We cannot stress enough that it is best not to plant out your veggies too early. When the conditions are too cold for new plants, they can really struggle, particularly the more tender crops (which tend to be those veggies that produce fruits, like peas, beans and courgettes)
When is “Too Early”?
We like to think of ‘too early’ as being when it is:
a) frosty in the mornings
b) still chilly at night
c) windy – particularly strong, cold winds from the east!
What if my plants arrive “Too Early”?
There are three options here:
- You can temporarily plant in bags of compost in a greenhouse or sheltered spot and then plant out later when the weather warms up.
- You can plant out and cover plants with cloches (best for fruiting plants like sweetcorn, beans, aubergine, tomatoes etc) and fleece (fine for tougher, leafy plants like cabbages, kale, spinach and for onions, leeks & root veggies)
- You can email us to ask us to delay your delivery. Do this once you’ve received notification that your plants have been scheduled for dispatch if you’re garden is in a frost pocket!
When is the best time to plant out?
We love mid to late May for planting out veggies, and early June is pretty good too. The soil is much warmer, the days are longer and the plants can get their roots down quickly and you’ll find they grow fast and strong.