Am I behind or am I going mad??

[clare]

I have cleaned the green house and shed.Turned the compost heap and it is all ready for planting/sowing but with all this snow and cold minus 1's I haven't sown a thing.My seed potatoes are chitting but I haven't put anything in seed trays yet.I don't want to get too behind but just feel going with the climate is a damage limitation process.I am sure even the parsnips won't germinate in this weather and my greenhouse isn't heated .Does anyone have any suggestions what I should sow now?It's really thrown me I am usually so organised...My chickens aren't laying yet and we are still gathering firewood when we are usually thinking about cutting the grass!!!

[123sologne]

I have been told a few times to sow some peas as they don't freeze easily, or if they do it has to be seriously cold, well below zero. They will be the 1st things I will do, but I am not quite ready yet. I need one more round of the old rotovator before I can start.... Anyway, I would suggest you seed them 1st, except if you don't like peas of course.

[Odsox]

I don't really know what it's like in Norfolk, but looking at the UK weather forecast I assume it's still exceptionally cold and with no real sign of it getting warmer any time soon.
Parsnips you could chit on damp paper towels in your airing cupboard and then pot up into toilet roll tubes or peat pots, assuming you've got some window sill space. Tomatoes could be treated the same, only conventional pots for them, also dwarf French beans can be potted up. Lettuce, spring onions, cabbage, cauliflower amongst others can be sown, pricked out and grown on for a while on a window sill.

It all really depends on how many window sills you have and how much longer you think this cold spell is going to last, but all the above would be quite happy for 2 to 3 weeks indoors, and would give you a massive head start when spring does finally arrive.

[HOMER]

Same here In the west Midlands,

We should be seeing daytime temp In the low double number's now, Yet we are no were near them,
My fruit trees and bushes are coming into bud, But I have not put any seeds down yet, Not even board bean's. Which I normally have In by now,.

I'm hoping over the next couple of weeks the weather will warm up to a point were I can start Planting seed.

[clare]

Well I'm glad its not just me.my potatoes are chitting and I might sow cauliflower and broccoli and wrap in bubble wrap and cross my fingers.I did once sow pepper and tomatoes in the boiler room but once germinated I struggled to find a place for them.I hadnt thought of peas yet but will give it a go.

[Pumkinpie]

My potatoes are sitting chit ting waiting for better weather.
I have some maiden fruit trees for making in to cordons earthed up waiting to go in.
Roll on some better weather.
I dread to think about the price of fruit and veg later this tear as all the farmers are struggling too.

[clare]

Well thanks Susie,at least I know its may to work to I keep wondering when spring will arrive.I haven't heard any long term forecast but the truth is I don't think they really know what's going on!we have sun today and yesterday but we just cut up a fallen tree and stacked logs the grass wasn't dry so couldn't cut it.well done on your toms and chillis.

[bonniethomas06]

Glad it isn't just me then - I am having minor panics about my poor seed potatoes, which have massive shoots, they have been inside so long. Bought plug toms and peppers, don't mind them as they are staying in the conservatory. Leeks, peas, b.beans, chard, spinach and leuttice were all sown in plug trays/seed trays this weekend and will just have to lump being transplanted when it warms up. I did sow sprout, summer cabbage and red cabbage at the 'lottie in a raised bed, along with some hardy annuals, at the weekend - but I Have spares if they don't come through.

In my experience though, things do catch up eventually and the first sowings I make inside and later direct outside always end up cropping at the same time! Nothing we can do about it, so no point worrying about it. Wish I had a polytunnel though.

The man next to me at the lottie just spent £900 on a polytunnel! Starting to see his reasoning now...

[diggernotdreamer]

If it were me, I would just pop the seed potatoes into some deep trays with some compost and allow them to start to make roots, this takes the longest time and it would help them to get going a bit quicker when you can get them out into the ground, I find this a more beneficial excercise than just chitting them, they get away really fast once planted out.

[sleepyowl]

I'm running late but it is generally due to the weather & the plot that I have is more a couch grass patch as it hasn't been worked for years/decades

[Pumkinpie]

I am going to venture down the allotment today and check things out.
The weather looks a bit better for the week end.
Might start sowing a few of the seeds that should have been sown weeks ago if it hadn't been for the
Weather.
I am hopeful though. Last year I sowed some parsnip seed in late march which I thought hadn't germinated because of the drought in April. I sowed another crop in the same place. What happened was in July I spotted some very healthy parsnip plants amongst the second crop. They made reasonable size parsnips which we had on Christmas Day.
Seeds are designed for storage and they will germinate when the conditions are right. It is their job to ensure the survival of the parent plant after all.

[Flo]

We're in the middle of a few decent days weather with regards to sun and warmth - unfortunately there's a warm hooligan blowing which seems to be going on till early am Friday looking at the forecast. When the wind drops so do the forecast temperatures.

I've filled up the tubs that I use because I can fleece them if things get bad. Peas are in trays under fleece. It's twirly for roots like swede and no need to get various forms of beans in for another couple of weeks.

[Pumkinpie]

First decent weather. That much to do. It's a case of what to do first.
Plant potatoes from windows and make room to sow cubits.
Sow some parsnips and hope they have a long enough growing season to make some decent roots.
Time to catch up but be careful about any thing tender still plenty of time for a cold snap.

[Pumkinpie]

Weed seedlings are germinating so its definitely time to get out there and start sowing.
Cleared five raised beds today.

[clare]

Well what a difference a few days of sun makes!!The hens are laying so have eggs for sale.I have sown
lettuce,tomatoes,pumpkin,cauliflower,broccoli,brussels and rocket all of which are up and growing nicely.I also sowed peppers,cucumber,courgette,herbs and peas which aren't up yet.I never seem to do well with peppers.My spuds are in and my onions are in plugs in at night and out all day do you think I can put them out now?I put my redcurrant bare root canes in aswell( got them for £1.99 each) but don't want to lose them, they are growing already.I sowed my carrots and parsnips today and put new compost around all the rhubarb and in the other raised beds.I re-potted the christmas tree.I love the sunshine......