The Potting Shed - come on in, the kettle's on!

greenmoneysaver_2

Oooo, what a lovely thread!

We have entered the world of raised beds. . .

We have 2 1 x 2m beds and a 6x4 greenhouse. We have put the onions out in half of one bed and will fill the other half with pots.

In the greenhouse there are peas (2 types) mange tout and broad beans that I think we should put in the other raised bed. We will need netting, but do they need hardening up before going out permanently?

Husband wnts to keep them in the greenhouse, but following advice from another thread I think we should put them out, as by the time the toms etc get to full size there won't be much room left!

mutley74

My rhubarb (planted from a crown last year) does not grow very large, and some of the leaves are going pale green. At the moment it has many stalk is longer than about ~8". Any clues what may be wrong if anything?

Also i have some bean plants out in tauplin pots, and for some reason the leaves are getting eaten, and today some are drying up. Pots have been well watered for past few weeks and it is growing at main shoot. Anything i can do to prevent whatever pest is eating the leaves?

funkymonkey849

Morning everyone

I am very excited as there is a lot of action going on in the garden at the moment!

Parsnips FINALLY germinated and I have a few rows of strong looking seedlings. Had to thin some of them out and the roots smelled so....parsnipy!

A lot of the seeds have been in the ground a while with not too much happening, and now they are surprising me all at once! Carrots and spinach popping up and french and runner beans are going mad in the mini greenhouse, they will be ready to plant out next week.

We got a coldframe style plastic greenhouse last year for £5 and it was the best garden buy I've had! Everything germinates super fast in there, and we also have bush tomatoes which love the warmth and are growing great. It is this one (although it is £10 now) but I would definately reccomend it - you can fit loads in and it doesn't blow away like the tall ones. I find seeds germinate even faster than a windowsil propergator.
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/mini-greenhouses+propagation/wilko-cloche-greenhouse-pvc-120cm/invt/0273087/?htxt=PsAGyAqy%2FDSGVBgOHPBfATKVETOKIWHcwqoICuDrG%2FxTcDPfxIrYzUvEu76RzzM6wutKTeo9AOCB%0AtDs76aYYKg%3D%3D
Although you have to watch out cos it gets completely stuffed full of spiders, and they seem to grow even bigger in the heat! :eek:

radiohelen

Help! What is this wet stuff falling from the sky? My plants have never seen it like this and they are confused! My toddler is freaked out because mummy is not charging around because "we have to get up to the allotment and water".

On the plus side, the plants look happy :j

It might even make up for the four tier tardis blowing over the other day.

Lotus-eater

radiohelen wrote: »

Help! What is this wet stuff falling from the sky? My plants have never seen it like this and they are confused! My toddler is freaked out because mummy is not charging around because "we have to get up to the allotment and water".

My plants are exactly the same. Not enough water though, but very very welcome.
My toddler is also confused, why he can't go into the garden in his shoes, all he's known is a completely dry garden, but we've got the hang of wellies now and I think he's worked out that it's like Peppa Pig, so that was OK

mrbadexample

greenmoneysaver wrote: »

but do they need hardening up before going out permanently?

Husband wnts to keep them in the greenhouse, but following advice from another thread I think we should put them out,

Yes, and put them out.

angelavdavis

diddly74 wrote: »

One question I do have tho is. While I was working on the pegging out, a young chap came up to me and offered me a 18month old 8 x 6 shed for £80 it was in his garden when he moved home and doesn't want it - should I have snapped his hands off??? LOL. I have asked him to hold on to it for 24 hours as I needed to check I had the funds to afford it in the bank. I do - I was going to wait until after work tomorrow to see him. So funds have been taken care of - the other problem I have is my MIL (who is going to help out on the plot) has an 8 x 4ft metal shed in her garden that she had happily donated, but I don't have the means to move it, and neither does she. I am not confident about dismantling it. Am I just being lazy about it????

Hi, Can you definitely have a 8x6 shed on your plot? The reason I ask is that some allotments - such as mine have a limit of 4x6 on sheds, so if you aren't sure definitely check. Personally, I don't think it is a bad price although I would ask to see it inside and out for condition.

Keiss_21

mutley74 wrote: »

My rhubarb (planted from a crown last year) does not grow very large, and some of the leaves are going pale green. At the moment it has many stalk is longer than about ~8". Any clues what may be wrong if anything?

Also i have some bean plants out in tauplin pots, and for some reason the leaves are getting eaten, and today some are drying up. Pots have been well watered for past few weeks and it is growing at main shoot. Anything i can do to prevent whatever pest is eating the leaves?

Have you been watering the rhubarb regularly since it was planted mutley? It has been a pretty dry Spring this year. Rhubarb likes quite damp rich soil and will tolerate some shade, but prefers full sun...again keep up with the watering.

Did you prepare the soil with lots for fertiliser/compost/farm-yard manure before planting your rhubarb..and have you added more since?? They are quite hungry plants, so feed them well.

You should not eat any rhubarb the first year after planting...well, only one or two stalks, as you want the plant to develop a good strong set of roots. Let the leaves and stalks die down naturally, letting all the goodness go back down into the crown and roots.

Don't forget, once the plants is growing well and producing lots of healthy stalks, pull the stalks, rather than cut them...they should come away from the base cleanly. Also, you shouldn't pick rhubarb much after the end of May/beginning of June. By then the plants are wanting to die down naturally, and the oxalic acid (poison to humans) in the leaves starts entering the stems....and will make anyone eating them pretty ill!!

Sorry for the long waffle, but growing rhubarb is easy (honest!!) once you get it off to a good start.

Off to sort out house stuff, with the plan of getting out into the garden this afternoon...and all weekend!! At least the wind has died down now, so I can get more plants out to harden off with little chance of them being flattened!

Have a great weekend everyone.

newsgroup_monkey

I'll add to that on the Rhubarb - I'd be suprised if you could over-water Rhubarb. It just seems to not care how much watering it gets!

lisawood78

On reading this, I've just been out to my stubby rhubarb (lots of stalks and big leaves, just stubby!) and left the hose on running into it for a little while. And I fed it. Come on rhubarb :-)