The Dogmother Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Soil microbial health - I think you'll love this article https://theplanthunter.com.au/botanica/microbial-love-an-earthy-chat-with-the-land-gardeners/?fbclid=IwAR0JwSTuh7zQ_U8EfjQ5XPC6l3Wh6Mb1OaRLj-tWSqBegklXN_ZEncDaMT8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 Its all true, my SIL did her PhD on soil erosion many moons ago. Only yesterday as I dug over a bed which I have been using for 7 years now, I noticed how different it was this year. It seems drier and less friable. Paradoxically it has been full of weeds, wild flowers and mint, normally I dig them up and leave it fallow over winter and allow the blossoms and leaf litter from the tree to be taken down naturally by the worms. So, I am hoping that supporting the winter 'crop' of flowers for the bees has taken a bit out of it, and if I leave it for a few weeks (won't be more this year!), I will then be able to plant out lettuce and herbs which shouldn't take too much goodness or moisture. My biggest problem is that it is too dry to make compost, I have tried so many methods but our extreme summers bake everything. Water is metered so I won't water the heaps, I have tried it but the quantities needed are huge. When I have more time I will probably do some more wallowing in those gorgeous photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 1 minute ago, Daphne said: Its all true, my SIL did her PhD on soil erosion many moons ago. Only yesterday as I dug over a bed which I have been using for 7 years now, I noticed how different it was this year. It seems drier and less friable. Paradoxically it has been full of weeds, wild flowers and mint, normally I dig them up and leave it fallow over winter and allow the blossoms and leaf litter from the tree to be taken down naturally by the worms. So, I am hoping that supporting the winter 'crop' of flowers for the bees has taken a bit out of it, and if I leave it for a few weeks (won't be more this year!), I will then be able to plant out lettuce and herbs which shouldn't take too much goodness or moisture. My biggest problem is that it is too dry to make compost, I have tried so many methods but our extreme summers bake everything. Water is metered so I won't water the heaps, I have tried it but the quantities needed are huge. When I have more time I will probably do some more wallowing in those gorgeous photos! If you gnat to wallow and draw inspiration, try this link - just a few miles from me https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/wardington-manor-in-oxfordshire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Just put in 40 Agata early potatoes (box of 60 was €9.60) and put the weedy ones on the compost heap. They will grow, but I'm not carrying water up the hill again this year. Next to go in is Bintje, a variety recommended, because the Spunta we put in last year were very poor flavour and wouldn't chip. We do OK with compost Daphne, even with the dry summers. It stays in a wide shallow heap for a year and then is lifted in October and put into a ventilated bay. Over winter it develops further and is pretty good by March. The area that is lifted is grass seeded in October and develops well enough for the roots to survive summer, even though it all goes brown on top. Basically the heap moves down the field about 3 metres a year (5 metres wide) and the rainwater runoff fertilises downhill; necessary because our land is very poor atm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 Sounds interesting, could you explain the ventilated bay bit please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 It's made with pallets covered with strong plastic windbreak netting, so held together in a cube shape on 3 sides. It gets wet in winter and plenty of air around it and being so thick stays warm. The first pile I described is about 6" deep when lifted. Seems to work for us, fortunately, as we hadn't tried it before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 This sounds like the ancient wire sided compost container we’ve had for years. I have 4 compost containers and this is by far the most effective Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 Ah, the shallowness may explain it, plus taking advantage of natural run off. My piles are about 2.6ft high and 3ft long. I do have a slope but its not very convenient for composting. I suppose I could try spreading the piles out more, but I only have 1/3 acre and most of it is within view. I must give it some more thought, a new approach has to be worth it. Actually I have just thought of somewhere, along the border with my slightly difficult neighbour! Thanks BT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 This morning the tomato seed tray has lots of little white fluffy tufts sticking up. They look like roots, but are going the wrong way! We haven't grown tomatoes from seed before and can't find anything on the internet, so is this normal or has something gone wrong? They could be seeds rotting perhaps? They were scattered on the surface, a thin layer of compost on top then firmed down and watered. The compost is moist not wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 21, 2020 Author Share Posted March 21, 2020 I hope someone can help you, but you seem to have planted the seed textbook style according to Monty on GWorld last night! I only have one tomato germination so far from about a dozen seeds, but a friend is dropping off some seedlings in exchange for some citrus later in the week, we are on the way from his work to his home and we will just wave at each other! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 3 hours ago, Beantree said: This morning the tomato seed tray has lots of little white fluffy tufts sticking up. They look like roots, but are going the wrong way! We haven't grown tomatoes from seed before and can't find anything on the internet, so is this normal or has something gone wrong? They could be seeds rotting perhaps? They were scattered on the surface, a thin layer of compost on top then firmed down and watered. The compost is moist not wet. Sounds like mould to me Beantree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 Yep, that is mould, probably growing from the compost. Let the air dry around it and see what happens. It needs a bit of ventilation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 Well the fluffy tufts turned round creating a loop and went into the soil, then the other end came out with the seed casing on the end, which then split and the leaves came out. This didn't happen with all of them; half just came straight out. I think this is a correction mechanism for the seeds that germinate upside-down because the ones that came straight out are about a day ahead. Seems we have dozens of tomato plants coming up, so the seeds being 5 years past their date made little difference. It certainly did look like mould though, growing out of the seeds. The tray is outside now to give the seedlings some light, as they were all leaning towards the bathroom window. I'll repotting them all, because anything can go wrong and any spares will to our neighbour (have to leave them at the gate and telephone). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 Seems a little warmer today so I'll be taking the seedlings over to the greenhouse to pot up and then bringing them back inside. Glad yours decided it wasn't in Australia and corrected itself. Always hard to tell without a piccy though. Good news it is! Second sunny day, frosty, but I think I'll be popping the garlic and onions in today. I'll pop a cover over them in case of nibblings - seeing as the ducks have developed a taste for the green bits and were jumping up to reach! Brats! Looks like 17 ducklings-ish at the moment! Plenty of time yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Lots of tomatoes now with the second leaves starting to grow. Been told that tomato seeds can last 10 years by someone else who found a free packet with 12 in it and they all germinated. Our Agata potatoes are just showing, so 10 days since they were put in. Frosts for the next few days so the fleece has to go on. Hopefully the Bintje will be much later because we haven't enough fleece for those as well and now can't buy any. All the beds are now allocated with a timetable and parsnips going in after the early potatoes; parsnip chips are delicious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 And I understand you can't easily buy parsnips in France, so a double win! Good news on the toms and age, about half of mine have germinated. I have brought them in as a cold snap is forecast from tomorrow. Yesterday a friend emailed me photos of old seeds she has found in her shed. The labels have disintegrated in water, but the seeds are safe and unopened in the foil packet. I failed in my ID, but I could give her a list of what they weren't, according to what I have in my seed tins! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 I am going through my seeds today, don't have a greenhouse for germinating, but my set a few in pots on windowsills where I have space. The chard and salad crops are doing very well under he cloches, the Purslane is growing like mad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 I have 2 varieties (Gardeners Delight and Black Russian both old seed) of tomatoes germinated but still just seed leaves. Sungold and Giulietta sowed 3 days ago so still in the propagator. Leeks and kale outside in the cold frame doing well, likewise Brussels in the greenhouse. Onion sets (Red Ray) and potatoes (Jazzy and Arran Pilot) are in the new raised beds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 I decided to switch to dwarf French Beans this year because the climbing frame which took hours to make blew down in a storm. That may be a mistake because my back isn't great, which is why we grew a climbing variety in the first place. I was about to compost the bed and tiller it ready for them then read the seed packet which said NOT to plant in soil which has had compost added because the variety thrives in poor soil only. That might explain why half of the ones last year died; I originally put that down to residual weedkiller, which the previous owner put everywhere. We haven't got a greenhouse either DM (would blow down), nor do we have window sills because all our windows open inwards (the trade of window cleaner doesn't exist here) so our seeds are in a tray on a barstool in the window recess. Perhaps I should set up a cold frame Mullethunter. We've got some pallets that could be broken up and some secondary double glazing with aluminium frames. Problem I foresee is forgetting to take the glass off when the sun hits it and cooking the plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 I have just planted up some dwarf peas......will continue to sow every few weeks for peas throughout the summer. They are supposed to be low growing and bushy so perfect for pots on the patio. Waiting for dwarf cucumber seeds to arrive in the post but can't seem to find any other dwarf veg seeds available. The apple twig is doing OK....starting to leaf up so we may get apples this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Oh - I’ve also down some sweet peppers and some mini cucumbers but they haven’t appeared yet. Just realised that I’ve ordered a double amount of sweet peas. Forgot I’d placed an order with Sarah Raven and ordered some more from Marshall’s 🙄 Also got some peas coming as my old seed just rotted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 So much for covering the bed for the parsnips - it was weighted down but now half of it is over the onions. Grrrr! It's been exceedingly windy, but while we had a few clouds and a lot of sun, it was very cold. So nothing done outside today, but I see my sugar snaps have sprouted! I agree the wind blew down our bean poles last year but the dwarf French beans were fine. I'm going to try again but will try and put a wind break up around it. I missed the runner beans, although we had something in the soil that didn't agree with the plants and later sowings were doing fine even though they were semi-horizontal. Might even try a lower angled wigwam - means it will be spread out over a larger area, but hopefully the beans will still run along the canes and hang down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 Aren't dwarf bean seeds a funny shape! They look like scrummy sweets, like tic-tacs! I sowed some direct a few days ago, first time, I thought they might be OK as not as hungry as runners, which nobody grows here, but not sure they'll ripen fast enough before the severe heat. I think neighbour sowed them in Aug/Sept last year to ripen through the warm autumn. Double sweet peas - you'll have enough blooms to cheer yourself and somebody else MT, which has to be worth it right now! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 On 3/29/2020 at 9:11 PM, Daphne said: Double sweet peas - you'll have enough blooms to cheer yourself and somebody else MT, which has to be worth it right now! Good thinking Daphne 👍🏻 If we’re still like this when they flower I’ll put them in a bucket outside the gate for people to take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 I finally got round to sowing my seeds today. I've hoarded quite a few packets without actually meaning to. Mostly from buying them half price and then not getting round to do them the following spring. I've sown lettuce, nemesia, 2 sorts of sunflowers, sweet peas, hanging basket sweet peas, runner beans (my own seed) courgettes and my favourite tomatoes - Sungold and Losetto. I'm hoping they all grow as some were out of date - but then I've been reading that some of you have had success with out of date seed - so we'll see. My little greenhouse is now stuffed but I just remembered that I have a packet of orange cosmos seeds that I'm sure I can squeeze in tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
