Veg to plant in February and things to do.

mardatha

Pure white here this morning but sunny and cheerful today. Been pottering in the garden (with a woolly duffle coat on!) tidying up the mess left by all that snow. Loads of geese gone over today heading north so maybe spring is on the way right enough .

Chris_Church

radiohelen wrote: »

Anyone ever grown Tomatillos before? I've put some in the propagator and they have shot but have gone very leggy. Still only seedling leaves on them. I've fished them out and stuck them in pots on the windowledge but will they be OK?

My chillis and peppers seem to be performing properly though! All growing nicely in the propagator and I've just bought a B&M four shelf tardis as their new home for 9.99 which is frankly a bargain!!!

Yes, Helen,

Originally by default because I'm rubbish at growing tomatoes.
All mine have started off leggy; I just prop them up with a kebab skewer

They're great croppers with a long season, good outdoors in a decent summer and stay good for weeks after picking. The sticky resin on the skin is bitter and has to be washed off.

We love them in salads or chopped with onion and coriander as a green salsa...save the surplus juice to add a little tequila as a kind of Mexican equivalent of a Bloody Mary.

radiohelen

Thanks Chris - I took a punt on them from the real seed company and I'm hoping for salsa magic this summer. From the blurb they grow quite big and bushy! Did yours do this? It says to leave massive gaps between the plants.

sjk1985

First bell pepper shoot through today, first planted on 13th feb, so tiny nearly missed it, planted in a small flowerpot in growbag compost, on windowsill in kitchen, planted 10 altogether, can only see 1 has made it through so far.

These were from a garden centre, tempted to plant some saved from a supermarket pepper and see what batch does better, anyone tried this?

Chris_Church

radiohelen wrote: »

Thanks Chris - I took a punt on them from the real seed company and I'm hoping for salsa magic this summer. From the blurb they grow quite big and bushy! Did yours do this? It says to leave massive gaps between the plants.

Everything I've had from the Real Seed Company has been spot-on, especially the Exploding Cucumber - you've never lived until you've eaten a vegetable with an eye-hazard warning!

I just chucked 'tillos into tomato pots and they seemed fine. But then, I try to avoid knowledge-based gardening; it might stop being fun.

[Deleted User]

A couple of tips for if you get frosted plants that shouldn`t be frosted

a light spray of cold water often works

if you can then move it to a north or shaded area so it doesn`t get sun until it has de-frosted

I have a patio grow covered in the poly cover with the fleece on top and it is fantastic for keeping the frost off my baby seedlings, even my tomatoes are doing very well under it. It is on a n wall at the moment and all plants come out in the day with tomatoes etc going into a polycarbonate greenhouse with the lid part up. The polycrbonate greenhouses are little and were half price from lakeland last year but I would even have paid full price for them as they are so well insulated and sturdy, even in the big winds lately

I planted some tomatoes esp for my dehydrator today something borghese, I cannot remember the first word, also leekes and other bits and bobs. I am following instructions to the letter so % germination is interesting me. The best so far is via ebay sellers and they are far the cheapest. I am not impressed with marshalls leeks oarsman of mr fithergills sweet pepper as not one has come up after 3 weeks also heirloom seeds two kinds of asters and nothing has come up

[Deleted User]

I have prepared some ground for first early potato lady christi and am prepared to lay fleece over the top. I`ll actually be planting end of this week if we get a couple of warmer days

radiohelen

Never had an exploding cucumber! I did get attacked by Himalayan Balsam last summer while trying to collect seeds for bread. I've got a stack of Real Seed company stuff this year - tall yellow mange tout, green caulis, peppers, Nigel's outdoor chillis, peas, old woman melons, miniature cucumbers, squashes and the 'tillos. I too avoid knowledge based gardening. I find if you do too much research or actually start to feel you know what you are doing, it causes things to go wrong....

ginnyknit

Am very impressed so far with the speed my seeds are germinating - don't know what I have done different ? Garlic chives, peppery salad leaves, cucumbers,and even a peice of ginger root that was left in the veg rack. Am off to buy another mini greenhouse - my Mum is paying for it for Easter for me. Just pulled a couple of last years leeks up for tea and they are really good and smell strong. Oh and have a pot of peas for the shoots already coming on strong. I am hoping its going to be a good year for us all

Sally_A

Agree with Chris Church re Pretty in Purples - very decorative and quite compact, they definitely give heat (2 red ones for a serves 4 meal gives a good kick - I'm a heat freak so will put a whole one in if just cooking for me (seeds included)). Not so uniquely flavoursome though, so am trying a few different varieties this year.

As for tomatillos, did them in the greenhouse last year, and got my first ever bout of spider mite probs, which spread to a cuce plant - so they are destined for outside this year. Can't decide whether I like the taste or not but will give them another go.