veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

aplaceinthesun

Hi all

Have read through the whole thread but not posted yet . Well done to everyone on the start of their grow your own journey. We had a dabble last year and over the winter (just finished off last of the kale and leeks yesterday) but have not really got going yet for this year, unfortunately a few things have got in the way but really must get going soon! I guess with spring being late this year that will give me a little lee way !

Whilst in the 99p store yesterday I spotted 25l bags of compost designed for peas and beans to be grown in, the bags are designed to stand nice and squarely and the instructions state you can grown 4 plants in there, they state on their that they have been a gold medal winner for 10 years at the Chelsea Flower Show so am assuming they are a good buy for 99p. They are made by a company called Humax. HTH someone.

aplaceinthesun

Just had a look at the Which Compost for 2010 on this forum and it says this about Humax compost :

Humax seems to be mostly a good grade of peat with quite a lot of very fine sand, to aid drainage. If the transplanted seedlings like growing in it as much as I liked handling it, this will be a winner. Undoubtedly the best structured commercial multipurpose compost I've seen in years.

ds1980

All prepared to start seeding soon and thanks to the suggestions on here am hoping for a good mix of stuff. One problem i have is that the cats s"$!s! in the greenhouse as i have a pane missing. I could board it up etc but as the seeds are going to be underneath the tressels i want as much light as possible. What could i use that is a cheap fix?? Ami missing something...was thinking cling film but fear this will be too weak. Will clear plastic be expensive??

wssla00

Could you try the acetate stuff you get for over head projectors in stationery shops? Think you can get it in different sizes and then just stick it up?

zarazara

Planted shallotts yeaterday and this morning ordered some micro mesh tunnels.
ds1980 i SYMPATHISE. I sympathise. I stuck sticks all over the flower beds yeaterday bacause the cats were carping in them.

wssla00

:mad: Right i think ive realised i can only grow green things. Anything else is looking very sad and depressed. I have a tree in a pot at the mo which i will need to move when it stops raining into the garden somewhere and I'm stressing over me rhubarb.

I think i need a tea and a biccie to calm down! :rotfl:

MORPH3US

2 questions for anyone...

1. Is it ok to use seeds taken from the fruits purchased in the supermarket... i.e. buy some tomatoes I like in Tesco, take some seeds out and plant them?

2. I understand that I shouldn't really use compost that I grew my tomatoes in again this year because of blight (?) so what should I do with it...??

[Deleted User]

ds1980 wrote: »

All prepared to start seeding soon and thanks to the suggestions on here am hoping for a good mix of stuff. One problem i have is that the cats s"$!s! in the greenhouse as i have a pane missing. I could board it up etc but as the seeds are going to be underneath the tressels i want as much light as possible. What could i use that is a cheap fix?? Ami missing something...was thinking cling film but fear this will be too weak. Will clear plastic be expensive??

I posted a WANTED on freecycle for some plastic to make a cold frame from. I had loads of responses - some offered glass too so try their first maybe?

seraphina

I got some cheap corrugated polycarbonate at the weekend from Wickes to put over my cold frame - MrS did a fab job and now it's got hinges and everything:j

Anyway, you can get an enormous sheet for under £10.

However I woke up this morning to find two ducks having a go at my carrot patch....

[Deleted User]

I have started off my peas, jalapeno peppers and some cut and come again salad leaves under propogator lids in the dining room (south facing). I am running out of windowstill!!

Bought some of those plug-u-gro strawberrys too and have potted them on into large peat pots. Once the last of the frosts has gone (which I *think* have done) I am going to put them into hanging baskets.

We went down to the 20% day at B&Q as well yesterday and bought £50 worth of the purple compost so it only cost £40. My plan today was to fill the raised beds with it but stupid rain has put paid to that.............

Speaking of which - is it OK to fill them completely with compost?? Do I need to put owt else in?