Kitchen Garden Forum

After the latest heavy frost, things seem to be getting warmer in general. Is there any evidence that the May full moon is the crucial date for a last frost before planting out beans, courgettes etc? I normally wait until the first week of June but logistically this will be tricky this year.

Any advice welcome. Thanks.
-------------------------
Granny

I don't know about the moon, but you could gamble a few if you have lots of plants, I save large glass jars and bowls to cover small plants till the danger of frost is past and cloches for larger plants.

Hi Granny

I wouldn't have thought there is any way the moon could influence temperatures.

Having said that, the full moon this year is on May 27th - which is not that far off the first week in June

Thanks for replies.

Alan, I agree about temperatures but had some vague idea that we would be unlikely to get a frost after the full moon in May. Or that a frost often accompanied a full moon. Probably total rubbish.
--------------------
Granny

We usually plant out at the end of May beginning of June when we hope frost damage will be avoided.

It's not just frost that can do damage, wind can do just as much and many young plants don't like low night time temperatures, even if it doesn't freeze. However, the next 2 weeks look good so I shall be planting out my courgettes and squash fairly soon, keeping my cloches ready to cover them if the weather does change.

I leave all my young plants outside in late May to harden off: can always cover if a frost and plants out at the very end which is usually a Bank Holiday...

My tomatoes are all out now, but I've slipped large bottomless mineral water bottles over their support canes. I planted out my climbing beans today as they were looking a little leggy. . They're all against a south facing fence so have a little protection but I've wrapped fleece round some of them. Courgettes are also out under individual protective cloches. which I'll probably take off during the daytime if we have good weather this coming week-end.

I plant out tender veg in the last week of May or the furst in June - now I'm retired i can do it when i like, which means I'd prefer to leave it later. The Italians on the allotments seem very optimistic in planting their tomatoes mid-May. We often get a late May frost or two, but the toms usually survive it. Not this time; the sharp frosts dealt savagely with their toms.

As for me, I usually put fleece over my early spuds. This year I basically forgot. My earlies are not going to be earlies!