[viettaclark]

Two weeks ago I picked raspberries now my beds are blanketed and all the netting has sagged down with the weight of the snow.
Will anything survive? I've got leeks, garlic, broad beans, parsnips, turnips, various Winter and Spring cabbages, psb, perpetual spinach, Swiss chard etc. Luckily I cloched the Winter butterhead lettuce but the others are under the white-out. All were looking decidedly frost-bitten before the snow came.....

[Trillium]

If it's newly planted garlic, then it's fine. Leeks will still hold out provided the ground isn't frozen. Snow doesn't necessarily mean frozen ground.
Parsnips should be very sweet now, again, if you can still pull them. Swiss chard may look a bit ragged but the inner stalks are still fine. As for the rest, I wouldn't count on much. Harvest what you can if you expect below freezing weather to last a while.

[Aidy]

you may find the psb and spring cabbage will be later in the spring than normal for cropping, they will survive. My PSB last year didnt start to crop until mid end of march, normally its mid end of feb, as Trilly says the rest will probably survive and some taste better.

[solway cropper]

It's not just the snow that's the problem. We had -12 here last night and have had sustained severe frost for over a week and then a blanket of snow on top to keep the ground frozen. I managed to lift a few leeks last weekend and the ground was frozen to about 2 inches down. It'll be deeper than that now. It's the early start to the winter that has taken people by surprise. These sort of conditions don't usually come till Jan/Feb when there is much less left on the plot.

[Mark-S]

IMHO its good to have a cold spell as it genearally helps the bio-diversity

slugs will be reduced, worms will have gone to australia to escape the cold
pests such as aphids will be killed.
disease spores will be reduced reducing the risk on next years crops
soil conditions will be improved as a cold freeze will help to aerate the soil.
bi-ennials will flower (crop) earlier as they wiill have been 'vernalised' earlier

genearlly speaking a cold spell such as this is a long term win:win scenario, although anything we currently ahve in the  ground may well be affected adversely - but this is the risk.

[strangerachael]

pests such as aphids will be killed.

although I picked some kale today which still had quite a number of whitefly on it... despite the -9 degrees it supposedly got down to the  night before last. 

[diggerjoe]

Yeo same as Strangerachel white fly must have developed an anti freeze because the pesky little things are still active on my kale but we've only been down to -5 here with very little snow.

[Griffo]

The extreme low temperatures last winter killed my PSB - lost every plant and also knackered a good number of my leeks. I'm fully expecting the same outcome this year with the temperatures we've had this last week.

I recall last winter having to use 2 kettles of boiling water for each parsnip I managed to extract.

This year it's started perticularly early but is the third hard winter in succession - what happened to global warming - could do with some right now!

I rather fear that I'm going to have to radically re-think what I grow for next winter and PSB, leeks and (maybe) parsnips might become history.

[Paul Plots]

I rather fear that I'm going to have to radically re-think what I grow for next winter and PSB, leeks and (maybe) parsnips might become history.

Take your time to make changes to what you grow... our climate has a way of never making life quite as easy as we'd like it. Next year you may find it ideal for the crops that are presently suffering.

Diversify but keep growing a few of the ones that you've had problems with this time round - you never know next year might suit them well.

Although on the south coast we have had a good belt of cold in the last year or so but my leeks are surviving (fewer and smaller but appreciated all the more), my PSB survived last year albeit it late cropping and my carrots (Autumn King) are still in the ground and doing fine....dug some today! 

-7 the other night 

[mumofstig]

I agree Learner, some of my carrots were in 'cold storage' under snow but were lovely with the roast today
Leeks were fine, as is the January King cabbage. Minicole cabbages looked a bit sad, but were fine once the outside leaves were removed.

The same cannot be said for the purple topped turnips

Win some, lose some 

[JayG]

All in all a very tough year weather-wise, and I feel particularly sorry for new growers who feel disappointed or even disheartened by their results.

The weather is never "ideal" for anything you try to grow, but it's not just wishful thinking to expect next year to be a bit kinder!

Spread your bets and prepare to be a bit flexible (I can't even see my first-time leeks under the snow now and don't know what shape they're in, but the ones I've eaten were fantastic and if they do turn out to be knackered I will have learned a lesson and if necessary whip them out a bit earlier next year, even if I finish up with a freezer full of soup!) 

I am still "quids in" in terms of what did produce well this year and I got a lot of enjoyment and exercise out of doing it; veg growing can involve both art and science but you never achieve perfection! 

[Paul Plots]

JayG I prefer to eat my leeks after they've had a good belt of cold - it always seems to improve the flavour!!

Those pulled earlier are fine but I do my very best to leave as many as possible to have a good touch of frost...

OK, so in some parts of the country they've had many "good touches of frost" 

[Debz]

After a bit of frost, I actually lifted all my leeks (2 dozen), sliced them up and put them in the freezer.  Now with all this snow, my soup is half prepared already.

[Shop Keep]

Debz, do you blanch then or throw them in as they are.

[viettaclark]

I think things might not be as bad as I thought because the ground under the snow wasn't frozen!! I'm amazed at the remaining Little Gems that are still upright and whole and greens and leeks don't seem too bad. However we're still in minus figures even here in Southampton.
Unfortunately my produce freezer has packed up  so I'm now blessing the arctic temps. because everything I stored from the garden (loads of crabapple pulp, cherries, green beans, tomatoes) has gone back out there until the new freezer (bigger!) arrives!!!
I found you don't NEED to blanche for texture but the colour is probably better (esp. green beans) If it's stuff for soups and pies and you're not storing for longer than about 3 months why bother?
Hurry up freezer...I want to get the leeks in!!!