Garden produce

Debt_Free_Chick

mink35 wrote:

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know I've planted them! :rolleyes:

Put lots of veggies in today. Still killing off my tomato plants tho - not sure what I've done wrong as I've not grown them from seed before I've always bought the little plants!

Hello Mink.

Can you tell us what you've been doing? Also, how the plants look when they die - apart from dead! Are the base of the stems black? Do the little seedlings seem to have rotted? What's the compost like - bone dry, OK, wet etc.... Where are they kept? If a windowsill, roughly which direction does it face.

Just give some information as we may be able to spot where you're going wrong.

mink35

Hi DFC

Seedlings are in greenhouse. Compost ok-wet. They tend to keel over The bit where they are bent looks quite thin compared to the rest of the stem. I've not handled the stem itself.

They're not all dead - I've managed to keep about 10 of one variety and about 12 of the other. The third variety seem to be ok (at the moment).

Trouble is I have nothing to compare with as I've never grown tomatoes from seed before. Manage to keep my other veg healthy when I've grown it from seed so it must be something specific to the tommies.

Debt_Free_Chick

It sounds like damping off to me. Are they still all together in a seed tray? If so, get them into individual pots ASAP. And then, keep them a little on the dry-ish side. Yes, do water them, but probably only once a week and to do this, stand the pots in a tray of water and let them take the water up from the bottom.

Damping off (botrytis) is where the air is too damp and a fungus grows. Overcrowding - where the seedlings are together in a seed tray - will encourage damping off, so pot them up singly.

HTH

ps Not wishing to gloat, but I have the opposite problem. All my seeds germinated and survived, so I now have getting on for 100 seedlings of 4 different varieties! Looks like I shall have a donation to make to the Village Spring Fair

mink35

They're single already DFC. The ones that are left seem to be surviving and I've not watered them so perhaps you're right.

BTW - gloat as much as you like!

Debt_Free_Chick

Make sure they have plenty of light and keep a good space between them for the air to circulate. You can allow the compost to go quite dry, but watch the plants carefully. Water, from the bottom, as soon as the compost starts to shrink away from the sides.

Sounds like you'll be OK

Trying2Save_3

Hello all, what a great thread. I have an allottment - it's hard work, but great fun. I have found the cheapest place to buy seeds is from Wallis Seeds, tel: 01245 360413. They stock ordinary, organic & oriental vegetables; flowers; herbs; natural predators; roses.

Sweet Potatoes - I've got a small catalogue from Thompson & Morgan called The Potato Colletion 2005. They seem to have every potato imaginable, their website is https://www.thompson-morgan.com orderline 01473 695225.

andham2000

I tied up my squash plants last year to normal bamboo canes, they grow around it themselves but you can also use plastic garden ties for a bit more support. I have heard that you can grow squashes, corgettes ect in a big tub. In fact I am trying myself this year with an indoor courgette plant, only planted it two days ago so can't report yet. In theory almost anything can be grown in a tub, as long as it is the right size for the right plant. have a look at

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/container.htm

Best to try the local council first and they generally have links to parish council allotment ect. try http://www.selfsufficientish.com/councils.htm and http://www.selfsufficientish.com/councilsaj.htm

Trying2Save_3

Forgot to say how I got my allotment. I just went to the nearest one and asked the people who were already there. I got a telephone number of the man in charge and gave him a call and put my name on the waiting list. We hold the allotments from September for a year and then renew or some people give up, or sadly die and the new allotment holders then start in September. You normally let the previous owners (or family have any produce they have previously planted). I have made so many friends, young and old and there is always someone to ask. We are fighting to keep our Tilehurst allotment as Wimpey want to build on it, but they haven't managed to yet. I would urge everyone to get one, we need to preserve our little pieces of green land and its a haven for wildlife.

scared-i-jellyfish

Curry_Queen wrote:

I so wish I had a garden

Last year my seven year old son grew vegetables of his own - IN BUCKETS!!!!

We bought six big black buckets (99p each from diy stores or cheaper from wickes) put holes in the bases and filled with compost. Planted them up with pumpkins, runner beans on canes, and carrots. Watered the plants and gave them plant food as they grew, and they cropped heavily. Whopping carrots!!!! and very little space was needed. This year the number of buckets has increased and we are growing carrots, parsnips, peas, pumpkins, runnerbeans, rocket and much more. My boy loves it!

Hope this helps.

andham2000

Buckets, cool I like the sound of that. What sort of distances are the crops apart?