Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi

In Elgin which the weather people variously descibe as the 'Moray Firth' (correct) or 'the far north' (never knew what that meant) we had only a springling of snow at the weekend - chilly wind today and just above freezing right now. I look with interest at the pictures of the frozen south and hope you are all coping.

Chris

Here in the midlands we have missed the lot. It was 4 degrees today on the lottie, with the wind chill knocking it down some more. However working away fitting door frames to my home made polytunnel soon warmed me up, especially with a cup of hot coffee in the shed.

We will have a frost tonight but again 4-6 degrees during the day. A major scare arrived this evening when the fan heater in the greenhouse decided to die. With 400 tomato and chillies on the go I feared doom. A quick trip to the local Tesco 24 store found me coming home with two thermostatically controlled heaters (1 as a spare)for under £13 the pair. I can sleep soundly tonight now.

In fact, Sunday wasn't too bad here on the south coast - I'm told that we caught the tail end of some sleety snow at about 6 am by my allotment neighbour, but I told him that was his own daft fault for being up at such a time on a Sunday! It was cold but I still got lots more couch and bindweed dug out in prep for the new fruit trees. Mind you, in spite of the recent rain the ground is still really dry. Won't be back to the lottie till next weekend now, too busy with the day job sadly.

Hi Vivien,
Poor old you catching the tail end of some sleet.
Since 5.00am this morning it has rained, snowed.
hailed and sleeted and I can just see the top of the Barley growing alongside me. It is at least 6" free standing. Last Week it cost me nearing £50.00. to heat my place and I was still b####y freezing.I have such things as Snowdrops, Crocuses, Early Daffs and Hellibores none of which are yet visible. We had about 8-9 inches of snow. Temperature here is just on zero C so as the day progresses it all may start to melt.
I am due to sell up here and I certainly think it will be moving way south of here.

I just received word that our annual spring flower and veg show is cancelled in our little village because there are no flowers to show. Pity! First time in anyone's memory that they've ever had to cancel. (And I've been asked to make the signs)

beautiful day today in west wales. Sun shining, working in shirtsleeves. Finished planting raspberries and gooseberry. I hope its like this tomorrow as I have a tray of beetroot to plant out.
Pete

It's trying to snow here right now.

It's trying to snow here too. Yesterday I was out in a T-shirt, clearing my garden; it was gorgeous, wall to wall sunshine and blue sky. Oh well.

It snowed a dusting overnight here, still on the soil and grass, pavements are just wet.

'Brr' for the cold and 'Ouch!' for the heating costs! Are you moving your growing business as well, or are you winding down on it? Please don't give up the forum contributions - we'd have no good organic/non-organic arguments (sorry, discussions) to get stuck into then! It still has been a colder winter than average here, but nonetheless milder than midlands & northwards. What's the lowest you've had in the polytunnel this year?
Vivien

The coldest in the tunnels this year was -8C but the coldest it has been in the last 30 years was Zero F
which is 32 degrees of frost and the temperature stayed there for 5 days and I lost thousands of one year old cuttings in 1995.
I have been retired since half way through the 2004 season when I had a heart attack. I had been working about 19 hours a day for weeks and the old body decided that it had had enough. So on medical advice I packed it all up. Strangely I do not really miss it. I still retain the knowledge. I have thousands of seeds that will never be sown but although I have made repeated offers not very many people have taken the offer up. Very soon now they will all be binned.
I spend my time now conducting experiments such as Carrots and manure last year and this year Carrots in a 4ft by 4ft raised container and another trying to make the Shallot Griselle produce seed as they are expensive and seeding to grow a mass of them would be a great advantage.
I will not be selling up until next year as I am taking this year to get things shipshape.
I am intrigued with Arthur,s posting about producing you own sets sounds a good prospect. I feel that Arthur could tell us how he actually manages it.

Jonhboy my dear fellow are you really thinking of moving south? If so just think about those lovely early potatoes. Ever thought about moving to bedfordshire we can grow a mean onion down here, and we would love to have you hear for advice.
As it happens we have a spare allotment at the moment. Although it has been bitterly cold tody, as i have been on a friends roof doing a few repairs and got froze through to my old brittle bones.
Keep the good advice coming.

Kind regards a very welcoming Old herbaceous.

There's many a fine cock come out of a tattered bag.

Good grief, your signatures get worse by the day OH!

JB - why don't you post a reference to your list of available seeds and sell them?

11 degrees here this am, off to the plot with boss hog to fill up some raised beds and finish my polytunnel door frames.

We have taken 16 snorkers, some crusty cobs, brown sauce and a pan to cook an allotment brunch later.

Quality.