The calm before the storm...

[sammy_roser]

I'm trying to be good this year. Last year I had everything sowed inside as soon as the date rolled round to March and I lost 50% of them due to the poor turn in the weather.

So this year has been surprisingly mild, I could consider starting to sow many things now but I'm patiently waiting. For one thing the crops I sowed later quickly caught up and I still got a good crop from them, another I just can't accept that we will have a winter with no snow. So other then some leeks, beetroots, shallots and chillis all hanging out either on my windowsill or in the mini greenhouse I am quite bare on plants for this time of year.

Have you sown as normal or are you biding your time?

[WilliamD]

I'm the same as you Sammy. Have some things growing as seedlings indoors, but nothing planted outside yet - partially for fear of a late cold snap, but safe in the knowledge that later plantings should make up for lost time when it gets properly warmer.

[rustylady]

I'm still waiting.

[chefgage]

Every year i wait a bit, then wait a bit more untill i realise its now may and im well behind with everything again. So every year i say i will start stuff off a bit earlier. So far i have got about 30 chilli plants sat on the window sill. This weekend i will sow indows a bit off beetroot and a few other things

[Potstubsdustbins]

Only things done so far are new spuds in buckets and red onions in modules both in the GH.

I may well consider some peppers and toms this weekend but I have grow lights. The problem I find is where do you put them when they suddenly start to grow like billy-ho.

Potty

[Penellype]

I've planted onion sets outside under fleece and spinach and carrots in the garage in February, both of which have now germinated and been moved outside under fleece. I've also got the odd cabbages and leeks in the growhouse which will be planted out when they are big enough, and a few early Onward peas which I intend to plant out this weekend, again under fleece. I've tried a bag of first early potatoes in the garage and I've lots of salads and a few tomatoes and peppers in the house.

I'm prepared to lose the very early sowings, which are really only an attempt to capitalize on what could be a very mild winter/spring, but I am well aware that we can get frosts as late as early June here.

[Penellype]

Only things done so far are new spuds in buckets and red onions in modules both in the GH.

I may well consider some peppers and toms this weekend but I have grow lights. The problem I find is where do you put them when they suddenly start to grow like billy-ho.

Potty

The tomatoes I have sown so far are going to live in the house. What I do is operate a strict regime of 2 trusses of flowers, and the tops and all the sideshoots come off. I grow these on as cuttings to produce my outdoor tomatoes which saves on seed.

[Jamesy_uk]

I have been burned 3 years in a row now with thinking I was safe so yeh, not again I am waiting lol.

[marcofez]

I'm going to just calm down with the amount of plants I need, and also stagger the seed sowing a lot more.

[Rocketron]

The tomatoes I have sown so far are going to live in the house. What I do is operate a strict regime of 2 trusses of flowers, and the tops and all the sideshoots come off. I grow these on as cuttings to produce my outdoor tomatoes which saves on seed.

What a good idea !

[vegboi]

This is my first year and I have only got my onions sets in greenhouse as am worried about frost and snow coming but my neighbour has his spuds I'm ground and his onions and his Tom plants are growing nicely- I feel so far behind. Next week apparently is going to be loverly. Unsure what do to


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[Nannysally99]

This is my first year and I have only got my onions sets in greenhouse as am worried about frost and snow coming but my neighbour has his spuds I'm ground and his onions and his Tom plants are growing nicely- I feel so far behind. Next week apparently is going to be loverly. Unsure what do to


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Sit on your hands. If we had a crystal ball it would be sooo easy. In the same boat as you though, cannot wait to plant stuff out. Chomping at the bit


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[Penellype]

Agreed, sit on your hands as much as possible. The forecasters are warning that the coming high pressure (= drier, warmer and sunny weather) does not mean it is now summer. The high should last next week, and will then start to fade as cooler and wetter weather returns, probably from the north and west. Some of the charts I have seen for April (too far ahead for any certainty and only experimental) do show colder conditions as a distinct possibility. You have been warned!

[binley100]

I'm sowing the same as I always do .....tomatoes are in the gh with a fleece blankie, chillies and aubs are in the conservatory covered at night. First sowing of broadies are being hardened off ..gh also has a selection of brassicas and pretties , peas and celeriac..not planted any tatties yet tho' always wait till St. Paddy's day for first earlies.... and have first sowing of carrots in lottie gh . More concerned about frosts than snow tbh..

[sammy_roser]

I've got my spuds on the kitchen window sill but haven't even bought the soil to plant them in buckets yet!

I'm biding my time building new planters, raising old planters higher to help me and planning the massive raised bed at the back of the garden.

For a while I was collecting plastic bottles as cloches and then threw them all away when I was up to 30 lol!