This weather and growing.

[chriscross1966]

It really is a sign of how cold the winter has been that lots of folks have lost broad beans to it... they're normally harder than a ginger glaswegian stepson.... Here in posh Oxford I lost my first planting (aquadulce claudia) to the weather, then a second planting I'd cracked in the greenhouse (and that took a propagator to do, I was stunned!) to mice... I planted them out at an inch tall and a mouse had the lot out to eat the rest of the bean.... now there's another batch (Sutton) in rootrainers in the GH, but my hope of some early broadies is gone....

BTW, moving to Swindon in a couple of weeks, what's the soil like?

chrisc

[kittykat8]

down here in cornwall loads of people have put their potatoes in over the last 2 weeks and also onion and shallots have gone in.

marion

[taff]

BTW, moving to Swindon in a couple of weeks, what's the soil like?

chrisc

Clay, but good clay with a bit of work, unless you're moving to a new house.

[vicky]

Have had enough and planted the first onions, garlic, shallots and potatos today. It was really worrying me having them sitting in the house still! My dad said spring begins today so it's his fault!
Aquadulce from a november planting have only about a third still surviving, they hung on till about feb but just couldn't take it anymore.
Have lots in the greenhouse in the way of hardy seeds germinating (lettuce, celeriac, cabbage plus flowers) but the windowsills inside the house are too cold for cucumbers and I've lost a couple of seedlings indoors!

[Liza]

(Wispers)I think spring has just sprung shh

[stella]

I put a pot of rhubard seedlings out yesterday to get a bit of sun,when I went out to collect them in the evening they had all keeled over and died

[reetnproper]

I think we've been quite lucky so far thiis Winter in terms of weather, despite being on the North Lincs coast (well about 20-30 miles inland ).

For some reason the worst of the snow, ice and rain has bypassed us, thank goodness. While most of the country was under several inches of snow for days on end, we got no more than 2 inches and it only lasted 3 days max.

Last year I waited until the first week in April before sowing the first parsnips, carrots and beetroots into the raised beds and they all did really well, so I'll be doing the same this year.

The rest of the stuff will be started in the house and then moved into the unheated greenhouses mid-April to continue.

[Herbie]

I can't plant anything yet because my ground is frozen. Thunked the spade into it this morning to plant the peas and broad beans and it wouldn't move.

I think I might be waiting for a bit yet. I've started the onion set in cells in compost to give it a headstart until the soil warms up enough for me to get a spade into it

I have direct sown some more broadies on the lottie today under a cloche so will let you know how they do, fingers crossed.

[Herbie]

Oh gosh, after reading this, I hope I gone and done the wrong thing yesterday. I'm in Wiltshire too, and planted out my broad beans and my sweetpeas yesterday. The broadies are looking a bit crunchy this morning....

I'm in Wilts too. I'm hoping that becaue I'm in suburbia and surrounded on one side by house and two sides by a 6ft brick wall, that my garden is a bit more sheltered/warmer than an allotment... Must invest in a thermometer, and give my babies a fleece blanket tonight. Hope they haven't died!

I did read somewhere that if this happens with the crunchy broad beans watering them with cold water revives them dont know if it works as mine didn't survive so I have re sown. I also planted out first early potatoes today but have taken precaution to keep them snug under two layers of garden fleece!