There is a lot going on in the garden but the weather is holding everything back. I have managed to get most of the vegetable plot dug but the extremely wet weather means I am long way behind. I can't cover everything but here are a few pointers.
The greenhouse is full and I keep moving things around to get the new seeds in place and make room for the plants to be potted up into trays. A few things like peas and sweet peas are now moved out of the greenhouse and are being hardened off. This is an important stage if the plants are to continue growing well. It is worth taking the time to help the plants adapt from the cosy greenhouse conditions to the colder garden conditions. I move the plants back inside at night particularly if there is a risk of frost. Another quick reminder to keep an eye on the weather, low temperatures at night can be a particular problem, make sure any potatoes are covered as they will easily get damaged, don't be tempted to plant out any of the more tender plants when there is still a risk of frost even if the days are hot.
Greenhouse
Ventilation is very important in the greenhouse as it can quickly get very hot at this time of year. This is a particular challenge for me as often I leave home before it warms up but I know if I don't open the greenhouse up then plants will get scorched and damaged.
I have lots of lettuce growing. It is always nice to get an early crop so I put some in pots which should be ready to start eating in the next two weeks. It's simple, I just use some basic compost and plant up a few plants in a 10 litre pot.
The tomatoes are a bit behind compared to last year, partly due to the weather but also I planted them about 10 days later. They have been in the current pots for one week. They are growing very fast so I will probably pot them up into 30 litre pots which is my preference by the end of the month.
Outdoors
At this point I have planted out Onion Toughball and Robinson Red Mammoth Onions having hardened them off. I have some beetroot ready to go, the variety I have selected is Beetroot Red Ace I have planted several different potatoes varieties in 20 litre pots, I find this is the best method for me as there are so many problems and poor quality tubers when I grow direct in the vegetable plot