veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

ukmaggie45

shelvis wrote: »

2 - What is chitting? I have got my flexitubs now and I bought some seed potatoes from wilcos (99p for 5). How may do i put in per tub?

Put your seed spuds into egg boxes, with the eyes pointing up. Put them in a light cool, frost-free place (I think I read 10degrees C is ideal), eg windowsill in spare bedroom? The eyes will sprout little sprouts, and the potatoes go green (this is normal when chitting).

JBA Seed Potatoes have some good information on what to do with seed potatoes, including some videos.

I'd put 2 or 3 in each tub, depending on tub size (we got some cheap flexitubs, and they are smaller than the ones we got in Lidl a few weeks later).

Sorry, can't help with the mulberry. Is it in full sun? What's your soil like? Acid? sandy? chalky? This site says:

Location: Mulberries need full sun and also adequate space. The distance between trees should be at least 15 ft. The trees should not be planted near a sidewalk. The fallen fruit will not only stain the walkway, but are likely to be tracked indoors. The trees are quite wind-resistant with some cultivars used as windbreaks in the Great Plains region.
Soil: Mulberries like a warm, well-drained soil, preferably a deep loam. Shallow soils such as those frequently found on chalk or gravel are not recommended.

Useful article here too.

Good luck with the spuds!

janiebaby29

What can i use instead of eggboxes for chitting pototoes ,
I havent got any egg boxes and wont need any eggs either !!!

yummymummy79

Just back from a wander around town and came back with Maris Piper and Charlotte seed potatoes, strawberry plant, raspberry plant and some of those small biodegradable brown pot things from Poundland, and 3 packs of seeds for £1.50 at Wilko. So I now have:

Strawberry x 2
Raspberry
Potatoes
Onions
Carrots
Cabbage
Cauli
Parsnip
Peppers (seeds en route from Ebay)
Basil
Lettuce

Just need the weekend to hurry up (and deliver some fine weather) so the olds can help me with the digging and seed planting. All very exciting!

gillian62

janiebaby29 wrote: »

What can i use instead of eggboxes for chitting pototoes ,
I havent got any egg boxes and wont need any eggs either !!!

I use the drink holder trays out of McDonalds to put my potatoes in to chit. They seem to be doing ok. Disclaimer - LOL - I'm sure that drinks trays from other fast food outlets will do just as well :rotfl:

WestonDave

The only thing egg boxes do is keep the potatoes apart and absorb moisture to stop them rotting against each other. If you just put them on some newspaper well spread out in a normal seed tray they'll do fine.

katholicos

janiebaby29 wrote: »

What can i use instead of eggboxes for chitting pototoes ,
I havent got any egg boxes and wont need any eggs either !!!

Mine are sitting on some newspaper in the windowsill and seem to be doing alright.

[Deleted User]

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

Put your seed spuds into egg boxes, with the eyes pointing up. Put them in a light cool, frost-free place (I think I read 10degrees C is ideal), eg windowsill in spare bedroom? The eyes will sprout little sprouts, and the potatoes go green (this is normal when chitting).

JBA Seed Potatoes have some good information on what to do with seed potatoes, including some videos.

I'd put 2 or 3 in each tub, depending on tub size (we got some cheap flexitubs, and they are smaller than the ones we got in Lidl a few weeks later).

Good luck with the spuds!

Ahh I see. The seed spuds I have got already have little sprouty things on them (like the ones i get when I forget about my potatoes in the cupboard ha ha). The flexitubs I have are the bright yellow 40l ones from wickes. I assume as they have sprouty things I can plant em outside now? Need to do some reading up I will follow that link thank you.

Stupid soil at my house is clay. It's not stunted the growth of the mullberry bush and we break it up with mulch and sand in the area where it is planted every year. Stupid clay nothing likes it at all.

Am I right in thinking slugs hate eggshells? I had the family over dor dinner yesterday and i was an omelette station and we used 15 eggs! I was going to chuck em in the composter but am wondering now if I should sprinkle them round the raised bed?

[Deleted User]

Oh and also - been to Morrisons today to get some of the plant pots and my morrisons don't have them! The flowers aren't even in buckets at my morrisons they are in tall square pots

Optimisticpair

Megansmum wrote: »

My seed potatoes are really chitted but are starting to go a bit soft and wrinkly! Are they past using now? Do I need to just bin them and go buy new ones?

Thanks

No, you are ok, you can keep them. The chits should be purple/green and an fat not pale and thin that's all.

Megansmum

shelvis wrote: »

Ahh I see. The seed spuds I have got already have little sprouty things on them (like the ones i get when I forget about my potatoes in the cupboard ha ha). The flexitubs I have are the bright yellow 40l ones from wickes. I assume as they have sprouty things I can plant em outside now? Need to do some reading up I will follow that link thank you.

Stupid soil at my house is clay. It's not stunted the growth of the mullberry bush and we break it up with mulch and sand in the area where it is planted every year. Stupid clay nothing likes it at all.

Am I right in thinking slugs hate eggshells? I had the family over dor dinner yesterday and i was an omelette station and we used 15 eggs! I was going to chuck em in the composter but am wondering now if I should sprinkle them round the raised bed?

I'm near you in Derby and have been told not to put potatoes out till april 9th! Although i have put 4 in a flexitub already and covered it with fleece just to see!:D All my others will go out in April though. If they are smallish you can put all 5 in one tub as it is the large tub. Don't forget to put holes in the bottom and polystyrene or stones in the bottom first.:D

Crush the egg shells and chuck em round the beds - slugs hate them!