too cold ???

[valB]

I have bought a smal Forsythia plant but as we are still having severe frosts overnight and very low day time temeratures should I wait a while before planting outside. I have been watering and it is now starting to flower in the pot in the house.

[Pierre ZFP]

A bit too cold yet I think.  If you have a greenhouse or cold frame then it would be fine in that.  I think I'd wait until after Easter.

You could harden it off beforehand by putting it outside in the daytime and bringing it in at night.

I'm  just a bit surprised that anyone buys forsythia.  All you need to do is rip a branch off an existing plant and bung it in the ground or a pot.  It will soon be growing.

[Tony F Dordogne]

We did some gardening last weekend - mainly cutting down old large grasses and digging up stuff to move, but currently we're colded off, very frosty overnight and far too cold during the day, the ground is still hard in the afternoon and far too cold for seeds and stuff except in a heated greenhouse I think. 

[valB]

Pierre  You should know by now that even things that I buy over here normally die. I planted several Forsythia cuttings last year, dipped them in rooting powder and cared for tham like a new born baby....they died. I had a lovely garden in UK but over here it is a never ending battle and the Rabbits normally win as so far they have destroyed Lavender, Hydreangers, Dahlias and  many other plants.

Yes, Tony,  it is freezing here as well and  so frustrating as we all want to be busy in the garden now and not still sitting by a log burner.

[Swissie]

Forsythia grow well here at 950m with lots of snow and temperatures getting to minus 26.5 a few weeks ago. But a pot/greenhouse grown plant will need to be hardened off- so I'd follow Pierre's advice!

BTW it would be so helpful if people could indicate where they are with gardening questions. Here in the Jura, at 950m, the situation regarding planting out will be vastly different to even a few kms down the road by the lake, or to the Dordogne or Nice.

[valB]

I am in a very cold Deux Sevres  dept 79. Not normally this cold in March.so I will wait a few weeks before I plant it out and I also want to move some plants as well so they might not be too shocked if it is warmer when I do it. Thanks all for the help.

[Iceni]

An alleged Victorian method of determining whether the soil is warm enough is for the gardener to remove his trousers, the several layers of newspaper/brown paper necessary for good insulation, his various undergarments and place his bare buttocks on the ground. This cannot be considered infallible as tolerance levels vary.

John

 

[valB]

My OH declined the suggestion    [:D]

[Pads]

Tell him there is a bacon butty in it for him... bet he would then !! with HP sauce

[Tony F Dordogne]

If it's too cold to pee onto the compost heap, it's too cold for sure to stick your bum on the ground - would be interesting trying to explain to the Pompiers why you're a**e is stuck to the ground - honestly Jean-Pierre, I read about it on the Internet, old English tradition - yeah, right, round the commune grapevine in 10 minutes that one!

[Gardengirl]

And if you put it in a bottle in the warmth of the bathroom, be careful where you put it until you actually manage to get out to the compost heap! Depending on your dietary/fluid intake it could be mistaken for something a little more palatable by an unsuspecting person once it has cooled down! [:D]

[valB]

Eeeyuk  !!!!![:)]