April Update: What are you growing in 2006?

soba

The three strawberry plants that I bought two weeks ago all have white flowers on them. I presume this is OK? Do I need to do anything with them? As you can tell I'm a complete beginner, and belong to the 'if it dies it didn't deserve to live' school of gardening!

gallygirl

Am feeling inspired, although my definition of a good plant is 'one that dies slowly'.....

As a newcomer, can anyone advise me what I should try to grow? It will need to be in pots or bags on patio, and be able to survive on its own for a few days if I am away with work. Any other tips welcome.

I like all fruit & veg, am v easy to please!!!!

rubix_76

xueta wrote:

Hi rubix_76,

1) Yes, loo rolls will do the same job as shop-bought bio-degradable pots.
2) You need a tray or cardboard box to hold the pots, then you don't need to move them until they're ready to plant out. By that time, they will have formed a good root system which binds the compost together. Here are some sweetpeas growing in this way - I should add that these are the smaller ones, as the faster growers have already been planted outside!

This may seem a silly thing to say , but won't the cardbord box go soft and colapse too ? Can you not put them in a plastic tray (without holes to contain the water) and then you could keep them on your window-sill to start them off.

Thanks

Rubix

moggins

After a late start my seedlings have started to emerge, only trouble is I have three trays of tomato seeds which don't seem to be doing anything, yet my sweetcorn which I though would take longer are already well poked through

Sweet_Pea_2

Yesterday OH planted peas and carrots in my new veg bed, also he planted out the raspberry and tayberry canes I got from Aldi, a couple appear to have died off, but we have planted these in tubs in case they "spring" back to life (well you gotta be optimistic!) I repotted the mint plant I bought into a tub.
I planted a few icebergs and some mixed salad leaves in a growbag.
I also planted some runner beans, more rocket and some cherry toms in tubs which I have in my porch, which is acting as a greenhouse. Its now full, I have 16 tomato plants, sunflowers, sweet peas, dahlias, geraniums, lupins, allysum, nicotiana, anenome and verbena, plus 4 pots of herbs out there too. Everyone who visits is shouted at as they walk in through the front door "Watch me flowers!"

Linda32

soba wrote:

The three strawberry plants that I bought two weeks ago all have white flowers on them. I presume this is OK?

No thats fine, the fruits will come after the flowers.

As with the courgettes again you can put straw under the fruits to stop them sitting on the soil.

nic82

Is it too late to start growing things this year?

We're only just getting the garden into a reasonable state (have only been living in this house for 7 weeks) but it's starting to look pretty clear now and by next weekend, should be ready for...well, something to be planted in it!

MIL is growing us some flowers from seed and also some tomato plants, but I'd like to have a go at growing some fruit/veg myself.

I don't have a greenhouse, but have lots of window sills and margarine tubs/yoghurt pots. I've also got quite a few pots for outdoor use, in addition to the flower beds (which don't have to be used for flowers if I can plant veg there).

Basically, I just want to know if I'm too late to start growing anything this year and whether I'll be better off just having the things MIL is growing and then starting off properly (and early enough) next year?

Thank you

kjl26

nic82 wrote:

Is it too late to start growing things this year?

We're only just getting the garden into a reasonable state (have only been living in this house for 7 weeks) but it's starting to look pretty clear now and by next weekend, should be ready for...well, something to be planted in it!

MIL is growing us some flowers from seed and also some tomato plants, but I'd like to have a go at growing some fruit/veg myself.

I don't have a greenhouse, but have lots of window sills and margarine tubs/yoghurt pots. I've also got quite a few pots for outdoor use, in addition to the flower beds (which don't have to be used for flowers if I can plant veg there).

Basically, I just want to know if I'm too late to start growing anything this year and whether I'll be better off just having the things MIL is growing and then starting off properly (and early enough) next year?

Thank you

I am not a very experienced gardener but I think there are still lots of things you can do (someone else correct me if I'm wrong!) thinking about the times printed on the seed packets of the various things I've sown... I don't have them to hand right now but I am sure lots of them had a sowing period from March-May indoors, and the stuff we are planning to sow directly outside (as opposed to in the pots etc. that have colonised the windowsills) hasn't gone in yet even as it's waiting for the frosts. Beans and peas and things.

I could post later (when I get home and look at the packets!) which of them you're still okay to plant, sorry not to be enormously helpful now, I just wanted to give some encouragement and say it's not too late!! :beer:

Katie

nic82

kjl26 wrote:

I could post later (when I get home and look at the packets!) which of them you're still okay to plant, sorry not to be enormously helpful now, I just wanted to give some encouragement and say it's not too late!! :beer:

Katie

Hi Katie,

Thank you for replying. If it's not too much trouble, then if you could look at the packets, that would be great.

I really like strawberries, but they are perhaps out for this year. I'm not sure that I have enough room for beans, but peas would be good.

Thank you for your help

annie-c

Hi Nic82

this is my first year of growing too, but I plan to sow some strawberry, tomato and herb salad seeds this weekend and germinate them on the kitchen window sill. All of the packets (and my dad!) say they can be planted until end April/May. I started some at end Jan, because I was impatient, but they grow quicker and stronger if you grow them a bit later, I'm told. The winter sown ones certainly took ages and some of them grew a bit long and straggly so it will be fun to compare their progress with the new ones I'm putting in. It takes about 6-8 weeks for most seedlings to be ready to plant out, which will take us up to the end of May, which is the earliest time that you can guarantee the frosts will be over, so planting now should be fine!

All the best

annie