Help MBE grow his dinner 2013.

lemonjelly

Little_Vics wrote: »

Thanks folks.

LemonJelly - I had one of those in 2011. It didn't last long....

So - stupid question - what's the difference between a cold frame and a greenhouse??

In the wind last year(?) my little one blew over, but was fine.
If you put something heavy in there (I keep the compost in there) it tends to stabilise it. I also use the cut off part of a washing line & tie it around both & attach them to the fence to prevent them keeling over in a gust or high winds.

Of course, it will depend on how exposed it is too.

mrbadexample

In anticipation of the expected warmer weekend, I've finally planted my spuds:



This year is going to be an experiment to see how closely I can plant them. The bed's about 7'x4', so I'm really pushing it with 4 rows, but each potato is at least 10" away from another in any direction. If I'd planted them in a bag, they'd be closer, so I reckon it might be all right. If I get duff results this year, then I'll know for next. I've scattered a sprinkling of radish seed over the top of the bed too.

I also sowed beetroot, carrots and summer turnips in the top bed by the greenhouse. That's had fleece on it for a bit and didn't feel too cold, but I've fleeced it up again anyway because it's bitter out there at the moment. I'll be away again from Friday-Monday so can't really wait for the weekend. Unusually for me, I've sown the seed in quite high volumes. I'm usually so mean that I think 1 seed = 1 plant, and expect 100% germination. This leaves me with loads of half empty seed packets that just go out of date, so this time I've sown nice and thick and I'll thin out any unwanted plants.

I'll have to wait until I get back to start the parsnips, along with all sorts of other stuff. Annie, will you water the thread while I'm gone please?

Little_Vics

I have decided to get the cold frame.

The land-saga continues, but if it resolves I will have more than enough space for a proper full sized greenhouse, so I'm going to cope with what I normally do this year - but with the added bonus that I can reclaim my kitchen windowsill and use the cold frame instead.

Thanks for all your advice!

xLV

annie123

Have a nice trip MBE where ever you're off to.
Your spuds will be fine mine are that close usually and a tad closer this year due to the amount I have.

I'm going to have problems with planting this year, my daffs won't be finished for at least another 2/3 weeks yet, plus 6 weeks to die down means they're there til mid/end of June :eek: I have early ones only which are usually finished by now.
Any thoughts on digging them up after flowering, heeling them in (no idea where yet, might be my sons again) and replanting them later? only thing is it wouldn't be till the autumn as the ground would have my dinner in it until then.

Kantankrus_Mare

Been really motivated yesterday and today.

Walked the pooch to allotment yesterday intending only to water strawberry plants in greenhouse but it was really sunny and mild for a change so did a bit of tidying and weeding for about an hour and half.

Dug up some leeks which we had in risotto tonight (delish) and some rhubarb which will be made into crumble over weekend.

Teenage daughter came with me for a couple of hours and plot is looking tidy again.:D

Came home and got some mange tout, dwarf beans and courgette seeds on the go.

Hoping sunday is going to be nice and I can get to the plot again. Need to be nice to
Husband as the verandah on shed is rotten and needs his touch.

Pre-war_babe_33

MBE have you read Mel Bartholomew`s Square foot gardening? He suggests only sowing minimum amounts of seed so no thinning needed, and also that unused seeds can be stored way past their use-by date if stored in the fridge - and never, ever leave packets lying around in the sun (whatever that is!!!) as it would dry the seed out. Just take out what you need and put the packet straight back into an airtight container in the fridge.

Annie123 Why not dig up a whole clump of daffs keeping the soil intact and plonk the lot in a pot with a bit of added compost. That way you would not disturb their roots and could enjoy the pleasure of their beauty for a while longer. After that you could just leave them to die down in the pot and plant them back into the ground when you have space available again.

annie123

Looked out of the kitchen window this morning whilst waiting for my first cuppa to brew and what do I see?
My parsnip patch has been used as a toilet by cats :mad: 8 of the bottles I put over the cones have been moved out of the way by them and then pooped on:mad:
Still in dressing gown and slippers (slippers not a good idea when it's been raining over night:doh:) rush down to inspect.
Front row OK, and 2 of the cones above not touched but the rest had 2 lots of poo on it and pawed soil everywhere.
Tomorrow I'm going to put up my edging and string across to stop them, then re do it.

This afternoon I've sown some yellow French beans from lidl in my root trainers. The idea is they get going indoors to at least give them a chance to get past slugs and snails, and give me a chance to collect some/pellets/lay beer traps too.

Email from Homebase saying 1/2 price on bedding plants this weekend but when I got to my local store they had a sign up saying 3 for 2 in addition to other offers, so I now have enough bedding plants for me, mum, DS and neighbours etc and all for £7.
It's a shame I didn't notice before I went that I'm out of basil seed, but lidl might have some cheaper.

Looking forward to tomorrow when it's predicted to be warm if not cloudy, I don't care 17c will do me just fine

annie123

Pre-war_babe_33 wrote: »

MBE have you read Mel Bartholomew`s Square foot gardening?

Annie123 Why not dig up a whole clump of daffs keeping the soil intact and plonk the lot in a pot with a bit of added compost. That way you would not disturb their roots and could enjoy the pleasure of their beauty for a while longer. After that you could just leave them to die down in the pot and plant them back into the ground when you have space available again.

I read his book every winter and I try it every year but it's just to organised for me. But it's full of info and a great book.

Unfortunately I'd run out of pots. It's at least 6' long and 3' deep of solid daffs. But I'm going to do as you suggest and fill 6 flower buckets when I really need that spot and the rest I'm donating to my sons garden. They will look lovely in his mini, and very young silver birch mini forest.

D&DD

Well I'm dusting my shorts off in anticipation Annie so it had better be warm

I've had to stay at my parents this week as my Dad's been poorly and only ventured out the greenhouse today but its looking great :j

Stuck all the seed trays outside in the rain that I plan to plant out tomorrow..theres rather a few so I'll be crawling the rest of the week

I'm looking forward to seeing how our spuds do this year as I'm doing it all differently and with new to me varieties,red and white duke of yorks,swift and trying homeguard again but in the ground this time around.
Was wanting to try lady chrystl but they had probs with the seed storing I read somewhere so there was a shortage so didn't want to risk it

Still have to find room for the anyas,arran victories and a few others...

D&DD

littlevics my garden is small too and I had a real problem working out where to put ours and what size and being a lanky so and so needed a tall one too!

I went for a 8' x 4' belmont one from Elite and its great its 4 feet deep but 8 feet wide as we couldn't have one you had to go in the end iykwim plus its about 7 feet tall.

Will try and find a pic

twas a bit pricey at £400 but that was with toughened glass but for the quality I think it really was a bargain.