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

CAFCGirl

MissPop wrote: »

The last couple of years I've started things (mainly tomatoes and beans) from seed and they've started off strongly, but when I've transplanted them into bigger pots, they've wilted (literally fallen completely flat) and never recovered. Any idea how to avoid this? Should I be using compostable pots and transplant the whole thing so as to not disrupt the roots?

Could be a variety of things.... Whats the drainage like in your bigger pots? What soil do you use?

CAFCGirl

Friday, spent a few hours up the plot.
Moved two pallet collar beds which had some very sad looking kale in it. Well 3 plants across 2 beds so decided to get rid of those. Its next to my shed and in the shade of the pear tree. I dug it all out, pulled out lots of raspberry canes that are coming up in places I don't want them, as well as collecting all the windfall pears.
Decided to use a raised bed frame I had already which is more square (125x125). its had old paper & some cardboard put down to line it, leaf mulch from the fruit trees that I had raked up, and the old foliage from the squashes.

I was working on the idea of 'lasagna' beds. Then yesterday was the annual deep deep clean of the chicken run, which has involved digging the entired thing out. Once dug up, and loose, the soil looks amazing! So that will be the next layer in the bed, followed by some GC compost.

I'm debating having that area as a flower bed for some spring bulbs, as I adore tulips.

The rest of the plot is looking somewhat of a mess - weeds!
Now is the time however where I can dig more easily as the weather is cooler and the ground is softening up from the rains of late.

My pak choi and choy sum seem to be doing ok, a small amount of nibble damage to a couple. Will need to thin them out shortly.

Next plan after sorting this bed is to start laying some membrane now ready for wood chipping for some pathways.

Happy growing everyone!

Kantankrus_Mare

I have one of my beds earmarked just for flowers. Although I have lots of experience with veg, Ive never really grown flowers except for a few bulbs and sweet peas.

I'd ideally like as many bulbs as possible such as tulips and daffs and then Im going to try a few seeds but there is so much choice! I'd love a bed that I can pick some flowers each week or two right from spring through the summer and maybe into autumn.

Hopefully going to get the spring bulbs in over the next few weeks but the rest I find a bit daunting.

Oh well......its all trial and error.

CAFCGirl

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

I have one of my beds earmarked just for flowers. Although I have lots of experience with veg, Ive never really grown flowers except for a few bulbs and sweet peas.

I'd ideally like as many bulbs as possible such as tulips and daffs and then Im going to try a few seeds but there is so much choice! I'd love a bed that I can pick some flowers each week or two right from spring through the summer and maybe into autumn.

Hopefully going to get the spring bulbs in over the next few weeks but the rest I find a bit daunting.

Oh well......its all trial and error.

Exactly where my thought process is

Kantankrus_Mare

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Exactly where my thought process is

So have you any ideas what you are going to plant? I like irises which I have in another part of the plot but think may be too tall for a bed.

Suffolk_lass

Oh my, a friend gave me masses of pears on Friday evening. I've just peeled, cored and quartered them and bottled them. I need to go out at 1pm as I am on bar duty but they are still in the oven, and I am pottering on here. Come on clock... I love preserving things in old ways!

Kantankrus_Mare

Well I took a detour to wilkos after my step class this morning to look at their seed sale. Couldnt find any at all looking around so I spent the money I had on a selection of bulbs, daffs, narcissus (white and yellow) and tulips oh and some anemones.
Just as I got through the till.................there was the seed sale behind the tills. :mad:

Oh well I dont really know what Im short of so will have to go through my seeds and return over next few days with some more pennies.

MissPop

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Could be a variety of things.... Whats the drainage like in your bigger pots? What soil do you use?

The bigger pots are just larger versions of the small ones, drainage seems fine. I normally start the seeds off in seed compost and then transplant them into multi purpose compost. It's just weird because they wilt within minutes practically, and however much light and water they get they never seem to recover

Suffolk_lass

MissPop wrote: »

The last couple of years I've started things (mainly tomatoes and beans) from seed and they've started off strongly, but when I've transplanted them into bigger pots, they've wilted (literally fallen completely flat) and never recovered. Any idea how to avoid this? Should I be using compostable pots and transplant the whole thing so as to not disrupt the roots?

How many leaves before you transplant them?

zafiro1984

First melon of the season picked, going to enjoy it with dinner