Champing at the bit!

[jammyd]

Having a rare weekday off, I went up the lottie yesterday, but was forced to retreat to the car a number of times by rain and hailstones :(

I'm getting very impatient now, folks. And no amount of indoor planting, reading veggie books, or net surfing for tips will esuage my cravings to plant stuff (sorry - I need to get it off my chest!)

So, in your wisdom, could anyone advise me if any of the following are okay to sow outside now:

Beetroot
Carrot
Kohl Rabi
lettuce
Parsnip
Pea

It says you can sowthem now (on the seed packet and in books) but I'm worried about the seed rotting in the wet, cold soil...  
sigh

On the plus side, new Rhubarb plants are doing well, and some of the shallots have reared their lovely green shoots :)

Thanks all!
jams

[jammyd]

[cleo]

Well in theory the answer is yes to all those,but I am going to wait a few days as my soil is still cold and wet.

It only needs a couple of decent days or so and then you should be able to get cracking.

Stephan.

[Mrs Ava]

phew - I was hoping to get carrots and kohl rabi in tomorrow, my ground is pretty dry even after all this rain, unlike the garden!  Already have peas in,altho under cloches, first early spuds are in, under sheeting.  Assumed it was too early to get lettuce in the open yet, mind you, I do remember pics of Tim and MagpieDi's lettuce that had been out all through winter!

[jammyd]

Well, here's hoping the weekend'll be a bit warmer/drier!

j

Oh cripes! just remembered - Still got to get me onions in too!!

[kenkew]

Jammyd. I have nothing from your list in the ground yet. My soil is still too wet which also means cold. Planting now only means a greater chance of loss. Another couple of weeks won't hurt and past experience has proved that planted under more favourable conditions plants will catch up with those planted now. The only way to beat time is as EJ has done, plastic to keep the ground dryer and cloches after planting, but, no panic yet.

PS: I might put onion sets in this week-end. I held back last week and unless I reckon the ground is right, I won't put them in this week-end either.

[Doris_Pinks]

Jams, I have carrots, potatoes,(under fleece and cloches) parsnips, onions and garlic,my peas are outside in guttering under fleece. but I am in Sussex so probably a little warmer ??? But don't panic, it all catches up in the end ;D  DP

[Muddy_Boots]

You still wading through your lawn then, EJ?  :D

[Mrs Ava]

Tis amazing MB.  The lawn is like a swamp!  Dug the front garden yesterday and in places lovely and dry and crumbly, in others, sitting water on orange clay.  Oh the joy of it!

[rdak]

glad that I'm not alone...I feel way behind schedule. come on spring..

[busy_lizzie]

Our soils still not in a fit state for seeds unfortunately, though have them all ready to go.  :( It is still rather clarty up our way, and soils a bit heavy.  You Southern are so far ahead of us as far as temperatures are concerned.  I am green with envy to hear some of you have seeds planted out already. At least our onion set are all planted out now.  :) busy_lizzie

[kenkew]

Clarty? By 'eck we know where you come from!

[allotment_chick]

Hi y'all - this Southerner's plot hasn't been visited for weeks - no point becuase of the persistent rain  ::)  Clarty is exactly the right description for the soil at the mo!

So I too am frustratingly biding my time - hopefully it looks like it might be all systems go this weekend if the forecasters have got it right!

I've got everything going in modules here - onions, shallots, broad beans and some cut flowers desperate to get out - here's hoping I can find enough good soil to put them in (there is still a fair amount of digging to do).  Onions from seed, mange tout, leeks and parsnips just growing away quietly.

I'm sitting here like a coiled spring ......
AC x

[aquilegia]

I was hoping to get some parsnips in yesterday, but as my garden is clay (even the bit that has been thoroughly dug and improved is still very wet) I thought better of it. I did, though, put my pre-germinated carrots in. we'll see if that works.

I sowed lettuce a few weeks ago in a pot covered with fleece. They have germinated and are coming on strong.

I must be mad/addicted/obsessed/stupid (delete as appropriate) I was out there in the hail pegging fleece over my plastic greenhouse. I was so well wrapped up I couldn't feel it!