Gayton-based gardener Jamie Marsh advises not to plant seeds too early
Now February is gone and hopefully, the biblical amounts of rain which had been drenching everything has now departed.
We’ve been having some beautiful weather the last few days, lovely and dry, bright sunshine and temperatures at around 12 degrees.
It’s the perfect time to get out in the garden to get some jobs done without getting wet and cold, But while you’re cutting last seasons annuals down, don’t be lured into thinking that winter is well and truly gone.
A so-called fools spring can bring with it unseasonable conditions and higher than normal temperatures, but is also often followed by a return to wintery conditions that can be right around the corner. Such fluctuations in weather can cause problems for plants and also tempt gardeners into thinking that winter is prematurely over.
While the sight of plants blooming earlier than expected may be welcomed, it is beneficial to show patience and not immediately rush into doing your spring garden tasks too soon.
Fools spring is a term used to describe a period, often occurring in late winter, where the weather becomes unseasonably sunny and warm. While it can provide a period of relief from the cold,it can also often be short-lived.
The temperatures can quickly drop again back to their seasonal norm, bringing back the cold and frosts.
While warmth and sun is much welcomed, it does come with pitfalls.
When the temperatures go significantly above the normal for late winter or early spring, our plants will respond with as much joy as we do.
The result is that plants, bulbs, and trees all start to come out of their dormancy and burst into life much earlier than they should.
Leaves will begin to unfurl and buds start to open weeks before they normally ought to. This early development brings with it big risks, as the delicate fresh leaves and blossoms can all be heavily damaged when the temperatures drop back down and the risk of frosts comes back.
It means that fruit trees and soft fruit bushes are likely to have their potential crop hit, while plants and bulbs can be set back by the cold weather.
I’ve noticed today that the buds on my little peach tree have started to open revealing the beautiful pink flowers, I had a check back at what date this happened last year, and it was over 3 weeks later.
This has put me on edge a bit because if they get hit by a frost, it could absolutely devastate my peach harvest for this year. So if I see it’s going to be cold enough for a frost, I will use some frost fleece to protect the delicate flowers.
Not only can future flowers and fruits be affected, but the plants will be far more susceptible to disease when early growth is killed by the cold.
The plants are then going to have to spend vital energy regrowing again at the right time of year.
Unfortunately, many gardeners fall foul of a false spring. It is completely understandable, however, as after looking out of the windows at cold and often miserable weather, a bit of sun and warmth can seem very tempting indeed.
The most common pitfall people fall into is the rush to sow lots of seeds, brought on by the sight of sun and the feeling of warmth.
However, often this can be a seed-sowing mistake and result in a waste of time, effort, and money if the false spring is short-lived and the winter weather returns.
If you sow seeds indoors they will likely germinate, though, depending on how early the false spring is, it may be a while till the soil warms up enough to transplant seedlings outside.
Sunny days will also tempt many gardeners to get out their lawnmowers and start cutting a lawn again.
A first mow of the lawn in spring will spruce it up, however, if the temperatures do drop within a few days of mowing then the overall growth of the grass can be stunted.
It may not recover properly from being cut and a stressed lawn will be more susceptible to fungal issues.
The real spring is just round the corner. If you have any questions please email me at Jamieslittleallotment@gmail.com
