I don't know if anyone lives near here but I live in Belgium not too near the coast but still have marine influences. As this is my first year here, I really don't know anything about the climate. In the US, we can call a local agriculture office and find out when the average date of last frost is. I have no idea how to even guess about that over here. We seem to have fairly mild winters and even in January many of the lows aren't even 0 C. Any zone 8 people here who can tell when I should expect the last frost? Also, is that how I know when to plant or do you all use other methods for deciding when to plant various things?
When is frost free date?
I live in aa 8/9 zone,and I would guess that in my area we would consider March/April time , but then again I live on the coast, so as of yet haven't had any frosts.
I always get confused with this one,when they say 6 weeks before last frost,well, that could be any time! Wish they'd just say 'sow in March'but then because it varies so much, they have to keep it vague.
I tend to plant hardy stuff most of the year round, as long as ground isn't frozen(which hardly ever happens here)
More tender stuff I'll put out to harden off in end March/early April, as I grow my own it doesn't matter too much if I loose it as I have plenty of back-up, a bit different if 6you've been out to buy plants though.
Where are you originally from?What sort of growing seasons did you have there?
Welcome, by the way.
Hi Chris, here in the Northwest of the UK (zone 8) we get alot of frost though we havent done too badly as yet. Hardy annuals can go out in March/April but I wouldnt put any tender perennials out until the beginning of June. A friend of mine lives in north Belguim and his conditions are similar to mine regarding frost.
Just across the Channel in Kent, England, my FIL used to use his birthday, May 12th for sowing runner beans :)
We can usually put tender things out mid-end of May, though occasionally they can be 'nipped in the bud'
I sow seeds when the clocks change
Half-hardies go out about the end of May, here in the north-east of England. Bedding out that is.
most of my first seeds get sown last week in feb first week of march. If you watch hg seedlings in the garden they usually start to emerge around mid febuary.
You have probably the same weather as I do Chris, and normally the last date for frost is around the middle to end of May, but to be really sure make your date the 1st of June.
In saying that, we had snow in Hamburg, about 6 years ago, in the middle of June, but that was just a freak .... I hope ;-)
Wintermoor