sjp Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 well I've started buy my seeds and seed spuds plus 6 shallot sets one I'd not seen before called Picasso so far I've got 22 varieties of spuds 2 of peas one of carrot and one of sprouts surprising what a sunny Saturday winter morning in Cheltenham can do to lift your gardening spirits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 How early can you plant sunflower seeds? I want to get really tall ones this year. Each year I try and fail. I put loads of compost filled with chicken poo and pop in a sunny position but never get them really tall. This year they are moving to the front garden which has sunshine, free draining soil and I'm going to put more compost etc on too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 How early can you plant sunflower seeds? I want to get really tall ones this year. Each year I try and fail. I put loads of compost filled with chicken poo and pop in a sunny position but never get them really tall. This year they are moving to the front garden which has sunshine, free draining soil and I'm going to put more compost etc on too. are you actually trying to grow a variety that grows tall not all do it's not just starting them off early but potting them on into a pot the next size up from the one there in so they don't become pot bound you need to aim for planting them out once all danger of frost has gone for me that's the end of May father south it could be early may Cornwall mid April in shelter areas You'll also need to fed them properly early on they'll need more nitrogen based fed to promote growth then when they get up some were around the height you want switch over to a higher potash feed tomato or rose feed to promote the flowers this is on top of the muck or compost that's been dug in over winter that's mainly to feed the soil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I find sunflowers also like quite a lot of water as well as the food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Thank you, I think where I might fall down is the potting them on bit, will try harder this year! I have been give some Sarah Raven tall "taio" sunflower seeds and to date I have always had brilliant results from Sarah Raven seeds so fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 taiyo sunflower isn't that tall around 5ft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Hmmm, yes I found that out when I read the packet this am. Oh well, these were a gift so I'll use them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 Hmmm, yes I found that out when I read the packet this am. Oh well, these were a gift so I'll use them I think I've grown it a couples of times I've been growing a mix for the last couple of years but keep getting only the multi headed ones germinating which I don't much care for so I think I'll have to buy new seed this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 I'm holding off at the moment. I feel sure that we will be having a surprise cold snap next month even though the spring flowers are way too early. I hope not, but there's no rush because things will catch up when the nights are shorter and the temperatures are more pleasant. The greenhouse is deteriorating rather quickly and is leaking badly now. No more wooden greenhouses - but then it is really old now, so definitely gone past the 10 year guarantee by about 6 years! I shall be contacting the company to see if they can suggest anything - hopefully one will be a replacement roof window/vent. But my garlic and winter onions were put in around November and already growing well - apart from the bits that the pigeons flattened (now covered with fleece!). You don't want to start your sunflowers too soon as they do romp away and get a bit leggy and you can't put them outside too soon. My daughter won a prize from school for having the shortest sunflower - a slug chomped the stem but a flower eventually appeared - it wasn't much taller than 9 inches!!! Considering it was supposed to be a giant, that was an interesting result! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 I don't start sowing seeds or planting anything much before March I like to plant my spuds around about St Patricks day but some how I don't think that happen this year judging by the state of this years potato beds I started rough digging them over the weekend in the hope that the increased surface area will start to let the water evaporate when/if we get some reasonable drying weather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sil-El Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 It is exciting to have something to focus on during these cold, grey days and long nights. Last weekend I got some seed potatoes, an early variety called "Rocket" not sure what they are like as I'm new to all this but they are in the conservatory "chitting" away nicely. Then today I went a bit mad and got seeds for all sorts of herbs as I plan to turn a corner of my new (and rather weed infested) allotment into a herb garden, and I also got seeds for mixed salad, spring onions and some curly Kale. We could really do with a long dry spell though, to let things dry out a bit. When I get home from my allotment I always look like I've been mud wrestling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Rocket is an early early basically ready in around 8 weeks it's one I won't give garden room to but that's just down to personal tastes really and been spoilt for choice have 4 of the 5 best potato days with in an hours drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Have finally made decisions. Anyone whose advice I've failed to heed, feel free to say I told you so in a few months time! Seed potatoes I've gone for Jazzy (did them last year and had huge crops if really tasty new potatoes), Setanta and Kestrel. I'm sure my grandad used to say good things about Kestrel, and Setanta sounded good on paper so we'll see. Anyone have experience of either of these? Then I've gone for Alderman climbing peas (and since discovered that if allowed they'll grow to ten feet tall ) and a medley of red, pink, and white runner beans that I've grown before. Also parsnips - a tape of a variety called White something I think. Can anyone recommend carrots or leeks? Harvesting purple sprouting broccoli at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Setanta's a good choice Alderman peas are hard to find again but a good old one I did really well with Sweet Candle and Yellowstone carrots last year if you grow Yellowstone earth it up so that the top of the carrot is well below ground as it goes green if the light gets to it another good carrot is Trevor both it and Sweet Candle will grow big but still remain edible as for leeks I like St Victor it's a late one that needs a good cold spell so a December onwards harvest but the seed can be hard to find but it does come true from saved seed as it's not an F1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Thanks SJP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 I have either rocket or American land cress growing in 2 really big and healthy clumps where I sowed them last year! They were eaten by slugs or snails - seems they've beaten the nibblers! Yayyy home grown early spicy salad for me!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 My tomatoes are through. After faffing around with all sorts of varieties I'm sticking with Sungold in the greenhouse. Aubergines and chillies popped up this morning. The sweet peas I sowed three weeks ago are sitting happily in the cold greenhouse. My purple sprouting broccoli is just starting. It takes up a whole raised bed but I do love the sprouts. Blueberries have been mulched with home made ericaceous compost and I picked the last of the parsnips yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Sungold are one of the tastiest tomatoes ever That's the only tomato I ever grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saronne Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 I highly recommend Glacier tomatoes for outdoor crops. I've tried for years to grow tomatoes outside, but never had a decent crop until I tried Glacier. I gave plants to friends who also commented how well they did. I've also sown Black Russian tomatoes - a beautiful and tasty variety which did well in my greenhouse last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I agree the Black Russians were rather nice. OH is digging up our parsnips row by row and this year we've had some brilliant ones. The first row were rather hit and miss but that may be something to do with being too near the edge of the raised bed? But all the others have produced beauties! I did thin out more and that was all no dig. Ooh just thought - I hope he hasn't dug the area because they only needed to be loosened and pulled! Sprouts have gone over and so will be given to the girls to chomp. Not started anything in the greenhouse just yet. Last year they outgrew the heater even with the extra height! So this year waiting a bit. Edited to add - yes he blinking well did dig! Arghhhh! If you want a job done properly the only way is to not let OH loose in the veggie patch without supervision!!! He has been "told" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted March 20, 2016 Author Share Posted March 20, 2016 I've finally started to plant stuff planted 18 verities of main crop spuds this morning just need to find the pink fir apple that I know I brought. weather permitting I'll plant the 2nd earlies next weekend might get the 1st's in as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 I don't land in my Portuguese garden for another month, it will be interesting to see how I fare in terms of playing catch up My 3 UK veg beds which were about 10 ft x 4 ft have become grassland once again, but because they became semi-raised over the seasons with new layers of compost, it now looks like I have a small graveyard in the back garden Has anybody tried growing marjarom from seed? I have a largish area I want to cover in low growing plants and I fancy mixing herbs with nasturtiums, although going by previous experience this may end up as a nasturtium bed, they are a bit thuggish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 My spuds all went in yesterday. Onion sets, peas, leeks and tomatoes are all coming on in their trays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
