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Last frost where you live? Safe to plant out yet?
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OtleyLad



Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 2737
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire
PostPosted: Mon May 02, 16 6:42 am    Post subject: Last frost where you live? Safe to plant out yet? Reply with quote
    

The recent cold weather is predicted to end and it will warm up as the week progresses (at least here in Otley).
I did a brief search of last frost data for Otley and it seems to vary from late April to mid May.
That makes sense as every year is a bit different to the last.
I've got squash and sweetcorn plants that will soon outgrow their pots and the greenhouse is mighty crowded.
Would you plant 'out' yet (under a homemade large bubblewrap clad cloche)?

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15542

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 16 6:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I haven't sown any tender plants yet as the frosts show very little sign of letting up just yet. We aren't having serious ones, but enough to take out things like runner beans and squashes. We are in southern England. We had a mild winter, but spring is rather late this year. We have been pretty well frost free by the end of April in the past.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45384
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon May 02, 16 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

i have a bit of an odd micro climate in the yard,in a city so warmer than average but north west facing so the sheltered bits dont get any sun.

so frost chance low but if we get a frost tis a bit cooler than average

we have been having daily hail which has made me delay planting but we did have a frost last week.

i recon another couple of weeks for anything tender like beans and cucumbers but the onions are going in asap.

Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6533
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Mon May 02, 16 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Daily hail seems a bit rough, particularly when there is still a small frost risk. We really only get hail with very tall energetic thunderstorms

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45384
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon May 02, 16 11:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

the hail thing seems to be from warm damp atlantic air getting blast chilled by arctic air by the jet stream swirling them together rather than the classic warm damp thunderheads rising into cold air which are normal for this time of year in these parts.

gil
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 16 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We've had a lot of hail this year too, and are still having frosts.
The only reliably frost-free month here is July. Seriously.
Generally mid-May onwards for most stuff, but I wouldn't plant out beans till mid-June.

You just have to take the risk, get on with it and do multiple sowings.
Or use a greenhouse/polytunnel.

All I have sown outdoors so far are the broad beans.

Midlandsman



Joined: 22 May 2014
Posts: 116

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 16 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'm new to veg gardening having just created large raised beds. I wondered the same thing. The last frost date is said to be 12th May by all the old boys. I don't have a greenhouse but have large heavy gauge plastic covers over hoops made of mdpe pipe for a couple of the beds, and heavy duty cloches as well. How do these differ from an unheated greenhouse in terms of crop protection? I assume that the volume has some effect?

MM

Behemoth



Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds
PostPosted: Mon May 02, 16 3:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Just down the road but a little bit higher , generally frost free by mid May but very old nights can still be a slap in the face for beans and squash. Tend to wait until early June as can't guarantee getting to the plot every night to cover.

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Mon May 02, 16 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'm a bit late with most of it this year, so none of my beans or squashes are anywhere near ready to go out. Just poking through, in fact. So I'll leave those a couple of weeks at least.

I might plant the potatoes next week.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45384
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon May 02, 16 5:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

5 sorts of lettuce,french breakfast and a mixed radish combo,2 handfuls of onion sets went in this aft and are now sunning themselves in the hope of germination and growth with no devastating weather.

the warm sunny autumn and almost no winter has put the garlic a couple of months ahead of where i expected it to be so odd weather can be good as well as upsetting.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15542

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 16 6:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Midlandsman, the covers should do for most things. Spring frosts aren't usually that harsh. Most people would get caught by a severe one.

OtleyLad



Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 2737
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 16 6:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Midlandsman wrote:
I'm new to veg gardening having just created large raised beds. I wondered the same thing. The last frost date is said to be 12th May by all the old boys. I don't have a greenhouse but have large heavy gauge plastic covers over hoops made of mdpe pipe for a couple of the beds, and heavy duty cloches as well. How do these differ from an unheated greenhouse in terms of crop protection? I assume that the volume has some effect?

MM


Do you have a nearby power supply? You can get thermostatically controlled electric fan heaters (most with a 'frost guard' setting) for £10.99 from argos and the like. They only come on when its cold enough of course and provide that safety net should nighttime temp drop too low.
Think what it would cost if you lost all your early sowings and had to buy them in (or lose the crop) and it seems like a sensible precaution.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45384
Location: yes
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 16 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

OtleyLad wrote:
Midlandsman wrote:
I'm new to veg gardening having just created large raised beds. I wondered the same thing. The last frost date is said to be 12th May by all the old boys. I don't have a greenhouse but have large heavy gauge plastic covers over hoops made of mdpe pipe for a couple of the beds, and heavy duty cloches as well. How do these differ from an unheated greenhouse in terms of crop protection? I assume that the volume has some effect?

MM


Do you have a nearby power supply? You can get thermostatically controlled electric fan heaters (most with a 'frost guard' setting) for £10.99 from argos and the like. They only come on when its cold enough of course and provide that safety net should nighttime temp drop too low.
Think what it would cost if you lost all your early sowings and had to buy them in (or lose the crop) and it seems like a sensible precaution.


be careful electric, water,conductive floor etc etc .all the usual safety rules should apply (at the least make sure there is a rcd in the supply, that will prevent owt worse than a nasty surprise but any outside electrics really do deserve observation of the wiring regs for such things)

for low tech warming under glass or plastic a roll of bin bags over the soil with slits to plant through gives an extra 5 to 10 degrees c to the soil temp and plastic bottles full of water(painted black is best) on top to act as a heat store to keep the air a bit warmer overnight.both rely on sun during the day but as clear sky at night often means clears sky during the day they do work best when there is most risk of frost damage to young plants.

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 16 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It's absolutely safe enough to plant out broad beans now. Hateful things.

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 16 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

dpack wrote:
OtleyLad wrote:
Midlandsman wrote:
I'm new to veg gardening having just created large raised beds. I wondered the same thing. The last frost date is said to be 12th May by all the old boys. I don't have a greenhouse but have large heavy gauge plastic covers over hoops made of mdpe pipe for a couple of the beds, and heavy duty cloches as well. How do these differ from an unheated greenhouse in terms of crop protection? I assume that the volume has some effect?

MM


Do you have a nearby power supply? You can get thermostatically controlled electric fan heaters (most with a 'frost guard' setting) for £10.99 from argos and the like. They only come on when its cold enough of course and provide that safety net should nighttime temp drop too low.
Think what it would cost if you lost all your early sowings and had to buy them in (or lose the crop) and it seems like a sensible precaution.


be careful electric, water,conductive floor etc etc .all the usual safety rules should apply (at the least make sure there is a rcd in the supply, that will prevent owt worse than a nasty surprise but any outside electrics really do deserve observation of the wiring regs for such things)

for low tech warming under glass or plastic a roll of bin bags over the soil with slits to plant through gives an extra 5 to 10 degrees c to the soil temp and plastic bottles full of water(painted black is best) on top to act as a heat store to keep the air a bit warmer overnight.both rely on sun during the day but as clear sky at night often means clears sky during the day they do work best when there is most risk of frost damage to young plants.


A very long extension lead won't do, then? Bother. (I'm joking, I promise) I was supposed to have a supply put in the garage when the solar went in, but it doesn't seem to have happened

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