Anyone else still holding back due to the weather?

[Chef_uk]

I've only got two things in the ground right now (Onions & Main Crop Spuds), everything else is either still in pots in the greenhouse or windowsills indoors, or, in the case of some, still in the packet ready for direct sowing. The plants in pots are not too big and look really healthy and so I guess it's that as to why I'm not rushing to get them in the ground, but after watching GW last night, Monty said this weekend was the busiest for the gardener, and I have done nothing Should I be getting a move on with getting stuff in to the ground or am I doing right by letting the local weekly weather trend dictate?

In pots in unheated GH: Broadbeans, Peas, Leeks, Spring Onions, Brussels, Kale, PSB, Cabbage, and Lettuce

In House: Tomatoes and Peppers

In Packets: Carrots, Parsnips, Sweetcorn, Dwarf French Bean, Radish

Weather outlook this week:
Temps - 10c/5c 11c/4c 10c/4c 10c/4c 9c/3c
rain, rain, thunder, rain, rain

[singleseeder]

Now, if you had a choice between staying out of the weather or sitting in the garden, where would you rather be? Life is so much better when you first venture out into warm soil and no cold rain.

[mrbadexample]

I've planted out beetroot seedlings, under plastic bottle cloches. Fleece at night for the time being.

I've sowed radishes on top of the spuds on St Patrick's day, kohl rabi, cauliflower and turnips a couple of weeks ago, all unprotected.

This weekend I've sown parsnips, carrots, turnips, spring onions, beetroot, leeks and radishes outside, in tubs.

Tomatoes, chillies & peppers still on the windowsill at night, and in the greenhouse during the day as long as it's not too cold.

[VirginVegGrower]

Yes I am holding off or so I though, but I do have over wintered onions, garlic, kale, spring cabbages in and newly planted leeks into seedling bed, beetroot clumps have gone out, broad beans are in, as are some peas. Lettuce, onions, more beetroot and more broad beans are hardening off and getting ready to go up, which will then make more room in the greenhouse for further sowing. Brassicas are hardening off in coldframes, but I will pot them on to make bigger plants before they go up as we have a club root problem up on areas of the site.

Forgot to add that parsnips have been sown and covered with fleece to aid germination. Will be doing the same with some early carrots and my spring onions tomorrow, if weather less Skegness and more Totnes

[Kaiya]

I embraced the weather change before it happened - taking advantage of the dampness despite the cold, since there's still no water on site and I'm not here during the week. So last weekend I direct sowed the whole 'carrot family' bed with carrots, parsnips, fennel and celeriac and accompanying salad onions, plus put all my potatoes in (second earlies and main crop) and left them to get what they could from this slightly wetter weather. However, everything else (brassicas, beetroot and mangetout etc.) is in modules in cold frames/blowaways - coming along well (bar beetroot which is only a week sown), but still a mere mouthful for any passing slug so they'll be remaining in modules for the time being. Other than that, I have done nothing this weekend. Although I welcome the damp weather for the snips etc. I don't much want to go out in it myself!

I don't think the hotter fruit will grow for me this year. It's been a month for the cayenne pepper, various tomatoes, californian wonder sweet pepper and aubergines and all are no-shows (no indoor space to grow them). Ah well.

[Alison]

I'm planting as usual, the weather is always something and so I sow / plant out etc based on the average best-ish time ie not too early that it's very risky and not too late that things won't have enough time. With regards the things you mention:

Broadbeans - some in polytunnel border, already flowering but not that big and others hardened off outside but not planted yet

Peas - some in polytunnel border and first row planted out on plot, second row in guttering in the cold greenhouse, just starting to come through

Leeks - in 5" pots in the cold greenhouse

Spring Onions - in packet but don't tend to do that well with them anyway

Brussels - several in a couple of 3" pots also in cold greenhouse, will probably be potted on in a couple of weeks time before being planted out early summer

Kale - still eating last years crop on the plot, new seeds not yet sown

PSB - as kale

Cabbage - just finished last of the winter cabbages on the plot, spring greens also ready and starting to head up in the tunnel. New seeds in the packet

Lettuce - very small seedlings in modules in the cold greenhouse

Tomatoes - some small plants and seedlings in the utility room at home

Peppers - small plants in 3" pots in the utility room

Carrots - earlies sown in polytunnel and showing nicely, all others in the packet

Parsnips - in packet

Sweetcorn - starting to germinate in root trainers

Dwarf French Bean - in packet

Radish - in packet

[Florence Fennel]

Kale, Cauli, Cabbage, Calabrese and sprouts small plants in modules in stayput or open to the elements(I'm determined to grow from seed this year). Peas in rootrainers in there too, about 3" and looking healthy. Beetroot in modules and lots of marigolds all pitched out of stayput today to make room for some Basil (wrapped in bw). The runner beans I sowed about 3 weeks ago are up (also wrapped in bw). I sowed carrot a couple of weeks ago, but there's no sign yet and I'm wondering if the slugs have got them before they've even showed. Sowed some fennel today in modules, so that's got protection too. Radishes are in containers outside and I've started some Little Gem lettuce on a windowsill. All my chillies and toms are inside the house as Himself says "cluttering up the windowsills". I'm about to go look for some celeriac, Falstaff red sprout and squash seed as P & P is free until midnight tonight at T & M. I haven't sown any snips yet.

[Ananke]

The only thing I have in the ground is potatoes, shallots and garlic. Mostly everything else is on the window ledge at home.

[Peas'n'Kews]

I have 2 rows of peas (started at different times in guttering in the cold frame) planted out, along with 2 doz broad bean plants also started in the cold frame.

My Winter Density lettuce have been out all winter (under a small polytunnel) and I am eating the thinnings.

Spinach, salad leaves, and little gems all coming up from direct garden sowings.

Cabbage and cauli have been planted out.

Haven't opened the cold frames today as its rained all day and I didn't want drowned seedlings and stuff!

[Bren In Pots]

In unheated GH and going out to harden off during day: Spring Onions, Brussels, Kale, Cabbage, spinach, Lettuce along with lots of herbs then in loo rolls parsnips and peas.

On window sills in House but going out in GH during day: Tomatoes, Peppers and aubergines

in beds: potatoes, Broadbeans, Leeks, more spring onions. beetroot, plus last years kale, chard, spinach and leeks

I won't be sowing runners/pole beans, cucs and courgettes for a couple of week.

[horticultural_hobbit]

will have to this week, as it's a damp as piece of haddock. But it's also a bit pragmatic, in how much I can physically do in the holidays. I play in and around being lazy.

Cabbages need potting on, as they are modularised in the wendy house.
Can't play with squashes, as they keep dying in the wendy house. Have resown, learned a lesson and leaving on my desk at home.
Cukes are sown, keeping the babies warm those that have germinated.
Some mayflower cauli babies are sat at home, a couple in the wendy house.
I have one leek. Don't ask, it's a not worth it.
Ignoring Aubs under the fleece. They aint bothering me, I'm not bothering them. Ditto for chillies and peppers in their unheated props.
The magic seed grower is full. I keep talking to the yogurt pots, and willing them to germinate. I hear men in white coats...
Okra, one germinated, and then ceased to exist.
Beetroot is modularised in the 4TB, i just haven't worked out when to put it out. Tis about 5-6 centimetres high.


I'm doing a lot of ignoring, disguised as biding one's time.

[kentishgal]

Im glad Im not the only one whose garden isnt in full swing. All Ive got out is garlic!
This week Im planning on doing my spuds and sowing my brassicas in a large tray (well, the bottom of an old rat cage!!LOL) to go in the coldframe.
I do have very busy windowsills though. Ive moved a big mesh bookcase in front of my sunniest window and it has given me 3 massive shelves for seed trays.

[Sanjo]

will have to this week, as it's a damp as piece of haddock. But it's also a bit pragmatic, in how much I can physically do in the holidays. I play in and around being lazy.

Cabbages need potting on, as they are modularised in the wendy house.
Can't play with squashes, as they keep dying in the wendy house. Have resown, learned a lesson and leaving on my desk at home.
Cukes are sown, keeping the babies warm those that have germinated.
Some mayflower cauli babies are sat at home, a couple in the wendy house.
I have one leek. Don't ask, it's a not worth it.
Ignoring Aubs under the fleece. They aint bothering me, I'm not bothering them. Ditto for chillies and peppers in their unheated props.
The magic seed grower is full. I keep talking to the yogurt pots, and willing them to germinate. I hear men in white coats...
Okra, one germinated, and then ceased to exist.
Beetroot is modularised in the 4TB, i just haven't worked out when to put it out. Tis about 5-6 centimetres high.


I'm doing a lot of ignoring, disguised as biding one's time.

Those men in coats will be along very shortly Hobbit. How many yogurt pots are you hoping to germinate?

[horticultural_hobbit]

:P tis what's in them! I swear my magic seed grower in some go slow. Not alot is happening in there. The re sows of squashes and things haven't come up as quick as the previous ones.....

[binley100]

In the ground there are ....broad beans-.tatties, 1sr, 2nd and mains - garlic- overwintering onions- spring cabbage- psb-a few leeks still - shallots-onion sets-onion seedlings (look like blades of grass but are under fleece) -parsnips sown -some beetroot-carrots - turnips and kohl rabi.
In the blowaway - peas - various brassica things -leeks all hardening off and waiting to go out.
In the gh there are - toms - pretties- more seeds ie calabrese , herbs , recently sown - celery and celeriac
In the conservatory there are- Aubs- chillies and sweet peppers
In the props in the new spare bedroom - cucs squashes etc

Bladdy 'ell didn't think I'd done much