April Update: What are you growing in 2006?

schoolfundraiser

If you have a local Asian store they sell packs of spices - you need the unground coriander seeds - just soak about a tablespoonful in water for about a day and plant out about 10 seeds per pot on the windowsill. They germinate quite quickly. Grow on and repeat the process at weekly intervals to keep a succession of plants.

You could try it with fennel seeds cumin seeds etc I suppose - haven't done it myself. The coriander tip was given me by an Asian allotment holder who grew it along with his garlic and spinach and turnip tops.

If you don't have a local Asian store the supermarkets should have the unground coriander seeds but you will pay more! :rotfl:

schoolfundraiser

arkonite_babe wrote:

My growing this year so far is as follows:
Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary in pots
Various flowers in pots, nothing else stands a chance in my garden cos the dog loves to dig.

What other things can I grow in pots apart from herbs???

Advice would be very much appreciated

Practically anything can be grown in pots - you just have to vary the size. I have grown runner beans in large builders type buckets with bamboo canes - Lettuce in window boxes - dwarf french beans in window boxes, peppers and chillis don't grow that big so can also fit in pots or window boxes. Potatoes in large builders buckets. Carrots ditto. I have also grown peas in grow bags but you really don't get enough of a crop to make it worth the effort.

Tomatoes grow well in big buckets - more successful than grow bags as they only need one support per bucket rather than the complicated arrangements you find yourself putting up with growbags to stop them falling over!

The only thing to remember with pots is that they will need feeding and lots of water!!!!

Chell

Thanks Schoolfundraiser, I bet if I raid my Dads spice cupboard I'll find some lurking. Wush me luck, I usually manage to kill the plants from the supermarket so I tend to chop them up and freeze them to add to curries/soup when needed.

schoolfundraiser

Chelltune - make sure your seeds are not too old if you're raiding a spice cupboard - they might not germinate. Try and if they haven't sprouted in about 10 days go out and buy some more!

schoolfundraiser

Fatboyslim wrote:

FIrst time visit to OLD STYLE, I'm just starting to go salad and veggies to save money. Packs of seeds are very expensive around £1.99, which are the best vegetables to grow to save money on shop bought salad and veg? I know Iceberg lettuces are generally expensive , but I cannot find any seeds have they been replaced by a newer variety?

Try the discount shops and LIDL for cheap seeds - I've never seen Iceberg seeds anywhere probably because they are a commercial crop usually grown in polytunnels or hydroponically. Try salad bowl lettuces or little gem. (They need to be grown quickly in warm weather or they are bitter! I tried on a high windowsill once and the winds were too cold for them.)

Dwarf french beans are good value for money - don't plant out too early

Chillis are good in a sunny spot and tomatoes also need sun but give a really good return on very little investment. Grow what you like to eat.

Strepsy

They must have iceberg seeds somewhere as I have a pack, called 'iceberg 2'. Not tried growing them yet, got them last year but will be planting soon. I do like icebergs for the crunch.

Car boot sales can be good for packets of seed too, got 3 packs for £1 the other week. They're last year's seed but the ones I've planted have all popped up.



Edited to provide link - just found these standard iceberg seeds online 90p for 900. http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/pages/vegl.htm

kjl26

I've got some iceberg seeds too (though not planted yet), think they're suttons.

Well, all my courgettes have come up and they're really quite big! Think they might need potting on soon. All the chilli plants have their second pair of leaves ,and some the third, and the tumbly tomatoes have loads of leaves and I think might be going outside soon (is this okay or is it too soon?). I am growing a few cherry tomato plants too now and they seem to be doing okay. Coriander and peppers coming on, the spinach is soldiering on but doesn't look anywhere near ready to pick (as the 'speedy seeds' packet promises it should be... ).

Just been away for a week and was very worried about my plants dying so got hold of some self watering trays and they are great! In fact I am leaving everything on them for now because it seems to work pretty well...

However I am having some problems with herbs other than coriander, I am trying to grow mint and basil from seed and having no luck. I am onto the second time of trying with the mint because nothing happened last time (gave it about three weeks) and now, 10 days or so after sowing I have two or three VERY spindly shoots. And I sowed quite a lot. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong?

Also my garlic is shooting up (about 6 or 7 separate very tall shoots now) but on one or two plants one of the shoots seems to be going brown/dying. Is that normal?

Finally, hope everyone's loo roll sweetpeas are doing well!! I ran out of loo rolls so have lots of newspaper towers all over the place, and they all seem to be doing okay .

Katie

katyk_2

I am tackling carrots, parsnips, potatoes,baby beetroots, peas, broad beans, spring onions, onions, red onions and runner beans this year as well as rasps, blackcurrents, redcurrents and gooeberries! Have also bought a blueberry bush but do not expect any berries until next year. Bush cost £15 so I want some return! Also bought 3 tiny twigs which are supposedly blueberry bushes in POundland for £1 each but they don't half look sorrowful little things. Might be the compost bin for them.

Only problem with trying so much is I have a tiny garden so I will get about one little row of each. All broad beans are now out and have their little plastic 'shields' (ie cut up lemonade bottles I have been saving all year with vaseline round the top) to keep the dreaded slugs out - picked up the tip on here last year so hope it works. We are overrun with the little darlings up here.

No greenhouse and only very narrow windowsill so, despite still having hailstones yesterday afternoon, they will just have to take their chances!

bobmccluckie

This year I shall be mostly growing nasal and ear hair.

annie-c

katyk wrote:

Also bought 3 tiny twigs which are supposedly blueberry bushes in POundland for £1 each but they don't half look sorrowful little things. Might be the compost bin for them.

Don't give up on the blueberry 'bushes' just yet. I put in some pitiful fruit canes a month or so ago and they have all sprouted little buds by now.