How behind am I?

[dexterdoglancashire]

I just wondered what other grapes had already planted on their lotties as I only have the onion sets I planted last autumn. My ground is all ready, but what with the horrible, cold, wet weather we've been having I have nothing else planted in the ground. I have lots of seedlings growing in the greenhouse - Am I really behind? What has everyone already planted?
Bernie aka DDL

[sez]

I was actually just about the post the same thing. I've yet to plant my parsnips (1st lot germinated before the bed was ready, so had to do another lot), carrots, or onions. Can anyone advise if I'm too late?!

The only things I have in the ground are garlic, a few meteor peas, and some early spuds. I have growing inside peppers, chillis, toms (only just), aubergines, more peas, broccoli.

[rustylady]

Hi DDL. I'm the same as you - conditions on the lottie are so bad I wouldn't put my worst enemy out there yet. Loads of stuff in the cold greenhouse waiting to go out. Overwintering onions and garlic looking OK, overwintering spring onions pathetic, bored beans looking poorly and windswept but with loads of flowers on.

[TonyF]

You're actually not late at all. We all seem to be caught up in a scramble to get things in the ground far too early, it's ok if you have all the protective stuff and the like or you want a particularly early crop but then you'd be pushing the seasonal limits a bit. And it's likely that many people who planted out early will have been caught out by the snow and any late frosts, especially if they have no cover at night.

I've got some seeds in pots and rootrainers, all ready to go out but I'm not going to plant out for another couple of weeks. I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that the older folks round here have the right idea - all our plant fairs take place over the next 4 weekends and then stuff gets planted out, latest about mid-May and judging by the wonderful displays of veggies and fruit many of them have, it's about the right time to do it.

And we're 600 miles south of many of you folks, with much more clement weather tho it does get grey and overcast in March/April but it sort of puts a brake on things.

I'm not sure where this sort of obsession with planting out early has come from, wasn't like this 20 years or so ago, things seemed much more 'moderate' - perhaps it's the television thing again?

[Two_Sheds]

I'm not sure where this sort of obsession with planting out early has come from, wasn't like this 20 years or so ago, things seemed much more 'moderate' - perhaps it's the television thing again?

I think it's all Jamie's fault. After all, he was cropping calabrese in January

I have planted out garlic, onions, shallots and a few potatoes and broad beans - saving some back in case of disaster.
I think it'll be chocks away in a few week's time. I hope

[Flummery]

I've only got garlic, onions sets and new spuds in (oh, and some broadies, forgot them) but other stuff is in the greenhouse. I put out my Latvian peas too - figured it gets cold in Latvia!

[Madasafish]

Anything planted outside here would have to be forst rain and water tolerant. :-))
I've planted nothing outside and don't expect to for another 3 weeks..

[HeyWayne]

Just onions and garlic in the round for me. I keep wanting to put the 1st early spuds in, but the wet, cold clay soil isn't dig friendly at the moment. I've got:

Parsnips
Beetroot
Cauliflower
Brussel Sprouts
Kohl Rabi
Carrots
Peas (Stephens - HSL variety)
2 lots of Broad Beans
Asparagus Peas
Chillis (though I think they've had it)
Tomatoes

All in the greenhouse, not ready to plant out yet a while though.

Don't think you're behind bernie, just like the rest of us, eager to get out there.

[janeyo]

I'm in cambs and got earlies in, garlic, and onions, all coming up.
Sowed a few rows of carrots a couple of weeks ago but they have vanished so I have prepared another bed and sowed 2 rows carrots and 2 parnsips under fleece this time.

Cold frame is full of leeks, lettuce brocoli cauli, peas all waiting to get a bit bigger.

janeyo

[pjh75]

I planted out my mange tout on Friday because it was such a glorious day and they had got far too big for the guttering they were in... don't know why they shot up so quickly in an unheated green house, but they were falling over...

... anyway, I was away overnight on Saturday and it snowed here on Sunday morning and settled for about an hour... I was convinced I would come home to frozen / dying plants, but they seem to have coped quite well. I have got fleece for them now.

[slooky]

1st visit on the site and am glad to see I am not the only one who is behind. was made to put my broad beans in by my elderly neighbour the other day otherwise plot is ready to go but weather is not

[dexterdoglancashire]

Ta folks! Its reasuring to know that I'm not the only one! Let's hope that the weather warms up soon and then it will be all systems go! Bernie aka DDL

[sewer rat]

Don't sweat it DDL. I have yet to plant anything outside this year, I have calabrese, PSB, Black Tuscan Kale and Charita Lettuces in the tunnel but they will all be harvested to destruction on Thursday for my boxes on Friday - not much I can do about it as I need the floorspace for my seedlings / young plants. I have started sowing in the tunnel - see my blog entry for details of what's done to date (and add three hundred 1 litre pots of leeks sown today) but the ground is too cold and wet here just now for planting or sowing out. My onions and shallots are ready to go in next Monday regardless of weather though - can't put it off for too long as I have 55kg of sets to go in ! (My back is aching just thinking about it.)
My early tatties will go in the following week - possibly sooner if I can get my planter fitted to the ridge plough this week and I feel I need a day off from the onions !

[SarzWix]

I only have over-wintered onions, garlic and some shallots in th ground at the mo. My brassicas are all going to be sown in modules & put in the cold-frame. I've got potatoes and carrots in pots in the greenhouse too, but I'm waiting for better conditions before I plant anything outside!

[anusha]

I'm going to be really late this year as i'm moving at the end of may to Evesham...have the veggie plot all ready here for the new people though with early pots and will have beans a few other things planted for them before I leave so they don't miss out here....hmmm..i hope they are veggie gardeners! For me it's going to be container gardening mainly this year I think...