April Update: What are you growing in 2006?

Lemon_Tree

Well my seedlings are coming along quite nicely for only being 2 weeks old.
I have 5 yellow tomato seedlings (one hasn't turned up)
Some carrot, and spring onion seedlings. I have made a mistake and sown these in trays so may have to pot them out before they get too settled.
I have two courgettes at the moment, but my peppers aren't showing any signs of waking up - are they usually slower than the rest?
I think that weather permitting i am going to try and sort out my pots this weekend, is it too early to plant out onion and garlic sets? i have never grown these before but am looking forward to them.
I have lots of goditia seedlings but only two viola seedlings, maybe i can put these in pots with the veggies to attract insects.
Re slugs, i know i am going to regret this but i don't suffer too much cos i have some frogs in my pond. In fact i have to check but i did have some frog spawn this year so could be in for a bumper catch of frogs. the problem is that my pond decided to empty itself yesterday and i don't know if the spawn is either still there or will be able to recover.
Lem

Strepsy

Lemon_Tree wrote:

I think that weather permitting i am going to try and sort out my pots this weekend, is it too early to plant out onion and garlic sets? i have never grown these before but am looking forward to them.

It's definitely not too early to plant garlic, in fact it may be too late? There is a garlic expert around somewhere, sorry not too helpful.

annie-c

Just a quick note to say that my tomatoes all now have 6-8 leaves and are potted on and out in the greenhouse!

My chillis and peppers are growing slowly... the peppers took about 8 weeks from sowing seeds before any shoots appeared, but they are coming along nicely now.

katyk_2

annie-c wrote:

LOL... I am always looking for 'little' corners like that too!!

Spent large part of this afternoon doing the big spring sort out of the garden - yes I know it is rather late but we still had hailstones a couple of days ago.:eek:

Point is I seem to have discovered rather a lot of 'little' corners now that I've weeded. Back to sowing more on the windowsill again.:D

Maisie

schoolfundraiser wrote:

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.

Morrisons have packets of seeds 3 for £1. Vegetables and flowers.
They were on a tall stand near the vegetable section in our Morrison.

Although will be later in year don't forget to save seeds from this years produce of veggies and flowers for next year. With flowers just collect suitable ones in an envelope when they have finished flowering and dried out.
They will last until next year.

Lupins, Nigella etc make lots of seeds after flowering and you can grow next years runner beans from this years crop if you save some of the beans from inside the pod.

Good luck everyone,.

HTH

aspella

My mum is trying to grow courgettes for the first time this year and would like some advice. She has started to grow them inside and is planning to transfer them to a bigger pot outside.

1) How much space does a courgette plant require i.e. depth, width of pot?
2) Is it better to grow courgettes inside or outside?

Thanks for taking the time out to answer my questions.

kjl26

aspella wrote:

My mum is trying to grow courgettes for the first time this year and would like some advice. She has started to grow them inside and is planning to transfer them to a bigger pot outside.

1) How much space does a courgette plant require i.e. depth, width of pot?
2) Is it better to grow courgettes inside or outside?

Thanks for taking the time out to answer my questions.

I am growiing courgettes for the first time too so can only advise on the first bit (and I hope I am doing it right!). Mine are planted in 4 inch pots, one seed per pot, and they have grown really big really quickly. They're on the windowsill inside at the moment, and the packet advises that you acclimatise them to the cold slowly and only plant them outside after the risk of frost has passed.

I plan to have mine in big pots eventually (i think about 12inch ones, one plant to a pot), but if you are planting them in the ground apparently they should go 60cm apart. That's according to the packet but I'm sure when my mum grew them they were closer than that .

Oh yes and I was reading that yield is enormous - someone on the bbc gardening forum said they had ten courgettes a day in the height of summer from just 6 plants...

katyk_2

I went to a Boys Brigade sale yesterday only to find loads of packets of seeds going at 10-20p each!:j

Pity I had bought all the ones I am likely to need this year:mad:

Still bought some mustard seeds and some flowers though. Suppose I should have bought for next year but don't know how many years they had been in someone elses cupboard already.:rolleyes:

Right - off to see what else I can plant on my windowsill now.:D I've definitely got the bug..:D

Nikki

Our chilli plants have finally produced some chillies!! After months of flowering and nothing happening we are well chuffed!! 4 more peppers growing. Our newly planted apple tree, pear tree, blackcurrant bush and blackberry bush have taken and now have some leaves. We are just waiting for our greenhouse to arrive so we can move the plants from our windowsills.

Linda32

kjl26 wrote:

and the packet advises that you acclimatise them to the cold slowly and only plant them outside after the risk of frost has passed.

I plan to have mine in big pots eventually (i think about 12inch ones, one plant to a pot),

Oh yes and I was reading that yield is enormous - someone on the bbc gardening forum said they had ten courgettes a day in the height of summer from just 6 plants...

Excellent.

You will also need somthing to keep the courgettes off the soil. I buy straw bedding from wilkinsons, you put an handfull under the courgette, it sits ontop on the straw and prevents it getting soiled whilst it grows.