First frosts and (partly) ignoring them

[Shoot Five]

I'll keep my first question simple, but it's something I have wondered for a while due to where I am forced to plant...

First frosts

With talk of planting out only after risk of frost has passed, or starting indoors prior to the last frost frost date (which obviously I understand) here’s a question. Does the particular bit of land (i.e. a few square feet/yards) you are planted in have to have frozen, or just the temperature over the general area (the town you live in, say), to have a detrimental effect on the plant situated there?

Often due to the secluded nature of our garden when people say "Ooh it's cold, thick frost on the garden when I looked out this morning" or similar, I think "Whu? Not in my back yard!"

So with that in mind, would plants that suffer in a frost be OK in my little plot (possibly still protected by a fleece or similar), as the soil they are directly planted into hasn’t frozen, though the temperature outside may be pretty chilly?

I ask as last year I had a trial run of beans a little earlier than they were recommended to be started (with the intention of replacing any which were damaged by the weather) and they all really thrived, even in poor soil.

[Two_Sheds]

Frost (and subsequent thawing) will kill tender (not hardy) plants. You're on a hiding to nothing trying to grow, for example, chillies outside in January (), or French beans earlier than about late May.

Some plants tolerate cold better than others, and some areas are milder than others too of course. Here on the North Sea we rarely get frosts, but it's ruddy cold all year round: even a hot summer's day rarely climbs above 20c.

[Two_Sheds]

I had a trial run of beans a little earlier than they were recommended ...they all really thrived

What type of beans, and when?

[Shoot Five]

They were runner beans, I may have the packet at home and will have a look what variety.

Thing is, I didn't really know what I was doing, or have any sort of method, which has annoyed me this year as it's hard to improve upon last year when I have no record of what when in and when, what the weather was like at the time etc.

To that end I've got a notebook this time around - any good tips are going in there under headings for each type of veggie I'm planning to grow, then a few pages for each so I can put what I grew, where, when, approximate temperatures etc.

Sorry for being no use regarding last years harvest; it just occured to me that unless we actually sit under snow and ice, the ground probably never freezes in my garden.

[taff]

it's the temperature of the air, wind chill is also a factor, and also the ground. If either one of those is frosty, or the temperature is too low, tender plants will die.

Well done you if you have a garden protected from frost. Dont get complacent though

[Thelma Sanders]

the ground probably never freezes in my garden

But any growth above ground may freeze even if the ground doesn't.
The soil in my greenhouse never freezes, but I've still had plants inside killed by cold

Sometimes it's worth trying stuff a little earlier than usual, but it doesn't always work, so being prepared for failure - is the best option

[Shoot Five]

Sometimes it's worth trying stuff a little earlier than usual, but it doesn't always work, so being prepared for failure - is the best option

I'm definitely prepared for a few disasters; I'm new to this!

[Bren In Pots]

Jamie you can use this stite to find your first/last frost date its a bit hit and miss but does give you a general idea :-

First and last frost dates for towns and cities in the UK and USA

[Jeanied]

Ooh that is a good link Bren - my first frost date is mid Nov and the last one is late April! Hmmm.

[zazen999]

They were runner beans, I may have the packet at home and will have a look what variety.

Thing is, I didn't really know what I was doing, or have any sort of method, which has annoyed me this year...

This year has NOT been an average year; we've only had one frost since summer and nothing died; I still have marigolds in flower and they never usually make it through November, let along January.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I agree with everything posted above. Something else to bear in mind is a story told to me by my gardening friend who used to be a postman. Being up and about before most people he got to see how frost works. According to him one garden will have frost whilst two plots down the road nothing but that can vary as well from one day to the next.

Colin

[veggiechicken]

Ooh that is a good link Bren - my first frost date is mid Nov and the last one is late April! Hmmm.

Same dates as me! Thanks Bren

[Thelma Sanders]

the dates on that site were very wrong last year, for here anyway

[Two_Sheds]

They were runner beans

They're tender, but prefer cooler temps to French beans (both are from S.America). Broadies are much tougher and do well in our winters).

You can sow early, and the seeds may well germinate, but you need to keep those night AND day temps pretty constant - a cold snap, even just for one night, will check their growth even if it doesn't kill them.

Some years you might get lucky - we've only had one frost since summer, like Zazen, and I've still got chillies ripening in the cold greenhouse - but I can't now expect every winter to be this mild, I have to go by averages (and experience).

By all means sow a bit early, but keep some seed back for "proper date" sowing too

[Shoot Five]

Thanks for the advice. Clearly the suggested dates on the packets are suggested for a reason (i.e. that those with more experience like yourself reckon that is the best time, on average, to sow).