The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Jukes Mum on May 21, 2015, 10:29:05 am

Title: Premature planting....?
Post by: Jukes Mum on May 21, 2015, 10:29:05 am
I think I may have been a little too keen early season this year  :innocent:
I planted many things including peas a bit too early in my greenhouse. The peas are now desperate to be planted out but we are still having night frosts. Their leaves are starting to die/yellow. Should I pot them on, or plant them out or....?
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: Fleecewife on May 21, 2015, 11:31:21 am
Peas should be fine, quite cold tolerant.  If they haven't been hardened off at all then they could be damaged by the wind, so you need to protect them from that, or harden off over the next week, then plant out.  Meanwhile, feed with a general vegetable liquid feed a couple of times, as they will have used up all the nutrients in their compost by now.
What size pots are they in?  I now sow mine in 4" sq pots, 5 seeds per pot.  They have taken 3-4 weeks to be ready to plant out - I've done 2 lots, one more to go.  I have supported them with bushy twigs (from laying the hedge - never had enough before) and that seems to give them some protection from cold and wind.   I used to start my peas off in lengths of guttering, but now I find the pots easier to manage.  That would be useless with large amounts though.
Here we don't plant the delicate things out until early June, as we sometimes get frost that late, but peas would be fine sown direct outside if you can keep the mice away.  Maybe you should sow a second batch now, just in case the first lot don't thrive.
Good luck with them.
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: pgkevet on May 21, 2015, 02:08:03 pm
As fleecewife says peas are cold tolerant.. I sowed mine directly into the ground about 4 weeks ago and they look very healthy and strong despite a couple of mild frosts and cold wind here in mid wales.
I sow under chicken wire tunnels to keep mice/birds away until the seed has been used up then re peg the wire as their support.
I'll be sowing a follow-on crop in about 2 weeks.
On the other hand my beans were started indoors and had to go out due to getting very long trails and haven't coped nearly as well. But still time for a second batch that got sown yesterday in greenhouse modules.
If you buy seed cheap enough it's well worth the early crop gamble

(and note i avoided the joke about premature seeds shooting too early...no I didn't.. ;D .)
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: cloddopper on May 21, 2015, 05:24:13 pm
As a kid in the 1950's the Old timers used to soak beans & peas for a few hours  in clean paraffin to deter the mice and birds , it appears to have worked without harm to the plants .
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: Jukes Mum on May 22, 2015, 02:00:57 pm
Many thanks all.
I will harden off this week and plant out next. I think I might also sow some outside directly.
Mice shouldn't be a problem ;-)
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: Fleecewife on May 22, 2015, 02:59:04 pm
What a beautiful blotchycat  :love: :cat:  Our last cat died a few months back and we have sadly decided not to get more, because the road outside our house is too dangerous.  She was all tortoiseshell, so like yours but no white.


Check the forecast tonight - here in the south of Scotland the temp is due to fall to 3deg, but bound to be less in the countryside, so I'm prepared for a frost.  Should be ok after that for the rest of May, then frosts are very unlikely  :garden:
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: Lesley Silvester on May 26, 2015, 12:57:55 am
I was late planting my peas and beans due to not having enough windowsill indoors and the greenhouse being unheated so I have just sown direct. I've hung CDs from the canes to deter the birds.
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: Jukes Mum on May 26, 2015, 01:13:09 pm
Quote
What a beautiful blotchycat
she is indeed! She was very fat when we moved here 3 years ago, but the lack of neighbours to feed her has certainly slimmed her down! She is a fab hunter and we see her munching at least 2 or 3 mice a day. At 12 years of age, she has a new lease of life  :)

Anyway, Mew aside!.... I managed to resist plating out until Saturday. I have also sown some directly into the ground as well just in case, but everything is looking fab. Thanks Guys!
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: doganjo on May 26, 2015, 01:47:35 pm
I planted out seedlings yesterday, and just found more at my back door from my pal.  :excited:

So, more gardening for me today before the dogs get out to play!   :excited: :sunshine:  Not letting them in the house till teatime to let the gloss paint dry! :innocent:
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: pgkevet on May 26, 2015, 05:30:00 pm
I planted out seedlings yesterday, and just found more at my back door from my pal.  :excited:

So, more gardening for me today before the dogs get out to play!   :excited: :sunshine:  Not letting them in the house till teatime to let the gloss paint dry! :innocent:

Why did you paint the dogs?
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: doganjo on May 26, 2015, 07:09:01 pm
oops, I missed a bit there didn't I?    :-[  :roflanim: My handyman has installed my new kitchen, painted the walls, and today he did the doors.  He put up barricades but they'd have bish bosh bashed them down so i thought it better to leave them outside.  The dogs, not the doors  :roflanim: :roflanim:
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: pgkevet on May 26, 2015, 10:49:34 pm
 :roflanim:
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: sabrina on May 30, 2015, 09:22:54 am
I love growing peas but they never make the kitchen as I pick and eat ,
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: princesslayer on May 30, 2015, 08:21:53 pm
Sabrina, my kids eat the peas and strawberries off the plant. I've planted loads more peas this year in the hope I can get them into the house! They were even washing the baby carrots in the water butt last year and eating them...
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: Lesley Silvester on May 30, 2015, 11:14:37 pm
Must admit, I've hosed a few radishes and eaten them straight from the soil.
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: doganjo on May 30, 2015, 11:19:46 pm
Sabrina, my kids eat the peas and strawberries off the plant. I've planted loads more peas this year in the hope I can get them into the house! They were even washing the baby carrots in the water butt last year and eating them...
It's good for them!
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: Moel on June 03, 2015, 11:16:00 pm
My three year old refers to the veg garden as the food slope...last year caught him getting the dog to lick carrots clean for him to eat
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: Fleecewife on June 04, 2015, 12:10:19 pm
There's a beautiful archive film clip of a wee boy and his dog, in Glasgow, in the 50s.  They are sharing an ice cream cone, one lick for the boy, one lick for the dog.  Love it  :D
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: pgkevet on June 04, 2015, 01:10:11 pm
Last year my wife was complaining that the strawberries tasted funny. I suggested she try the ones the dog hadn't just peed on.....
Title: Re: Premature planting....?
Post by: princesslayer on June 04, 2015, 04:42:05 pm
 :roflanim: :yum: