[AlaninCarlisle]

Well not in this growing season. I've run out of space in the greenhouse and planted out my French and Runner Beans. Next to go out are all the planters full of geraniums, petunias and begonias etc that are blocking up the polytunnel and nine hanging baskets. The forecast up until mid May shows no sign of frost and it must be 20 years since we had a late May frost on the Solway plain, so that's it. All systems go!

[snowdrops]

I hope you're right Alan, I was on holiday last week in Cumbria & we had snow one evening

[greenjay]

I think we all have to use common sense in regard to the area we grow in.
in my old home we had a hard frost as late as the second week in june.
I think for me the end of this month is hopefully the last. there only so much covering up I can do.

[mumofstig]

Long range weather forecasts are showing another cold spell from about the 8th May.
It's a bit too far out yet to be reliable, but keep it in mind if you are thinking of planting tender plants - you may still need to use the fleece 

[gobs]

Well, the fact that our gh-s are bursting, does not mean, it's not gonna frost.

A very (as in unusually) cold week ahead forecast here and it was very cold today. Many things need to go out really, should have, more accurately, but I am hesitating, it's so cold.

[AlaninCarlisle]

Been 16C today with more of the same through to Monday and then dropping down to 13C but with overnight minima at 6 or 7C. I suppose we miss the worst of the easterlies due to location just a few miles from coast. Plus we tend to get much more Atlantic weather here. Farmers are complaining about lack of rain though

[gobs]

That's a different picture, here 9-13 day and 1-5 night for the next week.

[Paul Plots]

Down in the sunny south nothing frost tender is going out to stay there just yet.

During the day - out goes the tender stuff in pots and trays.... stays out over night if forecast is good (5 or 6+).

First sign of a temperature lower than that and they'll be back in the conservatory or greenhouse over night. Potatoes earthed up. I'm in no rush - day time wind is chilly and tender plants can easily be scorched.

But.... I wish the early starters the best of luck.... sometimes it pays off.

(Newspaper and fleece at the ready I hope)

[bayleaf]

Looks like it could be frosty overnight. Time for the fleece to go on - again!!

[Christine]

If someone could switch off the strong north to northeasterly and even plain easterly winds here it might just be growing weather. Might. We have drying winds and no rain.

[Salmo]

Beware the Ice Saints days in the middle of May.

St Pancras, St Servantius, St Boneface and St Sophia, known as Cold Sophie. Saints days on 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th May.

 It is surprising how often we get some warm days with clear skies at night about then

[mjg000]

I agree,  we are down in the South East (SW London) but because the allotment site is so exposed we regularly get a frost up until the middle of May here, even though my son in a garden the other side of the fence doesn't!!

[gobs]

The daily funny.

Now, as they were not promising freezing, just 1-5, I took off the cloche from the plants in the unheated gh.

The cucumber looks like half dead, so are very withered the peas and sweetpeas, the basil and pepper are not happy but holding on, and then the dill plants, as if nothing happened and a tomato is ripening...

[Paul Plots]

The daily funny.

Now, as they were not promising freezing, just 1-5, I took off the cloche from the plants in the unheated gh.

The cucumber looks like half dead, so are very withered the peas and sweetpeas, the basil and pepper are not happy but holding on, and then the dill plants, as if nothing happened and a tomato is ripening...

Cucumbers in particular cannot cope with sudden over-night drops in temperature.... a good sized healthy looking plant can flop in hours

I hope your other plants recover.

[JayG]

I was in a garden centre yesterday, and next to their offerings of tomato, cucumber, and courgette plants was large notice giving detailed instructions on how to look after them (well done them, even if there is probably a bit of self-interest in there too.)

The gist of it is that it's still too early to be putting such tender crops out in an unheated greenhouse - that should wait until the last 2 weeks of May. None of them should be planted outdoors before early June.

Presumably their advice was tailored to Sheffield, which for the most part isn't a particularly frost-prone place, and is based on the average climate we might expect at this time of year.

I'm now trying to forget what I read, because my tomato plants really need transplanting into my unheated GH now despite some lower than ideal overnight temperatures forecast for the next week.

My squashes, cucumbers and courgettes were only sown indoors a week ago, sweet corn and runner beans will be sown over the weekend - as ever it's a delicate balancing act getting the timing right, a close eye on the weather forecasts and crossed fingers helps too.