Newbie requiring advice please!

[suewill]

Good morning all

I have been a lurker for a little while now and reading as much on this forum as I can but I was wondering if it was OK to ask about what is OK to sow now .... I of course have read the seed packets but some advice on here differs so I thought I would do one post and ask everything in one go as you all have such a wealth of growing experience and I knowthe seedpacket information is only general and not weather and location specific !

Due to serious illness earlier this year I am very late getting things going although over the past few weeks I have sown carrots, onion sets growing well, radishes, cut and come again leaves (very prolific already!) , lettuces, some April sown tomatoes (still small but surviving!) and aubergines (also sown in April doing OK).

I only sowed my courgettes and cucumbers about 10 days ago , all are germinating in the greenhouse, I take it that its not too late for these at this stage ??

Can I still sow broad beans? I have BUnyards Exhibition / Suttons Dwarf and Aquadulce Claudia (think thats the right name???)

Runner beans - am quite sure I am still fine to sow them .... but what about climbing and dwarf french beans? Peas as well is there still time too and maybe sweet peas too ? (have a couple of packs various varieties including some bijou sweet peas).

Leeks / onion sets - can I still sow leeks and the rest of my onion sets ?

Broccolli/cabbage/brussell sprouts/cauliflower - am I too late to sow any of these?

Melon - can I still sow these in the greenhouse?

Parsnip/turnip/swede - havent researched these or got seeds but when do these have to be sown ??

Sweetcorn - can I still sow now ? Oh and butternut squash - is it too late for them ?

Chilli's and peppers I assume that I have to buy shop bought now but I did see on the Moreveg website that someone recommended on here - Carmagnola which says it can be sown in May would it be worth giving it a go ????

Have a few seed potatoes left from when I planted my others (only about 3 weeks ago again due to my illness) some are a bit soft should I dispose of them and it is worth popping the others in the ground/pots now ?

Last question .... I promise ! ..... a well meaning friend has given me some poorly looking tomatoes that she rescued cfrom someone else... they were in tiny pots and VERY leggy (think thats the right term) with just a few leaves near the top some of which were yellowy... I have removed the worst ofthe leaves and planted them in containers now would it maybe have been better to dump them or should they pick up, they were not wilting or anything but not many leaves and quite tall (maybe 10 inches) , some have tiny flowers - I think they are called Outdoor Girl.

I sincerely apologise for the long long post but thought I wouldget all my questions over in one go . I have not found where to add my location yet but am on the south coast not far from Swanage and have a fairly sunny garden and am mostly growing in pots but have a smallish veg patch too and a couple of raised beds plus the use of a greenhouse nearby.

I appreciate any help that anyone can give me and the time taken in reading my post.....

Many thanks

S

[rustylady]

Welcome to the Vine - sorry to hear you've been ill - hope you are on the mend now. If you go to your profile, you can add your location.

As for starting stuff off now, give it a go if you have room. Good luck.

[Flummery]

Most of the stuff you want to start now will be fine. In fact, it's about the optimum time in some parts of the country for sowing courgettes, runners and french beans.

As to the rescued toms - it's worth giving them a go but plant them deep - they will root from the stem so the bare stems where you've nipped off dead leave can be put below soil level.

Good luck with it all - and welcome!

[snohare]

I'm just starting to plant things out now in my neck of the woods - it was snowing here only a week ago ! So you are light years ahead of me, at least...
The old saying goes, "plant according to conditions, not according to the calendar" - so if you do a quick online search of germination temperatures, you will see that many things will still be fine.
Even if you will have a shorter growing season than others due to planting late, the fact that you are quite southerly means that you will still (hopefully!) get plenty of heat and sunshine, and maybe even enough rain, to give your plants all they need to grow at the optimum rate. At the far end of the growing season I usually aim to extend the season here by putting glass over my beds; you might find that works with you too.
Plants that are sown too early and then get hit by a cold snap or other setbacks from being under glass will often never thrive, it is a tortoise and hare thing.
If worst comes to worst, your failures will teach you a lot - including how to make good compost !
As far as recuperation is concerned, make a wee list of big jobs and little jobs, things you really want to do and things you're not so worried about. Write it down - you can lose it if you want, it is the writing it down that mainly gets you organised - and then, whenever you can, tick off one of the items, starting with the really wants and the wee jobs. That way, you have your priorities and capabilities in order and you are will get more progress for less energy. (Sounds to me like you are making plenty of progress already.)
You won't manage everything, but the feeling of satisfaction when you do achieve something big is stellar !

[daffydill]

welcome to the grapevine . last year i was very late starting of some of my stuff,broadies,runners,even spuds but i got fair results so as the others have said give it a go and im sure youll be glad you did

[zazen999]

Welcome, it's a timely start as it's only just got warm!

Could you pop your location into your profile, so that we know for future advice, it really does help.

[suewill]

Good morning and thank you so very much for the replies, warm wishes and welcomes!

Zazen I have now added my location, sorry I meant to do that yesterday, thanks rustylady for letting me know where to go to add it and thanks for your kind words.

Flummery - I planted the tomatoes into flower buckets yesterday as deep as I could get them, they are already looking happier this morning !

snohare - yes fingers crossed for the summer to be a late one here, even being on the South coast it has been such a chilly winter and cool spring compared to what we are used to, although looking at where you are from and hearing that you have only recently had snow I feel rather lucky ! Thank you for posting the saying "plant according to conditions, not according to the calendar", I will really try to remember that and learn from everyone on here and not go by just what it says on the seed packets. Thats a good point about protecting my crops at the latter end of the season to extend it , great advice and will remember that as the time comes.
Thank you so much for the advice about making a list , that is such a good idea, will do that today before I get on and do anything else I think , prioritising is not my strong point but with a list that I can see progress on by ticking off something as I do it and that will encourage me . I tend to think I have so much to do and not do it but will make a cup of coffee shortly, get my seeds together and make a list of sowing and other jobs to do.

daffydill - what a fab name , thanks for the welcome and your encouragement.

Thanks again everyone will endeavour to keep you up to date with my progress!