I've cleared a bit of windowsill space but planting out some of my sown-way-too-early peas, french beans and a courgette.
The peas went in a big pot (bed not finished yet - the sieve broke), including the plant that had flowered and now has a little pea pod on it!!! I surrounded them in pea sticks and then pegged fleece over the whole thing. (trouble is, the pot was too heavy to move after I'd filled it, so it's sat on the bench like a pointy ghost!)
The french beans went into another pot, planted and protected similarly, but this time I filled it on the ground!
And the courgette went in another pot, I then covered it in fleece and put an old wire hanging basket upside down over it to keep the fleece in place.
Do you think they'll survive?
And a frost question - do we only get frost when the air temperature falls below 0C? It hasn't been that cold in my garden for weeks. (I'm in London, remember)
For a 'frostcast', check out www.metcheck.com. Enter your postcode at the top for a 'local' forecast, then look on the list on the left hand side under 'Hobby Forecasts' for the 'Garden Forecast' for your area.
QuoteThe FrostCast is produced by forecasting the minimum temperature and dew point temperature in your region for the next five days. When the air temperature is below 4c then a chance of ground frost rises, we then look at the dew point temperature to find out the chance of frost and also the hardness of frost.
Thanks Speedy - that's very useful. No chance of frost is forecast for the next week. hooray!
oo no frost here it says, wonder if i'll risk leaving my courgettes outside in the growhouse rather than the pain that is bringing them in now I've potted them up and they don't sit in a tray and they have to be gingerly lowered out under the top of the door.
That's decided it! I'm going to start toughening up my toms! Will put them on the 'staging' next to the house and cover with fleece overnight.
Quote from: Moggle on April 28, 2005, 20:58:49
That's decided it! I'm going to start toughening up my toms!
That's right Moggle, let's cut out this mamby pamby stroking them to produce sturdy toms (as advised elsewhere). They should be be given road work and a few rounds in the ring with practice gloves :D
Phil
;D ;D ;D
thanks for the link for frostcast :).. my greenhouse is overflowing .more enthusiasm than space i guess! So out some of them go , can always bring them inside overnight if it says frost, the kitchen worktops will have to help out ..
Quote from: philcooper on April 28, 2005, 23:10:40
Quote from: Moggle on April 28, 2005, 20:58:49
That's decided it! I'm going to start toughening up my toms!
That's right Moggle, let's cut out this mamby pamby stroking them to produce sturdy toms (as advised elsewhere). They should be be given road work and a few rounds in the ring with practice gloves :D
Phil
Ah, but if I do not stroke my toms, what else do I have to stroke???
got so much stuff now due to planting a million packets of seeds for charity plant sale that I have ruthlessly removed my giant french bean plants, tomatillos and courgettes. They are now living on a table on my southfacing deck (which is covered with plastic roof). No chance of frost there but I guess it may slow their growth?
Justy,
That sounds just the job - watch out for slugs and snails - climbing a table leg is no problem to them!!
Phil
don't I know it - went out in the dark the other night (with bare feet) and found a whole flock (?) of snails heading for the beans...neighbours must have thought I was mad hopping about swearing with snail juice and shell stuck to the bottom of my feet. They had totally decimated my basil.
Now have liberal scatterings of Slug Stoppa strewn about my deck.
For the record, I put them outside on friday, left them out overnight, they got some rain/dew on the leaves and got scorched! >:( Oh and I think a birdie got one and squashed a few others :-\
My courgettes went from house to outside grow house and seem just fine! A couple of scorched leaves, but nothing drastic.
Due to finally totally running out of room in the greenhouse, and the conservatory being now far toooo hot for seedlings, some of the slightly hardier beasts are sitting in pots around the garden, awaiting removal up to the plot next week. Even some of my toms and squashes are sitting on my bench enjoying the view of the garden! I shall keep an eye on the weather and if things do get frosty I shall nip them all into the conservatory over night.
I am on the patio, on the patio table, on th path, I am watering more mature seedlings that are on the shed roof and I am still using every window sill in the house. Has anybody studied the correlation between the boom for allotments and the boom for bigger houses with more windows?
scary isn't it - every year i vow to sow less and every year i actually sow MORE - this year, it is an insane amount having rashly promised plants for two children, various friends and clients, garden, 2 lotties. I went to a gig after work on Thursday - as it was in Wolverhampton, I had to leave early and did not get home till 1 in the morning - no watering so next day, watering takes four times as long as i have to drip minuscule amounts into dehydrated pots instead of the usual slosh with can. Dreadful pressure like being a parent of thousands. All surfaces, windows, floor space in bedrooms, bathrooms, garden, coldframes all full to overflowing, even moving into other peoples coldframes (have in the past persuaded clients that they MUST have a coldframe which I can later commandeer for my plants) The dog has to tiptoe around the few centimetres of garden space left and watering is a daily two hour epic. Next year, I swear....
I have never really grown much from seed (apart from bits and bobs for the lottie last year)
This year I have gone for it in big way to raise preschool funds so now have trays everywhere - having to be ruthless in kill or cure sort of way and as soon as the little babies look even vaguely big enough to stand on their own two feet they are out of the grow house and onto the deck, table, shelf rack etc.
Currently have 50 tomato plants, 25 bean plants, 5 courgettes, 10 peppers, 10 tomatillos, 25 sweetcorn and tray after tray of bedding stuff..... not really sure if I am doing it right but I have definately got the bug....
Off now to sow some more!