Sowing seeds too early.

I sow runner beans in succession so started them at the end of April. I normally start them mid April but the nightly frosts made me choose to wait a bit. The first sowings are now hardened off and ready for planting out but I'm telling people, as they come to collect them, not to plant out until the Bank Holiday and just keep them slightly sheltered until then. All those are now kept in my covered pergola so protected in case of late frost (don't think we shall get any).

The succession sowing (50 each week) now has some a couple of inches high, some just poking through and others only sown yesterday. These are to replace any failures people have (slugs/birds/rabbits etc.) and to tope up my stock as, for the first time in ages, germination was only about 85% (usually over 95%).

French beans were started off later and I'm only just now starting to harden them off.

If buying from a GC I would be inclined to wait until at least the Bank holiday to see whether they had survived the possible poor attention they may have received whilst on the shelf.

My courgettes won't go out for at least two weeks.

We don't plant toms outside because of possible blight. The ones we have been selling (about 12"+ in height) we tell people to continue to harden them off for another couple of weeks at least if intended for outdoors. Our own, in the greenhouse are in flower.

 

@Kristen

Until they last few sowing have appeared I don't know whether we have spares. We had over 600 ordered and didn't do many extra as we couldn't open the garden.

I'll have to see about toms (consult the oracle) but she says she doesn't think so. We're off to a plant sale in a village near here this morning where they have advertised veg and fruit plants for sale. I could pick up a few for you.

Re sarcococca, Mrs S has just a few seedlings alreayd but can do loads of cuttings if you're popping down. PM me or email if you want me to pick some up for you as we're leaving in an hour.

 

If your climbing French don't do well I have some extra Blue Lake on the go and have just sown some Bridgwater.