Chicken bald back

[Valkyrie]

Yes you are right about the paraffin, but I won't be doing that. You are sue-free!

[Spike-J]

Henny penny quote: "you must be able to get thermometers to indicate the temp inside or i may just use my airing cupboard- What do other people do?"

 

I'm just after getting a soil thermometer off ebay for my new propagator and planted aubergines today.

think it cost £3.49 plus P&P

[henny penny]

Hi Spike -j

thanks for that will have a look!

[Madchook]

I germinated my parsnips on kitchen roll last year, in a pyrex dish. Had very few seeds that didn't germinate -did 2 varieties. I transferred them (meant to be as soon as you get that bump where the root comes from appears so as not to get a wonky root-but some of mine had got quite long and were fine. I had a 100% success rate with this method, didn't lose a single plant. I moved them out to the plastic greenhouse quite soon to slow their growth though. Pretty much the only thing I grew with any success!

[henny penny]

Hi Madchook

when u transferred them to the greenhouse- did u plant them in modules /loo rolls?

thanks

[blackgold]

Do you use seeds from last year. I have loads because i made a lot of plans bought about 50 packets of seeds. Planted whole packets of some things, got fed up pricking out and then had so many tom plants i gave about 50 away.... Cost me a fortune in compost as well.I like the loo roll inner idea. i can get most things to come up in my conservatory and have 2 greenhouses so am really successful with things like cucumber, toms and melons but everything that goes in the ground doesnt do so well. In planters everything is fine. Soil is clay but with added all sorts. Hope my chicken poo helps this year... lol Sue

[Olly]

ha - I bought loads of organic seeds last year, shared them with friends who did the order and split them all into two and neatly packeted them up. They had a fantastic crop ... and I hardly planted anything too busy and missed the timings.

 

So I'll be using last year's seeds, this year! I have packets of seeds, some of them quite old - always worth a try, I think the 'sell-by' dates are over-cautious. I've managed to germinate seeds that were really ancient in the past.

[blackgold]

do we do plant swopping on here cos if i plant loads and they all come up i never know what to do with the excess plants. I always use whole packets at a time.......

[Happy chickens!]

Yes - there is a sticky at the top of this section, but I don't think it is used much - had no replies to my offer of purple sprouting broccoli seeds - or maybe no one else likes them as much as I do.

 

I save seed from the previous year, as there is almost always too much, except for carrot which doesn't keep well. Germination rates go down each year that you keep the seed and it's important to keep it somewhere cool, dry and dark if you want to keep it in the best condition.

 

I also share my seed order with a friend to keep the excess to a minimum, and collect seed so I don't have to buy more too!! (Well sometimes anyway, somehow I'm never as organised as I'd like to be. )

[Matthew]

ha - I bought loads of organic seeds last year, shared them with friends who did the order and split them all into two and neatly packeted them up. They had a fantastic crop ... and I hardly planted anything too busy and missed the timings.

 

So I'll be using last year's seeds, this year! I have packets of seeds, some of them quite old - always worth a try, I think the 'sell-by' dates are over-cautious. I've managed to germinate seeds that were really ancient in the past.

 

 

Never use old parsnip seeds

[blackgold]

Sorry but what is a sticky? love Sue

[Phoebe]

Got the garlic, onions and broad beans in the ground already. . I tend to wait until March for most seeds. Especially as I like to direct sow most things.

 

me too; although the broad beans have n't shown at all yet. Garlic is doing well; onions just sitting there. I'd like to put some more garlic and beans in, but it is so wet at the moment I think they will just rot......

 

Potatoes are chitting though and since everyone else is being so industrious, perhaps I will think about starting some stuff off in the utility room (no greenhouse )

[Madchook]

Hi Madchook

when u transferred them to the greenhouse- did u plant them in modules /loo rolls?

thanks

Oh sorry, yep loo rolls.I kept things like ice-cream tubs and packed them in tightly. They do go a bit mouldy but nothing that seemed to harm them. Had to be a bit careful planting as by then they were a bit soft-but I left them too late tbh, this yr I will put them out as soon as they looked established I think.

[Happy chickens!]

Hi Sue

 

by a sticky I just mean the threads at the top of each section that don't move - they say 'sticky' by them; there's one on the self sufficient life called 'excess seeds exchange'.

[blackgold]

Thanks but it was excess baby plants i have love Sue

[Cinnamon]

I have sown nothing yet, & don't even have anything 'on the go' as it were.

I do have my onions to go in as soon as it dries up though - they are the first job of the year for me

[blackgold]

I have plum toms in and a coffee, lemon, orange and peppermint tea seeds in.... lol Dont ask they were a present......

[Valkyrie]

Ooh that little bundle sound fun - bergamot for orange tea perhaps? Chickory for coffee? You've got me guessing now.

[Guest]

sowed these in little pots last night...chillis and peppers; cayenne pepper, sweet pepper (yolo wonder and californian wonder) and jalapeno chillis. I'm keeping them in the house as neither the conservatory nor the greenhouse are heated. So, we shall see how they go, or rather grow

 

There's a film about an allotment society in Liverpool called 'Grow Your Own' (a brilliant film if you get chance to see it!), anyway, the opening scenes are of the houses of some of the allotmenteers and every windowsill, table and available bit of space is full of seed trays and pots! Ian said our house will end up like that if I'm not careful!

 

Does anyone know if you can actually use the seed from shop bought peppers and chillis? I've saved some seed from a yellow pepper I used the other night. I folded them up in some kitchen paper, to dry them off, until I'm ready to sow them. Will they work? The reason I ask is I know bought seed has been through special processes to make germinate better so, anyone know?

[Valkyrie]

Hard to tell with shop bought ones, Poet. They might be F1 hybrids so won't grow the same, but there's nothing to stop you experimenting - nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say. I am trying the Californian Wonder this year too, I already have the Golden Californian Wonder which are deliciously sweet and thick walled, so wanted to try the red version. You can save the seeds from those for next year if you are happy with the results.

If you have the seeds on the windowsill, put some foil at the back of them to reflect the light to try and prevent the seedlings getting leggy. We used cut down boxes with foil at the back, shiney side outwards - it does help a little bit.

Have a look at this allotment:

http://www.saundersallotment.co.uk/index.html

My favourite one - I use this one as a marker for my plantings and sowings - I just add on a couple of weeks because we are a bit more in a frost pocket.

Still not done anything yet and I am getting so antsy about it. I want to finish off the spud beds too, but the water is still at the bottom and squelchy. This time last year everything was under way and going great guns. Bah humbug.

[Guest]

thanks Koojie

 

I think I shall try them out then and see what happens

 

xxx

[Saronne]

I often have leftover seeds from the year (or years) before. They seem to come up okay. I keep all my seeds in their pkts. and in an old cake tin in the pantry where it's cool. I've used 4 year old cabbage, tomato and lettuce seeds - germination is generally fine. Unopened pkts, especially the ones with little foil pkts inside, will keep for even longer, I've heard.

 

Saronne

[Valkyrie]

A few years back I had some lettuce seeds that were very ancient, so I threw them on some rough ground that hadn't been sorted out after we moved here. I had loads of lettuces everywhere! I haven't done that again! I have kept seeds for several years - only when they don't germinate as well as they have done, that is the time to get new stock. I do, however, purchase parsnips every year although I have read that it is possible to keep them for 2, but not worth the risk - they are a bit iffy occasionally even when new.

[Valkyrie]

I'm up and running, and feeling much happier that I have made a start:

Toms - Sungold, Moneymaker, Tigerella and Salt Spring Sunrise

Aubergines - Szechuan and Long Purple

Can't find my peppers

[Cinnamon]

Crikey, haven't even thought about the tomatoes yet

 

I always grow Sungold - they are just brilliant.

 

I got 30 onion sets in today,between the showers, & feel better for having made a start too