Too early to plant - NE Scotland?
Andy McD
Posts: 33
in Fruit & veg
Over the previous years I have usually waited until March - May before anything gets planted in the veg garden. I was wondering if there was anything I can get going now in a cold greenhouse or outside?
I am from the NE of Scotland so I think the last frost date is around Late April - Early May. Wouldn't be surprised if it was now with the high temps this morning.
I was reading that broad beans could be planted just now and was also wondering if they require training up poles like peas?
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I'd go for broad beans - they're not climbers .
garlic or onion sets might be able to get going now, there's enough time for the cold to get to them to make them grow properly
Living where you do ,you will need to stake broad beans, I put canes all along the row then tie in with string as they grow. They still blow about but at least you have something to tie them too.
Late April early may is very optimistic for the last frost in ne Scotland. I'm in Yorkshire and wouldn't be confident of having had the last frost until the first week of June. Like others have said, frost hardy stuff should be OK though.
Getting on into February now and I have ordered a fair amount of seeds and itching to get started on some planting.
After looking up videos on youtube, there are no specific videos for up my way so I am wondering if it is safe to plant the following in the unheated greenhouse (even if temps go negative)?
How do you know which plants/veg are Frost Hardy?
I was also thinking of starting off my Tomato plants (Moneymaker), Chillies in the house and transfer them to the greenhouse later on in May.
I have yet to receive the onions - (Hercules) but when I get them I plan to try and pot some up in the greenhouse to see the difference it makes compared to planting directly outside.
I will also be receiving Charlotte potatoes (second early), do these need to be chitted prior to planting out? If so when would be best to plant them directly into the soil?
Andy - I'm in the west central belt but I wouldn't be too hasty about seed sowing unless you have plenty of room in that greenhouse. Those little plants get very big - very quickly!
Tomatoes need decent night time temps too - something we're a bit short of up here!
The lupins and cornflowers will need to be hardened off before planting out. Small plants will get eaten by slugs. April/May is very early unless you have big sturdy plants filling a 6 or 7 inch pot.
Can't help you with the other veg though as I don't grow it.
Andy do you watch this programme, it's around your area.
http://www.beechgrove.co.uk/Live-Beechgrove-Weather
some good planting tips, but apart from that they now have their own weather station. If you look on the back of your seed packets it will tell you what temperatures are needed to germinate, can you provide those temperatures day and night?
If so go ahead, I know I certainly couldn't and I live much further south in Devon. You may be disappointed if you start now.
Exotics and plants not from our temperate zone need 18-20 degC day and night to germinate healthily. Once grown even exotics will cope with drops to 10deg C at night. HTH