veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

flis21

Ok, I've got too excited today. Have just been and planted up some of my parsnip seeds (not all in case they don't work and it is too early!) and the herbs in a couple of pots. Also did some freesia bulbs as well. Got them all on the windowsill in our bedroom (wonder what OH is going to say!!). Also just been on Argos website and reserved a mini greenhouse, which I think is basically just a four tier shelving unit covered with PVC, but thought it would be good for hardening stuff off before planting it out.

Am trying to decide if the ground is too wet for me to go out and plant my onions? Bought them in poundland yesterday and am desperate to go and get them in, but might have to wait until it is a bit dryer out there!

lynzpower

Re your onions flis

rious types of onion, including spring onions, pickling onion and shallots can be successfully grown from sets or from seed, some from both.

Onion sets

Onion sets are small, immature onions, planted in spring or late summer. The sets increase in size and each forms one full-sized bulb when ready to harvest. Where possible, choose onion sets that have been heat-treated. This means their flower embryos have been killed, so they're less likely to run to seed or bolt. Generally, growing onions from sets is easier and more reliable than from seed and in cooler, damper areas, the sets should give a better yield of larger bulbs than if grown from seed. However the range of varieties available is far greater if growing onions from seed.

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What to do

Soil preparation

A sunny, well-drained site is essential for growing good crops of onion and garlic. It's possible to grow good onions on heavy soil, but the drainage should be improved prior to planting with grit and bulky organic matter, and the cloves planted in ridges of soil 10cm (4in) high to help reduce soil moisture.
Onions and garlic both like fertile soil, but neither require much nitrogen and so shouldn't be grown on freshly manured soil. Instead, dig over and manure the ground several months before planting. If the soil is acid it's worth liming it so its pH level becomes neutral or even slightly alkaline.
How to sow seed

Sow seed in modules in January or February at 10-15°C (50-59°F).
Sow five or six seeds per module in damp seed compost - when planted out the clumps of bulbs will push themselves apart as they expand.
Cover seeds with a layer of vermiculite and label with variety name and date of sowing.
To have a year-round supply, you can sow once in spring for harvesting from August, and again in late summer or autumn to be ready from June, although a second planting isn't recommended in very heavy, wet soils. Onions should be given as long a growing season as possible to reach maximum size.
Growing onions from sets

The easiest way to grow onions is from sets, available from garden centres.
Prepare the soil a couple of months before planting by digging over and adding manure.
Plant the sets in spring in shallow drills and cover them so the necks are just protruding from the soil.
Weed regularly and water sparingly.
Harvest as soon as the foliage starts to yellow.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingonions1.shtml

Looks like the best way to put holes in the Mr M tubs will probably be by using a soldering iron. If any of you are smokers I guess burning a holes with the end of a fag would be good, we have given up though, did wish I still smoked so I could get these peas going lol. Ill have to wait for OH to get up to tell me where hes hidden the soldering iron.

Edit, Ive found it and done it, yes this is a lot easier and bettter than drilling although I did burn myself ( typical)

flis21

Thanks for the bit about the onions, think I will wait. Tbh I have just been out in the garden and it's in a right mess. Needs a lot of clearing and sorting out before I can plant anything out there.

Our soil is a disaster, very clay like and full of stones. Does anyone have any tips on how to improve it a bit so i can grow successfully in it. At the moment I'm thinking of digging it all over, trying to pull out the bigger stones and weeds (of which there are quite a few!). The trying to dig in some compost and fertiliser and cover with top soil. Would that work? Or are there any other things I can try. I was going to do raised beds for my carrots and parsnips, but didn't really want to cover the whole garden in raised beds to do everything, will end up costing me a fortune!

floyd

My cauli seedlings were doing really well on my kitchen windowsill (apart from the 2 I lost to damping off) but all of a sudden the cotyledon leaves went brown at the edge and the emerging true leaves soon followed suit and went crispy and brown.
Anyone know why it could have happened? I water from the bottom every other day and never let the compost dry out as I always touch the surface before watering to check it needs it.
Bit disappointed to say the least but I popped my head outside this morning and my first Rocket potato has come up and my beetroot seedlings have come up too :j

How big do I let the spuds grow up before starting to earth up?

misskool

flis21 wrote: »

Ok, I've got too excited today. Have just been and planted up some of my parsnip seeds (not all in case they don't work and it is too early!) and the herbs in a couple of pots. Also did some freesia bulbs as well. Got them all on the windowsill in our bedroom (wonder what OH is going to say!!). Also just been on Argos website and reserved a mini greenhouse, which I think is basically just a four tier shelving unit covered with PVC, but thought it would be good for hardening stuff off before planting it out.

Am trying to decide if the ground is too wet for me to go out and plant my onions? Bought them in poundland yesterday and am desperate to go and get them in, but might have to wait until it is a bit dryer out there!

It's not too early for parsnip and if your ground is ready, you can probably do onions. You can improve clay but it won't be perfect for now. We (well, OH mostly!!) dug in lots of manure, turned the ground over and this year more manure, spent compost, leaf mould, anything organic-y (ie organic as in natural, not organic the marketing campaign for fruit and veg).

You can get lots of well rotted manure free from stables (they have to pay commercial companies to get rid of it).

I'm starting to think the frosts might be over where we are so getting ready to get stuff to go out. Might plant a row of peas after lunch!

lynzpower

How big do I let the spuds grow up before starting to earth up?

I read you should plant them and cover the chits totally. As you see the chits again growing through this soil, earth up, and keep doing this until its full to the top. Once they are floweing they are ready to pull.

wssla00

Afternoon all

Well it was so sunny today I planted up my carrots, more lettuce, potted on my peas, potted on my leeks, planted some more spinach, some broccoli, some courgettes and sorted out my alpine strawberries and potatoes.

Looks much more interesting in the garden now! Here's hoping they all pop up! The chits had started to show on my pots so I rolled up some of the bags I am using and added some more compost- have used 125 litres today :eek:

oldskoolretro

Heya all, im a newbie to growing your own veg, and currently we have some seeds growing on the windowsill some in the little 4 tier greenhouse we have bought and things are now sprouting, but because our garden is all concrete we have decided to try and grow everything in tubs, can someone please advise on what tubs are best? flexi tubs? or would it be worth trying to sort a raised garden bed?

The other thing i would like to know if any one is kind enough to help me, we are thinking of growing potatoes, we have some on the windowsill sprouting, couple of purple bits and one still has the white sprout on it, are these ok to use as there is only 3 and also what kind of tub do i put them in as i havent got a clue?

Many Thanks

oldskoolretro

Also sorry should we be using plant feeder or anything yet?

Thanks

lynzpower

Everything is going great guns here to be honest

Aubergines, peppers and chillies have the start of the true leaves
patty pan going like mad ( it has grown a lot today, and shed its seed, the other 2 have now come up- all in one day!)

Ive soldered holes in all the small Mr M buckets and put 4 peas in each, they will be trellised there are 6 of these for now.

Ive got 2 small plant pots and sowed a number of pea seeds in each for the salad patio for shoots for salads - have laid the compost out for the lollo rosso as I put holes in the old mixing bowl - the soldering iron was a good tip.

Rocket salad also planted, along with 2 small pots of oregano & basil.

Have shuffled the trugs around in the terrace and had a sweep up.

Not sure i can be bothered with the radish now. But need to start beans this week.

Has anyone got any clues for growing runners & french in a container, what are you using- would it be the same sort of ratio as peas in the Mr M buckets? Hope so as I have 6 left and can probably get more.