The great, good and not so good bits about growing your own dinner 2017

Fosterdog

Good luck with the allotment, part of my new garden is an incline so I'm trying to work out the same as you as to how I will work with it. For this year I'm just container growing because I haven't been able to clear the area and prepare the beds and the whole area is very overgrown with brambles.

I've started preparing tubs and planters and labelling them up so I know where everything it going. I guess the good thing doing it this way is that I can move things around if they get too much or not enough sun or shade.

I managed to get hold of two bare root pear trees from poundstretcher, only £4.99 each, they don't look the best so I'm not holding out hopes with them but will give them a chance, they are both the same variety and I can't remember what the one is we already have so they may not be compatible with each other. As with other years with fruit trees I'll grow them in huge pots for a year or two and then put them in the ground. They did have a few plum trees left too but they were beyond saving, all the good branches for a nice goblet shape were dying and snapping off and the ones left would be completely the wrong shape for good growing.

I've decided not to get new raspberry canes this year but I'm going to try and work with what I've got from the last few years, there are a few that should fruit this year although they are not the strongest I've ever seen. I'll make the best of them this year and maybe get new next year. I'm also leaving the rest of the blueberries this year unless maybe I can get a bargain withered looking plant to try and save.

Strawberry plants have been ordered, there'll be around 25 plants altogether so I should have plenty of fruit all summer.

I've planted some bee and butterfly friendly wildflower seeds in the "wild" area of the garden so hopefully they will take and attract some nice pollinators.

Now off to do a bit more while it has stopped raining and before it comes back this afternoon.

Kantankrus_Mare

smeeinnit wrote: »

Hi all


Kantankrus I won't say for one moment I am in any way an expert, but can you explain what your next stage is? It might help throw up some suggestions (ahem...from someone with more knowledge than me probably) :rotfl:

Well, I would normally pot them on and move to the greenhouse till I think they are strong enough to be planted where they are to grow.

Often when moved to greenhouse, they just wither away, maybe too hot?

I've had numerous attempts and get so frustrated as I love cauli and think its worth persevering with as quite expensive to buy.

Niv

most of the seeds I started indoors have gone leggy and I have had little time these last few weekends so looks like I will be starting form a standing start!


Worried now that I have left it too late to start from seeds /grumpy.

Silvertabby

most of the seeds I started indoors have gone leggy and I have had little time these last few weekends so looks like I will be starting form a standing start!


Worried now that I have left it too late to start from seeds /grumpy.

Posted by Niv

It depends what you are sowing. I started my chillies and sweet peppers off in a heated propagator last month, as they need a longer growing period and heat. They are now growing happily in their individual little pots on the study window sill.

I'm just about to sort through my seed stash and then start off my annuals and courgettes etc in the cold greenhouse. I've found, as you have, that planting them any earlier tends to make them 'leggy' due to lack of daylight.

smeeinnit

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Well, I would normally pot them on and move to the greenhouse till I think they are strong enough to be planted where they are to grow.

Often when moved to greenhouse, they just wither away, maybe too hot?

I've had numerous attempts and get so frustrated as I love cauli and think its worth persevering with as quite expensive to buy.

Hi Kantankrus, I think you are right, been googling a bit and these critters are sensitive to heat, frost, etc etc, they are not the easiest thing to grow. A lot of the advice says buy established seedlings rather than grow from seed because they can be a challenge.

This site is pretty comprehensive:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/cauliflower/planting-cauliflower-seeds.htm

HTH

Fosterdog

Well that's more of my garden cleared. Two tubs of potatoes planted, my peas and first batch lettuce sown outside and my bell peppers and first batch of broccoli (calabrese) sown indoors.

I've got a feeling I'm trying too many new things this year and with the garden not being ready it might all go wrong. Oh well I'll learn for next year.

Kantankrus_Mare

Thanks for the cauli link smeeinit......so I think when I pot them on....they can stay on my dining table in front of the window for a bit longer then its a case of hardening them off properly. Must confess I dont do this with all plants and doesnt do any harm but seems cailis are a bit more fussy.

Fosterdog..........I think every gardening year is a learning process. I'm in my 11th year as an allotment holder and would never profess to knowing it all. Some years some things work........some they dont. I think thats what makes it so interesting.

Would get boring if we didnt try something we have never tried before as well.

Another first for me this year is growing cucmber plants from seed. Usually get given some plants or buy plants from nursery. They have popped their heads above the soil so we shall see.

tibawo

Thanks CAFCGirl for your input, I had not thought about your suggestions e.g. way the sun travels. We were able to have a good nosey at this plot as we were given the padlock code. At the top there are a couple of canes and a raised bed but hard to see what grew or is growing there due to the grass. Further down there is something that looks like top of a leek! I didn't want to poke too much as technically i might not get it yet.


DD1 and me found the ideal shed/relax place for the plot online - as you do. Absolutely stunning. We saw the price tag and rolled our eyes at each other.


More of my garlic has sprouted. my sister has already said she will have some. I had to explain we are talking months yet!

unrecordings

I planted some of my First Early potatoes this week (Red Duke of York again). I ended up with around 10 spare, so might need to rethink my plot for this year. I'm on clay soil here, so only half the beds are good for potatoes or root vegetables. Wild garlic is coming up quite nicely, so with the last of last year's tatsoi, and a profusion of bittercress popping up everywhere, there's plenty for the ramen bowl. I do really need to get my act together and get those peas sown...

Fruittea

Everyone seems to be doing well. I've missed out this week due to a very heavy cold. I stayed in bed for 4 days! So I missed the potato planting - never mind it will just have to get done next week. I have a couple of earlies in tub so I should be alright. Managed to pot up the tomato seedlings as I could do it sitting in the kitchen. I have way to many but I'll sell them at the front door later. Cucumbers are looking a bit leggy but I'll take a chance that they fill out. Everything in the green house is coming on - so I should have plenty of veg. No veg box ordered this week as I want to use up the freezer veg now.
I have a beautiful crop of rocket in the cold frame - so I'll just be buying tomatoes this week.
Happy growing.