Yay!! Someone Noticed The North!

[HayleyB]

Yep but it's more fun thinking norf and sarf and GYO mag

[Trillium]

Hello all,

Glad you liked the article - I do think that most veg growing coverage, especially on the TV, is quite southern-centric and when GYO asked if I would write the article, I jumped at it.

Of course you can grow toms outside and sometimes you'll get a good crop. But it's disheartening to get a poor crop more years than not, so I think the suggestion not to rely on outside toms is right - whether you live in the north or south.

Re my southern-ness - yes, I was born in the sarf and moved north in my late 20s. I gardened for about 3 years in the south and 20 years in the north. But I know how it is - I'm still a bit of a newcomer! Anyway, I love the north and wouldn't move back south for anything. Though I do love the south downs and am very glad that my family connections give me an excuse to go back a few times a year.

Best wishes to you all

Trillium (aka Sue)

[HayleyB]

Sue.........

* on my knees and....... well you know you're a goddess

[SarzWix]

Welcome to the Vine Sue
Really enjoyed the article, it was the first thing I went to in the new mag., and I wasn't disappointed!
What would you think of the UK being 'zoned' like the US? So that growing instructions could be a bit more tailored to local climate?

[Snadger]

Welcome to the Vine Sue
Really enjoyed the article, it was the first thing I went to in the new mag., and I wasn't disappointed!
What would you think of the UK being 'zoned' like the US? So that growing instructions could be a bit more tailored to local climate?

Yeah....how about calling the zones Engalnd, Ireland,Scotland and Wales and collectively the United Kingdom..............oh dammit, someones already thought of that! (Ooooh, and let's give England a HUGE zone)

[HayleyB]

Yep and I want to have my village zoned separately within the 'England' zone 'cause we are in a valley and we have our own 'micro-climate'

[jools the chook biker]

problem with the southern viewpoint is us up north only eat pies and drink stout so why would we wann know owt about veg ! ha ha ha

[crichmond]

I may eat pies but I dont drink stout, I stick to lager or red wine

[NOG]

Its funny I am south of London but my BIL is on the south coast 50 miles away and he is weeks ahead of me its like we are all in diferant countrys.

[basketcase]

Well there's north and then .......... there's north ...........

I totally agree. All the mags base their dates on the south of england, which is a real pain. I only started sowing my seeds two weeks ago and will not be planting out until early June. So PLEASE can I make a request that editors please think about those of us who are doing just the same as everyone else, but a few weeks behind.

Up here, though, we do have the advantage that once they do go out in early June we have 24 hour daylight to assist growing

I'm with you, Jennie! It's not so bad on the 'way in', when you just do May's stuff in June, but it's a bit of a pain on the 'way out'. Maybe there's a case for a permanent 'Frozen North' section of a gardening magazine. Perhaps we could have a Beechgrove answer to Gardener's World!

But, as you say, what's 'North'? I go to relatives in Manchester and it feels positively tropical down there!

BTW - hope you've got a good supply of nails in - to nail down the seedlings!

[basketcase]

what really irrotated me about this article was that she was a southerner, its not that i have anything against sounterners but its the fact that she she has lerned to grow in the south,
<SNIP>

next time they do a northern article they should have a northerer do it who knows our climate!

It didn't really irritate me. The article was well written and I hope she writes more. But this first one seemed to have an element of describing to Southerns what the difficulties further north are.

If it's the first of a series (and I hope it is!) that's a good starting point, but 'Have a bit more patience', 'Wait a bit longer before planting/sowing' and 'You can't grow the same stuff as Darn Sarf' without advising what can be planted felt a bit like preachin' to the choir!

[Florence Fennel]

Yeah....how about calling the zones Engalnd, Ireland,Scotland and Wales and collectively the United Kingdom..............oh dammit, someones already thought of that! (Ooooh, and let's give England a HUGE zone)

Like that one Snadger.

[Incy]

I got some seeds in France the other year and it had a reall useful map of France coloured into different climate zones with a + a week/-a week type legend from the recommended planting dates depending whether you were in a cooler or warmer zone. Something like that would be useful for the UK too.
I did love seeing a Northern focussed article and hope there will be many more, but as has already been said it's not all about how far North or South you are, there's also, what soil you have, how close to the sea you are etc, etc....
Manchester for example seems to have less late frosts than a lot of places because of it's westerly position not too far from the coast which makes it much more temperate.

[bluemoon]

(Ooooh, and let's give England a HUGE zone)

But then, because it's so huge, we'll only consider the South Eastern part? Oh yes, you're right, someone has thought about that already!

[daleclarke]

I live in the North East, and usually ignore 'sow Now' articles. At the Harrogate show last Month I had a conversation with someone who was sowing all sorts then and would not believe me when I said I will have to wait until June and about the temps being so different even though only 50 miles away, especially if the wind is up which it is about 5 days out 7. Anyway, He came up to see me last weekend in a T-shirt he soon had to lend a jacket and sat nithered and ask for the heating on! I think he understands about ambient/realfeel temps now, also what is shown on the BBC and what you get locally is somewhat different.

We have rain and wind today, the BBC says 14C my gauges say 9C.