe an idea would be to put them in a big plastic tub but to bury the tub so the roots stay warm? like a 5litre plastic bottle, i get loads of them from work (make good cloches!!!). Do I need to put something over the actual branches?? There is a bit of new growth but they are just coming out of dormancy.
I think I will keep the strawbs as they are, since they are in some potting mix, I will just keep them watered.
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I presume from what you have said that they don't mind being moved about a bit?
Well not exactly what I suggested was a temporary measure that is; it is better than just leaving them in their packaging until the weather improves. i.e. the next move should be the final move!!
maybe an idea would be to put them in a big plastic tub but to bury the tub so the roots stay warm? like a 5litre plastic bottle, i get loads of them from work (make good cloches!!!).
Too much like hard work for me and a waste of compost, just dig one hole for the raspberries and one for the gooseberries as I said, and heel them in.
Do I need to put something over the actual branches?? There is a bit of new growth but they are just coming out of dormancy.
Not really! but thats up to you!
Providing they are protected from high winds (stop them rocking) this should do. You might knock of the new growth when uncovering them plus this growth needs light to progress.
I think I will keep the strawbs as they are, since they are in some potting mix, I will just keep them watered.
Fine!! but don't over water them remember they are semi dormant so won't need a lot of water. I use the expression 'damp side of dry'. There is enough moisture in the atmosphere to keep them going until planting out time.
I bags the first fruit salad you produce!! ;D
Links; Raspberry; http://tinyurl.com/yjxmge
Gooseberry; http://tinyurl.com/25emzb
Strawberry; http://tinyurl.com/284egs
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oof never mind fruit salad Tee Gee, if i get enough to make a handful that will probably be a good start!! I've never grown fruit before so I must admit I am a bit nervous. I only bought 4 raspberries and 3 goosies to see if I seem to have the green touch or not! so it's a bit experimental. But I would be a bit upset if I killed them off before they even got a chance to be planted!!
I do have some strawbs in but they have been in for a couple of weeks already, it has been so mild, and they seem to be thriving. I think they are probably too established to be affected too badly. They are on black plastic too, keep them a bit warmer.
Still, i think it is likely to be a bit warmer here than huddersfield! I am quite a few hundred miles south!!! 8) I guess the climate is like Cornwall, it's quite cool and humid in britanny but never that frosty. But if they say it will be nippy, it could go down to 0-4 deg C.
Oh well with a bit of luck I will be able to get the fruit in its rightful place before April :D
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It is estimated that this could be equal to a tenth of that given out by the total British industry.
Thats all right then new labour have all but destroyed any industry we had we live on imports from other countries industry.
I completely agree, they've almost destroyed what little industry was left after 20 odd years of Tory rule had killed off the majority.
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I have decided it aint gonna snow...why I am I so sure. Because I am not going to hang out laundry on the line. It always snows in the Spring if I do, never fails, so I will continue using my dryer all next week. Guaranteed !! XX Jeannine
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It is estimated that this could be equal to a tenth of that given out by the total British industry.
Thats all right then new labour have all but destroyed any industry we had we live on imports from other countries industry.
I completely agree, they've almost destroyed what little industry was left after 20 odd years of Tory rule had killed off the majority.
i thought we'd now become a service industry and then we moved stacks of our service centres abroad too. I wonder what we are good for now !
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