The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

unrecordings

Hopefully it'll get it's first test tomorrow when I try it in stool mode to sow beetroot in my 36" deep beds (there are already carrots at the other end of that bed)
I also got myself a Hozelock pond grabber - seemed so much better quality than the other grabbers/pickers out there

unrecordings

rosie383 wrote: »

Thanks Unrecordings.
The rhubarb is well established but a lot of the sides of the garden had been quite grown over and they were fairly well hidden.
I've cleared a lot of the bushes and undergrowth back and it's given me almost a metre of decent (albeit not very deep) soil with 4 nice pink rhubarb crowns. There are already a few stalks a few inches high. So should I pick them as soon as they're about a foot?

Again depends on the variety, but should be ready when the stalk has just turned red. For an unknown variety it's a case of trial & error I guess - unless any info here rings some bells - https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/rhubarb/types-of-rhubarb.htm

euronorris

Quick question: Would an opaque milk bottle do as a cloche? Or would it not let enough light in?


We have used some clear drinks bottles (the 2 litre kind), which are plenty tall enough, but not necessarily wide enough. A milk bottle seems to have better width, but it's opaque rather than clear.

euronorris

With regards to growing chillis and peppers. My chilli seeds germinated within a week (these were seeds I had saved from my chillis from last year). The peppers (seeds from a packet), sown on the same day and on the same windowsill etc, took about 3 weeks to germinate! I thought they were duds, and then they all just suddenly popped up one day! lol So, I think there is something to the 'fresh seeds' theory.


With regards to growing the chillis, I do think that they need a large amount of light. I was gifted them as seedlings last year. Took them home, had them on the sunniest windowsill and they just weren't doing very much (after a couple of weeks). So, I brought them into work where there are lots of large windows, it gets very sunny and warm (and heating is on when it isn't), and they flourished! Even the seedling I affectionately named 'runty'. He became the bushiest one of all and produced sooo many chillies! I still have some dried ones from him, and need to get cracking with making some more chilli jam!


Would like to do the same this year, but they seem to attract fruit flies and it became a bit of an issue in the office, so I don't think management will be so happy with me growing them here this time!


I've had to plant out some seedlings as they were getting quite big and I just don't have windowsill space for them all. So, some tomatoes, carrots, swiss chard and beetroot have gone out, under home made cloches. Keeping my fingers crossed!! It has, thankfully, been relatively mild all weekend and since (with lows of only 8 overnight), and I am praying that continues. Seriously considering a cold frame for the planter, but it's just another expense.


Our peas and beans are outside, and have been for a couple of weeks. They are loving it, even surviving the frost. I put the cucumber and courgette seedlings out too soon though. Silly fool that I am! So have planted some more seeds to start again.


The strawberry plants look healthy enough, but no signs of buds yet. Our blueberry bushes are budding already. Not sure about the blackcurrants. I'll check later.


The raspberry cane I planted seems to be getting on just fine. Not sure if we'll see fruit from it this year though.


I am wondering whether or not to invest in a small greenhouse frame. Literally for the chillis and peppers, and insulate it well. Mmmmm.


And lastly, sorry for being MIA. Had a bit of a health scare (luckily all is OK), and then I had an exam to prepare for. That was yesterday morning so out of the way now

Mnd

Glad you OK norris, good news on your peppers, I've had to resow mine.

I'm fed up with this cloudy wet weather, I want to get up the plot. Messed about in the greenhouse today, planting up tumbling tomatoes, sowing my competition parsnips in individual pots, planting out lettuces.
I even used the rain to sweep the patios down. Still sunnier tomorrow apparently!

Happier news, 2 beetroot popped through, 1st row of turnips up and 1 African marigold has germinated.i don't think it thinks it's in Africa though.

unrecordings

It's courgettes I'm looking at re-sowing - been a month & nada. I'm awaiting the weekend, as the nights should warm up from then onwards, looks like a frost forecast here for Saturday night - then I can start moving stuff to the greenhouse. Got distracted by upcycling some bits into a nice mid century tiki coffee table, but eventually got some beetroot seeds in the ground too. Tomorrow's plan is pruning, lots of it

Mnd

Wishing you strong gloves and sharp secateurs

unrecordings

euronorris wrote: »

Quick question: Would an opaque milk bottle do as a cloche? Or would it not let enough light in?

We have used some clear drinks bottles (the 2 litre kind), which are plenty tall enough, but not necessarily wide enough. A milk bottle seems to have better width, but it's opaque rather than clear.

My instinct would have been 'too opaque for this time of year', but then again milk containers are (in my eyes) about the same opacity as a lot of the polytunnels I've seen so you may be onto something

Good to hear you're okay

unrecordings

Mnd wrote: »

Wishing you strong gloves and sharp secateurs

Burgon & Ball for the sharp stuff - and generally as one hand doesn't work, gloves don't work (then there's the peripheral neuropathy but we won't dwell on that). The brain is pretty resilient though, I've slowly shifted from being left handed to being right handed since November (there's a point in the middle where confusion reigns) - things like secateurs & scissors are much easier now I'm right handed

Primrose

euronorris wrote: »

With regards to growing chillis and peppers. My chilli seeds germinated within a week (these .


I am wondering whether or not to invest in a small greenhouse frame. Literally for the chillis and peppers, and insulate it well. Mmmmm.

)

I think your chilliest and peppers would benefit from being in a mini greenhouse. The hotter it is the more they like it although I also geownthem outdoors against a sunny house wall which absorbs the heat. Obviously last summer was exceptionally hot so they thrived but my peppers grew 4 feet tall last summer in big pots so you obviously wouldn't be able to accommodate too many of them in a mini structure