The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

CAFCGirl

Living_proof wrote: »

Has anyone made a light box for starting off seedlings please? I have found a couple of videos on Youtube but they are American and I am not sure how easy it would be to get some of the equipment needed in the UK. They use a large plastic storage box and a clamp light like used with reptiles and fluorescent bulbs which I haven't seen here.

Would googling for hydroponics yield what you're after?
I think that's the name for it.... The stuff that gets utilised for growing other 'herbs' :rotfl:

I would think over here, a sunny windowsill would work fine?

unrecordings

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Would googling for hydroponics yield what you're after?
I think that's the name for it.... The stuff that gets utilised for growing other 'herbs' :rotfl:

I would think over here, a sunny windowsill would work fine?

Ikea ?

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/indoor-gardening/

Jazee

Me again. Have just spent the first hour of two out in the back garden. Have cut back some of the fruit bushes (they're all in pots) and filled about six planters with flowers from the greenhouse. I will soon have room in there to start planting veg seeds.

Mnd

2 hours up the plot this morning, all the parsnips out now, that cleared that bed so all dug thro, composted and ready for the beans and maincrop potatoes.. planted another 50 onions into modules ready to plant out in a couple of weeks

kylej64

Hi all, can I jump in this year.

I have finally moved from a flat to a house with a South East facing garden so I can start growing again. Still got some unpacking and decorating/DIY to do on the house so only going to grow a few things this year. Just sticking with seeds/plants from my local garden centre this year.

I have just put some Red Profusion tomatoes (for outside hanging baskets eventually), Ananas tomatoes (to grow in my conservatory as I haven’t got a greenhouse yet), and some habinaro chillies I my propagator. I have only planted 4 seeds of each as I only want about 2 of each plant and used to have a high success rate in my propagator. I’ll get strawberries once my local garden centre start selling the plants.

I am still deciding on a range of flowers to grow in pots and hanging baskets on my patio though the one I definitely will be growing is corn flower marigolds as they bring in the hover flies and I never had problems with aphids in the past.

While I’m at it I have planted some purple carrot tops, I’m hoping to get some seeds for next year. I realise it may not work but worth a try as I was already surrounded by compost and spare pots.

Also Silvertabby, I have grown ring of fire in the past and they were an excellent plant, good reliable crop every year I had them. I will get some next year.

Slowdown

What a smashing day it's been today. I found an unused polytunnel in the shed that must have been the property of the previous owner that was originally in the cellar. ( I've been here 14 years and only just realised its here!:rotfl:) A set of connectors was missing that should lock the rods together so they can then be bent over in a curve. Following a rummage in the garage, some very very strong wire and a pair of cutters, I now have a wigwam shaped tunnel for my little pea seedlings which I shall transfer at the start of March.

Also cut out some dead wood from plants in the front garden whilst DH spent his time sifting through the compost bins. We have four that are not really doing the job as not all the right things have been put in and they've just been left to it. We're hoping to sort them out so we can actually use the compost we make. We're busy swotting up on how make good compost. Any advice?

Pablosmummy

Not much to update here yet, have two cayenne seedlings up and going well, a few pansies to fill some gaps are growing aswell and the random broad bean my daughter brought home.from school is shooting up very quickly.

Used this lovely weather to edge my lawn and weed the gravel border which has made such a difference ( might have also widened the border slightly to fit bigger pots on comfortably ..)
I'm still not decided on what to grow this year. I had great success in my large planter with small sugar pumpkins so I would like to do then again, however they take up the whole planter and I could grow a few other things there instead....but i did love the pumpkins, really tasty and made amazing Thai pumpkin soup! Arghh decisions decisions.
Still insanely jealous of everyone sowing already, another week or two to go for me before tomato/sweet pepper sowing, might start some peas this week but I need to build the trellis back up first so it can wait until the kids are back in school.

Pennysmakepounds

Can I join the party too this year please J.

I love growing things and for years I have been growing the odd thing here and there with some success. The best results have been growing herb, Salad leaves, Peas and Aubergines.

I have tried growing other things but to be honest I’ve been working away quite a bit over the past few years and the garden and growing have been neglected and I normally plant things FAR too late and thus they never really yield a good crop (with the above exceptions ofcorse).

This year though I’m not working away (and the weather on the weekends seems to be in my favour too – so far), so I am determined to get back on track and get a GOOD harvest.

Yesterday I planted a whole host of things in Propagators (Including sweetcorn J ) and started clearing last years failed attempts to make room for new crops this year.

I am blessed with a decent size garden and have plenty of room to grow things. If i can get my A** in gear and spend some time getting the beds ready.

My mission for this year is to get Sweetcorn to maturity, I’ve always planted it late previously and have never got further then the small cobs. I am determined this year that I will get at least ONE (Yes just one – im not greedy J ) fully matured sweetcorn. Watch this space for an update on my failure J.

Also, I am trying my hand at Lady Fingers this year, not sure they will like the cold climate though (ummm) lets see what happens.

My little son wanted to get involved too and really wanted to grow cucumbers, so I’ve planted them too along with the usual suspects I like (Chillies / courgettes / tomatoes (Various varieties) / Aubergines and some herbs.

So a good spread planted this year. Let’s see what takesJ.

On the plus side, ive started early/on-schedule this year and IF we get a summer like last year, I’ll have MUCH more crop then I’ll be able to handle alone so family members may get a look-in too.

unrecordings

The trick with sweetcorn (if you didn't know this) is to plant in a grid, not rows so the plants pollinate each other better by wind. I tried a couple of years and realised there's a point at which you should just pick the baby corn (for a stir fry etc) rather than hoping they'll fully mature

unrecordings

In other news sowed Padron Peppers yesterday (now on a sunny windowsill), and I hope to repot my tomatoes today and prep everything for Magic March