Bad start to the year for veg

[David1949]

To-day i had to bring into the garage all the 6 potato bags i planted out at the end of Feburday here in N Ireland the weather has been realy bad heavy frost at night and very cold during the day. Also had to dump all the seeds i had planted in February in the greenhouse and the beens i planted in November last yeat have all been killed off with the weather. Last year i hardly got anything out of the garden because the ground was waterlogged a very bad summer. So it,s not looking good for planting time this summer according to the weather forecast i not going to get my potatoes out again till the middle are late April. So i have tidy up the garden and the raised beds the wife is telling me gust to grow flowers this yeas and give up the potatoes and veg the end of April is very late to start growing potatoes and veg going for a cup of tea now to drown my sorrows

[Darwin.]

All I've planted yet are seeds and some onions, all inside. I'll be planting garlic tomorrow but it'll be inside too. I'll have half of the polytunnel ready for planting next week but I'm not really thinking about planting out yet.

Having said that I'm a complete novice so some people may come along and say it is too late.

[veggiechicken]

Don't be disheartened David. There's still plenty of time for seed sowing and potatoes don't have to be chitted before planting. You can do it - don't give up

[Bigmallly]

At the risk of having this link deleted, it is specific to Ireland so may be of use David. April is not too late.

How to Grow Potatoes in Irelands Vegetable Gardens

[Aberdeenplotter]

positive thinking needed guys. It's only wet. it will get better

[Bigmallly]

positive thinking needed guys. It's only wet. it will get better

Tried that last year AP, it dint work.............

[veggiechicken]

But what were you positively thinking about.......

[Sheneval]

But what were you positively thinking about.......

norty - norty VC :eek :

[Sheneval]

David,

I am in Troon just across the water and will be planting out maincrop in April - I put garlic in on 3 January covered them with a layer of straw and fleece to hold it in place and last week they were about 2 inches high and it looked like every one of them had come through- good luck.

[Feral007]

I planted my potatoes very late this year. The garden beds just didn't get happening at the right time, and then it was boiling hot and dry. When everyone said 'Omg it's very late for potatoes' someone else said - oh they'll just be small taters. So that's what we're having. Small taters are very tasty.

My tomatoes have been cr@p - I forgot to cover the last survivor last night when I saw the high risk of frost, but really, it has only a few on it, so hardly a big loss. Other things have come thru for me this year.
I'm trying to look on the bright side of it all. It's hard some weeks, but keep at it.

As for your wife and flowers? What wrong with putting both in? I plant cosmos, marigolds, and various other flowers amonst my veg to keep the pests away (and also because it looks pretty.) Plant her some Rainbow Chard and tell her it's a flower anyway That way you'll both be happy.

[Mikey]

I've staggered some of my veg this year, some I've planted out under mini polytunnels and some are waiting for spring, which isn't quite here yet.

Don't be disheartened David, we could all be Mayflies...

[taff]

My postatoes aren't even chitted yet, so don't worry too much. I only put them out ot chit yesterday, won't be planting till next month anyway because i won't be able ot walk for a few weeks, so everyhting will be behind.

Darwin - your garlic can go out now, it needs cold, and a long growing period. Mine went in in January, straight in the ground outside.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I think that you've maybe sown seeds in Feb in other years, and potatoes in bags and been lucky to get away with it, but you've not been so fortunate this year as it is a cold spring (as opposed to last year when it was unseasonably warm). Planting spuds in April is pretty normal, I would have thought, not very late.

Sowing seeds from about the Spring equinox sounds about right to me, unless you can coddle them with heat and light. I've found that the majority of the time and effort that I put into sowing early is wiped out by the fact that the later sowings all catch up anyway! I make an exception for tomatoes (which will be grown outdoors in buckets a sheltered courtyard), which I sowed last week; and sweet/chilli peppers which I grow in a blowaway greenhouse, (but never do terribly well for me, even so)

You've got me thinking about seed sowing though - on all the seed packets they indicate a range of dates to sow, but I bet we all get them going in the first indicated dates (or before).

So chin up, the season has hardly begun!

[Two_Sheds]

6 potato bags i planted out at the end of Feburday ...Also had to dump all the seeds i had planted in February

Potatoes in February? I never plant them until the end of March, or more usually, the first week in April. Earlies take about 3 months from seed to plate, so you'll be harvesting in July from an April planting.

What seeds did you sow in Feb? I don't start anything until end of Feb, and that's indoors on a centrally heated windowsill.

[Aberdeenplotter]

positive thinking needed guys. It's only wet. it will get better

Tried that last year AP, it dint work.............

I maybe got it wrong matey, should possibly have said it will get wetter