veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

blushingbride_3

yeh i'm gonna go tomorrow, they're so colourful, & good for laundry baskets as well

stardrops42

Hippychick wrote: »

Ikea are now selling planting bags, a little more expensive than the blue bags but look a lot more cheery.

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20167287

ooh I love theses as well! I wish I was closer to an ikea store:(

Megansmum

Mrs_Flittersnoop wrote: »

Hi all, this is a great thread for us Do you cut the loo rolls in half or use the whole length? And do you fill the tubes with compost or stand them upright in lines in a seed tray full of compost before filling the tubes and planting seeds? Mrs F x

Hi,

I believe you fill the whole tube with compost to almost the top, sow your seed and cover with a thin layer of compost. I will be trying this way for the first time this year too.

Stand them up next to each other in a container that has edges - to keep them in and to stop water getting out -

The idea is that when you are ready to plant out in the ground you just put the whole tube in the ground, then the roots aren't disturbed and the cardboard will compost down.

I assume it's better for things with deep roots, sweetcorn etc....

Megansmum

blushingbride wrote: »

i'm gonna grow my potatoes in tubs, like this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/visionthing64/2409393139/

looks nice & colourful & they are £3 in asda at the moment! guess where i'm off to at lunch

These are what i used last year for my carrots.... It is easier to burn holes in the bottom rather than trying to drill them! I guess i'll go and get some more - although my potatoes are being done in tyres this year, i may do sweetcorn in them! They do look pretty!:D

WestonDave

Megansmum wrote: »

Hi,

I believe you fill the tube with compost to almost the top, sow your seed and cover with a thin layer of compost. I will be trying this way for the first time this year too.

Stand them up next to each other in a container that has edges - to keep them in and to stop water getting out -

The idea is that when you are ready to plant out in the ground you just put the whole tube in the ground, then the roots aren't disturbed and the cardboard with compost down.

I assume it's better for things with deep roots, sweetcorn etc....

My tried and tested method!

Get a seed tray with no holes in (more accurately called a gravel tray) (Wilkos is as cheap as anywhere and you can reuse them) and put either 12 toilet roll tubes in a half size one or 24 in a full size one.

Next take one 4 pint plastic milk bottle as sold in most supermarkets (other sizes will probably work) and cut the "square" bottom part off just below the handle which will leave you with a funnel with a handle on it. The spout of what was the bottle is the right size to fit in the toilet roll tubes and enables you to fill your tubes without getting loads of it in the bottom of the tray. Provided your compost is reasonably dry it will flow in nicely.

Sow the seeds and top up if required.

I've done beans (runners, french and broad) peas, sweetcorn and currently got peppers in them. You can have more than one set of seeds starting in the same seed tray as long as you can remember which is which - different shape cuts in the top of the tube is probably best as writing will disappear over time. Some things like carrots or parsnips don't like being moved so are better started straight in the ground.

turbo5019

This is my 3rd year of growing potatoes. 1st year I used the empty compost sacks and put a fell holes in the bottom and some potato sacks the green ones with the handels. Worked well. 2nd year I bought more potato sacks but I found that the ones I had used the 1st year the holes at the botton which have metal round holes cloged up and they got very soggy and rotted the potatoes. Probley my fault as I didn't clean them. also the metal rings are coming away from the bags. So this year I am planting them in heavy duty rubble sacks which I as in Aldis todai £1.49 for 8 and empty compots bags so we'll see what happends.

I've heard if you are growing peas so not to disturb the roots if you start them off in gutting then when the plants are big enough to go out side push the whole lot off the gutting on to the bed you are growing them in. I hope I've explained myself ok. I haven't tried it but will give it a go this year.

Megansmum

I think this could be pretty helpful for everyone here growing fruit and/or veg this year:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/Advice

I hope it helps someone, it has helped me today!!

gillian62

I have just been and bought 2 lots of the black pots and some of the 2 sizes of recycle shopping bags from Morrisons ready for planting. Morrisons also sell a Bean grow bag with a metal spiral to grow the beans up, priced at £4. I bought one of them, as I thought it may be easier than cane wigwam.

macma

Turbo keep the guttering in short lengths so it's not so far to push them out and careful they don't get soggy or the peas will rot.
Mrs.Flittersnoop if you plant in loo rolls stack them in something deep and fill all of it with compost or the cardboard dries and with it the compost

LilacPixie

I am biting my nails. signing for the allotment proper on Monday

My oldest child is 3 and she has said she wants to grow pumpkins and carrots because they are orange like her