[lentil987]

Hi,

This is my first year with an allotment and I am pretty much doing everything by the allotment book. However as we have had such a bad winter I have hung back with alot of planting as the old hands on the allotment site have told me to wait.
My question for now is .. am I on the right tract
I have tomato plants in the house growing quite well in peat pots. I plan to put them out end of May.
Corgettes are growing in peat pots - now have four leaves - when do I plant them out in the allotment?
Also have red cabbage now again have four leaves as do the cauliflowers - when do I plant them out?
Sweetcorns are growing in peat pots - all looking lovely - I have never grown them before and they are now about 4 inches high in the pots.

Peppers are looking fabulous in little tiny pots - again when do I move them on? Can I plant any of this outdoors under cloches or should they wait a while longer.

Cucumbers have four leaves and waiting with the rest!

I have leeks in little pots all looking spindly - can I just plant them out anytime now?

In my shed I have tiny brussel sprouts just germinated as well as french bean (just about to germinate), and cabbages again just germinated.

I also have loads of seeds - carrots (have planted some out already but nothing happening)

I have swede and turnip seeds waiting to be planted and thought I might do that tomorrow as I have a day off but not sure if its the right sort of time?


do you think I am heading in the right direction or do I hold back a bit yet?

Thanks in advance for any hints and tips

[Jake]

I planted out some leeks at the weekend and they don't look good at all. I live in Luton so quite close to MK, the weather will be the same I should think.

Nothings happened yet with my carrots either but my parsnips are like an army

I have tiny brussels seedlings too but have only just limed so I'm really stuck with them, I shouldn't plant in the limed area for about 3 - 4 weeks (thanks John) and the other area ready is quite acidic. Bit stressed about that.

My beetroot outside is all floppy too.

[Heather_S]

I read recently that you should plant out cauliflower when they're 2-4inches tall. Mine are easily that  :oops: So I took them outside today to harden off a little. Depending on how it looks I might carry them to the coldframe in the allotment in a few days (I'm horribly impatient about hardening off, I can barely manage a week let alone the 3-4 weeks some sources suggest!).
I've not planted my turnips either. One packet says they can be planted now the other kind says to wait another month. I follow what the packets say give or take a month, especially since it was quite cold recently.
I don't plant out my peppers. They stay in PVC & metal/plastic greenhouse in the summer and crop well throughout the summer and into September.
I hold back on bean planting only because they simply skyrocket as seedlings in little pots while the outside isn't warm enough for them yet so I wait until May to plant them, again, like the packet says.

[John]

Leeks - mine are in deep troughs where they were sown very thinly. I want them - in theory - about pencil thick before I plant them out. This involves dibbing a hole with an old spade shaft about 6" deep. I drop them into the hole and water well leaving the soil to fall in naturally. This blanches the stem so you get a nice white shaft.
Usually they are being planted in June or July.  
Courgettes and tomatoes will not tolerate any frost - if the roots are coming through, move into bigger pots. Last frost here is end of May -
Brussels and cabbages are hardy so plant out when you want.
Beans - frost will kill them except broad beans which are hardy.
Swedes and Turnips you can sow now, try doing turnips every 2 weeks and harvesting when about golf ball size.
Hope this helps