Help MBE grow his dinner 2010

mrbadexample

:hello:

I'm determined not to leave it all too late this year.

I intend to use this thread to ask questions and give progress reports. With photos.

My first report is that I really need a new shed. I ordered one last May. The bloke finally measured up in September, and I've heard nothing since. :mad: Glad to know he's got so much work he can afford to ignore repeat customers. Shame, because he did an excellent job on my fencing. :wall:

Anyhoo...I've looked at all the seed packets I bought last year, and they mostly say sowing should commence in March, with the exception of the cauliflower, which is ok to start in February. First I need to get out and tidy up what's left over from last year.

A few questions to get things started:

1. My gooseberry bushes aren't in a good place - I need to move them. Is it a good time of year to be doing that? How should I choose a suitable location for them?
2. I have some "kumato" seeds I saved from last year. Assuming they're to be treated the same was as normal tomatoes, when should I sow them?
3. When can I plant runner beans?
4. Should I completely replace the compost in my patio tubs?

Cheers all,
MBE :beer:



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Sally_A

3. Runner beans were sown in pots here at the end of last April, in an unheated greenhouse, ready for planting out at the end of May. You should be preparing the area now with a bean trench. French beans will give you a slightly earlier crop, but you may need to protect them with fleece/plastic sheets/old window panels. For this reason in case of unexpected frosts, always sow your beans inside the sticks, so you can put protection around the outside if necessary without damaging them.

Location counts for a quite a bit here.

4. Depends what you want to grow in the pots and how big they are, if it's for veg, I'd replace at least half with new compost, and possibly a sprinkle of Growmore.

mrbadexample

Sally_A wrote: »

4. Depends what you want to grow in the pots and how big they are, if it's for veg, I'd replace at least half with new compost, and possibly a sprinkle of Growmore.

Yes, I only want to grow stuff I can eat. Got a dodgy back, so anything I do in the garden makes it hurt. I may consider growing something for bees & butterflies though, as long as it's almost exactly no trouble at all.

I had a go last year (here). Carrots were a success, as were parsnips, if a little small. Spring onions ok, beetroot and turnips not too hot. Swede disappointing (that was in the ground, not tubs). Runner beans great, & millions of tomatoes.

point3

Thanks for the reminder. Must buy chilli seeds tomorrow.

Jnelhams

You can shift your Gooseberries now, whilst they are not breaking bud. But, you must do this now before the weather warms. A sheltered sunny spot is going to be best.

Don't forget to prune them at the same time too.

You can also start searching your local take-aways for large food buckets and vegetable oil cans to use as great containers to sow your Carrots, remember if you make sure the level of the soil is 30cm above the surrounding ground you will not get the dreaded Carrot root fly! and you'll have lovely sweet Carrots.:D

mrbadexample

point3 wrote: »

Thanks for the reminder. Must buy chilli seeds tomorrow.

Been very disappointed with previous efforts. What do I need to do? Simple instructions from scratch please!

mrbadexample

Jnelhams wrote: »

You can also start searching your local take-aways for large food buckets and vegetable oil cans to use as great containers to sow your Carrots, remember if you make sure the level of the soil is 30cm above the surrounding ground you will not get the dreaded Carrot root fly! and you'll have lovely sweet Carrots.:D

I'm sorted for tubs. Ex-council recycling bins.

How and where do I prune gooseberry bushes? They're only a couple of years old, so not desperately big yet.

Sally_A

mrbadexample wrote: »

Been very disappointed with previous efforts. What do I need to do? Simple instructions from scratch please!

Get them in a small seed tray now, around 24 in a 250g mushroom carton with a lid on, some take a while to germinate, as soon as they start sprouting take the lid off and move them to the warmest sunniest spot you have. Many are disappointingly mild, and with our climate, go for small hot ones. If you have a glut they can be frozen whole for use over winter. As soon as they are large enough to handle, pot them on. They like some tomato feed when flowering/fruiting, but don't namby pamby them.

I grow a small variety, Pretty in Purple, and plant about 3 per 10 inch pot. They are put out into an unheated greenhouse towards the end of May.

misskool

mrbadexample wrote: »

Been very disappointed with previous efforts. What do I need to do? Simple instructions from scratch please!

buy seed (or scrounge of someone), put in compost. water compost, cover with clingfilm or something to make it a bit humid and then put somewhere hot. a heated propagator or airing cupboard or near the aga.

wait. (it takes up to 2 weeks for one to show their seed leaves)

grow in your warmest spot.

mrbadexample

Ok, this is what I'm working with at the moment:



The shed's a wreck. The greenhouse isn't.

I've got 8 of these:



Somewhere in this lot there are two small gooseberry bushes that I need to sort out.



The rhubarb's poking it's head through:



So I've put me bin on it to start forcing it:



I've been out this morning for a quick tidy up and assessment. Threw the remains of last year's tomatoes out of the greenhouse, chucked the contents of the growbag onto the vegetable plot and forked it through. I've got lots of worms, which must be good.



mrbadexample snr keeps telling me I should build raised beds but I haven't a clue where to start. The vegetable plot needs to be made much bigger, but the pile of masonry in front of the shed is an indication of what lies under the grass. :mad: Nearly killed meself digging out that much. :rotfl:

mrbadexample

Last year I had an old onion in the cupboard that had started to shoot. So, I planted it to see what would happen. It grew a stalk about 3 feet high. I pulled it up today, and I have this:



What is it (well, I know it was an onion, obviously!) and can I do anything with it?