Which vegetables can be planted this month?

Hi, I'm new to growing vegetables & need a little help. I've got a goo

sized veggie patch, with raised drills containing farmyard manure & top layer of compost. Last weekend I planted carrots and lettuce whic my dad assured me would be fine at this time of year. I have seeds fo cucumber, corgettes, corn, beetroot, red onion (bulbs), pumpkins etc I'd also like to grow cherry tomatoes but I'm at a complete loss as t how to start them successfully.

Also, I would like to grow a few blackberries & rasberries but I'm no sure of the best place to purchase the plants. I saw plants in a loca 'Instore' the instructions said the roots should be soaked in water fo an hour before planting, but would these particular plants be of enoug quality & would I see any fruit this year?

I live in Northern Ireland, so I don't want to plant anything too earl and risk any unwelcome weather. However, most people I've spoken to think April is the right time to plant most things.

Sorry to sound so clueless, I'm just a student who wants to make use o the land I have at home & hopefully get some delicious vegetables som time in the future!

Thanks

-- Freedom_Spark

Reply to
Freedom_Spark
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Freedom_Spark wrote in news:Freedom snipped-for-privacy@gardenbanter.co.uk:

*snip*

The most important thing is your last frost date. Last night, here in Illinois (US) it got down to 26F degrees. This should be the last of the cold until fall, but I'm not holding my breath. My garden's prepared, but I haven't planted anything yet.

Don't worry about being clueless. You'll probably learn more the first three years of gardening than you will the next three. I'm happy to answer questions, especially beginner ones here (because I might know the answer! lol)

You're welcome.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

Beets and onions could also be started outdoors now, along with the lettuce and carrots.

The tomatoes should be started indoors now, for transplant outside later, after the days are consistantly warms and night time temperatures will reliably be above 50F (10C) degrees. Give them plenty of light, and gradually acclimatize them to being out in the sun. They can be transplanted outdoors once the night time temperatures are consistantly

Corn would come next (outdoors) when soil temperatures are consistantly above 50F (10C). Where I live, usually I can start planting corn in early- to mid- May. (Planting when "the oak leaves are the size of squirrel's ears" is the old phenomonological rule.)

Cucumbers, courgettes and pumpkins would be seeded only after the weather was consistantly warm. (Where I live, very late May.)

Starting with bare-root plants is commonly done. Even with potted plants, you shouldn't expect to be harvesting a crop of berries this year, though. Most varieties of raspberries and blackberries have a pattern of growing new canes this year which will bear fruit next year.

Reply to
Pat Kiewicz

My book (Gardener's Bible) says ground temp should be 70F (20C). Corn needs ground temp of 80F for germination and 65F-75F to grow. But these temps work for you. Hmmm.

Reply to
Billy

Thanks for the advice, I'm not sure if there is still a risk of fros

here, we did have snow a few weeks back so nothing is out of th ordinary as far as our climate is concerned. So is it definitel possible to plant out beets & onions now?

I got the rasberry plants on the way home today, the stems actuall look quite brown on is that normal pre planting? The blackberry plan looks great though, I've soaked the roots in water for a few hours no & I'm going to plant it this evening.

As for the tomatoes, I'd really love to get them right, can I jus start them in the house, when you say give them alot of light, do yo mean natural or artificial light? Also would they get enough heat thi way? If I get them to the point where they can be planted out should put them in a green house? (we only have a small one suitable for growbag)

Are there any fool-proof vegetables aside from the ones I've alread mentioned that a complete beginner might be successful with?

Thanks agai

-- Freedom_Spark

Reply to
Freedom_Spark

Well, if it was safe to plant carrots and lettuce, it would be the same for beets and onions.

I've had my peas for a couple of weeks. It snowed a bit Sunday morning, though nothing stuck. (It *always* snows after I plant my peas.) The daffodils are just starting to bloom, so it's time to set out some lettuce soon.

All I see in my raspberry patch right now are brown stems... I expect that you have a normal dormant plant. You might not be able to make out any buds if it's fully dormant. Best get them in the ground as soon as you are able. Don't let them get too warm or dry out in the mean time.

Could be both! I start some plants indoors at an east-facing window with supplemental flourescent lights, some in the utility room with a metal-halide light fixture, and (before I had the windows replaced and lost my ledge space) I used to start some plants in my south- facing windows.

Room temperature (20C, 70F should be sufficient for germination, though a little warmer would be better.

(My old heat mat apparently has failed, so I've just put my pepper and eggplant trays on top of the flourescent light I use to supplement my orchids. *grumble* It's only on 12hrs.)

Does it get very hot in summer? (mid-80s F, 30C) If not, maybe it would be best to use a greenhouse.

Green beens should be a snap (bad pun!). There are bush types and runner types (which would need support of some sort). You could go for the slender French type or the broad Italian types (my favorite).

Peas. In my opinion, edible podded peas are the best use of space in the home garden as opposed to shelling peas.

Reply to
Pat Kiewicz

For germination? Or for transplanting outdoors? I'd agree with that as a tomato germination temperature.

When the night time temperatures are consistantly above 50F here, the daytime temps average in the mid-70s and above. Plenty warm enough to transplant tomatoes out. (Wait a bit more for peppers and eggplants, though.)

Corn *needs* a ground temp of 80F for germination? I think you are confusing maybe optimum with minimum. I can guarantee that the soil temp is nowhere near 80F when I seed my earliest corn (anywhere after May 10, usually). The daily mean air temp is nearing 60F in mid-May.

I'm pretty conservative. The farmer's start seeding corn before me. Corn would be a heap more expensive (and the corn belt much, much smaller) if you had to wait until ground temps were 80F.

Grr. I can't remember the term for using the sequence of blooms and such to 'tell time' ("when the Forsythia bloom" "when the oak leaves are the size of squirrels' ears" etc.)

Got it! Phenology! Some of it is maybe bogus (predicting weather months in advance) but the use of it to set planting dates ("potatoes when the shadbush blooms") actually coresponds pretty well with all the 'degree days accumulated' figures as guidelines to local conditions.

Anyway, things are running late this year (locally) compared to the last few years, based on blooms and buds. Or maybe I should say, back to the 'old normal' this year.

I keep an eye on the oak trees and sycamores (that'd be plane trees, to those across the Atlantic) to cue me in to how any particular spring is going. Once the sycamores finally begin leafing out, the weather will be reliably warm.

Reply to
Pat Kiewicz

Well it depends on your definition of a fool, I suppose ;)

Keep in mind I've never been to Ireland. Yet. Cool season crops should do well now: lettuce, beets, peas, cabbage, potatoes, beans. If you have good light (as in strong but not enough to fry little plants) then you could start indoors tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, squash.

Your little greenhouse might not be ideal b/c if too small, it's a bit like your auto - fast to heat up. You need to keep it vented if you don't want to crisp your seedlings!

Once you do have transplants to set out, you need to harden them off: gradually get them used to life outdoors. A little sun, protect from wind, etc.

Reply to
gonzo

Thanks everyone, you're all so helpful :-D I'm starting the tomatoe

this weekend, but I will probably need to put them in a greenhouse, ou highest summer temps are only around 24C, usually we're lucky wit

18-19C I know our climate is terrible!

I'll get the onions & beets planted as well, my dad seemed convinced i was ok to plant the carrots & lettuce. When should I expect to see som progress with those btw? I only planted them about 4-5 days ago

So with dormant rasberry plants, what should I expect this year? Shoul the stems get healthier/greener?

Peas, beans, cabbage & potatoes are a great idea actually (mor typically Irish veg, well at least the cabbage & potatoes, I know alo of people grow them here) I'll probably attempt a few of those as well

Thanks again everyone it'll probably take me years to get the hang o this but I'll only ever learn by my (many) mistakes

-- Freedom_Spark

Reply to
Freedom_Spark

Nah, you'll do fine. Wait till you actually TASTE your home-grown food! I'm not a religious person, but I often feel a communion with the Great Whatever when I eat food that "It" and I grew together.

People often don't realize that plants have the same needs as people. They need to breathe, they need to eat, and they need to drink. Sounds corny, but if you meet those needs, you should do fine:

Breathing: keep the soil aerated (till gently around *mature* plants to allow O2 to penetrate). Don't let soil get hard and compacted so oxygen can't get to roots. Plenty of compost should help

Feeding: give them as much fertilizer as is warranted -- this is a judgment call that does require some experience; people often either under- or over-fertilize. I'm guilty of under-fertilizing, my bad!

Drinking: Water appropriately. Meaning not light sprinkles on top, but slow, gentle watering at base. Of course you have plenty of rain, so that shouldn't be a worry, as it is in So. Calif (which is basically a desert, did you know?)

Good luck!

Persephone

Reply to
aspasia

1-2 weeks, maybe.

Those stems won't get greener, but you should see new, green shoots coming up from the roots. These will be brown canes will turn brown. Then next spring, they will bud out and flower. And the spring after, they will be gray, dead canes (if you haven't pruned them out the previous autumn).

That's the way it goes with the more typical "fruit once in summer" raspberry varieties.

Do you have a variety name for your plants?

>
Reply to
Pat Kiewicz

You can probably grow tomatows outdoors if you: a) use reinforcing panels to make sturdy cylinders - they end up about

4 feet tall, 16-20 inches circumference.

b) wrap this with clear plastic - et voila, a one-plant greenhouse!

Reply to
gonzo

Carrots (and Parsnips) will fork if sown in freshly manured ground. It needs to have no manure on for about a year. They are still edible, just difficult to peel.

Tomatoes: There is a variety that is suitable for cooler growing conditions. It's Sub Artic Plenty, available in UK and I assume Ireland from Thompson & Morgan. UK telephone no: 01473 68821, e-mail snipped-for-privacy@tompson-morgan.com. The variety has the following characteristics: has a unique ability to set fruit under cooler conditions, producing small red fruit ripening very early and with plenty of flavour. Needs no staking or side shooting and capable of producing 9lb of fruit per plant. I'm trying it this year as last year was so cool and wet in the UK that tomatoes were poor.

PDM.

Reply to
PDM

Great tips everyone! Whether or not I can put them into practice remain

to be seen. So I'm going to end up with crooked carrots then :-D as lon as they're edible thats all that matters.

Are corgettes difficult to grow? My friend mentioned seeing some plant for sale, I didn't really want to cheat but I would really like them t work out!

I've now planted my onions (red barons) Some radishes, garlic & beet

*fingers crossed* some of them will work out!

I've also planted a tray full of cherry tomato seeds, they're on window sill & they're getting some doses of artificial light.

I saw something on 'gardeners world' which said that a small layer o cling film over the tomatoes until the seedlings appear is a good idea any thoughts

-- Freedom_Spark

Reply to
Freedom_Spark

You might want to prop up the cling film with some toothpicks or such so that it's not drooping right onto the surface. Otherwise some sort of cover to keep the soil surface from drying out is a good thing. I re-use deli trays with clear plastic lids to house the peat pellets I use for seed starting.

My tomatoes (started April 12) are up, with some possible failures among the heirloom types. (Good thing I start far more than I require.) The eggplants (aubergines) are sprouted and most of the peppers are up, except for Roumanian Rainbow (an heirloom variety). There's something to be said for hybrid vigor, eh?

Reply to
Pat Kiewicz

A sheet of glass, or ridgid plastic wiil do the same job. I have sheets of plastic cut to fit over seed trays which I use year on year. Hope this helps you.

Richard M. Watkin.

Reply to
R M. Watkin

Thanks.

I had actually sown a few tomato seeds a few weeks back (didn't thin they were worth mentioning) when none of them appeared I assumed the hadn't enough light or heat (they were just in a slightly cold utilit room near the window, but two little tomato seedlings have appeare (that's two out of 10) I've now singled them out, give them plenty o light etc. and they're looking quite good, seem to be getting bigger two little leaves are opening out at the top, so *fingers crossed

-- Freedom_Spark

Reply to
Freedom_Spark

Also, I know I'm being wildly optimistic at this stage but what siz

would tomato plants need to reach before being planted out or in growbag green house? Would they go from the tray, to larger pots befor the growbag? What height/ stage should they be at? Also same questio regarding the cucumber & corgettes if I'm in any way successful wit them?

Thanks again everyone, sorry for the endless questions :

-- Freedom_Spark

Reply to
Freedom_Spark

Freedom_Spark wrote in news:Freedom snipped-for-privacy@gardenbanter.co.uk:

When they have a couple true leaves (the initial leaves on most plants are round, true leaves develop next), it would probably be a good time to transplant them. Tomatoes can be planted deep, go up to the true leaves if you can.

Now's a good time to make sure you have tomato cages, or a plan to stake them. Stores will sell out about the time you need them and won't order more to avoid being stuck with them over the winter. (At least in my area in the Midwest US.)

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

I'd wait until second leaf at least and what is the temp of the green house. Soil for tomatoes should be at least 70F to plant them. Check temp requirements for the others.

Reply to
Billy

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