[mfconway]

hi
help! due to the time spent organising my new plot i haven't got around to getting anything in the ground yet. Now we have the snow and cold weather, what do i do now? wait for it to warm back up or throw caution to the wind. talking about winds our site is on top of a hill, there is always a force 10 gail howling. I have potato's/onions and 2 apple tree's waiting to go in. My head is in a spin, god all this worry HELP.

[vegmandan]

Don't fight the weather.

What's the point of planting in snow ?

If you do It's only going to go backwards sitting in cold wet soil.

A couple of weeks aint going to make a great deal of difference.

I'm in the same boat as you...I've only planted my Shallots and Garlic you've got to resist the urge        

[fivespud364]

leave all planting until its warm enough nothing will grow in low soil temperatures and will more than like rot the seed even in a late spring plants will always catch up no need to panic its only the first week in April theres plenty of time yet

[compostqueen]

nah, gardening when it's cold is no fun at all.  Besides stuff won't grow.

Sit in the warm of the house and browse your seed catalogues  

[mashbintater]

I'm still trying to dig my garden over inbetween snow showers. Not the ideal weather but I need to get rid of grass and weeds so I can empty my compost bin there before I plant too. Until now, I've not had the time, now I just need the stamina!

[gobs]

hi
help! due to the time spent organising my new plot i haven't got around to getting anything in the ground yet. Now we have the snow and cold weather, what do i do now? wait for it to warm back up or throw caution to the wind. talking about winds our site is on top of a hill, there is always a force 10 gail howling. I have potato's/onions and 2 apple tree's waiting to go in. My head is in a spin, god all this worry HELP.

We don't know where you are, but as said, you are OK for a few weeks yet, in any case, you just harvest later, even if they go in late.

But with the apple trees you are pushing it already. As some shall starting to open buds pretty soon or have done depending on variety and location.

[mfconway]

thank you all for the advice, the apple tree just bursting into leaf, so will make it my first job
yours,  M

[DD.]

thank you all for the advice, the apple tree just bursting into leaf, so will make it my first job
yours,  M

Maybe you could put your location in profile (approximate would do). It does help with the answers, as there's quite a difference between Cornwall,say, and the Scottish Highlands.

We also have members in the southern hemisphere, which does confuse us at times!

[jimroden]

hi
help! due to the time spent organising my new plot i haven't got around to getting anything in the ground yet. Now we have the snow and cold weather, what do i do now? wait for it to warm back up or throw caution to the wind. talking about winds our site is on top of a hill, there is always a force 10 gail howling. I have potato's/onions and 2 apple tree's waiting to go in. My head is in a spin, god all this worry HELP.

dont know about the veggie stuff but i would put the apple trees in a pot and put in the green house for a bit i have had one in ther about a week now i'm not risking putting it in when there is a chance of frost all be it has all gone by 8.00 as the sun is warming up now I recon another two weeks or so. What apple is it you have??

Jim

[mfconway]

not so lucky to be in the southern hemispher, just Lincolnshire.
Jim apple trees are Apple Discovery and cox's Orange Pippin both container grown and both on MM106 fancied having a go at espalier to reduce shading on other crops any advice as i am a complete novice, but willing to try anything.

[gobs]

Oh we have been here before, apple trees don't grow in houses and even though come in containers too, best planted in the dormant season, during the WINTER.

They in fact need a cold period to function, so can't be grown in the tropics, etc. includes greenhouses.

[Stripey_cat]

If you have some ground unfrozen (maybe a bed near the house), you can heel in the trees: make a sort of narrow trench, stick them in, and knock the soil back over them.  It stops them drying out or freezing solid until you can get them in properly.  Once you do plant them, stake them solidly and keep them watered - they'll not be so well established as bare-root trees planted dormant, so they'll have smaller root systems and need more water, and they could blow over!

[gobs]

Nobody has frozen ground in the UK, commonly, forever.