has anyone sown owt outside anywhere in Northumberland yet?

[Rubykitchen]

what and when have you sown anything near or in Northumberland in the ground or in unheated greenhouse. I do this every, every year...read the books and mags over winter - eager not to be left without anything to harvest for months...then I've again sown my toms and chillies end of feb - and boom end of march and all I've done is chitted my 1st and 2nd pots - and put some blood and bone in the beds. Now I feel the palpatations - and look at the many many seeds I've bought and don't know where to start...empty ground and empty greenhouse (apart from the garlic and onions planted Oct)...help anyone - what have you sown so far if you live nearby in greenhouse or elsewhere???

bought lots of early/short season varieties this year and eager to go...but there's that fear of getting going and the seedlings being wiped out by frost arghhhhhhhhhhhhh....have to remind myself this is supposed to be fun too rant over - advice greatly appreciated.

[Monika]

RubyKitchen,
Not as far north as you, but getting on that way. So, where shall I start?
- In the unheated greenhouse now (but mostly started off in the house): parsley (curled and flat), pot marjoram, mixed cut-and -come-again lettuce, Little Gem lettuce (in Jiffy7s), sweet and chilli peppers, celeriac, parsnips
- Outside but under cloches now (all started in the house, then hardened off in the greenhouse): onions, shallots, leeks, broad beans, peas (just a few), beetroot
- In the house, just sown: tomatoes

The tender stuff in the greenhouse is covered up every night with fleece/bubble plastic. I must admit we do have an oil-filled electric heater which we can use in the greenhouse if it gets VERY cold, but I try to avoid using it.

The last few days almost tempted me to sow lots of other things, but over the years I have learnt to control myself!

[Fair Weather 33]

Evening Ruby kitchen

This may not help but here goes. I live in the verry far north of Scotland (can actually see Orkney from window!). So everything here usually is about one month out from the middle of England. Only advantage no frosts from now on.

But have planted toms at the begining of March. They are in the sitting room and then moved to the unheated front porch onc it warms up about lunch time every day and taken back in for the night.

Also I have planted some pepper and brocolli in an unheated propogator in the sitting room on tues. Already the brocolli is up so have moved them to be with the toms. Will move the peppers when they make an apperance as well. All of them should be out in the front porch by April. (having said this the toms usually are by now, but having unusuall amount of v cold nights).

I will also be planting leeks in root trainers in the front porch this weekend. They shall be in there untill they are well established then planted out. Also will put in me early and main potatoes in thoes bag thingies. And will plant my late tatties in about 2 weeks. Know this sounds wrong but have to do a bit of altering if I planted me lates when you are supposed to would probably end up with marbles and i am no good at that game

When my heat prepared onions arrive I will also plant them. Cold does not seem to affect them as much as others. So usually plant them and leave to tough it out. Has worked so far.

Hope this rambling has not left you reaching for the wine

[Rubykitchen]

Thank you Monika & Fair weather for indulging me...above all else I'm incredibly nosey and LOVE hearing what others are sowing - iI wonder if there's a thread on here where people put what they've been planting/sowing on a daily basis - i'd be addicted if there was such a thread - I love hearing what other people are up to - just so I can tick them off or in this case go - oh no, knew I'd forgotten something - Leeks, Celeriac and Parsnips...and lettuce which led me to beetroot peas and spinach...now I have a dilemma of painting the kids bedrooms or sowing my very late vegetable seeds to catch up!?

Did either of you see my squash/sweetcorn variety request post - do you have any luck growing these and if so which varieties have served you well??

Thank you - feel free to keep sending me updates - so I can panic less/more.

[Fair Weather 33]

Hi again,

Yip I saw your other post but feel I am about as much help there as an ashtray on a moter bike . I have tried sweetcorn but just too windy here .

Also am going to try a squash in the front porch (axe at the ready), never tried one before due to said wind. Front porch should be fun, by the end it will be filled with a cue, squash, 2 pepper 8 cordon toms and 2 bush type toms. Can't waite

P.s should say said porch has held 10 toms in the window nad 6 on the ground.

[Monika]

FW33, we tried squash two years running but gave up because our allotment is very windy and no amount of individual shelter would encourage them to fruit properly! They flowered and formed very small fruit - and then nothing! I would not even attempt sweetcorn.

[Rubykitchen]

our garden on really windy site - but had great success with minipop sweetcorn last year. Last try this year for the big cob variety tho. was going to try seville - but found Marai in local garden centre and apparently good for short seasons and our pathetic weather.