Ms

[Snowy]

Leeks and red onion seeds - a bit late I know, but I forgot I had them! Have just put in another order from MoreVeg for greenhousey things - chillis and peppers, sone more toms, cucumbers and melons! Plus some fancy squashes for the lottie The toms look lovely - I've ordered stripy ones, yellow ones and pink ones (and some chocolate brown peppers!)

[Christian]

I am holding off planting my pumpkins, squashes and tomato seeds as my pathetic little plastic greenhouse can't cope

 

Managed to get some onion sets in yesterday and will hopefully get round to direct sowing peas this afternoon. *mental note - get some holly to protect peas from the blimmin' mice*

 

Seed potatoes are going in this weekend

[Matthew]

Oooooo- never thought of growing Squash, & we do eat a fair bit of it too

Is it an easy one to grow Matthew?

 

I have done the Kelvedon Wonder peas too, & you have also reminded me to get some parsnips in

 

I found growing squash very simple if you have the space

 

I had a load of butternut squash to store (about 6 good size per plant) three crown prince and a load of harlequin (smaller squash)

 

planted in situ.. three seeds per station... thinned to strongest

[Cinnamon]

Thanks Matthew, I have done them now

 

I didn't think of Cucumber either, so I need to take a trip to the garden centre again

[missuscluck]

I am holding off planting my pumpkins, squashes and tomato seeds as my pathetic little plastic greenhouse can't cope

 

You didnt get your greenhouse yet then Christian

 

Plenty of time yet to grow pumpkins and tomatos. Mine are going in late this year as we are going away in a weeks time for 2 weeks and I wont be here to fuss them

 

I have put some outdoor stuff in though. Peas, mange tout, lettuice, beetroot, radish, spring onion, rocket and some herbs. I hope they will be popping out when I get home from my hols.

 

Its enough to rely on my friends to feed a cat, 3 guinea pigs and 5 chickens without asking them to water a million seedlings too

[Christian]

Nope, no super duper greenhouse yet, but one day A million and one other things to pay for first, like a leaking shower, utility room cupboards etc etc - boring stuff

 

Carrots planted

[missuscluck]

Im sure it wil be well worth the wait

[Cinnamon]

Got Cucumber & Butternut Squash in, as well as an interesting mini Q,perfect for tiny pickled gherkins, which I love

 

I also bought, on a whim, a pcak of wild strawberry seeds, which are supposed to be great in hanging baskets. We do have some growing in the garden, but the mice always get the fruit before we do

[Hennubi]

Hi, really great to hear about all your sowing!!

 

I have a couple of beds on an allotment, with last year being my first year on it- i think i did ok with mange tout and beans and corgettes being my main successes, but I always am unsure about when to start germinating or planting out.. I will have a greenhouse ready in a couple of weeks, but my indoor windowsills are a bit rubbish and I got loads of very leggy seedlings last year.. yet my seed circle lotti people all say its too early to be planting outside...

 

how do you decide/do it? Manchester can be pretty grim its true but I am just feeling the need to go and plant things already and if i can plant the carrots and parsnips and peas outside already then I will be very excited this weekend..??

 

Thanks Becky

[Matthew]

i'd say go for the parsnips and some early carrots in this weekend

 

then plant another lot of carrots in June and you 'should' miss the main carrot fly season with an early crop and a late crop either side of the peak period.

 

Re when to sow.... ignore everything apart from the information on the packets and you wont go far wrong... some people are very impatient or try beat nature

 

 

as my grandpa used to say.... "the only thing grown early is disappointment"

[Valkyrie]

Been busy, busy, busy:

Spicy Oriental salad mix, Italian salad mix, leeks (Almera, Pandora, Atlanta and Bandit). Then rainbow chard, spinach and something I haven't a clue - might be flowers but it says "can fam" on the foil packet! Butternut squash, turnips, calabrese, more cauli, mini beetroot and spring onions. Two different sorts of carrots sown in deep pots to bring on in the greenhouse - they did so well last year like that. Finally tagetes and French marigolds.

Sorted out the greenhouse and chucked lots of rubbish away that I have accumulated but never used. Cleaned pots and seed trays and pricked out some begonias.

I cheated with the bizzy lizzies, petunias and begonias - I bought some pots from the garden centre that were ready to prick out. I find it works out far cheaper than buying plugs or trays of plants - I have 4 trays full of petunias and about 6 bizzy lizzies. Haven't finished the begonias yet. It is also a lot easier and cheaper than buying a packet of seeds that contains very few seeds - and sometimes they don't come up either!

Pricked out more peppers and baby aubergines and I am about all in for the day. Rats! Somebody wants me to cook their dinner now!

[blackgold]

just reading your posts make me feel tired.....I have been to work today, came home, cleaned up after the pups, done housework, washing etc etc and am now too exhausted to plant anything but myself in a chair....,,..,,.

[Valkyrie]

Can fam is possibly candytuft - it'll be a nice surprise whatever it ends up.

[Valkyrie]

Managed to do the parsnips at last. They have been put in where the leeks were - not sure if that was the right thing to do, but that is the only bed that hasn't been manured. Also some Heritage seeds of climbing French beans "Coco" to try. I will do another with my Lazy Housewife because they are the best. Also dwarf Frenchies "Ice/Crystal Wax" - (which were very good last year). Peas are in at long last - my favourite "Gladstone" - which I will sow some more later for a good succession, and yet more Heritage peas "Robinson". I finished pricking out begonias this morning, and I see that some toms that were pricked out first are now ready to go into the next size up. I'm running out of compost and running out of room!

[Mollystar]

Planted out my earlies & some onions yesterday, aching today

[chickencam]

Leeks

spring onions

salad leaves

radishes

parsley

corriander

American Land Cress

[Valkyrie]

Yesterday more dwarf beans, Hildora and another one, Speedy. More basil and 2 more lots of carrots. Parsley - Italian Giant version, not the mossy curly leaf.

This morning I have done rhubarb chard, cabbage, spinach (Tetona), swede and some golden beetroot.

[Christian]

Planted out beetroot yesterday, along with 'Blaushokker' peas and my broad bean seedlings.

 

Replanted my chard and spinach from last year as needed the bed for the broad beans.

[Snowy]

In my GREENHOUSE I've sown marigolds, tomatoes and purple peas

[Valkyrie]

Yayyy! Up and running now, Snowy!

[Blackrocksrock]

My marigolds were up within 5 days and the lettuce is up too but its too cold up here again

[sparkysmum]

Well I've just lost a load of seedlings. I had started off beans, sweet peas, loads of annuals indoors and was putting them out during the day. A ferocious wind got them last weekend. Killed the lot Still my free T&M seeds arrived today Silver lining

[henny penny]

Hi Redwing

Congrats on getting your parsnips to germinate!

How did you do yours?

[Lesley]

Cats!!! I'm obviously sowing 'expletive deleted' cats!!

 

I sowed beetroot and carrot seeds and covered the bed with fleece fabric to keep the cats off.

 

I noticed the fleece was billowing in the wind yesterday, then watched in disbelief as two heads popped up They were playing under it......no doubt after they've pooped somewhere under there as well I'll have to go and start again

[henny penny]

Hi Lesley

I use bamboo canes laid in a criss cross fashion to stop the cats and the fleece jumping around on my newly sown bed!

good luck!