In article ,
Dwayne wrote:

If you are prescient, I can see why you are successful! How do you
tell 6 weeks ahead of time when the last frost will be? In the UK,
the expected variation is plus or minus 20 days - i.e. nearly 7 weeks!

Our average last frost date is May 4. I add two weeks to that date. Last
year they still were frozen and I had to replant with a second batch that I
had started (just in case).

I found out from the local extension office of our nearest university
teaching agriculture, but most weather predicting offices should have the
information.

That doesn't sound like the UK to me.

You are correct. I live in Kansas, but ever since I found out what a
newsgroup was, I have been responding to questions for which I have an
answer, to the UK, England, and Australian newsgroups.

I have learned that if I have a problem, the more people I have helping me
solve it, the easier it is to overcome. I have been corresponding with Len
in Australia for over two years. We try each others ideas and suggestions
and I truly appreciate his help and ideas.

Yes, I agree, but this is one answer that does not translate.

Actually, I was wrong about the plus or minus 20 days - that is the
soil temperature variation - the last frost variation will be larger,
but I don't know what it is. In 30 years in Cambridge, it has been
from February 15th (if I recall) to June 20th. The average last
frost date is an almost meaningless datum in the UK - there is no
option but to guess according to what the year seems to be doing.

This is the big difference between a temperate continental and a
temperate maritime climate. In the former, the seasons occur at
fairly predictable dates - in the latter, they don't.

Also, because we are so far north, there is little heat left in the
sunshine by the time that we harvest squashes, and so they aren't
going to ripen any further. That is the reason for my point that
only the first squashes will ripen enough to set viable seed.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.