The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Alex_ on April 26, 2017, 10:52:02 am

Title: Damn Weather
Post by: Alex_ on April 26, 2017, 10:52:02 am
 :rant:

I foolishly thought the cold weather was behind us now and it was spring.
I am not sure what plants are going to survive from the last few nights and tonight.

I regret putting my corn out now as it is not looking good and it's supposed to be down to 1C tonight.

Anyone else getting hit by  the cold nights?
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: Terry T on April 26, 2017, 11:36:11 am
We've been having frosts in Norfolk for the past 3 weeks and this cold snap isn't much cooler in terms of night time temp. Recording 0 degrees in the polytunnel overnight this week. My tatties came through really early as March was warm and if I have to earth them up much more I'll need a ladder!
Today we are having lots of heavy hail showers which my young plants aren't really enjoying.
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: DavidandCollette on April 26, 2017, 07:32:47 pm
We think we have lost our plum tomato plants to the frost despite covering them with layers of fleece
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: Fleecewife on April 26, 2017, 07:46:14 pm
We had snow for 24 hours, then last night -4.  This is Scotland though so this is what we expect.  It can be tiresome always working with a short growing season, and we still get caught out sometimes, like with a severe frost on Aug 6th one year.
It's early enough for you all to resow if things are damaged too badly to recover.


Our problem now is that we're having to water outside - in April?  In Scotland?
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: Backinwellies on April 26, 2017, 07:53:44 pm
To cold and too dry ..... and this is WALES!!!   
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: Penninehillbilly on April 26, 2017, 08:48:13 pm
I noticed today our water has slowed a lot.

How tall is the sweetcorn Alex? If it's cold again and you havn't any fleece could you put newspaper over it?
Our plum trees are in flower, the lovely small red and yellow fruiting one has been a mass of flower, just hoping it will still bear fruit. Brought pots of lilies in at about 2am, all leaves flopped, but in a cool room have recovered. 
Certainly caught us out, but not unknown for April, don't trust it till end of May round here.
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: Lesley Silvester on April 26, 2017, 09:57:11 pm
There was a bit of snow in Shropshire but nothing lasting. Also a very short hail shower today. I was planning on getting the tomatoes into the greenhouse but they will have to wait now. The house is full of plants and I could really do with moving some outside. Hope it warms up soon.
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: YorkshireLass on April 26, 2017, 10:14:34 pm
We've had a bit of everything today, but it's noticeably colder outside now.
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: in the hills on April 27, 2017, 06:48:44 am
Snow showers here in MId Wales and night time temperatures down to -4.

Too chilly to start anything off outdoors.

Ground surprisingly dry here too, Backinwellies!
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: Backinwellies on April 27, 2017, 07:54:35 am
Hi there in the hills ..... Been bit dry in house too!  ...... Lack of rain reduced water input down to the point that water tank and pipes are showing all defects!   Mended one leak has improved things but pressure still a problem.  Wales needs rain (did I really say that?!?)
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: pgkevet on April 27, 2017, 10:29:10 am
I'm usually as guilty as the next about being too keen and stuffing it all into the ground before the weather is right. But this year I happened to be taking it slower. I did lose a couple of trays of beans that i put out last week to harden off but that's no biggie.. just resown them.
I did put my citrus out last week but, suprisingly to most folk, they can take a degree or two of frost and next to their citrus house they are sheltered.
Spuds has just started to break ground.. but they'll survive too and resprout of they got nipped. I aways plant them deep and don't bother chitting 'cos they've gone from the shops by the time I'd ideally want them and they run amok if kept in the barn or indoors.

It's our fault for clout casting before end May
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: Fleecewife on April 27, 2017, 11:17:24 am



       <<< It's our fault for clout casting before end May >>>



You didn't :o :o :o   I'm still wearing my two winter vests and winter lined trousers  ;D
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: Buttermilk on April 27, 2017, 11:44:38 am



       <<< It's our fault for clout casting before end May >>>



You didn't :o :o :o   I'm still wearing my two winter vests and winter lined trousers  ;D
The may blossom is budding up fast and will be out in a couple of days here.
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: Backinwellies on April 27, 2017, 11:54:49 am
My azalia just came into full beautiful bloom .... and now gone :(
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: mab on April 27, 2017, 07:38:32 pm
I'm actually seeing the positives in the current weather (I can be slightly smug as I haven't got any veg growing yet anyway  :) - chickens in the polytunnel was my excuse):- I noticed that the bracken shoots are all dying off and so is the japanese knotweed  8)  . I daresay they'll come back quickly but it's always nice to see them blighted a little.


I even went to feed the pigs without my wellies on today! Didn't have to slog through mud even once - I can bear with this weather a little bit longer TBH  ;D .



I didn't think it was that dry though - the hydro-electric is still running at 160w so we have had drier spells - it shut down completely in 2014 & 2015 after 2 months without significant rain (but not last year); but perhaps it is dry for April.
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: Fleecewife on April 27, 2017, 11:32:14 pm




       <<< It's our fault for clout casting before end May >>>



You didn't :o :o :o   I'm still wearing my two winter vests and winter lined trousers  ;D

<<< The may blossom is budding up fast and will be out in a couple of days here. >>>




No sign of may blossom here.  Arctic blasts and drenching showers keep me snuggled up.  For months on end I can't believe anyone can ever wear shorts, then suddenly I can't see how I could ever wear all that heavy gear.  I love that we have such amazing weather and changing seasons.  It would be really monotonous having no seasons, daylight only from 6-6 all year round, and endless blue sky, apart from the odd hurricane  ;D   Whatever would we moan about  :eyelashes:
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: pharnorth on April 28, 2017, 05:50:47 pm
I'm feeling very very smug. It's been horribly dry down here for weeks and we have just spent the last few days walking part of the Coast to Coast. Walked the notoriously boggy 9 standards in a touch of hail, but consequently no rain, whilst it lured down in Cambridge. Hippy!  4 lovely days walking, dry feet, and plenty of green grass to come home to.
Title: Re: Damn Weather
Post by: waterbuffalofarmer on April 28, 2017, 05:57:06 pm
Sorry to hear that... We have had a few cold wet nights and the other day we had a storm, lost a couple of lambs too :( All in all though chilly nights and warm days... rained today, so thats giving the grass a nice watering... temp has stayed about 12-14 C, I think.