What will the effects of this heatwave be?

[antipodes]

Apart from excessive consumption of cold beers among us gardeners!
I was looking at the onions which have all come up nicely, 20 cm tall green stems and thinking "you lot are probably all going to bolt on me!" especially as I got them in quite early this year (mid-march).

What else will the effects be? I currently have in carrots, spinach, peas, French beans, broccoli and potatoes. I am watering about 3 or 4 times a week at the moment.

[antipodes]

[chriscross1966]

Water once a week but heavily... It makes the plants put down decent roots, it also saves massively on evaporation... (Im watering several times a week, but it's a rotatio9n, only seedlings and vrey recent.y planted out modules get more than once a week....

[Morris]

Of course, it may revert to freezing any time now...

But, I am wondering about how the crops that prefer cooler, damper wetter in spring/early summer are going to do if the lack of rain continues. The peas will need a massive amount of watering at this rate. I am trying to mulch everything I can, but the problem is it needs deep watering before the mulch goes on.

I even watered the broad beans yesterday, can't think when I have done that before flowering, they were looking sad and the soil is so dry.

Newly planted seedlings/seeds sown need constant attention, it is so dry.

Lovely, though... ;D

[antipodes]

Yes I was a bit worried about the peas myself. I have a lot in this year! would be a shame if they didn't amount to much.
I've even put down some French bean seeds, never done that so early but it's so warm, it won't frost here now this far south. I am sure they will do OK oncethey come up.
Probably snow next week, you're spot on there  ;D ;D ;D

[powerspade]

I watered my peas last night and guess what its tipping down with lovely glorious rain now

[Tee Gee]

I am one who works to the calendar not the weather and I have found April to be really hard work.

As you probably saw in a recent posting I made I have nothing planted out yet, but plan on making a start next week with Shallots, Onion setts, potatoes, gladioli and possibly a couple of rows of peas then that will be it until mid May!

I have found my seedlings have virtually stopped growing because of the heat. I am registering temperatures around twice what I would normally grow on at but then the temperatures dive down at night which is not conducive to good growing conditions.

To overcome this I have crammed most of my stuff into my 10x8 heated greenhouse so that I can compensate the night time temperatures!

Trouble is; where my greenhouse is sited it is screened/overshadowed by a 10ft hedge from hell (leylandii), at a time when my plants need light!

Those that are in the light are drying out very quickly at least the top ½" is and the root systems are suffering

Normally I can cope with this in normal years but this year; as i said has been hard work.

The next thing I worry about is ; is the month of May! What can we expect?

I know normally, I daren't plant out half hardy stuff  before the first week in June, and this is still my plan.

For instance; I haven't sown some stuff yet e.g. sweetcorn which I wont for at least another three or four weeks yet.

I just sowed my cucumber & courgettes this morning which is a week early for me ( hedging my bets)

In many respects I am glad my stuff is not ready for planting out yet as the ground is far too dry for my liking and I don't like to water too much for fear of late frosts, so to that end all is OK hopefully we will get some rain before I do plant out!

So that is how this hot spell is affecting me!

[Crystalmoon]

Im also abit worried about what May will bring as last year after a hot dry April we had frost & even some snow in May :o
Ive just sown my courgettes & summer & winter squash today, abit earlier than normal for me as I usually wait until May.
Ive sown parsnip, beetroot, turnips direct at my lotty in raised beds covered in fleece which I water quite often.
Ive also sown radish & lots of mixed salad leaves in raised beds under pvd covers which seems to be keeping them moist (I have the sides open slightly during the day to them some cooling air but close down tightly for the night when it gets so much colder). Last year most of the sald crops bolted after the hot April so I wont be surprised if that happens again this year :-\ but Ive kept plenty of seeds to resow.
The only things Ive planted directly into my heavy clay soil sofar is potatoes.
The soil at my lotty is like brick ::)
Luckily my raised beds are filled with grow bags so they are still lovely to work with.
As my soil is such heavy clay I really think I will put as many raised neds on my plot as possible this year, just leaving clay areas for spuds & squashes in future.