Starting to panic now!!!!

[carrot-cruncher]

Here we are in the middle of april & I still haven't got a blasted thing planted in the lottie.

I'm still waiting for it to dry out enough so the nice man with the rotovator can get it turned over for me. 

I can't get the car into the garage 'cos it's full of dismantled pallets waiting to be turned into bed edging & a garden shed. 

I daren't start anything off in the greenhouse until next week in case they all decide to leg it before getting to their nice spacious home.

So, the big question is......when is it too late to plant anything for this year.

CC

[carrot-cruncher]

[Merlins Mum]

I'm no expert CC but I would have thought anything where it says on the packet, sow between April and June, or whenever.  Things like beetroot, carrots, lettuce just for starters.

MM

[chrispea27]

Hi Merlin

Do not panic. If you plant in wet soil plants will not germinate well. They will soon pick if the soil is warmer . Have you started any seeds in greenhouse or on a window sill?

I have always been too eager and find that things are not germinating! Hope this is of help.  You can still be planting in May June and they will (hoefully grow rapidly.

[Merlins Mum]

Yes that more or less what I said to CC

MM

[terrace max]

I'm coming round to the view that April is soon enough for most things.

I made a big effort to get lots sown in Feb and March and, given the rubbish weather since, the results have been unspectacular. The best: hardy brassicas like broccoli and b. sprouts I forgot to take inside last night and they got well frosted!

So, no worries, it's no fun if it's a race...

[wardy]

Squashes do better if sown ready for planting out in June, so you could start them off about May.  I've not done mine yet

[tim]

We really ought to have a big banner, somewhere, saying

                                     DON'T PANIC!!

Or just a photo of Corporal Jones??

Apart from things like Aubs & Celeriac, I can't think of any plant that is so early-sowing-critical that anyone should lose sleep.

[moonbells]

We really ought to have a big banner, somewhere, saying

                                     DON'T PANIC!!

Or the HHGTTG?  ;D

I just checked on my planting dates for 2003 and have
sweetcorn May 15th (plant out May 29th)
Runner beans May 6th (plant out May 25th)
Cabbage minicole March 2nd (plant out April 17th)
French beans May 15th (plant out May 25th)
Courgettes April 21st (plant out May 30th)

For last year, I did everything incredibly late and still got crops (though courgettes were a bit too late compared with everyone else's, but that was ok as everyone saw I didn't have any and buried me under their spares!! )

moonbells

[tim]

I think you've said it!!

Except for "incredibly late"? By whose standards? The Jones'?

"Everything comes to those who wait"??

[moonbells]

How late was incredibly?

Well I planted the spuds at the end of April...! Mostly a consequence of not having managed to dig over the ground of my then-new halfplot in time.

Everything else was sown around mid-May when I got back from my travels and found that fiance had not watered anything in the cold frame and I had to start again.  Onions didn't go out very early if at all (I still have a module tray with some in, scraggy things!) and did terribly. Cabbages were in on time and were pathetic. Sweetcorn didn't do brilliantly but good enough, carrots, beet fantastic.  Spuds got there a bit late but no harm done. Runner Beans were great once they got going but French climbing were a bit poor.  Back to dwarf this year.  Had to buy seedling leeks as the homegrowns were crispy when I returned and it was a bit late to start those off again.

But it was a good fruit year and making jam and bottling was a common sight in the house.

moonbells

[growmore]

I agree with Tim ..There's plenty of time to sow and set stuff..
It is pointless tring to set things in cold wet soil as it is at the moment...
cheers Jim...

[JohnnyLarge]

I got my allotment (first ever garden) in the last week of April last year.
I did equally as well as my long standing neighbours.
In fact at the moment, one or two are wishing they hadn't planted yet as stuff is rotting in the ground as it's too wet.
All I have in is 10 rows of potatoes. All my plants and seeds are in the heated greenhouse. The ground is just too wet to venture upon. Your garden will soon catch up on your neighbours.
You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Nature is a wonderful thing!
John :)

[Alimo]

That's ok then.  For some reason my squash, pumpkin and courgettes haven't germinated  ::) hmmm dunno why, everything else ok.  C'est la vie.

I will not panic..... I will not panic......

Alimo

[Multiveg]

I still haven't got me spuds in - well got the Rocket and Lady Christl in (all 6 of them!) but nothing yet in the plot. Got some peas in guttering hardening off, and some broad beans to go down there. I do have stuff in corrugated sheet cloche thing growing away. Might wander down there today!

[wardy]

I did a bit of weeding and moving plants about today and I noticed that the soil felt very cold and was really wet.  The day got warmer but I had to stop trying to plant stuff as the soil was just sticking to everything and I didn't want to keep treading on it

[clairenpaul]

We were getting in a bit of a panic - our digging schedule has been getting further and further behind. We have now roped in my teenage son and his friend (at great expense!) to help so we feel a bit better. Last week I was chatting to a stall holder at our local market who has a nursery and he said not to worry because most things are ok to be planted til May or even June. He said he's planted things like broad beans in June and still had a decent crop..

There's hope for us yet