Veg growing newbies 2nd year common room 2010-2011

wssla00

Good morning all

No gardening for me today but have rows and rows of seeds inside the house getting off to an early start.

I happily received my £10 gift voucher from Thompson & Morgan as I filled in their survey so got a good load of seeds then only had to pay the postage! So among them got a squash called summer ball which you can pick at the summer squash size or leave to mature to make winter squash. It looks pretty good!

Hope your gardens are going ok

loucroft

Well the weekend here was a none event and the weather is awful here so no gardening, except for raking leaves only for them to drop all over my garden again! oh well, went for a run and walked the dog and tidied my front borders.

Looking at creating a modern type of front with grasses and a few little flowering plants.... allotment has been ignored since last week I'm afraid!

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Hi all

I have only posted once on this new aite but was a regular on the veg growing newbies site. Greehouse has all of the herbs in it for overwintering and has a trough of carrotts for christmas dinner. I did have a planter full of lambs lettuce but it looked like it was growing a mould over most of the leaves. I think it was due to lack of fresh air in the greenhouse but I have no idea about ventilating a greenhouse in the winter. What do you do with yours?

The only thing in the veg plot now are the brassicas and the leeks. I did not get round to putting in the onion sets and garlic that I planned to. Must be more organised for next year.

Have dug over all of the empty parts of the bed and weeded it. As it was a new bed this year I was just planning on dressing it with fish, blood and bonemeal in the spring. Have also staked the brassicas as it has been getting very windy here and some of them were also bending over.

Have got loads of seeds that need sorting out. I am planning on pitting planting times on a wall chart to remind me when to plant different seeds or I tend to forget until it is almost to late.

Cant wait for spring to get started again.

Katholicos try to keep going with your garden. I saw the video you made showing off your garden and it looked great. Short bursts are better than wearing yurself out in one long go.

Mrs VP

katholicos

Mrs_Veg_Plot wrote: »

Katholicos try to keep going with your garden. I saw the video you made showing off your garden and it looked great. Short bursts are better than wearing yurself out in one long go.

Mrs VP

Thanks so much Mrs Veg Plot :beer:

scotsaver

My broad bean seeds that I planted a couple of weeks ago are poking through but no sign of the Cauli's yet. I've picked up a few large pots of herbs from H0mebase that were reduced to only 50p a pot so they are now planted up at the Allotment, also got some heathers that were reduced so they are now on either side of my path leading to the Allotment shed.

Covered over most of the Allotment area that won't be planted until spring, got quite a lot done up there in the last few weeks so Im confident that I will be able to plant up 100% of it next year - not bad as I've only had it for 11 months so feeling pretty pleased with myself.:o

wssla00

Scotsaver- that's brilliant! I am fourth on the list so hoping for next year some time. I have a greenhouse in my garden so it's pretty useful as I can raise the seedlings there then pop them up to the allotment and place them in.

I do love the old seedling stage. It's a very exciting stage I have to say!

Well done on the bargains too!

Mrs Veg Plot- I would just plant the garlic.... it's not too late! The old wives tale is plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest day so you still have some time!

Sazbo

Hello Can you join you lovely folk on here? I love reading what other people are up with their growing - I've learnt so much! Last year was my first attempt at growing veg, did reasonably ok for a first effort. I'm doing all my growing in containers, partly because we don't have a lot of growing space and there is only the two of us, but mostly because work and commuting takes up so much time and I'd rather try and keep things manageable, rather than over-extend and then get disheartend if I can't cope. And I find with pots I can manage ok, although it's tricky making sure they are all adequately watered at the height of summer.

This summer's growing got off to a slightly later start on account of getting married and then being away on honeymoon, but still did well with broadies, tomatoes, cukes, courgettes, garlic, chillis and salady stuff. I think the runner beans were plantd out too late and never really got going.

I tried growing a few things through last winter - winter varieties of salad crops, Japanese greens, etc, but I don't think I gave them adequate protection. This year DH bought me a mini greenhouse, so I am starting the same things off in there this winter, together with some broadies, garlic and rocket. Already got some seedlings emerging.

And I have some christmas potatoes in there too, in some of those planting bags. Very excited to see on christmas morning if we get some spuds! I'm too scared to look before then!

And I want to see if I can prune back my chilli plants and overwinter those. We had a tonne of chillis this year, might see if I can make some chilli jam or something with them.

Well that's enough of my witterings Looking forward to reading all your veg-growing adventures.

Saz

loucroft

Sazbo wrote: »

Hello
And I want to see if I can prune back my chilli plants and overwinter those. We had a tonne of chillis this year, might see if I can make some chilli jam or something with them.

Saz

I had to give you the link to this chilli jam recipe from the daily mail. It's the best and easiest one I've found so far, and I've made it loads - last time I put more chilli's in than the recipe, and the time before I halved it as I only wanted 2 jars and it's been really great every time!

Welldone on your growing success with them, I had 2 and have never had any success growing chilli's whatsoever!

Let me know if you use the recipe, delicious and easier than some :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1094894/Recipe-Sweet-chilli-jam.html

Sazbo

Thanks so much loucroft, I will definitely give that recipe a try - I always like recipes that have small lists of ingredients! I'd say give growing chillies another try - I really don't know much about gardening and they pretty much grew without me doing anything

Saz x

loucroft

Just found something worth doing, I've posted the actual details on another section of the forum:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/38749720#Comment_38749720

It's an offer for plants and seed for £3.99 postage, but there are other offers on there and we've been talking hellebores - one of the offers is for 5 hellebores for £9.99 plus p&p, plus your free plants/seeds

Worth a look I think!