Jamie’s Little Allotment: Gayton writer warns gardeners about spring frosts

Last week I started off talking about the weather, I really feel like I need to say a few words about it again this week.

I actually just read back what I wrote about not seeing hide nor hair of a frost, and then that night, the old saying “don’t talk it up” actually came true.

I had ice on the outside of my greenhouse, which is very possible this time of year, but the big problem is I had just done what I’ve written and spoken about many times before.

Don’t forget to harden off your seedlings properly, which I didn’t.

Space is getting so tight in the greenhouse because every seedling in every seed tray is gradually being potted on into their own pots in turn taking up so much more space, thus why I put about 25 trays and pots outside to start hardening them off.

Of course with every intention of putting the trays back into the greenhouse that evening, but one thing led to another and I forgot about them sitting out there in the chilli house, which is why when I went outside to let the chickens out in the morning and saw sheet ice on the greenhouse I had a bit of a meltdown, thinking how I might have lost so many seedlings.

At first sight, things looked ok but then I saw a tray of flower seedlings which had been frosted.

I think maybe subconsciously or just luckily I had mainly put out brassicas, lettuce and different chards so most things were hardy. I think it’s called a stroke of luck, but the moral of that story is to keep a close eye out for Jack Frost for another couple of weeks.

Apart from risking the life of the majority of my home-sown plug plants, I’ve also been, top-dressing my beds with compost and raking ready to start direct sowing very soon and also I’m changing things slightly this year where my beans are concerned.

I don’t think I’ve written about my favourite part of the allotment yet,so I’ll tell you briefly, I’ve got a 10-meter squash and pumpkin tunnel which was festooned with 12 varieties of squash and pumpkin last year, in the height of summer it was an incredible sight, but the problem was in and amongst all the squash and pumpkins I planted all my peas and beans.

To start with it was all going to plan, everything was scrambling up the arch really well until the pumpkins started to take hold and really grow. Most squash plants have very sizeable leaves and just completely took over the tunnel and shaded all of my beans and peas out.

So I had a very small bean crop last year, but this year is going to be a different matter.

My 11 varieties of peas and beans, which will be grown-up bamboo teepees which I have been installing this week, comprise of is 5 or 6, 7ft bamboo canes pushed into the compost, in about an 18-inch circle and bound together at the top with some natural jute twine, are ready to go when we are sure the frosts are done.

Then I will plant one bean plant at the bottom of each cane, which will soon start growing and making its way to the top of the teepee. This way they won’t get shaded out by the pumpkin leaves, so I should get a much better bean harvest this year.

Email me with any questions to Jamieslittleallotment@gmail.com