Weather and newly sown seeds... Worried

[nooby]

Hi all,

Some much needed advice from people ITK please...

I am in my second full year of growing my own and it has been relatively successful but I think I have just made a school boy error...

Last week I got carried away by the fine weather we have had down here in the SE and I decided to sow in my raised beds without looking at the forecast. Now the last couple of mornings I have been caught out with some frost and it is due to get worse... I have some onion sets in already and I planted some Carrots, Beets, Chard, Courgette and some salad stuff, I also have first early potatoes in large containers which are poking through just now... To be honest looking at my veg diary's I have left it until after easter the previous 2 years before I sow into the beds. Will my seeds be safe, is it too late to cover them with fleece, do I need to at all also my potatoes??

Also I have been raising tomato plants in doors but as the weather was so nice I transferred them outside in a small plastic greenhouse and they were doing fine but they look a bit pale this morning... Should I bring them back in?

Many thanks in advance...

[Bigmallly]

Await confirmation from someone more knowledgable but I would earth up your tatties or cover with fleece, I would think your onion sets will be ok but would fleece everything else. If you are not happy with your toms, bring them back indoors.

[Shadylane]

I've kept my tommies in today, mainly because there's no way I'm going out there at this moment. I have some others which stay out there though, which have survived lower temps. Chard and salad should be okay. Carrots (seed sown?) will come up when it's warm enough, dunno about beets. Refused to grow them until this year - they're on the patio in modules covered in snow. I think they'll be okay though. Onions will probably be fine.

As for courgettes - way too early. I won't sow mine until end of this month and that's pushing it for my area. I doubt they'll be happy about this chilly weather - I assume you mean you put plants out not seeds(?) If you sowed seeds they won't germinate outside in the cold. I germinate mine in the airing cupboard. One of the oldies on our site always puts his courgettes in way early and protects them with cloches and hot water bottles. He usually has marrows by the time mine are just thinking about flowering. Which is great if you can be bothered.

Your potatoes will need covering/earthing up as they grow to protect the shoots from frost.

I'm sure some more knowledgable folks will be along to advise you more and no doubt someone will ask you to put your location in your profile as it helps to know where you are

[rustylady]

IMHO it's far too early to sow courgettes outdoors. Earth up your tatties. Your onions sets should be fine, as for the other seeds have they germinated yet? As Bigmallly says, bring your tomatoes back indoors during the cold spell.

[Kaiya]

I did the same as you, and I'm a newbie myself, but I'm quite optimistic. I sowed carrots, parsnips and spring onions direct and beetroot into modules in the 'coldframe' (draughty old plastic greenhouse) last weekend, and planted out my allotment spuds, plus I have some spuds in bags in my 'coldframe' planted a week or so ago. I was much more concerned in all cases about the lack of water (I'm away during the week) than the frost, and indeed it rained yesterday (yippee!). You're doing better than me though - my toms aren't even bothering to germinate yet.

My japanese onions have been out since November, snow, frost, wind, drought and all and are doing fine, although of course they were more mature when the weather hit, but there's a chap on our lottie who's had summer sets out for weeks now, all perched on the top of ridges fully exposed. Onions are pretty tough.

Do pay more attention to cleverer/more experienced people than me, but I'm with BM and RL - cover the tats and bring the toms back in if they look a bit shifty. Otherwise, the SE hasn't seemed too bad.

If you pop your location in your profile you can get more tailored advice The SE is rather large!

[nooby]

Wow, thanks everyone...

Damn I knew I had been hasty... In terms of the courgettes, they are seed direct and not plants. The last 2 years I have been growing I did not sow them until near May and I had tons of them. Like I said I got carried away with the warm weather, I will re sow some courgettes in a month or so

The seeds in the beds have just been planted and as yet there are no seedlings, so I assume the Carrots, beets, chard, salad seeds oh and radishes will be ok under the soil if covered?

I have earthed up the potatoes and I will cover them for added protection and I will cover the raised beds and bring the toms in too...

I have changes my location too... Many Thanks