[Christine]

More haste, more bills to buy replacement seeds. The ground is drying, the weather is warmer and the wind is bitter. I'm not keen on going out so the outdoor seeds can wait another few days

[plot6b]

Onion sets went into day and sowed Carrots into a raised bed. This might be too early but we'll see

[wildwitchy]

http://www.meteoprog.co.uk/en/

if you type in your region into this they still give two days frost forcast (-2) around the 22nd/23rd march in birmingham/solihull area.

[mumofstig]

but you could wait until mid/late may if you wait till all the frosts have gone

Don't think many people wait till then to sow, except for the tender stuff like courgettes.

[fletcherbaker]

Ive looked at my region and doesnt seem to be to bad only the odd frost forcast as you say, suppose bit of fleece would sort that out might get a few things in this week leave my first early pots till end of month though i think

[upert]

north east birmingham here and i've yet to sow anything in the cold, unheated greenhouse so wary i am of the temperatures. that's a double-thickness greenhouse too but it's on a cold and windy site.

i've some leeks started off indoors but i need to clear these out as it's inconvenient with all my chitting potatoes and the heated propagator taking up space. i might make a coldframe for inside the greenhouse.

[Libby]

I started the garlic in an unheated greenhouse some months ago and planted them out about 2 weeks ago.  The onions are still in an unheated greenhouse.  We had a bad attack of the allium leaf miner last year so the garlic have gone out straight under cover of scaffold netting over plastic tubing - need to do the same for the onions shortly. A friend has given me some first early potatoes but they were so well chitted I had to put them out.  Again, have put them under two layers of fleece to see how they get on.  Other than that, have broad beans in the ground that I planted in the Autumn and then just a heck of a lot of space!

[upert]

we had the allium leaf miner too, i think it can get through scaffold netting though i'm not sure.

[diggerjoe]

Spent a day off yesterday at the plot clearing the last rubbish heap and said to neighbour how warm it is - his reply was don't be fooled the weather it will take another dip with more frosts before we can safely plant. I've got things going in the cold green house but even broad beans in there are taking ages and peas are struggling I reackon it will be the end of the month before I get anything in.

[Lardman]

we had the allium leaf miner too, i think it can get through scaffold netting though i'm not sure.

Dont say that !! I had them bad last year too. Lost around 60% of my garlic/onions/shallots I had planned on covering everything with debris netting this year. Theres no way I can justify buying fleece as well.

[JayG]

The allium leaf miner fly is 3mm long (don't know how wide!)

An article here if you want more information (not an easy read I have to say!)

Seems to still be confined to the West Midlands at the moment.

[stentman]

Glad I read this thread the leaf miner pest could be an issue for me this season. I have got no protection at all over my garlic, onion sets or shallots, luckily my leeks are still tiny and in litter trays, phew. A few bits of info here -
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=19405.0

I put allium leaf miner into the site search facility got loads more info, damn scary for us in the westmids region.

[Libby]

There is a problem with the scaffold netting in that there is a line of holes running through at certain points.  I cut two pieces of net and put them at different angles so that the line of holes is covered.  Other than that, it is pretty tightly woven. Plenty of light getting through and they look quite happy in there!

[upert]

there is some pesticide that can tackle the leaf miner, i don't know what it's called but it works. lots of us at our allotment bought it from an allotment shop on the hush hush, so it's probably a dodgy brew. i had hundreds of onions and leek infected.

[unconcerned]

Just put my early peas and potatoes in, but keeping an eye on the weather and put a few in greenhouse.

Most stuff I will leave until middle/end of the month to be honest. they always catch up and it's less of a worry.

I've planted columbine as a sacrificial plant next to my over wintering onions and someone told me that nicotine is quite effective if you catch the signs early.