Sown: More sprouts on the way
Time to alternate the bean sprouts with some lentil ones.
I am just growing robust sprouts for now. The temperature in my kitchen is dropping down to below 12 centigrade, and finer sprouts such as alfalfa and broccoli can’t hack it. I have noticed that it takes a lot longer for sprouts to grow at these temperatures too. I should not complain, it is minus 2 outside right now, and will get to minus 10 for short periods over the winter. Those sprouts should count themselves as lucky!
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Happibun's Green and brown lentils progress journal
This entry is about Happibun's Green and brown lentils that
is currently in the Seed and bean sprouter garden garden.
Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
Buzz buzz buzz!
Listen in on the Grapevine
Rainymountain wrote:
Hi Happibun, how come your kitchen gets so cold? Even by Brit standards that is a bit cool. I see that you are getting Artic blasts and snow this weekend – snow pictures from your garden? Keep warm :-)
Posted on 23 Nov 08 (about 1 months ago)
Happibun wrote:
The kitchen is flat roofed, which means it is not insulated as well as the rest of the house where the thermostat is, and I keep the heating down because I’m skint :-( It isn’t as bad as the old kitchen we had, I could not heat it at all and the sink got ice in it.
I’m used to having to put a coat on to go and cook, and anyway, once the oven is on it warms up nicely :-)
Snow pics, to compliment yours duly posted :-)
Posted on 24 Nov 08 (about 1 months ago)
Rainymountain wrote:
A sink with ice in it – didn’t the pipes freeze? Well, no need for a fridge – I always have problems explaining about larders to people here, the one in the Bristol house always stayed beautifully cool. Lovely snow pics, I love the clay people in the snow and the expression on the winged gargoyle is priceless LOL. Maybe that’s it for the winter and it’s back to nice mild temperatures. If it goes down to -10C you can’t be Z8b which I always think of as almost sub-tropical, don’t things get winter killed in your garden? Cheers :-)
Posted on 24 Nov 08 (about 1 months ago)
Happibun wrote:
I’ve always wondered that too. All I can say is that it only spikes down that low at night and for a few hours one or two nights a year in the county, so the cold is not sustained, or even necissarily in my garden.
I live in a town, and the temperature is higher here than it is in the surrounding countryside by a couple of degrees. So the weather forecast can be -10, but only -7 in the back garden.
As for plants lasting over winter, the most tender thing I have is that star jasmine, and I know people can grow it further North than this (although not _that": much further North) I have the lower portion of the plant wrapped in bubble wrap, and it is tucked in the lee of the north fence so that it does not get any of the cold North wind blowing on it.
Heck I still have strawberries blushing pink outside, though I expect that this cold snap will have finally done them in.
When I originally tried to work out what zone I was in, I finally went for 8b because the sources I found cited the range 15 to 20 F (-6.7 to -9.4 C), and I thought that was about right. We never go below -10, and I really think that my garden doesn’t go below 8.
It’s all guess work basically, but this time I have put money on it by buying the star jasmine. What’s the betting that this will be the harshest winter we will have seen for ages?
:-p
Posted on 24 Nov 08 (about 1 months ago)
Mondomuse wrote:
Nobody knows your microclimate better than you. It seems your enclave of closely aligned homes and garden walls also provides some winter protection. I would do as you and push the envelope with plants you adore rated outside your climate zone. Star Jasmine? Bring it on! Where do plan on placing this fragrant wonder?
Posted on 27 Nov 08 (about 1 months ago)
Happibun wrote:
I bought it last April, and have been watching it closely ever since planting it and then having an unexpected late snowfall over Easter. That must have been a shock to it’s system :-)
Even more amazing, the strawberry is still ripening nicely, and over half of it is red. I may have a fresh homegrown strawberry for Christmas, without the aid of a greenhouse or cloche!
Posted on 02 Dec 08 (about 1 months ago)