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Impending frost...
clarawicks
Posts: 53
hi all
as a new gardener, with seedlings I have planted where they are to flower, as per their instructions and my naivety, these reports of a frost are worrying me! What can I do to protect the little shoots I have excitedly watch spring up over the last couple of weeks? Can I / should I cover them with something?? And what about more mature plants, new garden centre purchases not yet established, as well as shrubs starting to prepare their little blooms and new leaves?
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Clara, it all depends on what the plants are. Hardy plants direct sown will be fine. Tender ones won't. Hardy plants bought from outdoor sales areas at a GC will be fine, those from cossetting environments might not be. Tender plants won't like it at all
In the sticks near Peterborough
What sort of seedlings? If they're hardy annuals/perennials they should be fine
The half-hardy ones shouldn't have been sown yet. Mine are still in the packets. I've known snow in June - in Suffolk. Most shrubs will be ok ... some leaves/blooms may get frosted but it's unlikely to kill hardy plants.
If you've got small fruit trees in blossom it might be worthwhile draping them with fleece overnight but otherwise, as Pansyface says, it's not worth getting in a tizz over something we can do nothing about
I've just popped out and put some bubble wrap over the seedlings in the little lean-to greenhouse and now we'll just all cross our fingers together.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Survival of the fittest here.
Though I did put my new lavender under cover, It looked a bit soft, though I bought it from an outdoor sales area. It may not have been out there long
In the sticks near Peterborough
The blossom on my espalier pear is over now, and it's in a fairly sheltered corner so hopefully it should be ok. The gooseberries are plumping up but hopefully they're in a sheltered enough spot too. The broad beans are in full flower - hopefully they'll be ok too .... fingers crossed.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It's nothing we haven't seen before is it? OH's birthday is May 5th, we've had snow showers for that many times over the years.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Same here nut - if they die, they die!
We often have winter weather right through till May here - even at lower levels - so I don't grow things that need a lot of cossetting. We've had several frosts in the last few days. A reasonably hardy annual - even a small one - won't bother about that.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My fruit and beans are a bit further ahead than usual at this time of year so a bit more vulnerable ... but that's Sod's Law isn't it
It's usually wet windy weather that spoils things around here at this time of year - none of that - so far!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
That'll be why Monty and a few others of us still take our dahlias up for the winter then
If you've got some big tomato pots I'd stuff them with straw or hay, or crumpled fleece if that's all you have, and up-end them over the dahlias. Put a brick on top so they don't get blown around and break the new young shoots.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks all, just checked and mine are all hardy/perennial. Phew. It was the 5 year old sons sunflowers ? I was most worried about, a wailing child I don't need ?
Last edited: 24 April 2017 20:50:45
I don't think sun flowers are that hardy are they? I'd stick a sheet or two of newspaper or fleece over those.
In the sticks near Peterborough