Last frost dates.

There's been plenty of discussion recently about getting the timings right for planting out tender vegetables. Hope this is helpful for some:

This link allows you to see the estimated last (and first) frost dates in your particular area (it's been posted here before but not for a couple of years.)

Of course this information is based on previous years' data and cannot be guaranteed to be true this year, or take into account the fact you may garden in a frost "pocket".

I would also point out that although a sharp frost will almost certainly kill tender young plants, prolonged cool temperatures even without frost are a big problem for susceptible plants, which may be stopped in their tracks for so long that they refuse to get going again for a long time (if at all.)

My personal list of such major sulkers (in order) would be outdoor cucumbers. squashes, sweetcorn, and runner beans.

mines early May - think I will be fleecing a fair bit I remember a late one last year took the top off the spuds - thanks for the link JayG

I hope this is true!

HOME TOWN: Southampton

YOUR FIRST AUTUMN FROST WILL BE IN mid November
YOUR LAST SPRING FROST WILL BE IN late March

late April for me.  Let's hope so.

Blackpool's fairly accurate, last date late april, earliest date late nov.

¥

The following gives the likely minimum ground temperature and chance of frost and icy surfaces in your area over the next five days.  Nothing is perfect I guess as it depends upon lots of things but it is worth looking at.

http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=frost;

Sheffield shows up as "early May" for the last expected frost date which is a couple of weeks earlier than I would have expected 15 years ago, but I think it is probably true for the last 5 years or so.

But then again this last winter has been the coldest for 30 years..........................!


Edit: just checked the brilliantly useful local on-line weather station which happens to be about 200 yards from my house (in the back garden of a bungalow!) and the last time the air temperature dropped below zero was 29 days ago! Perhaps I should be planting bananas instead of cucumbers!