veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

gillian62

donnaw30 wrote: »

Well I've finally grown fed up of not being able to afford £40+ for a walk in plastic greenhouse/polytunnel, so am going to attempt to construct one! :rotfl:
Bought some really thick clear builders plastic from Chandlers builders merchant-only £1.70 per metre but 4 metres wide, so got a bit 6m x 4m for just over £10-happy if it only lasts a year for that.
Bought 3 plastic bendable pipe lengths from b and q for £2 odd each and a pack of 8 lengths of 1.8m batton for about £4. (I'm thinking batton into ground a little, attach piping to top to create arch, attaching to batton opposite-or something!)
I already have some black weed membrane from poundland, so thinking that for the floor...i have no idea if it will end up a mess in the corner of the garden yet, but nothing ventured nothing gained and all that!
-On the plus side, i managed to sell the motorised treadmill i was conned with (seller lied about everything and i paid near £50, then couldnt get it refunded) but sold it to someone being honest about it for £20, so don't feel quite so bad-i just need to put the idea out of my head that it could be £20 towards more gardening stuff-and to make matters worse, my boyfriend has just started his new job today-at a garden centre!! :eek:
The only thing i'm Umming about with the polytunnel attempt is the door-however, if i fail i will tell on here honestly, as a what not to do for others if nothing else!!
Donna

All the best with building your greenhouse, let us know how you get on.
Sounds like a good idea. It's amazing what you can make as home made projects.

turbo5019

kimmee wrote: »

Thanks for the tips turbo - this is probably a silly question but when you grew them up the wigwam did you tie in the shoots to the canes as they grew? I just let mine trail over the patio, and as I've said the squashes were very little

Yes just tied them to be honest didn't know how to grow then so I gave it a go. I did grow them towards the end of the year and as it got a bit colder I put them in the greenhouse. I'm hoping not to get left behind with the planting. My DD was 6months old when DH had 7 months off work sick and he couldn't look after the children so everything got left to last min.

Thanks lynzpower and Megansmum now off to B&Q with all the potaotes we grow need at least 12 bag for them alone.

Will take some photos when I get a min.

brians_daughter

Morning ladies and gents. Hows our growing going lol!?

Just been thinking about all these seeds i have here, and i was thinking it maybe good to see if we can get a 'seed swap' going if anyone is interested - it would be money saving lol

I have packets of seeds that i have got for free on magazines etc that we wont eat and then i thave things like carrots that contain 1,000 seeds. Now i am never going to sow 1,000 carrots so just wondered if anyone else thought it was a good idea?

It would only cost the price of a stamp and if we swapped directly ie i gave you some carrots for some of your parsnip etc then it could work??

I dont think it is against forum rules, but maybe the mod for this board could let us know?

If anyone would be interested/has ideas then please post. It seems a shame to buy all these seeds and then potentially let some of them go to waste

If anyone is interested maybe they could post what they have to swap, and what they want in return? I will see what others think then go through what i have later

donnaw30

charliee wrote: »

i have a question.. how do you water stuff when it is in a poly tunnel? do you have to take the tunnel off every night or am i being dense?

Its basically the same treatment as if it were a greenhouse-the cover will stay on but i'll no doubt need the door open wide for ventilation during the warmer months!
I know some people manage to grow salad crops through winter with them too-for that i think i'd have to insulate with bubble wrap or something, and even perhaps put a mini cloche/polytunnel over individual plants for extra insulation (i'm airing on the side of extreme caution with growing as everything i've touched in previous years has immediately keeled over-think the midas touch, only with killing plants!) :rotfl:

macma

brians_daughter wrote: »

Morning ladies and gents. Hows our growing going lol!?

Just been thinking about all these seeds i have here, and i was thinking it maybe good to see if we can get a 'seed swap' going if anyone is interested - it would be money saving lol

I have packets of seeds that i have got for free on magazines etc that we wont eat and then i thave things like carrots that contain 1,000 seeds. Now i am never going to sow 1,000 carrots so just wondered if anyone else thought it was a good idea?

It would only cost the price of a stamp and if we swapped directly ie i gave you some carrots for some of your parsnip etc then it could work??

I dont think it is against forum rules, but maybe the mod for this board could let us know?

If anyone would be interested/has ideas then please post. It seems a shame to buy all these seeds and then potentially let some of them go to waste

If anyone is interested maybe they could post what they have to swap, and what they want in return? I will see what others think then go through what i have later

On a gardening forum I visit they have a seed parcel that does the rounds,people add/take from it when they recieve it then post it on to the next person

misskool

kimmee wrote: »

Thanks for the tips turbo - this is probably a silly question but when you grew them up the wigwam did you tie in the shoots to the canes as they grew? I just let mine trail over the patio, and as I've said the squashes were very little

You could also pinch out the growing shoots once you have a few squashes already pollinated. Then the plant will concentrate all it's energy into producing for the fruit.

misskool

brians_daughter wrote: »

Morning ladies and gents. Hows our growing going lol!?

Just been thinking about all these seeds i have here, and i was thinking it maybe good to see if we can get a 'seed swap' going if anyone is interested - it would be money saving lol

I have packets of seeds that i have got for free on magazines etc that we wont eat and then i thave things like carrots that contain 1,000 seeds. Now i am never going to sow 1,000 carrots so just wondered if anyone else thought it was a good idea?

It would only cost the price of a stamp and if we swapped directly ie i gave you some carrots for some of your parsnip etc then it could work??

I dont think it is against forum rules, but maybe the mod for this board could let us know?

If anyone would be interested/has ideas then please post. It seems a shame to buy all these seeds and then potentially let some of them go to waste

If anyone is interested maybe they could post what they have to swap, and what they want in return? I will see what others think then go through what i have later

It's against the rules of this forum, but not on another forum

turbo5019

misskool wrote: »

You could also pinch out the growing shoots once you have a few squashes already pollinated. Then the plant will concentrate all it's energy into producing for the fruit.

Hadn't thought of that. thanks

Well got compost went to a local garden centre which is part of QD's. Before anyone asks I think they are only in East Anglia. I got 4 for £10 60ltr which works out the same price as B&Q and as we were there thought might as well get them they were Growmore compost.

Staging for green house arrived today so I know what DH is up to this evening. I don't think he would be able to look after DD and do that.

Well hoping to get the early peas in tomorrow and some carrots.

meanmum

I am new to all this too - had my first attempts last year - and have some questions that I hope someone can help with. I have the Poundland seeds for peppers (traffic light), aubergines (black beauty), courgettes (green bush), cucumber (marketmore), and I'm planning to start them off in a heated propagator, before eventually putting them outside. Now what I'm stuck with is how all these plants grow best. I did cucumbers (from plants) last year in a growbag & just trailed them along the ground - but this year I'm thinking of making a cold frame on top of paving, and just grow them in a big pot. Do you think this will work? & the same for the courgettes? Now what about peppers & aubergines, do they need to grow upwards like tomatoes, or could I grow them on the ground in a cold frame. Sorry, they are stupid questions, I know. Hope someone can help.

jojotoo

Meanmum I grew aubergines last year in the greenhouse and they were a little bush that was self supporting so didn't need a stake like cucumbers - that said they didn't actually grow any aubergines!
I grew courgettes outside and they went mad and we just couldn't eat them fast enough! I would think they would be fine in a pot on your paving but might need feeding to keep them producing.