Gardening in Yorkshire

madjackslam

This year so far...

The weather seems to be making things germinate very sporadically. I think it must be the mix of hot then cold then dry then wet that's just confusing things. I'm just going to persevere and not take it personally.

The mice ate my first lot of peas, which I was trying to grow in a coldframe, so I've reverted to sowing them outside, but covering the row with holly branches, which has worked before.

Garlic is showing nicely, onions just getting going, but nothing from the shallots. Planted potatoes (Sharpe's Express) and rows of salad, rocket, carrots and spinach yesterday. Covered all the sown rows with fleece because I have no idea what's coming next!!

Finally cut and ate some sprouting broccoli. It was delicious, but to take a whole year to get (so far) one serving seems a bit too much effort...

pink_poppy

madjackslam wrote: »

Finally cut and ate some sprouting broccoli. It was delicious, but to take a whole year to get (so far) one serving seems a bit too much effort...

I wish I'd read this before I went shopping ~ just bought some today & was expecting to eat it this year!! Maybe if I'd read the seed packet properly...

Little_Vics

I am getting very very bored of the weather. Gah.

jennyo

Well it's mostly stopped raining where I am for the last few days. My seeds arrived from the daily mirror vouchers yesterday.
So toay I have planted Kale, a broccoli type but only takes 60 days, coriander and 3 types of salad leaf, also 2 lots of flower seed packets I ordered to use up the vouchers.

Peas continue to grow well, carrots haven't germinated yet, first lot of courgettes which are still indoors looking sorry for themselves, second lot doing better.

Some little Gem I planted outside a couple of weeks ago have germinated.

The fruit on my blackcurrants continue to grow.

My seed potatoes which I am growing in hessian sacks keep sprouting up, so I keep throwing a bit more soil in the sack.

Hows it going for everyone else ?

poorly_scammo

I'm in Yorkshire. :hello:

Have done the following so far (at various times): Removed sticky paper stuff off fruit trees and gave them a helping hand in the pollinating stakes with my paintbrush and cottonbuds. And gave them a feed.

Gave the blackberry bush a boost with some sulphate of potash. Forgot to mulch earlier so will do it in Autumn.

Ditto established rhubarb clump. Is producing some lovely stuff right now.

Growing earlies and maincrop potatoes in bags - seem to be doing OK at the moment except for the water issue. (more of that below)

Have successionally sowed carrots since beginning of April and these are at various stages of development. (Also in pots.)

Started some spinach in a pot at the weekend - not sure how well that is going to go however as the compost I've bought (£1.50 for 60 litres) is claggy and has big bits in. Not as fine as it could be.

Cabbages were sown at beginning of April and two more were sown two weeks ago (again in a pot)

Sowed bush tomatoes inside (Gartenpearle) in March. Far too early as they're now triffids and the flowers are opening. There's no way I can put them out yet. It's far too cold so they'll have to be indoor toms this year. Ah well...

Sowed cordon toms mid April - going well on windowsil.

Lettuce cut 'n' come again has done very well so far and is still going strong.

Had a disasterous first go with cauli seeds. picked the seedlings out too early and killed them once they were in pots by overwatering. The second gang are on the windowsil and are doing well. Must stay away from the watering jug...

And today decided something had to be done with the potatoes. Given the tremendous amount of rain we've had in these parts, the bags are soggy at the bottom because the paving slabs upon which they're standing are not getting a chance to dry out. Soggy bottom = rotten plants so dragged a pallet from the cellar that had kept the winter firewood off the floor, drilled some big holes in to help with drainage and put the bags on that. At least they're off the floor now.

Will be sowing courgettes and french beans next month, fingers crossed.

Oh and still awaiting the delivery of my cold frame.

Little_Vics

blinking heck - how big is your garden?!

cootambear

I planted salad leaves 3 weeks ago, they popped up, and havent grown half an inch since

dont blame em, only us humans venture out in this weather

kittycatface

great thread. I've moved to Sheffield this yr from cambridgeshire and on waiting list for allotment, making do with our gravelly patch of shaded "rockery" left by landlord and a few pots! I have also found I need to plant things about a month later than I would have done, keeping a lot on kitchen and living room windowsills still but braved planting out a sunflower and a couple of lettuce seedlings today as an experiment. I have put cloches round them (old bottles cut up) which will protect them from next doors evil cat and from the weather hopefully. hth and good luck everyone: will be bookmarking this for more experienced contributions!

tiredwithtwins

Hi, im in sheffield too, and a complete novice at growing anything!
ive planted peas in pots and kept them on the windowsill as it was too frosty to plant them out ... the ones i did try just got washed away! they are lovely and strong looking and are only 3 weeks old so im hoping the lovley sunny day that seems to be springing will allow me to get them outdoors today.
i also planted brocolli, cauli and cabbage indoors but they are about an inch tall and look quite weak and drawn ... shall see what happens with them.
ive got a tray of tomato seeds i planted too, they are less than an inch tall and look quite skinny, but since i thinned them out (following some excellent advice from this forum!) they seem to be getting stronger.
the seeds i planted outdoors - meadow flowers, peas and beetroot - just got washed away ...

me and the kids cobbled a compost bin together from thier old pine bunkbeds we were going to throw away - quite impressed with it tbh!
was going to make a cold frame but ran out of nails and right shaped wood!

hope everyone has a nice weekend and that the sun lasts!

:beer: