Our Run of Ground Frosts Ends

Tuesday 27th April saw our run of 18 consecutive nights of ground frosts come to an end.

The cold frosty mornings have taken their toll at the allotment. This buddleia is certainly showing the effects of a long spell of cold nights. This April has so far produced 23 days with a ground frost with 12 nights of below 0°C or 32°F. In the last 11 years in April, we've had a total of 14 nights with temperatures falling below 0° so to have 12 nights this year is an indication of how cold this April has been.

All our tree fruit has blossomed through this period of cold frosty mornings. First out were the plums and greengages followed by the pear trees and finally the apple blossom

Apple - Fiesta

The days have been sunny with plenty of bees about to pollinate the fruit but I'm not sure what damage the frosts will have done. It's now a waiting game to see how much of the blossom set fruit.

As if the cold nights weren't enough to contend with the ground is now bone dry and some beds will have to wait for some rain before they can be dug over. April's rainfall has so far amounted to 1.6mm or less than 0.1in. The last day we had any rain of note was the 13th March and since then nothing other than very light showers.

Sowing seeds at the allotment is on hold at the moment waiting for an improvement in the weather conditions. There is some rain in the forecast for the next few days but it's likely to be of a showery nature so hopefully, we'll be lucky and catch a few. However, the forecast is for the temperature to remain below normal for at least the next 10 days. It's turning into a challenging year at the allotment.

Copyright: Original post from A Gardener's Weather Diary http://ossettweather.blogspot.co.uk/ author M Garrett

It's like gardening in January

Well we’ve been to the allotment this week and got a few things planted but I’m not entirely sure that what we’ve planted will grow. Sue covered the jobs we got up to at the allotment on her blog, so if you’re interested in what we planted have a read of her blog post.

My concerns are twofold. Firstly, it’s been unseasonably cold, with early morning temperatures well below freezing. Secondly, it’s now over a month since we had any rain to speak of. These conditions certainly don’t make good gardening weather.

We’ve just finished a spell of seven consecutive mornings when the temperature has been below 0°C or 32°F. That would be quite a cold spell through the winter months let alone April. The last couple of mornings haven’t been much above freezing at 0.1°C and 0.0°C respectively. Out of the first 19 days this month, 9 days have been below 0°C and a further 7 days have been below 3.0°C meaning we’ve had a ground frost on 16 of the 19 days this month. That's resulted in an average low temperature for the month of 0.4°C for the first 19 days of the month.

Average Low Temperatures December 2020 to April 2021

Amazingly, April's average low temperature really is lower than any of last year's winter months.

However, the days have generally been sunny even if temperatures have been below average but I’ve had problems germinating seeds which I think is a result of the massive temperature fluctuations  between daytime and nighttime in the greenhouse. I’ve managed to germinate some tomato seeds in the house and these are spending the best of the sunny weather in the greenhouse but coming inside to spend the night in the kitchen.

There's no real change in the forecast. Some milder weather is forecast for the next few days but a return to cooler weather with more overnight frosts is on the cards for the end of the month and the beginning of May. There doesn't appear to be much rain if any in the forecast before the end of the month. So far this month our rainfall amounts to just 1.6mm (0.06in) which will make it the driest month I've recorded in 12 years. However, it will only take a light shower to change that as the record currently is 2.4mm (0.09in) in April 2011. 

I'm rather reluctant to sow any more seeds at the moment. Whilst it's easy enough to germinate them indoors I'm not sure they'll cope in our unheated greenhouse with temperatures falling to around freezing point most nights. 

Copyright: Original post from A Gardener's Weather Diary http://ossettweather.blogspot.co.uk/ author M Garrett

The Only Way Is Up - Isn't It?

It has been another cold week for April. In the early morning sunshine everything looks rosy.

This was taken on Sunday morning after another frosty night. The temperature mid morning was hovering around the 4°C (39°F) and the water left in the birdbath overnight was frozen solid. The forecast is for the temperature to reach around the 7°C (45°F) mark well below average as we approach the middle of the month.

Having looked back at previous cold Aprils, I think it should start to warm up now as we get into the second half of the month.

April Average Temperatures

The purple line, on the chart above, shows how the average temperature for this April has progressed to date. The blue dotted line shows the average temperatures for April 2013 which was even colder at this stage of the month but warmed up considerably in the second half but it's the coldest April I've recorded. Looking further back and using the Central England Temperature Records April 1989 finished up even colder but at this stage of the month, the average April temperature was about the same as this year.

The cold weather has meant we've put doing any jobs at the allotment on hold but that's going to have to change.

Early brassica plants

These brassica plants have been in the cold frame for a couple of weeks now and they need transplanting out or they will quickly be past their best. The forecast is for more dry, sunny weather next week with a gradual improvement in temperature as the week progresses. Hopefully, the forecast will be correct as we've potatoes, onions, shallots and broad beans, as well as the brassicas, all ready to be planted.

 

Copyright: Original post from A Gardener's Weather Diary http://ossettweather.blogspot.co.uk/ author M Garrett

Summer Last Tuesday But Winter Returns This Tuesday

It seems hard to believe now that only a week ago we were basking in summer-like temperatures. Of course, I realised then that sort of weather wouldn’t last but I never expected a return to temperatures more suited to January.

 

Through Tuesday afternoon we even had a few snow showers to help with the illusion that winter had returned.

 I’ve overlaid the temperature records for last Tuesday and this Tuesday in the image below.

 

Temperature Records for 30 March & 06 April 2021

The average temperature for Tuesday 06 April 2021 has become the lowest April value I’ve recorded in the last 12 years. It takes over from 01-April-2013 when the average temperature for the day was 2.4°C or 36.3°F. That lowest value has now become 2.1°C or 35.8°F.

Although the forecast is for a slight improvement in the temperature as we head through the week, the weather models are suggesting a return to lower and very unseasonable temperatures by the weekend. Any serious gardening activities are on hold until there's a change in the weather.

Copyright: Original post from A Gardener's Weather Diary http://ossettweather.blogspot.co.uk/ author M Garrett

March 2021 - How did it turn out?

I’ve now sorted out the temperature and rainfall records for March 2010 to 2021. Despite having a very warm end to the month with some record breaking temperatures this March didn’t finish as the warmest I’ve recorded.

 

Warm days, above 20°C (68.0°F), are a rare occurrence in March. In the 12 years I’ve been keeping records the temperature has only reached 20°C (68.0°F) on six occasions. We managed three days in a row in late March 2012, one day in 2019 and completing the six days are the two days at the end of March this year. That’s just 6 days in 372 days of March records.

 

March this year finished fourth in the temperature table, a degree or so above average. We needed a dry month to help the garden and allotment recover from the winter rain and fortunately the weather obliged and March finished up drier than average and down in ninth place in the rainfall table for March.

We made a video of a walk around our plot on one of the lovely warm days at the end of the month.

Copyright: Original post from A Gardener's Weather Diary http://ossettweather.blogspot.co.uk/ author M Garrett