Daphne Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Feeling somewhat guilty reading all this! What with one thing and another, and quite a lot of being away I haven't done anything yet except dig over the veg beds I'm going to put in courgette, runner and sweetcorn seed in the conservatory to start off, buy in some small broad bean plants as I find I can lose them if it turns wet - I'll probably do some lettuce, and start kale and maybe leeks for next winter as well. I know they don't count as seeds, but I've got into tubers and bulbs for flowers as I seem to do OK with them. I'm a sucker for dahlias and I am hoping to dig a cutting garden for them, maybe with gladioli, day lilies and montbretia - I can see people cringing already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I'm a sucker for dahlias and I am hoping to dig a cutting garden for them, maybe with gladioli, day lilies and montbretia - I can see people cringing already Nope - not a cringer here. I am getting more into the big old fashioned type of flowers. I have a redundant raised border with a willow edge which will have spuds in next year but this year will (hopefully) be filled with lots of cutting flowers I want to get some tall things like delphiniums and other ones whose names escape me right now. I have tons of montbretia (crocosmia lucifer) which I thinned out a week or so ago, which is in the front edge of the border in between the willow canes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I love dahlias! Does anyone know if they will grow in a pot? I have some dahlia seeds, but nowhere really suitable to plant them out in the garden. I do have a large pot though, so if they will grow in a pot, I'll give them a go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I've found the bulbous/tuberous plants are ignored by the chooks - unless there is something tasty in there and then a little bit of scrabbling goes on - but generally they come up fine and dandy. My greenhouse is unheated, but I do have electricity in there and my propagators are plugged in. The plants that are hardening off get tucked into a fleecey bed at night. If there's a frost warning then I pop an old towel or even kitchen roll over the top of the propagators for extra protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I love dahlias! Does anyone know if they will grow in a pot? I have some dahlia seeds, but nowhere really suitable to plant them out in the garden. I do have a large pot though, so if they will grow in a pot, I'll give them a go Are they seeds? I don't know anything about seeds, normally you get tubers. Tubers will grow in pots - I usually start some in pots and some in the ground. Last year I just did pots and left them there and didn't transfer them to the ground. You just need to keep them watered and choose a big enough pot, there is usually quite a bit of foliage as well as the massive blooms to support so you want a sturdy base with enough compost to nurture them. You give a feed as well in the season - mine got left over tomato fertiliser, but there's probably something better! In fact if you start them off in pots you can take cuttings and get 2 lots of plants for the price of one but its never worked that well for me - 2 lots of slow plants and I'm Mrs Impatient I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I love dahlias! Does anyone know if they will grow in a pot? I have some dahlia seeds, but nowhere really suitable to plant them out in the garden. I do have a large pot though, so if they will grow in a pot, I'll give them a go Are they seeds? I don't know anything about seeds, normally you get tubers. Tubers will grow in pots - I usually start some in pots and some in the ground. Last year I just did pots and left them there and didn't transfer them to the ground. You just need to keep them watered and choose a big enough pot, there is usually quite a bit of foliage as well as the massive blooms to support so you want a sturdy base with enough compost to nurture them. You give a feed as well in the season - mine got left over tomato fertiliser, but there's probably something better! In fact if you start them off in pots you can take cuttings and get 2 lots of plants for the price of one but its never worked that well for me - 2 lots of slow plants and I'm Mrs Impatient I Definitely seeds! If they are happy enough in a pot when they get big, then I'll sow some and see how we go - nothing ventured, nothing gained! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Just watched Gardeners' World on Iplayer and Monty was sowing Dahlia seeds! I have planted out my broad beans and some perpetual spinach, into raised beds. Sweet pea seeds also sown as I forgot last Autumn. Chard and kale to go in later this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I've got lots of Dahlia seeds, that will have to go in pots for starters - as need to be able to transport them to new house. I've got a flower patch / garden planned. I just love fleurs! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 OK peeps - dahlia seeds, will they flower this year? This is a new one on me. I am even pondering to myself....do dahlias have seeds, I really should be more observant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 OK peeps - dahlia seeds, will they flower this year? This is a new one on me. I am even pondering to myself....do dahlias have seeds, I really should be more observant I thought they were tuber flowers so its new to me too http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/dahlias-from-seed/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Very interesting - thanks for the link. I may have a go this spring and take a better look at my own flowers in the autumn! If I don't lift the tubers I lose them to the wet and they don't always make it through winter when lifted either, so it can be a bit pricey; this seems cheaper. But I really can't get my head round how they make growth so fast. I wonder if they form tubers as well And why do we traditionally mostly see tubers for sale? I note the article mentions bedding dahlias so maybe those short stemmed ones are best suited to seed growing; they aren't my favourites Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 OK peeps - dahlia seeds, will they flower this year? This is a new one on me. I am even pondering to myself....do dahlias have seeds, I really should be more observant mine always have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 Cucumbers,Butternut Squash,Courgettes & Cayanne Peppers all done now..........everything else is sown directly into the ground. I also got some Basil,Purple basil & Coriander on the go. My Peas & Beans are now in the Greenhouse & the Tomatoes I sowed last weekend are looking very sprightly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I've been reading this thread and feeling guilty as I am so behind with things. At last I can post! I've sown four sorts of tomato, basil, and some dwarf lavender. I've also sowed 'candlestick' primula which I've wanted for ages, tried before and failed with. Today I'm going to sow sweet peas and some chard. At last - I love raising things from seed, just couldn't get going this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I sowed the last of the tomatoes yesturday 18 in total 3 of the first batch are up sowed 3 or 4 types of cucumber 1 pepper and potted up another 15 or 20 potato tubers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 Blimey SJP, you must have a lot of space I would love to do multiple varieties of veg,but don't have to room in the Greenhouse, & always find I have too many orf any one seed anyhow Except for Tomatoes - they are very stingey with tomato seeds - but I must have 20 Cucumber Telegraph seeds left over & have sown heaps. I do hope telegraph is a good one,as I haven't tried it before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Telegraph are the variety I want to get as I heard they were good. I think they are disease resistant and are a good cropper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Blimey SJP, you must have a lot of space I would love to do multiple varieties of veg,but don't have to room in the Greenhouse, & always find I have too many orf any one seed anyhow Except for Tomatoes - they are very stingey with tomato seeds - but I must have 20 Cucumber Telegraph seeds left over & have sown heaps. I do hope telegraph is a good one,as I haven't tried it before sadley no all the toms and cues will be pot grown so that doubles the number I can grow in the tomato greenhouse some of the toms will go outside as well. and hardly any are red ones the spuds total so far is now upto 105 tubers ,41 varieties in polypots plus 9 tubers of 3 vareties in the ground with about 40 tubers left to pot up and that just the heritage/conservation ones at home there are about 50 vareties down the allotment thats 176ish tubers with room for 3 more tubers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 Sounds pretty impressive to me! Hubby filled up the newly extra-raised beds today, so I have sowed Carrots, White Spring Onions,Red Spring Onions & 2 types of Radish. It has clouded over here now,so it looks like we will get some helpful rain,to save me from watering them in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripeybunny Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I chicken-proofed the raised beds last weekend so have now sown parsnips, carrots, pak choi, spring onions, peas and chard outside. I have tomatoes, peppers, chillis, cucumbers, courgettes and squash in the propagator. Leeks, calabraise, cauliflower and lettuce seedlings in the greenhouse. I've no idea where I'm going to put everything. This is my first year of proper vegetable gardening and I think I've made the classic mistake of sowing too many things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stehaggan Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Major allotmenting weekend this has been. I have finally finished making all my new raised beds, have made 2 of my 3 pea frame but they still need treating and I still have 5 2.4 x 1.2 m beds to dig over . My mini greenhouse is now near capacity with: sweetcorn, cucumbers, tomatoes, runner beans, green beans, mangetout, garden peas, French greenbeans, sun flowers. Have planted cut and come again salad leaves and rocket in tubs but still need to plant all my lettuce, kale, cabbage chard etc. Onions, shallots and potatoes are not even in the ground yet and that will ave to wait till next weekend ehhhh the stress. On a lighter note I have picked some very tasty looking rhubarb today and make a 4 layer chocolate and caramel cake mmmm. Oh and I dropped 7 eggs today - smash grrr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 It's starting to romp away now - pricking out seems to be urgent and still lots of seeds to sow. 3 of my toms are now in 5inch pots - no room in propagator (although I've turned the heat off in there now) so they go under fleece. The peppers are now taking all the room where I've been pricking them out and still loads to do. May have overdone it this year but after previous years poor germination this is a welcome surprise. All seeds germinated now so it's looking like a promising veggie year. Have bought nasturtiums as I haven't had those for a while. Yummy seeds - ooh and so hot! They are my sacrificial plants to deter the butterflies and blackfly from my brassicas and beans. And you can eat the leaves, flowers and seeds (as long as you don't let them get too big unless you are saving seed for next year). Dahlias will flower this year if sown from seed - they are late in the season anyway and will go on until the frosts. If you are lucky they will grow a big enough tuber to flower next year too - depends on how wet the winter is. Occasionally they will self seed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Nasturtiums added to the list thanks for the reminder. I love them, they go on and on into the first frosts. I made jars of "capers" with the seed pods last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 Nasturtiums are the one flower I grow every year,but its just because they are easy and pretty - must remember to eat them too! Would love to know how you made the capers,OSH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 From the River Cottage Preserves.....a good book full of his off-the-wall recipes and some good classics with Hugh shortcuts. 15g salt 100g nasturtium seed pods a few peppercorns....optional herbs....dill,tarragon or bay leaves 200ml white wine vinegar. Make brine by dissolving the salt in 300ml water. Brine the pods, keeping them covered, for 24hrs. Drain and dry,pack into small sterilised jars (I used individual jam pots ..... just the right amount of capers for when you need them) with a peppercorn or two and herb of your choice. Leave room for a little vinegar on the top. Ready in a few weeks. They make an excellent tartare sauce as well as all the other stuff you can use them. They are quite fiery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
