The Scottish Gardeners thread

skelly01

In Carstairs here, first 2 courgettes fruited. Tatties just coming thorugh after planting 4 weeks ago. No sign of any of my seeds (Parsnip,beetroot,carrots,turnip,blah blah blah!) apart from lettuce. they were all planted approx 2 weeks ago.
My greenhouse seems to be doing tons better this year than last. tomatoes,cucumbers, peppers are all flowering. although its just the courgettes will be picking in a week or so.

mardatha

I'm up in the border hills, and that's my tatties peeking through today, and my seeds are tiny wee green things. lol! Is sunny here and very hot.

GarnetLady

cooking-mama, I know! It's warm here in Forth Valley, but cloudy. Hope the sun puts in an appearance soon!

Had a phone call this morning to say that my greenhouse is being delivered this afternoon. :j I've cleared a space in the garage for it just now, will be a week or til we can get it erected.

I've got the plants that have been living in the garage out onto the front grass for a bit of air.

Think I'll be doing some tidying outside this afternoon.

skelly01

GarnetLady wrote: »

cooking-mama, I know! It's warm here in Forth Valley, but cloudy. Hope the sun puts in an appearance soon!

Had a phone call this morning to say that my greenhouse is being delivered this afternoon. :j I've cleared a space in the garage for it just now, will be a week or til we can get it erected.

I've got the plants that have been living in the garage out onto the front grass for a bit of air.

Think I'll be doing some tidying outside this afternoon.

Will it get enough light in the garage (Ha ha)!!! you will not regret getting a greenhouse its the best thing I ever did

GarnetLady

skelly01 wrote: »

Will it get enough light in the garage (Ha ha)!!! you will not regret getting a greenhouse its the best thing I ever did

The garage gets opened during the day or the plants get put outside, and they sit just under the windows.

I am getting a greenhouse, just going to be a while before we can get it put up. I'm itching to get it sorted too, but there is loads to get done the garden first. Got the shed to get put up, slabs laid and before all that, grass dug up!

iainsmum

Hi all, I'm in Renfrewshire and new to this. Can I join in?

I've got a small-med garden, exposed to SW, have a small vegetable bed, which didn't do much last year (my first year, no planning at all, squash, cucs & beetroot were all a disaster) probably due to poor soil, have added chicken pellets and lots of compost to raise the bed, am trying carrots, brocoli and spring onions this year (tho the carrots are awfully slow).

Have pots in a barrel, they're doing well. Just put a rhubarb plant in (3wks ago) and that's doing ok. Have a great gooseberry bush which is really heavily laden this year - do I need to protect this from the birds? And have planted strawbs in an unused bit at the bottom of the garden, they've only been in a week and they're flowering already!

I've bought one of those plastic covered walk-in greenhouses, but there are some connectors missing, so I can't put it up yet. When the bits arrive and I get it built, I've got cucs, tomatoes, courgettes and peppers to go in (they've grown really well indoors) and I've got green beans to go into pots, but unsure when to plant them outside - they're about 5 inches tall at the mo?

I'm going to do lettuce too, but I understand I need a shallow tray for that and to keep planting seeds throughout the summer to keep cropping it as needed?

And finally, we've got a pear, apple and cherry tree, planted last year, but I'm now unsure if they'll do anything at all ever, as I don't know if they need similar trees in the area to pollinate?

Any advice on anything I've questioned would be gratefully received.

realfood

If they are broad beans, they can go outside now. Runner beans and French beans can be killed by frosts, so would need cloche protection if planted outside now.
You need to know the variety of the fruit trees to tell if they are self-fertile or need pollinator trees.

delerium

Hey all,

Everything is getting bigger here....the sweetcorn is now 100% germination and the butternut squash have suddenly jumped out the pots.....dug out the veg patch again (oh the weeds had taken over over the winter!) so hopefully will get them transplanted into the garden this weekend.

Going on hols for 2 weeks on monday so need them moved from grow house or there will be no water while I am away...

Chilli's and toms in hanging baskets coming on a treat.

Delerium junior officially due on the 15th Jan 2011 and despite not being identifiable as anything but a bean my mother has decided it's a he!!

skelly01

Iainsmum, you cant go wrong with the chicken pellets although carrots etc don't tend to like areas which have been newly manured.
Also from where you are, I think your problem with the cucumbers was growing them outside. I know that where I am I have no chance of them outside and I am south of you and the garden faces south.
Your tomoatoes should be OK albeit on a reduced yeild versus the greenhouse.
Where are you delerium, I tried sweetcorn last year but just didnt do? I am not sure if I took it out the greenhouse too late so didn't pollinate. I subsequently learned that they are wind pollinated.
My butternut squash seem to be the only thing in the greenhouse this year that is off to a very slow start. I don't know what is wrong or when they will get planted out.
Last year I had an excellent crop and the fruits would have rivalled anything on a Tesco's shelf.
This weekend i am going to put out the sunflowers and sweetpeas to harden off as they are going ballistic. I should get these in the ground next week.
My potatoes in sacks that i started in the greenhouse in January, I reckon I could be digging them in about 3 to 4 weeks (Duke of York). They are starting to flower.

skelly01

With regards to the cherry tree etc, depends on if they are a self pollinating variety. "In the area" can be a good bit away. One of my firneds has 16 beehives about a mile away from us and we regularly get his bees in our garden (How do I know - well he is the only bee keeper in our area). So pollinating insects travel a fair distance so there is every chance you will end up with something.
if not you could try , if you have the room, planting companion trees to pollinate.