Story of Hugsville Patch

Smoffi

Monday update..

Filled in 1/2 of the base of the greenhouse to grow more stuff in .. also to weigh the base down a little more.. (use of space!)

Planted out in the patch (next to compost bin) 20 more sweetcorn
Planted out in the patch 6 more peas (the final lot from first growing session)
Planted into new base of greenhouse beetroot's (some from pots and some straight seeds)
sown the sun flowers out into the front garden.. lets see how they get on!!

Spring onions I planted out in March are just starting to break through the soil...
Radishes are about an inch high in greenery which again were planted straight out in march..

Bought some fabric mesh to use as a climber for the peas in the greenhouse..

Toms in greenhouse base are still only 1 inch high.. so not doing well
Beets which I planted in the greenhouse in march are all but dead.. not sure exactly why...

Sent off email to get an allotment which is has a few spaces on it.. not sure if I get a space but I shall leave it in Gods hands (the wife will be pleased if i get it.. she can have some of the garden back!! lol)

Experiment: Planted out 4 small toms to see what happens..
Also planted out 2 pumpkins which are both about an inch high
(all of these planted out into soil whereby it has been covered with tarp for the last few months...

Smoffi

IMPORTANT:
Was reading late last night in one of my gardening mags and it clicked why it is important... and something I have not been doing!!

When you sow seeds.. make a note of the TYPE of veggie it is.. NOT just "Tomato"...

For example... Sown 20/4/10 - x10 - Tomato - Tamina (Greenhouse 20/4) (Outside 30/6/10)

Simple reason for this is so you can track what best grows at what time of year NEXT year when you look back. in stead of seeing "tomato" and losing more than required by wrong sowning

Orange_King

Hello Smoffi,

This is my first reading of your thread and I have to say I have learnt so much already. I too have recently invested in a greenhouse so I will carefully monitor your activity as to what you are planting in the autumn/winter months to get a head start in early spring. Have never experimented with this before.

Much of my planting on the outdoor patch was undertaken from the 2nd wek in Feb with the seedlings protected under plastic tubs and bubble wrap. Most (onions - shallots, garlic, carrots, lettuce and beetroot) appear to have survived the harsh frosts we had right through to the end of March.

The mini propagators (some home made) have done the business with courgettes, leeks, cucumbers and Tomatoes and some are now in the greenhouse. The MRS really wants her conservatory back asap!

Anyway, thanks for your wonderful thread and good luck in the year ahead.

Smoffi

No probs

Well planted straight into the patch today...
Purple Sprouting Broc (2 rows)
Carrots - Early Nantes (2 rows)
Brussell Sprouts (1 row)

Re-covered the 4 toms I planted out as the frosts in Wolverhampton have reappeared!!!
Re-covered the Dwarf Beans as well
Re-covered the lettuce as well...

Planning a trip to the garden centre monday or tuesday...
shopping list includes... Compost, FREE seed trays (which are in a huge wooden create outside) wwoohooo

I know how you feel.. Mrs wants her garden back as I am pinching more and more each year!! Hopefully I will get the allotment I emailed them about last week.. should know more in 3-4 weeks

Smoffi

Monday update...

Sweetcorn in the patch are struggling a little....
Everything that was newly planted last week is still in the backroom..

Lettuce x4 outside are still growing and looking better!!

Nothing new on the rows freshly planted into the patch last week..

TJ, my daughter, has planted, into pots, her BBC Dig-in Veggies (Courgettes, Carrots, Runner Beans, Basil, Salad Leaves).

I planted 24 Tomatoes ready for later...

Just got back from the local garden centre!!! wwoohoooo
3 bags of compost!!
3 packets of seeds (yellow rads, rhubarb and okra)
1 rhubarb plant
2 little strawberry plants
small gardening set for TJ...

Greenhouse is still looking very full... have not managed to fill in both side of the base with compost yet.. they make nice 3ftx1ft sections.. and I have 4 of them

No news on the allotment yet... still praying and yes I know the woman does not get back from maternity leave till mid May!!!

I shall hopefully include some pics next week....

Oh and I am in the garden all day tomorrow!! wwohhoooo so there may be a little update

Smoffi

Well I did think it would be a small planting session today... I was so wrong!!

My birthday pressie was 17 more packets of seeds.. wwwooohoooooo *happy*

Backroom Pots:
Aubergine (Bianca ad Uovo) x 6
Baby Sweetcorn x 24
Cabbage (Summer Primo) x 24
Pepper (Hot Habenero White) x 4
Pepper (Super Chilli) x 10
Parsnips (Palace F1) x 24
Spinach (Matador) x 36
Fennel (Florence) x 20
Spinach Beets (Perpetual) x 1 tub (1ftx1ft)

Out into patch:
Rhubarb x 1 (Shop bought yesterday)
Strawberries x 2 (shop bought yesterday)
Radish (French Breakfast) x 3 rows (2ft long each)
Baby Sweetcorn x 5

Greenhouse:
Melon (Cantelope) x 2
Melon (Sugar Baby) x 2

Church Patch::A
Peas x 10
Sweetcorn x 15
Onions x 15 (3 rows)
Noted today that the soil at Church is horrible and so dry.. covered over 1/2 of it ready for next year and will use the other 1/2 to test out what is best for next year!!!

TJ Patch:
Sunflower x 7

Pics:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/album.php?aid=19329&id=100000469883825
Please let me know if you can't see this and I shall post them again to another site I normally use!!

Smoffi

Had a good discussion with my mother last night...She grows a little and sells it..

so this is what I am thinking of doing... I have sent out an email to a group who I know sells things on a market stall and waiting for a reply...

Started growing....
30 x Tomatos (Garden Pearl)
8 x Cucumbers (Crystal Lemon)
3 Courgettes (All green bush)
5 x Cabbage (Summer Primo)

Will update on this as well... I might not make alot of money but it all helps.. will see how it goes!!

Smoffi

Patch update...

Step-daughters patch: Patch size 6ft x 6ft (roughly)
Went there today and put out 10-12 sweetcorn plants.... 20 pea plants.... 4 kale.... 5 beans... 4 tomatoes...
Will go again on Thursday and put some Radishes in as well...
Will look to put strawberries and cucumbers and pumpkins in there as well over the next week or 2!!

Another trip to the garden centre and raided the "pot bin" and recycled a huge black bag full of pots :)woo woo woo happy bunny..

There has been some more planting out in the Hugsville Patch and Church Patch but I will update these in next few days as I have to work

Smoffi

Step-daughters Patch:
Planted a pumpkin out... and a cucumber out. and radishes as well..

Not done anything to mine yet.. not sure if I will today..

Hugsville Patch:
Kale planted outside x 20 (rest are still in pots to be separated..)
Rocket: more sown into a large pot
Sweetcorn are not going as good as I wanted.. starting getting brown leaves.. will have to read up on why this is happening!!

Not had anything back concerning an allotment as of yet.. but not expecting anything till end May/ mid June....

Had an email back from the Farmers market.... still in discussion with the local one to get my plants in there..

Smoffi

Sunday Observation...

Hugsville Patch
Original Dwarf beans planted out several week ago still the same height as they were back then.. but the 12 planted in greenhouse are taller even though they were sown 2 weeks ago!! Major difference in size due to the temp they have received!!

Sweetcorn which was planted out 1 month ago are still small... 12 more to go out now it has warmed up alot!!

Planning to uncover the rest of Hugsville Patch tomorrow...

Church Patch:
Had a look at it today.. all are still there.. need to go again tomorrow and weed it.. as they are growing faster than the veggies!!
Also need to put up barriers to show path/patch borders

Step Daughters Patch:
All looking good.. told her today she has to water it herself .. the look I got was funny..
Pumpkin and cucumber looking ok..
Will take a trip up there either tomorrow or mid week to check on it all and weed...

Still no move on the allotment.

Roof garden still not got anything on it as nothing ready to go up there..