Night time temperaturres

[Jenny Green]

Oh dear. My plants are all nekkid and exposed. I'm such a cruel gardener.

[Chantal]

I never want to see a staple again as long as I live (and I suspect Seedling feels the same). The almost new box of 5,000 staples is nearly empty but at least we will sleep tonight without worrying about everything being frozen.

It's already down to 7C on my patio

Sleep well my little Seedling and thank you...

[Johnboy]

I am looking after somebodies greenhouse whilst they have a holiday and at midday today the temperature was only 48F in the greenhouse and outside it was cold with a lot of wind. Probably had the wind been less it might have made only another couple of degrees. He has 48 Tomato plants in there and they have not grown any side shoots now for over a week.
Normally you would expect to take out the side shoots about every other day.
This is a very difficult season to predict anything
and I am still wearing my Winter Balers and winter vests!

[Chantal]

If the weather carries on like this, I'll be listening to my mother and wearing big knickers to keep my kidneys warm! 3C on my patio last night and not a huge amount better this morning

[spinningfishwife]

Here in East Lothian, Scotland, we`d be mad to have anything tender planted out yet. We`ve been getting night temperatures of -3 quite regularly. I`ve only just taken the squash seedlings out the propogator...another 3 weeks minimum before they go out.

[Malk]

the wise man of our allotments says that 'ne'er cast a clout til may is oot' refers to the hawthorn which is also know as the may. Is that out yet?

I put out my courgettes this week and they have a bit of frost or wind damage, but seem to be holding on. I'll leave my pumpkins another week or so just to be safe.

[vivie veg]

Blackthorn (produces sloes) is flowering here, but I'm not sure about May blossom...most of the hedges (esp along the roads) are cut down so that they don't reach flowering heights...I'll have to search around abit.

Just to note......
Oak before Ash, we're infor a splash,
Ash before Oak we're in for a soak.

Ash was out around here first this year...so we should get plenty of rain!

[Chantal]

What do you mean "should" get plenty of rain?

[Geoff]

Ash before Oak here too.
Hawthorn coming out, will just make it in May but will be at its best next week. Amazing amount of blossom. There are quite a few isolated Hawthorn trees round here that are not in hedgerows, may post a picture (sorry about that).

[Geoff]

Get those clouts cast!

[vivie veg]

Night time temps are still quite low - although not freezing.

The last two nights I have checked my newly completed polytunnel and the temp is falling to 5 degrees C. But rising to about 25 degrees by the time I get there in the morning to open up. However the plastic greenhouse (6ftx4ft) near the house and VERY protected by walls on two sides has managed to hold up at 15 degrees over night and is a lot slower to warm up as it is shaded until midday.

I hope everyone's plants are holding up at this critical time of year.