Veg to plant in January and things to do.

D&DD

*Itchy fingers*

I sorted out my seeds which seem to have been breeding in the cupboard! I'm still harvesting a fair bit from the garden and using whats stored and finally got my poor neglected xmas potatoes out today

Kittie I tried Winter Gem this year in the cold greenhouse and they've been really good.

Thanks for the reminder I need to get my propogator down from the loft and get my peppers etc started..I'm late this year!

rinabean

I'm two months behind where I should be! I planted the spring bulbs today. Half had gone bad, and the other half were half grown in the bag. I apologised profusely to them as I found places around the garden to squeeze them in - hopefully they will forgive me.

I have so much left to do. Everything is only half pruned and, more importantly, my veg beds are not ready at all. They are both half covered with snowberry stumps that I was intending to smother over the winter, and the other halves are more snowberries in one bed and brambles in the other. I suppose I just need to press on anyway, but I don't like the idea of digging wet clay soil at all.

Herbyme

Hi all, am very excited because my giant parsley seeds have germinated. Poured boiling water on them when I sowed them 2 weeks ago. Will now sow basil after reading recent posts, thanks for that thought

D&DD

I've still managed to resist buying any new seeds yet this year but need to get a bit of seed compost this weekend so have to negotiate the garden centre.

Do you all use seed compost or are there any homemade mixes I can do with whats already here?

I have homemade compost,half a bag of normal compost,sand and grit so any magic mixes I can do myself?

Sally_A

I'm a wimp and buy seed compost/multi purpose to sow seedlings in.

Home made compost, along with last years pot soil will be used for the tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, cuces in pots etc.

hazzie123

Caroline why did you pour boiling water on your parsley seeds?

Herbyme

hazzie, I read somewhere it helps it to germinate, I think parsley can be a bit slow to germinate. No idea if it did make a difference but I do tend to do it, certainly it doesn't kill off the seed as you might think!

Rummer

I have been getting a bit carried away

Although I have oodles of seeds left over from last year (many were free ) and I promised myself to only plug the gaps, I have gone a bit seed/plant wild. I have ordered a lavender hedge, asparagus sets and loads of seeds.

Today I did actually do work though! I went out and cleared the path near the pond, pruned the trees and weeded round the raspberry bushes. There just seems a frightening amount of work to do :eek: and not enough daylight hours to do it.

The pots etc from the greenhouse I have brought into the house so that I can wash them in the evening. I am going to settle down at some point in the next few weeks and plan a couple of beds that are vacant at the moment.

troubrs

I just leave my seed potatoes in shallow boxes & egg boxes on the floor in the spare bedroom (which is North facing).
I also do something which goes against all the advice, but usually works to get a few nice early new potatoes - I have some old acid drums which I have sawn the tops of & cleaned & drilled holes in the bottom. I empty out my old tomato gro-bags from last year into them (you shouldn't grow potatoes in soil that has had tomatoes recently as they're related!), & then I gather up any potatoes I've left a bit too long in the kitchen cupboard (you shouldn't do this, you should only use certified seeds which are not likely to be diseased like kitchen spuds!), or use a cheap pack from the pound shop! I pop them in the tubs & if it's frosty bring them into my conservatory. I usually get a very early feed of lovely new potatoes! Everything I know you shouldn't do but it works for me. However, I do also grow new potatoes at the allotment, I would only ever use certified seeds & would NEVER grow where potatoes or tomatoes have been in the last 2 years & would never plant until March! The drums in the garden are a free risk worth taking (I got the drums from my husband's old work), if it goes wrong you've lost nothing & can take the soil down to the tip, & if it works, mega bonus!

jess1011

Only just found this thread, I'm subscribing and will have a good read tomorrow. Tried growing potatoes last year not very well! Hopefully now I'm a fully paid up MSE'er I'll have some great advice to put into my garden