What to do in January for newbie gardners

Generali

I started on an alotment last year and got a brilliant piece advice from a farmer, advice that I think is often overlooked:

Seeds want to grow!

Get your seeds/bulbs etc in the ground and the chances are you'll get something out of them. I used this method along with the instructions on the back of the packet and the only things that failed were squashes (nothing came up) and cabbages (tiny as I planted them too late).

jcr16

in first post it mentions about saving loo rolls and news papers for making pot's.

can someone please tell me how to do this ?

ironed_out

Just found this in my old folders from last year on how to make paper pots with step by step instructions and pics included..

http://www.geocities.com/newspaperpots/

jcr16

oohh thanks for that.

looks a bit tricky for me, but gonna try it. i've got a newspaper out in shed.

Daz1

pinksleepybear wrote: »

Where were these plastic greenhouses from that everyone keeps talking about? I've just taken over a second allotment and could really use a little greenhouse to give my plants a good headstart before planting out. The plots next to mine are overgrown and full of slugs, so the plants need to be fairly strong before I expose them to these pests. In the summer evenings, I go around my plot with an old pair of kitchen tongs and an empty ice-cream tub, picking up slugs to feed to the chickens on a neighbour's plot. I like to make them useful for something!

I'm planning my plots for next year and am going all-out with the spreadsheets. I've also ordered far too many potatoes, but had blight last year, so I want to try a few different varieties this year.

Wilkinsons, Argos and Woolworths (and others although these are the shops I looked in) do plastic, walk-in greenhouses. Got one 2 days ago from Wilk's for £29. They do the "standard" shape apex one, a lean-to one that goes up against a structural wall and a hexagonal one that has shelves all the waty around, though it costs £39. It is very lightweight so needs to be secured to something so it doesn't blow away. It comes with pegs and guy ropes but I tied mine to the side of my shed. People also say the plastic cover deteriorates in the sun over time, something about UV rays eating at the plastic but if it lasts a year or 2 I won't complain.

~Chameleon~

Daz1 wrote: »

People also say the plastic cover deteriorates in the sun over time, something about UV rays eating at the plastic but if it lasts a year or 2 I won't complain.

Yes it does, and you end up with little flakes of plastic all over your plants when it happens. Having said that, my plastic walk-in has lasted 2 years (although I did put it away last winter) but is now on it's last legs as the zips have broken and it's letting the rain in where the plastic has deteriorated. I'll be recyclying the framework to use as staging in my new bigger greenhouse though

I would certainly buy another one though, if only to house my seed trays etc to free up space in the greenhouse for larger plants and crops.

Daz1

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Yes it does, and you end up with little flakes of plastic all over your plants when it happens. Having said that, my plastic walk-in has lasted 2 years (although I did put it away last winter) but is now on it's last legs as the zips have broken and it's letting the rain in where the plastic has deteriorated. I'll be recyclying the framework to use as staging in my new bigger greenhouse though

I would certainly buy another one though, if only to house my seed trays etc to free up space in the greenhouse for larger plants and crops.

I suppose if one had the inclination, one could recover the frame with something more heavy-duty and improvise to door fastenings. Its such a pity though, the frame is good with shelves and everything and, like you say, will make a good store for all the bits and pieces

clairefun

Nutty_Tart wrote: »

Wow clairefun! I feel very outdone now with my little 4x3ft patch (which took forever to dig & get ready for this year!!) lol I had thought about getting an allotment with a friend, but decided that I would spend too much time there and my house would go to rack & ruin in the meantime, so a little patch to start off with is the compromise (sp?)

lol NuttyTart - if it's any consolation, my house is already a mess and it's only January - come March / April I'll probably be putting up a tent out there and giving up the house for lost! :rotfl:

~Chameleon~

clairefun wrote: »

lol NuttyTart - if it's any consolation, my house is already a mess and it's only January - come March / April I'll probably be putting up a tent out there and giving up the house for lost! :rotfl:

Snap! I was supposed to be getting the house sorted out this winter so I could concentrate all my efforts on the garden come spring this year, but I'm already finding myself planning and plotting things in the garden and not even started on the house yet! :rolleyes:

hex2

In Focus today they had the small shallow plastic greenhouses (maybe a foot deep) for £13 or so if this helps anyone? No use to me as we are fairly windy and exposed.