[mumofstig]

It's not just me suffering this year

My chillies are leaning towards the windows despite having an ali foil reflector 

I really don't think it's worth sowing anything else inside until it brightens up a bit.
I'm really fed up with it now, but keep telling myself that it will get better.............soon 

[New shoot]

It is very grey isn't it    Supposed to be a lot better tomorrow but then rain again Friday for the south east.

Can't get on the plot - way too wet and have not started on the inside stuff yet because I think its too dark on the windowsill for much 

[Ma and Pa Snip]

I agree with you mum, We grow in sheltered raised beds which make the ground slightly warmer than those in exposed areas but  I'm holding back on sowing to.

We have succumbed to sowing some early short carrots in a couple of troughs and some tomatoes for the greenhouse, oh and parsnips under fleece.

Different areas have different circumstances, sometimes I think people take sowing guidelines on seed packets far to literally. Packet says sow from Feb to June so 1st Feb the seeds go in (bit of an extreme example but you get my drift).

Like you we are itching to get on with things but sometimes we just cant compete with nature.

[JayG]

A pretty map and graph showing UK light levels HERE!

As you can see from the graph the total light received (per day) in April is 3 times the February figure. Taking into account the further loss of light through glass it's easy to see why we are struggling with indoor plants in this cloudy weather.

[Ma and Pa Snip]

A pretty map and graph showing UK light levels HERE!

As you can see from the graph the total light received (per day) in April is 3 times the February figure. Taking into account the further loss of light through glass it's easy to see why we are struggling with indoor plants in this cloudy weather.

My that is pretty, and I'm pretty glad I'm not in Edinburgh.
 Doesnt Devon & Cornwall look an inviting colour on the main map

[DD.]

A pretty map and graph showing UK light levels HERE!

As you can see from the graph the total light received (per day) in April is 3 times the February figure. Taking into account the further loss of light through glass it's easy to see why we are struggling with indoor plants in this cloudy weather.

Even hanging on just from February to March nearly doubles it and conversley being early in January halves it .

[mumofstig]

A pretty map and graph showing UK light levels HERE!

As you can see from the graph the total light received (per day) in April is 3 times the February figure. Taking into account the further loss of light through glass it's easy to see why we are struggling with indoor plants in this cloudy weather.

and, in this part of the UK at least, we must be way down on the average this year!

[Lardman]

I think its been a duller start to the year too. Normally I have my peppers in by now but I've not bothered this year. We don't seem to have had many cold crisp Jan/Feb days its all just been dull, grey and November like.

[Rhiannon]

tell me about it i have no chance of making a fortune as an outdoor cannabis farm  ..Its so dull , it realy is doing my heard in , i just hope we get a good summer joking aside. Ive got all my seeds and my young plants ordered .

[Jome]

The meridian weather forecaster said we only had 40% sunshine in January, which was below average, and seems to be the same this month, grey, grey, grey. My tomatoes are holding up well, I move them all around the house during the day!

[Kristen]

Not sure how scientific it is, but my Solar Panels record how many kWh they capture. (I say not scientific because they need X amount of sun just to get going, so it might be they are on the brink of starting some days, but don't quite make it). This year, so far, looks gloomy compared to last year

Month	2010	2011
Jan	117	50
Feb	187	88 (to 23rd)
Mar	551
Jun	1324

[Ma and Pa Snip]

Kristen
Since your 2010 figures would have  required the same parameters as your 2011 figures I would suggest  your comparative figures are as 'scientific' as any .

But are they recording Kwh of light  or of heat, I dont have solar panels so genuinely dont know.

Whatever they are recording  it's well down on last year.

[Kristen]

But are they recording Kwh of light  or of heat

"heat" - they are solar panels for heating water - hence there is quite a bit they have to do on a given day before they can "start recording"; well down on last year as you say

[plum crumble]

WELLLL no wonder grumpy OH is even more grumpy than normal   He definitely is affected by lack of sunlight - well we all are, but there are those particularly susceptible

[JayG]

A kilowatt hour is a unit of energy equivalent to 1000 watts being consumed (or produced!) for 1 hour.

Doesn't make any difference whether this is used to produce heat, light or mechanical energy, the appliance has still used 1 kwH.