Getting a head start?

South West Midlands. Since it's been so mild recently, are people doing anything new / unusual in their gardens at the moment? The forecast for the month ahead is largely for more of the same, and I have been thinking about getting a jump on the growing season by putting in some veg and seeds under glass. I know we may still get some cold in February, and snow must not be discounted, but I feel that the mild conditions are too good to waste! Any comments? Lindyco.

 

Be patient Lindy, or you could come unstuck.

 

I'll be very surprised if winter hasn't arrived by the end of january. In fact, I say now, on this public forum, that I will eat my hat if we don't see a sustained hard frost, lasting 48 hours or more, at some point between now and 01/02/2012.

I know its tempting. I've been tempted to put down some grass seed on a few bald patches on the lawn. I think we should resist temptation.

 

at the moment I'm trying to see how much longer I can get things lasting outside.. I have an Alocasia macrorrhiza outside still very slowly growing in the mild weather, and all my tenderonis are outside.. there will however be a cold snap, sometime during January.

What we will not see is a repeat of last years December, but a hard frost is only about -5C or so and enough to wreck any early starts.

 

Hi lindyco. You could give it a punt. Try just planting a few and if it goes pear-shaped you can plant again at the correct time. Experimenting is part of gardening. I've known years when you only get a couple of mild frosts. However, I do live on the South Coast.

 

Ermm, yes, tidying up. Normally i lose all interest at the end of October and leave it in a complete tip till early March, but got tempted out for a clear up this week by the mild weather.

Will be wanting to get a few hardy seeds in over the next few weeks.

I also would like to do some path maintenance/modification which will involve cement - my favourite - which I could have started this week if I'd known how mild it was going to be. It'll be cold again soon enough, I expect, so probably no point in bothering.

 

On Sunday I shall be sowing my chilli seeds, along with the Datura seeds. Mid/late January I start off the Sweet Peas, Salvia and Cleomes.

 

I've been spending more time out in the garden than I'd normally do this time of year (read "some" time !) but mainly just tidying up, cutting the odd herbaceous back that I didnt get round to doing in autumn (or was still going coz of the weather), digging etc.

Wouldnt plant anything out though ... I've got a Magnolia and a winter Jasmine sat in my conservatory as I dont want to put them out yet ...

Am tempted to move some rhubarb though ... dont know if its too late to do it, probably.

 

Len is the winter Jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum? It should be ok to put outside as the plant itself is very hardy, and one of the plants that continues to grow in winter despite the cold. Things that are winter flowering generally are ok to plant in winter. Summer flowering stuff is not as beneficial because they usually go into a stage of hibernation, that said hardy plants won't be killed by planting out in winter but they probably won't get much benefit either. Do you find the winter Jasmine is flowering alot better indoors (for example I find it quite sparse flowering, is it very floriferous?)

Rhubarb would still grow if you planted it in a bucket of acid!! Rhubard of starting to show through now, but I think this is fairly normal for this time of year?

 

If the plant is acclimatised to the cold, it is ok to plant in winter, provided common sense prevails (ie don't go out if you have to walk at a 45 degree angle against the blizzard, and don't plant into frozen or waterlogged ground).

In fact, sometimes its better to plant in winter. If there is enough warmth left in the soil from autumn, the roots will still grow, albeit at a slow rate, and so the plant gets nicely settled in ready for spring.

 

Yes it is. However I only told half the story ... to be honest I've not put it outside yet ALSO because I haven't decided where to put it, lol !