[debih]

We have done nothing on the plot because of this awful weather.

When we had the sun (whats that?) a few weeks ago we managed to get on the plot and get the potatoes in and clear the area for the onions.  We also moved some strawberry plants from the fruit bush bed to a new raised bed (we knew it was the wrong time to do it but it was the only time we had to do it).   We planted a few planted lettuce seeds under a cloche and planned what we were going to do the following weekend.

Then the snow came.   Followed by the torrential rain.  All backed up with constant rain for the last 3 weeks.  And frost.

So we have therefore done nothing else.  I have my onion sets waiting to go in (they arrived very late - on the day we had a few inches of snow!).   

My polytunnel blew away so I have no seedlings in and don't have the space in the house to start things off there.

I am now really worried that everything is too late.

Am I doomed for failure this year with growing from seeds?

[potatogrower]

you still have until May for some plants. if you're planning to growing spinach then best to ensure its a variety that won't bolt under the warm weather we may get get in the summer. Onion sets i risked growing some in June/July (got them for 12p  :happy: )- no doubt its too late for them but by October i had a fairly good sized onions to use.

[debih]

Well - I suppose as I have the seeds and the onion sets I may as well just get them in the ground/polytunnel over the next few weeks (if this rain ever stops) and keep my fingers crossed.

And if nothing much seems to be happening by June I will just have to go out and get some plug plants.

[potatogrower]

onions don't mind rain or the cold as they are hardy plants but the ground must be well drained. have you got trays? you can grow stuff in them in fine compost to start off with. i must admit despite the weather has not been very favourable, i could have got a few more things going sooner myself rather than waiting for the weather to change.

[bazh]

Don't worry about it get some brassicas planted in modules outside at home just put them on the garden table if you have one , plenty of time for things like carrots and beetroot get some parsnips sown during the next dry spell, still to early for french and runner beans, peas can go in when you get chance don't worry plenty to sow and harvest yet.

I'd try and get your onion sets in asap though tbh.

[PembsPanther]

I just mentioned this on another thread, I felt the same way until yesterday when I was having a chat with the guy in my local garden centre, he told me not too worry the weather has been rubbish and anything sown or planted over the coming weeks will catch up and may even produce stronger plants. He also told me that he has noticed over the last 4 or 5 years that people seem to be starting earlier and earlier every year, he said he can understand new growers being enthusiastic but starting so early they are setting themselves up for a negative experience with weak plants, he then reminded me that is still only April!!!

Just do what you can when you can, it is not a race and I have never seen a timetable written in stone either, I am growing not only for the produce but also enjoyment and feeling behind made it stressful!!!

[noshed]

Good advice there PP. It's easy to start fretting that you've missed the boat. Some of the old boys on our site are a bit er... competitive. As a result a lot of pumpkin plants have got done over by the cold weather.
Things will catch up - I often sow stuff quite late. When there's a bit of space I sow half a row of something. And as the season goes on, just sow stuff which doesn't take long to grow - salad leaves, radish, turnip, beetroot etc.
I keep sowing cabbages all through the spring and summer, because I like them. Nice little pointy ones like Hispi are good. I'm always too late with black kale but it still grows OK.
Get a chair and kettle and things will soon seem better when you hear the bees happily buzzing around your plot.

[sowitgrowit]

I've got onion sets and maincrop potatoes to go in this weekend, along with a little more clearing/tidying/planning.

It can't be helped as this will only be the third weekend with the allotment so I'll just keep my fingers crossed and probably harvest a little later than my neighbours.

[yorkiegal]

We appear to have had a break in the rain today so I'm heading down to check on my plot. We've only had ours a few weeks too so am desperate to crack on. Would I be right in thinking that after a week of heavy rain, my clay soil will be too wet to dig?

[JayG]

Even my sandpit of a garden looks a bit soggy at the moment, so I doubt whether your clay plot will be anything like diggable at the moment. 

[debih]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a couple of hours of dry weather this weekend.

I can nip to the plot and get the onions in and say sorry to the strawberry plants (if they are still alive) for moving them just before it snowed.

Then another couple of hours to get the polytunnel cover on. 

Sunday afternoon pop to the garden centre for some compost and get my tomatoes started on the daughters windowsill.  I'm sure she won't mind (even though she doesn't actually like tomatoes!).

I tend to do my parsnips in the polytunnel to start off with - in toilet roll tubes.  And my leeks I start off in there too - I put all the seeds in a big pot of compost and then when they look like grass plant them out.

I feel a little better now that I know I am not the only person in the country not to have got my seeds in!

[aelf]

It's still quite early yet and it's a bit risky planting out now for everyone because the temps have been so low.

Don't worry, as others have said, later sowings tend to catch up as the weather improves. And dates on seed packets are only guidelines! 

[DD.]

I wouldn't worry about it debih. I didn't get going until May the last two years and still had good results.

You've got a bigger problem if you're too far ahead - and we're seeing a lot of that this year, probably due the the summer we had last month!

[Yorkie]

We appear to have had a break in the rain today so I'm heading down to check on my plot. We've only had ours a few weeks too so am desperate to crack on. Would I be right in thinking that after a week of heavy rain, my clay soil will be too wet to dig?

If it sticks to your boots, keep off.  You'll do more harm than good to the soil structure.

[yorkiegal]

We appear to have had a break in the rain today so I'm heading down to check on my plot. We've only had ours a few weeks too so am desperate to crack on. Would I be right in thinking that after a week of heavy rain, my clay soil will be too wet to dig?

If it sticks to your boots, keep off.  You'll do more harm than good to the soil structure.

Stuck to my boots? I nearly got sucked down never to be seen again!