GoggleboxUK wrote:If we h\ave to protect our plants in May we're fighting a losing battle.
It's surprisingly common to get harsh frost in May, just unusual to get such cold during the day as well. If it were easy I doubt it would have such the appeal. I agree that its a real pain though.
I'm just being a miserable git really, I have no problem with a short spell of cold but if we get 0c temps in June and July I'm going to buy a couple of these instead:
I know exactly how your feeling, I searched for weeks for genuinely realistic artificial plants after I lost loads after the 2010 winter. This April and May really are testing my resolve though.
Most wanted list - Any Young Trachycarpus and/or fern.
Signs of heat again a week out,but the charts keep doing that and reverting back to the cold scenario.
Sooner or later it will happen. Loadsa high pressure out there we just need it in the right places.
Harsh frosts are not common in May - maybe thats a way of controlling you emotions but Harsh May frost rarely happen outside of frost hollows.
Nigel, the models will continue to jump around but as yet there is no signal for a pattern change so in the meatime, cool synoptics will continue for the forseeable future
Mind you, like I said earlier, I don't think it will happen here anyway. It's currently 9c and stable so I doubt I'll get much lower than about 4c tonight and 6c tomorrow.
stephenprudence wrote:I wouldnt trust those BBC automated forecasts as fr as I could throw them - they can be absolutely dire - they are usually way too optimistic
Nigel wrote:Signs of heat again a week out,but the charts keep doing that and reverting back to the cold scenario.
Sooner or later it will happen. Loadsa high pressure out there we just need it in the right places.
Your right Nigel?
Lots of high pressure around but its over France and Germany and that looks like where its going to stay.
Warm sunny weather is forecast for Spain,France and Germany from tuesday onwards.
As for the uk?
Milder but possibly very wet and windy esp on the South coast.
stephenprudence wrote:I wouldnt trust those BBC automated forecasts as fr as I could throw them - they can be absolutely dire - they are usually way too optimistic
In all fairness Stephen you can be very pessistic. I tend to treat the BBC forecasts as pssimistic too because, based on my experience, they pretty much always show tempeatures below what I record here.
stephenprudence wrote:I wouldnt trust those BBC automated forecasts as fr as I could throw them - they can be absolutely dire - they are usually way too optimistic
In all fairness Stephen you can be very pessistic. I tend to treat the BBC forecasts as pssimistic too because, based on my experience, they pretty much always show tempeatures below what I record here.
You say im pessimistic but we have seen the wettest April on record and only just avoided the record for coldest maximum in april, sunshine has been below average too. I wont be optimistic for no reason.
There is no suggestion of warmth thats not pessimism its reality!
When it comes to reporting statistics yes, I agree but your forecasts do tend to invariably suggest the worst case scenarios.
Even through April I have done most of my gardening outside in a T-Shirt and remained reasonably warm and, without exception, dry.
I often think that those living in foreign countries, or even down south, must read your forecasts and visualise the whole of the NW wearing duffel coats and wellies.
Statistically April has been cold and wet because we've had a very low low and a few very heavy rainfall days but the real picture is very different to the point where I don't feel I can complain at all.
This is what happens when a bunch of pessimists get together.
Young growth even on hardy, native plants will be damaged by -3 to -6C in May. All spring blossom and blooms will be killed including apples, pears, cherries etc. If anyone is thinking of giving up on anything that gets damaged in the temps banded about on here, you'd better get ready to concrete over the garden, or plant Conifers and Heather
GoggleboxUK wrote:When it comes to reporting statistics yes, I agree but your forecasts do tend to invariably suggest the worst case scenarios.
Even through April I have done most of my gardening outside in a T-Shirt and remained reasonably warm and, without exception, dry.
I often think that those living in foreign countries, or even down south, must read your forecasts and visualise the whole of the NW wearing duffel coats and wellies.
Statistically April has been cold and wet because we've had a very low low and a few very heavy rainfall days but the real picture is very different to the point where I don't feel I can complain at all.
Things seem about average.
Things might be average for you in the Arctic wastelands of the Northwest certainly not been average here
I have just been out and fleeced all my tomatoes and cucumbers + palm seedlings in my unheated greenhouse, when i bought it in October i never anticipated that i'd have to do that in May! I'm buying a heater for the winter anyway on monday but i may have to use it before then if this continues! I also would not have planted the palms i did in march if i'd have known, gutting really as this is the first time in 10 years i've had my own garden, for my tropical looking paradise.
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