4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Valkyrie]

Yes, I thought that too DM! 

Yes, the propagator is heated and I have a thermostat running into it.  That is really good.  All was bought a few years ago and the propagator is one that you can add tiers to the side panels, so if some plant is grow faster they can be in another side.  Clever invention.

[mullethunter]

Have been meaning for ages to tidy up my veg beds with some pathways and maybe raised beds but putting it off because I couldn’t get my head around what I needed to do. But now I’ve just come across link a bord which looks so easy, has great reviews and is made of recycled plastic. Quite excited! I see it’s been used for putting around Omlet runs too.

[Valkyrie]

I wasn't intending to do raised beds, but we have so little topsoil that when we try and sink poles or hoops into the ground they just blow over in the wind.  I even had things to hammer into the ground for the hoops to sit on.  But we hammer them down and find we need another 9 inches!  That rock is . . . well . . . rock hard!  It would wear out a jackhammer!  So maybe if I have some raised beds, I could sink those hoop holders into the ground further or at least attach it to the wood.  Darned shillet!  Lots of people use pallet collars.  Rare to get pallets - they get snapped up or reused.  I've not seen the collars, but I'd sure like some!

[Minnie&Moose]

Has anyone grown walking onions before?  I've planted my little bulbils as instructed on the packet into pots but had to leave them in the chilly greenhouse because the tiny incubator is full of tomatoes at the moment - so, I'm wondering whether they'll be OK.  Instructions were unclear whether they needed heat or not.

[Valkyrie]

I think they are pretty hardy as they self transplant and self seed - when I grow leeks and onions I don't cover, just leave them open in the greenhouse.  They are tough plants.  I've always had them on my list, one day maybe.

[soapdragon]

I am about to show my ignorance - what the doodahs are walking onions? 

My wild garlic has gone so wild that I've had to advertise on the village facebook page to see if anyone wants to come and dig some up. Any of you near me are welcome to some.....PW?!

[Valkyrie]

Walking onions are related to leeks, they can multiply if left in the ground from below, but the main walking bit is because when they flower, they bend their heads over to shed their seeds which germinate in a different spot!  Pretty fun!

[Minnie&Moose]

Thanks Valkyrie - that's reassuring.  I don't dare try them outside just yet - too soggy, particularly after today's deluge!

Soapdragon - I just couldn't resist the idea of a vegetable that wandered round the garden - if they work I'll take a picture and post it here.

[Valkyrie]

Definitely not triffids!   You will be able to outrun them! 

[Minnie&Moose]

You haven't seen me run😉

[Valkyrie]

  But faster than our Soapy!

[Minnie&Moose]

Possibly - but for how long!

[Valkyrie]

 not sure about that - she's going great guns already!

[Minnie&Moose]

I might have to play dirty if it came to a race😁

[Valkyrie]

 Snatch her crutches!  Youz sooooo bad!

[soapdragon]

I'll get my own back yet! Managing round the house sans crutches....still 2 outside just in case I go too far (walking, I mean!) Doing the fierce excercises that the physioterrorist  gave me assiduously and now have thighs of iron! Def able to kick ass now so watch it, ladies🤣

I have mental pictures of various veg wandering round the garden until they find juuuuust the right spot! 

[Valkyrie]

Watch out!  Soapy's a ninja!  

Now that's a nice vision - like hmmm, too hard, too soft and ahhh just right!

[Beantree]

Not expecting to be able to buy tomato plants this year and having been told there is some new disease in France that stays in your ground and kills tomatoes we decided to try growing from seed. Two problems there though. Firstly we haven't much compost and now can't buy any and secondly, the sow by date on the two dusty packets in the garage is 2015. The only place warm enough for germination is the bathroom by the heated towel rail. Seems after 3 days something is shooting in the tray, but at this stage it could just be grass seed from our compost heap? We've never tried using seed this old before, nor growing tomatoes from seed, so it will be a pleasant surprise if we get anything, but nothing ventured nothing gained.

[Valkyrie]

I'm growing really old tomato seeds at the moment.  Our Tigerellas are about 6 years old.  I have some saved from even 15 years ago, so will be testing them to see how they do.  Most toms are beginning to appear now.  Of those I have one out of the two seeds of Tigerella.  I don't sow many at any time now because the side shoots take so easily that I can easily end up with too many!

Not heard about the disease though.  That's annoying.  As for compost it may be down to the aminopyralid weedkillers that are used in fields for hay?  They affect a fair few plants.  Agree they have a 50/50 chance.  Fingers crossed.

[The Dogmother]

I usually get mine as seedlings form a local outlet - I will get more lpants this year though as last summer's crop wasn't brilliant and I didn't have enough green ones to make my usual Spicy Green Tomato Chutney

[mullethunter]

My raised bed bits and pieces have arrived  Now just to stop feeling so crappy so I can get out there and get them in.

[Daphne]

Well I didn't think when I started this thread years ago it might come to have some real significance!  A fortnight ago I planted courgette, melon, tomato and basil seeds, plus a load of sunflowers and other flowers.  Now I wish I'd been a bit more sensible and grown things I can eat soon.  So I am planning to go out soon and buy some plugs, I can get cabbage (lucky me), onions, toms (but none of them will be ready quickly) and lettuce.  Life and shopping is different here, online delivery doesn't exist, so we shop locally and the shops are small.  So far, no shortages, but who knows.  The corner shop sells everything, but it is family run and a social hub.  If somebody goes down with CV it will be devastating.

My tomato seed is also old, its a variety with pineapple in its name, I don't know if it will germinate, especially as I have found paw prints in the pots! The only bit of good news for us, is that we have an absent friend with land, so we have permission to help ourselves to his fruit crops.  At the moment it is citrus, but I am hoping in a couple of months he will have peaches (our tree is dying), and possibly early plums (ours are only good for processing) and loquats (his tree is huge, ours is tiny).  

Does anybody have any ideas for quick cropping things?

 

[Valkyrie]

Citrus is good - keep your vitamin C going!

I have salady things on the go, they are only seedlings at the moment but they will crop well.  I've cut off the greenhouse now so that the birds can only come in when I'm there - scatty pheasant panicked and knocked a few things over but nothing harmed.  The Taunton kale is doing very well and I need to get them either in bigger pots or plant in the veg patch.  I'd have to make sure I net them very well because the pheasants like to nibble.  Funnily nobody liked the kalettes.  Not even the ducks, so they are gradually being added to the compost.  

Peas are good for nibbling shoots - I do that when I'm pinching the tops to make them stronger and send out more shoots.  I could grow some for pea shoots only but I want the pods!  Other than that we are using what we have in the freezer.  Thank goodness we had a bumper crop last year!

Autumn leeks are beginning to go over so I think a marathon freezing session for the winter ones are on the cards - we haven't finished the autumn ones yet!

Yesterday even though we had drizzle, we managed to get 2 beds composted, so now have a place for my garlic and onions - and now we have rain again!

 

[Daphne]

Peas and pea shoots - good idea!  This afternoon I have sowed beetroot, lettuce, rocket, coriander and carrot seeds, and cleared some beds.  Since I posted we have had our lockdown speech from the President, so only food/pharmacy shops open plus banks, petrol etc.   I have had a good rootle about in my seed boxes and I do have quite a lot, some of it old, but I am super motivated to get going on it all.  I think I can get pea seeds at the corner shop, plugs will not be available, as they are at a different shop.  We bought a net of onions and one of spuds the day before yesterday, so that should keep us going for a bit.  This is meant to be fun, not survival!

[Valkyrie]

Well look upon it as a fun way of survival!  FIL is now busying himself with his veggies - super motivation to get out of the way of MIL who is NOT happy about being stuck and not gallivanting where she fancies!  

It'll be a fun challenge to see how many old seeds germinate!