Planting times

jhop

I have just arived in Ireland from australia, and am thinking of setting up a vegi garden. I have tomatos and other things growing as seedlings in pots, when should I put them outside? Also, I want to grow potatoes, when sould I plant them?

what does and doesn't grow well in a vegi garden here?

Gordon Gekko

Welcome to Ireland!

You'll notice some big differences in what you can grow here versus Australia!

I wouldn't plant your tomatoes outside until probably May - depending on where in Ireland you are, and how exposed your site is, we can get late frosts right into late April/early May even. Keep them in a cool, very well lit place until then - if indoors, remember to turn the plants daily so they don't grow lopsided towards the light. Make sure you 'harden' them off properly before you plant them out - stand them outside in their pots during the daytime, taking them in at night, for at least a week before you plant them out.

Potatoes can be planted anytime from now for first earlies (traditionally, St. Patrick's day was the day you planted your 'first early' potatoes) right up until May for your maincrop potatoes. Try Mr Middleton's garden shop for mail-order seed potatoes.

The great thing about growing veg in Ireland is that there is virtually nothing you can't grow in our mild, wet summers! The main thing, and this is something you may be tempted to fall foul of given you're used to the Aussie climate, is don't plant/sow stuff too early - being too late in sowing/planting is virtually always better than being too early - wait for the soil to warm up a bit first.

I've found Grow Your Own Vegetables by Joy Larkcom to be an excellent resource for organic veg growing in the Irish/British climate.

Good luck, and happy growing and eating!