veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

misskool

elf06 wrote: »

no replies to my query yesterday - its done now but would still ike to konw for future reference.
If anyone can help that is :rotfl:

I would have tried to get the compost damp and removed each of them seperately. I seperate my broccoli out when they are at 2 leaf stage and pot them up into a mix of clay soil and compost as they like to be firm. I grow them up a bit and plant them on when they get big enough to survive slugs.

Broccoli plants need to be heeled in, so you can't grow them well in compost. They grow quite tall, mine were 60-70cm and about the same in width. (depending on what variety you've got too?)

HTH?

elf06

misskool wrote: »

I would have tried to get the compost damp and removed each of them seperately. I seperate my broccoli out when they are at 2 leaf stage and pot them up into a mix of clay soil and compost as they like to be firm. I grow them up a bit and plant them on when they get big enough to survive slugs.

Broccoli plants need to be heeled in, so you can't grow them well in compost. They grow quite tall, mine were 60-70cm and about the same in width. (depending on what variety you've got too?)

HTH?

Thank you for your reply. I am really new to growing veg so its all a bit hit and miss for me :rotfl:. I wasnt planning on growing broccoli but when i saw them them for £1.99 (for approx 8-10 plants) i couldnt resist. Plus we eat a lot of the stuff
I only used compost and I did try to seperate them as much as poss but the roots were soooo tangled they were breaking off and i think the last 2 plants (how bad is it that i cant remember and it was only yesterday:o) got chucked in together.
The ticket that came with them suggested that they needed to be planted firmly so i did push them down quite firmly. The pot i have used is never going to be big enough though going by your measurements eek. Will need to transplant them into the border when (or should i say if :rotfl:) they get bigger and stronger...........

misskool

elf06 wrote: »

Thank you for your reply. I am really new to growing veg so its all a bit hit and miss for me :rotfl:. I wasnt planning on growing broccoli but when i saw them them for £1.99 (for approx 8-10 plants) i couldnt resist. Plus we eat a lot of the stuff
I only used compost and I did try to seperate them as much as poss but the roots were soooo tangled they were breaking off and i think the last 2 plants (how bad is it that i cant remember and it was only yesterday:o) got chucked in together.
The ticket that came with them suggested that they needed to be planted firmly so i did push them down quite firmly. The pot i have used is never going to be big enough though going by your measurements eek. Will need to transplant them into the border when (or should i say if :rotfl:) they get bigger and stronger...........

Did it come with a name for it? Like a variety so you can look it up and see how big they get? They'll grow.

All plants want to grow, you're just helping them out.

GarnetLady

gillian62 wrote: »

:rotfl:I need more compost too, but not sure how to get it and sneak it past my DH without his noticing another bagful.:rotfl:

I have that problem too, although he worries more about the plants that keep appearing. :rotfl:

misskool, I can't complain really, I've filled 30 pots and planters so far, not to mention potting all my plug plants!

I'm loving gardening (apart from the slugs and grubs ), but my husband is convinced I'm addicted. Course he might not be wrong... :rotfl:

My dad got me a patio apple from Focus the other day, 50% off. Been thinking about getting one for a while and he spotted it for £5 and grabbed it. :T

elf06

misskool wrote: »

Did it come with a name for it? Like a variety so you can look it up and see how big they get? They'll grow.

All plants want to grow, you're just helping them out.

I didnt notice the variety or how big they grow but will deff have a look later when i venture out. Raining just now so not at all impressed :rotfl:

MORPH3US

lynzpower wrote: »

Patty pan growers should be putting them outside in the day time now though.

Still waiting for mine to come through lynz... how long did yours take?

Lotus-eater

GarnetLady wrote: »

I'm using the Asda stuff just now, it isn't bad but it is really compacted, hard work to get it out of the bag!

When you get a new bag of compost, get someone strong to throw it about a bit.
Or turn it end to end and give it a bit of a kicking, before you open it that will loosen up any compacted compost.

lynzpower

MORPH3US wrote: »

Still waiting for mine to come through lynz... how long did yours take?

Er, your asking me now?!? My note taking is not quite as meticulous as it was at the start lol.

I think they were planted end of march and got repotted into a trough last weekend.

NOt 100% though. They were in a greenhouse ( unheated) so im sure that has spurned them on a bit, they like courgettes like light.

IIRC the yellow ones sprouted up before the green, not sure if I gave you both, i think I did

Edit , on my homepage they are there on the 29th march, fairly sure they were potted at the start of march . edit again- they were potted on the 4th of march. Take a look at the snaps good job I took them or I really would be guessing

Soubrette

vish wrote: »

can i just ask how you started off your alpine strawberries? i got a pack of seed and sowed it in an unheated propagator with the lid on last month, but nothing has come up yet... should i get another pack and start again or wait?

thanks, will check out rocket garden as well :beer:

Vish, I started my alpine strawberries off in an unheated propagator but I would say most were up in about 2 weeks.

I did put them under my fluorescent lights in the kitchen (the ones that go under the cupboards) 24/7 though so they would have had a small amount of heat and light.

They are now in our windowsills.

Sou

misskool

Lotus-eater wrote: »

When you get a new bag of compost, get someone strong to throw it about a bit.
Or turn it end to end and give it a bit of a kicking, before you open it that will loosen up any compacted compost.

I lie mine on the side and thump it up a bit. Mostly thinking about the squirrels digging everything up in sight.