craftyhunnypie Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Really onions from teeny weeny seeds ready in August? Wow! We are on about seeds here not sets. I'm amazed! I am after rather large beets. Hubby loves them boiled. I'm not so keen on beetroot unless pickled. I might not know correct ways of growing stuff - but I do alright & have been pleased most years with what I've grown. Gardening & growing is a forever lesson - never stop learning! Just don't ask me about cucumbers! I can'y grow them ever. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I can't grow carrots here - I get the tops but no bottoms. Now if only my body would be a little more like that! Although parsnips generally do well as long as they germinate - you'd think carrots would be OK too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 This morning we have planted all of our spuds, carrots and parsnips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gertie Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I'm very excited. I have a friend with an allotment. In exchange for some eggs & chicken poo, she gave me some red onion sets & some garlic which is sprouted. I've planted courgette, gardeners delight cherry tomatoes (amazing success with those last year), some chilli & I'm off to sow some peas, French beans, chartenay carrots and some potatoes. I totally have not got a clue about quantities or successive sowing. I had a massive glut of toms, carrots and onions last year, so I made soup, chutney and tomato sauce. I gave away about 30 lettuces and the hens ate the rest, and the spinach I couldn't freeze!! I used the frozen spinach in lasagne which worked really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 My hubby asks every day - " anything germinated today"? He's a bit fascinated. I'm the gardener, he's the observer! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Off to the garden centre . . . need paving slabs and a little wooden barrier to stop certain birds from emptying border mud into the greenhouse! Got to get my runner bean seeds - Desiree always does brilliantly here. Guess where I'll be for the rest of the day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I got my radish seeds yesterday - so I'll be planting those later. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 sown 2 rows of parsnip gladiator 1 row beetroot choggia 1 row sping onion 3 rows of carrott 1 purple 1 white 1 yellow and a bog standard boring orange one also planted shallots and onion sets and 10 tubers of shetland black Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Couldn't get my Desiree runners, so bought Galaxy instead - I'll just think of chocolate instead! Or maybe a Milky Way! It's supposed to be high yielding and prolific - anybody tried this one before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Planted up a few bits today - spring onions, mangetout and winter squash. The squash seeds came as a pack of 10 mixed seeds - it will be interesting to see what varieties I get! The lettuce and chard from the other week are already starting to peep through, which is nice. No sign of the tomatoes yet... hoping they will germinate okay, we had good success with them last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 My tomatoes are all up & away,which is a relief! I got 20 or so Desiree potatoes in today,but nothing else,despite itching to get some seeds sown. Hubby has doubled the height of my raised beds,but not thought to get something to put in them.....perfect for the spuds of course,because I can fill it up as they grow,but not much use for anything else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 OH repaired the snow and wind damaged no. 2 greenhouse yesterday and after a good clean I got sowing No. 1 greenhouse in quite a bad way so will be repaired next weekend. Three types of Pea, Early Onward, Meteor and Greenshaft. Two types of Runner Bean, Scarlet Emperor and Judia Scarlata (Lidl seed), I think this might be Scarlet Emperor as well. Also sowed some flower seed, Sunflowers and Snapdragons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 My raised beds need topping up too, we have done one with the contents of one compost bin and have planted some Little Gem lettuce plants which are growing away very fast. I have 3 more beds to top up and then I can really get going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 thee radish & iceberg lettuces got sown yesterday direct into soil, but under a cloche. I also found a mystery plant growing well in an old hanging basket. I re potted it & will see what it turns into. It could be a petunia, a geranium a busy lizzie or a little gem lettuce - but looks more succulent leafs than a lettuce. Time will tell. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Grrr, a naughty hen escaped today and dug a big hole right where I had sowed my spring onions! She had the rest of the garden to choose from, including the other UNPLANTED raised bed, so how come she managed to sabotage my planting efforts? The amount of soil she flung around, I bet I'll find them growing out of the lawn in a few weeks On the plus side, I bought some borlotti beans today, so I'll start those off in the next few weeks or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I spent a few days enjoying the sunshine last week (where has it gone - its all cold and grey today ) where I tidied up my little veg border, planted some spuds - don't know what, just some that were in the veg cupboard and sprouted I also sowed some parsnips, carrots, beetroot, radish, leeks and lettuce in the same border. All in lovely neat rows. Only for the bloomin' chickens at the weekend when I let them out for a forage, dust-bathed throught the entire border!!!! I covered it with trellis, but they still snuck on through. I shall just have to see what grows. And where! In my little greenhouse, I have sown various seeds trays of flower seeds I collected last year (Honesty, Delphinium, clematis, lavender, poppy) and some more veggies and herbs ( parsley, coriander, toms, courgette, Crown Prince squash from last years 'surprise' plant) cue, sweetcorn, onions (seeds and a few sets) broadbeans, peas. I think thats it? I have some fine green beans to sow as well. The raspberry canes and currant bushes are leafing really well, and the raspberry's have thrown up some new runners, so I will have a lovely load of berries this year. I think we had over 2lb of fruit last year off of 4 canes Not quite sure where I shall put them all in the garden may have to be like my grandmother and plant them in the front garden She always had spuds in her front garden, and onions. I do have herbs growing there, but that's because my kitchen is at the front of the house and much easier to get to when cooking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Another pleasant hour spent in the greenhouse this morning. Sowed, Brussel Sprouts - Seven Hills. Tomato - Alicante and Gardeners Delight. Cauliflower - All The Year Round. Broad Bean - The Sutton. Floxglove - Tall Mixed and Delphinium - Something? Dreamer. Decided I need new staging as some of it was leaning with the weight of the pots and trays when I went in there. It would help if the floor was level. I had company as well, two fat Toads I don't know how they get in and out of the greenhouse as the door is always shut this time of year and they were not about when the greenhouse was cleared out and scrubbed at the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stehaggan Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I have a question for everyone... I got an allotment last year and we grew lots, the dreaded weeds were such a pain and as I have a full time job its difficult to keep on top and I understand they disturb the crops. As I have been on holiday I haven't planted a thing yet so I am spending this weekend finishing building my new raised beds and making my pea frames in preparation and I will plant some seeds in my mini greenhouse. What I was thinking of doing is putting weed control fabric on my raised beds, growing young plants in the greenhouse then cutting parts in the fabric and planting the plants through them does this sound like a good idea or do you think it will discourage growth? The weeds really do annoy me and this is all I can think of. I know the weed fabric allows water to penetrate so the roots will get watered, i just dont want the crops to be tarnished, what do you all think or maybe suggest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Weed matting will help with certain larger crops like cabbages, and other brassicas, you can also grow strawberries through it. i do find that it is hard to get a big enough hole to plant through though that doesn't then let the weeds through just where you don't want them around the base of the plants. There is really no substitute for hoeing regularly. It is amazing how much you can hoe in half an hour in an evening and it is a great way to get rid of the cobwebs of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Has anyone got their seedling out into an unheated Greenhouse yet? Mine are going great guns,but I need the windowsill space for my Courgettes,Squash & Cucumbers now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Yes I have shoved mine outside into the greenhouse, but then I am probably not the best example. This is my second year of growing and still at the very experimental stage of finding out what does/doesn't work. I don't have much windowsill room though, so needed the space! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Mine are in an unheated small plastic covered greenhouse. The heat does build up quite well in there though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 All my germination has taken place in an unheated greenhouse! It's worked well for the past 3 or so years. Seedlings doing well. So far the Topolino sunflowers, runner beans, spring onions, sweetcorn & leeks have all sprouted. I've never seen such strong seedlings as the Topolinos! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Good-o I will bung mine out there later this week,& get the rest of my sowing done. Its so nice to have this little support network Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I would still keep an eye on the weather forecast though. If you are going to get a frost just light a large church candle in the greenhouse, it'll keep the temp above zero and they burn for yonks. You might need a couple if it's a big greenhouse. I am well late this year and have only just started sowing, but I started a bit early last year and lost a lot to frost when I forgot to light the candle . I got me a greenhouse heater for christmas so I should be ok this year as long I remember to light the thing Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...