[starry]

fortunately for me I am running a bit late this year and only just got my maincrop pots in today and my carrots beetroots etc are all covered but walking around the site lots of people have poorly looking runners and pots  

[DD.]

It is a sad tale. A lot of people have learned the hard way about planting out beans etc. too early.

[Manlea1]

I lost my beans but the sweetcorn are fine??  must be geoff capes f1 hybrids lol 

[chris23005]

So far so good for me. I have covered  my container spuds every night but we don't appear to have had much in the way of frost even though it was forecast for this area.  Maybe we are sheltered where we are - a postcode covers quite a wide area doesn't it?

I also played safe and took my potted strawberries into the garage as they had fruit on, and covered the ones in the raised beds (they were looking far too healthy for  me to want to lose them and this is only their first year). I even covered my carrots and salad crops with newspaper (in the raised bed outside). All are fine.

I managed to be dissuaded by forum members not to plant out my peas. beans etc and they are growing wildly indoors presumably because it is a bit darker where they are even though they are next to a window. They are outside enjoying some sunshine at the moment, but some of them are a bit spindly through being kept in for longer than planned. I was wondering if I ought to feed them to give them a bit of a kick up the backside. What does everyone else think?

[prakash_mib]

I lost my beans but the sweetcorn are fine?? 

sweetcorns survived? they are going to live to tell one of the best surviving stories 

[JayG]

I was wondering if I ought to feed them to give them a bit of a kick up the backside. What does everyone else think?

I would say no, unless they are showing clear signs of starvation (yellowing leaves, etc)

The last thing you want them to do is put on more lush, soft growth now!

[DD.]

I was about to say the same thing, but noticed the red warning that someone had already replied!

[chris23005]

some leaves are a bit yellowy and some plants are just looking a bit sorry, that's why i asked, but I will keep them off the juice for a bit longer!

[fletch]

I've been lucky, but then again I've been over cautious this year after having runner beans severely knocked back by a cold spell in JUNE last year  .

I'm working on the adage that they'll all catch up eventually  .

[Livinhope]

Several people on our site have suffered quite a bit of frost damage but we seem to have escaped apart from nipped (not blackened) potato leaves.  Will they survive and thrive or do we write them off?  We are new to the allotment world and  complete novices with potatoes.  Any advice  appreciated.

[DD.]

If they've only been nipped, it'll hardly set them back at all.

[Livinhope]

Thank you I can stop panicking for the moment.

[Runwell-Steve]

I am quite amazed at the amount of people who have put tender plants out already.  Mine are all sitting safely in the greenhouse with a heater just in case it gets too chilly at night.  Having said that I started a number of things too early this year and my runner beans are desperately looking for a wigwam to start climbing up so they will have to go out soon.  My courgettes are also starting to overtake the greenhouse so they will have to go out soon as well, it's just a case of when. 

[chris23005]

I am quite amazed at the amount of people who have put tender plants out already.  Mine are all sitting safely in the greenhouse with a heater just in case it gets too chilly at night.  Having said that I started a number of things too early this year and my runner beans are desperately looking for a wigwam to start climbing up so they will have to go out soon.  My courgettes are also starting to overtake the greenhouse so they will have to go out soon as well, it's just a case of when. 

Maybe the people who planted out don't have a greenhouse to keep the plants in! I don't have one so my plants were started off in the utility room which is always warm because the washing machine or tumble dryer are on, but it can get humid too, and although they are near a window it doesn't get huge amounts of sunshine. So I can see the temptation to put them out .......... although I resisted and just battle my way through the jungle each morning!  they are going to have to go out next week though. No time at the weekend as I am working.

[JayG]

Maybe the people who planted out don't have a greenhouse to keep the plants in! I don't have one so my plants were started off in the utility room which is always warm because the washing machine or tumble dryer are on, but it can get humid too, and although they are near a window it doesn't get huge amounts of sunshine. So I can see the temptation to put them out .......... although I resisted and just battle my way through the jungle each morning!  they are going to have to go out next week though. No time at the weekend as I am working.

Unless we have a heatwave (night and day!) starting next week don't be tempted to move your plants out of that warm, humid, still atmosphere straight out into the great wide world. Try and harden them off by any available means for at least a week.

I'm sure we are all getting fed up and a bit desperate (experienced growers and newbies alike) but the later it gets calendar-wise the more important it is not to do anything reckless; we need to play catch-up and there is very little time left to start things off all over again!