What can I sow direct into the ground now

[MonkeyF1]

Not sure if I can sow some of the winter hardy plants direct outside at this time of the year, especially with it being a cold February forecast.

Plants I am thinking of sowing are:
Lettuce winter density
Lettuce winter marvel
Lettuce Reine des Glaces
Cabbage grayhound
Spinach giant winter
Turnips
Radishes.

Most of these are fairly cold tolerant if started in the autumn, but I'm not sure if the seedlings will tolerate sub-zero temperatures if I get them started now? Any advice welcome.

[Alison]

Am not sure where you are but my soil is currently frozen and way to cold to sow anything direct for quite a while yet. I'd suggest that if you want to get sowing then sow in modules now for planting out when it gets warmer. That said, personally I think it's too early to do that for most things. So far I've only sowed a few chillies, peppers, aubergines, sweet peas and broad beans, peas and mangetout. The legumes are all early ones for in the polytunnel.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Not sure if I can sow some of the winter hardy plants direct outside at this time of the year, especially with it being a cold February forecast.

Plants I am thinking of sowing are:
Lettuce winter density
Lettuce winter marvel
Lettuce Reine des Glaces
Cabbage grayhound
Spinach giant winter
Turnips
Radishes.

Most of these are fairly cold tolerant if started in the autumn, but I'm not sure if the seedlings will tolerate sub-zero temperatures if I get them started now? Any advice welcome.

I think you have answered your own question in your not sure comment. Even if you start any of these crops indoors, you will still have to harden them off before planting out. Just sit on your hands for a while. Softly softly catches ermhhh monkey

[MonkeyF1]

Thanks both. I'm in the South so the ground is OK during the day but freezing quite hard at night. I'll leave everything for another month or so then. I'm trying not to plant too many seedlings indoors this year as we don't have any windows that get much sun in the winter, so everything shoots up and gets really leggy. Thanks for the advice.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Monkey. The ground is very cold and hard here. I'm not direct sowing anything until it warms up. This may help you http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ist_83423.html

[MonkeyF1]

Thanks for the link veggiechicken that's a really useful list. What partly confused me was the 'january seed pack' from MoreVeg, which said these are four plants you can sow now or something similar, and included a cabbage and beetroot bolthardy, however directions for beetroots tend to say to sow from March, so I was getting confused by this.

[veggiechicken]

You could, perhaps, sow beetroot under cover, but not outdoors.
You watch, someone will come along now with photos to prove me wrong

[Nicola.P]

My couch grass seems to be sprouting quite well at the moment!

[veggiechicken]

^^^ That's 'cos its a perennial

[Jungle Jane]

You could sow seeds of unleggy types of plant eg lettuce, peppers, basil, peppers, geranium etc will be fine on windowsills for months. Its nice to get started slowly,rather than a load to do in march? I had a problem with about 30 tomato plants wanting to be planted but not able to coz of some really low temps & winds even through the day,had to make cloche wind blocks last April & maybe may,bringing them in & out the house every day when they're leggy & falling over in the wind,stressful,need a cuppa tea now lol.

[WendyC]

There are various ways to decide whether the soil is warm enough. One way, and I've never tried it myself, is to test the temperature with a bare backside! Or the back of your hand if you are in a public place. Annual weed seeds will start to germinate too as a sign things are warming up. Personally I have a soil thermometer and look for when it is 10C.
You could start the soil warming by covering with a cloche or similar.

[arpoet]

Apart from some Toms growing on the windowsill, i have started nothing off yet. Its far to cold in the greenhouse and the garden is still covered with snow and ice.
I find that things soon catch up. Might start off braodies next week as it looks a wee bit milder.

[MonkeyF1]

Thanks a lot for the advice everyone, I'll hold up on planting anything out for now, and start some seedlings in the windowsill later in the month.

One other questions on a similar note, when would be a good time to bye strawberry plants in the nursery and plant them out?