When to sow courgettes, squashes, sweetcorn and beans

Latest Articles

When to sow courgettes, squashes, sweetcorn and beans

Downsizer Forum Index -> Grow Your Own

Author

Message

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 05 6:07 pm Post subject: When to sow courgettes, squashes, sweetcorn and beans

Where are you in the country, and when have you/will you sow any of those?

We're in the South East, a built up area but we are outside of any towns, on the side of a hill/valley. We get pretty late frosts and every year wind up with a kitchen full of plants for about a month as we harden things off.

I daren't sow tender things straight in the greenhouse, except perhaps beans, although this year I have plenty of seed and may experiment a bit. So I won't, unless I hear otherwise, be putting most of these in until at least

mid-April for summer squashes/courgettes
end April/May for other squashes and sweetcorn
well in to May and possibly June for various types of bean (climbing and French).

But various people seem to be at it already and I'd like to know how you manage to keep the critters going!

snowball
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 6246
Location: swindon

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 05 6:45 pm Post subject:
I am not an expert, but I planted my courgettes and squashes in containers last week. I am panicking now, maybe it is too early. They are just showing signs of life, but now I'm scared.

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 05 6:49 pm Post subject: whe to sow
sort of late april/ may for all of them which i will start either in the greenhouse orin my slightly heated propagator in the spare bedroom...then i will apnic that i con't get them out in time etc,etc but it always works out alright somehow

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 05 6:52 pm Post subject:

Snowball wrote:

I am not an expert, but I planted my courgettes and squashes in containers last week. I am panicking now, maybe it is too early. They are just showing signs of life, but now I'm scared.

It depends on how likely you will get frost and how much light you can give the seedlings while being kept inside.

If there's little or no more frost you'll just have some early fruits, if there's a late frost and you cannot bring the plants inside you may need to get some replacements or sow some more seeds.

Deedee

Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 05 8:15 pm Post subject:

WEEELLL

the sun was shining today so I just slipped a few of the above in 'just to see'

I am normally ok if I plant in March even here as we have such a squatty garden we don't suffer from frost.Snowball..Have you anyone in the house or friends who drink coke etc??Cut some bottle cloches and have them to hand just in case the weather turns and a bit of fleece over the top of the cloche will keep them going til it brightens up

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 05 9:28 pm Post subject:

I'm planning to sow mine now, which means I'll get round to it in a couple of weeks, and that will be about right!

I've beaten the bamboo! It fought back, but I won. Now there's just a few bits of wood to shove in for terraces, and I'll have veg patch to plant the damn things in!

I know people say never sow too early, but there are so many seeds in a packet, I reckon you can risk a few early birds.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 05 10:04 pm Post subject:
I put mine in last weekend in the greenhouse, no signs of life yet but I'm going to do a few more next month a) just in case the others fail and b) so I can have stuff in succession if they all succeed

Gai

Joined: 31 Dec 2004
Posts: 408
Location: Ireland

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 05 10:11 pm Post subject:

My pumpkin, butternut and spaghetti squashes have just gone into the propagator. The courgette came out on tuesday. At the moment the courgette and other seedlings are in a light box in my sister in law's caravan which we are storing out back. They're getting plenty of light and I'm confident they'll survive light frost. They will probably get planted out at the end of April and I'm thinking of putting a fleece cover over the mini polytunnel frame for them.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 05 10:02 am Post subject:
Well, with these kind of encouraging results I might have to have a go! All my books/mags are still suggesting mid-April to start sowing at the earliest, but I think it's worth a shot, esp for a few early courgettes. God knows where they're all going to go though! I don't think you need to panic after all Snowball!

snowball
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 6246
Location: swindon

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 05 5:08 pm Post subject:
That's a releif. I'll let you know

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 05 5:49 pm Post subject:
You'll get away with the beans now I'd have thought, unless there's a snap frost, but the squashes and especially the sweetcorn need to wait. Another month at least for those.

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Grow Your Own	All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

View Latest Posts