The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

Primrose

I've sown a few peppers & chillies which have yet to germinate but with one eye on the Brexit situation and the thought of a possible shortage Mediterranean vegetable imports, I think I'll hedge my bets this year and perhaps sow a few more peppers. We use a lot of them, especially the red ones, so I'll probably grow a few extra pots of them,. I slice them up and store in bags in the freezer so we can just grab a handful as needed.

Suffolk_lass

Thanks for the link, Slowdown. I am due to replace all our strawberry plants after a disastrous year last year. I suffered from a combination of bindweed and wood sorrel which invaded my raised beds and the strawberries were a write-off last year. I plan to dig out the bed and replace most of the compost to improve the growing medium. It won't be today though! At -6c it is too cold for my lungs to cope with exercise today. I shall plan my beds and the varieties and if it warms up later, I will visit the local garden centre for some specific tomato seeds I want to grow (Black Russian cherry tomatoes) again. They are prolific and a really good all-rounder.

unrecordings

Far too cold here - and it's chemo week, so a very good excuse to just go back to bed. Last week I got my tomato seeds & a propagator ready but I probably won't sow until the cold snap is over (...and I don't feel rough as a badger)

Primrose

Reading all the forecasts about the (possible) shortage of fresh Mediterranean produce, I was wondering whether there will be a fresh surge for allotments this Spring or whether more people will start trying to grow more fruit & veg in their gardens.


Regardless of the Brexit argument, I do hope so. There's nothing like growing your own produce to appreciate the freshness and satisfaction of eating the results of your toil, but it's good exercise too. I've always thought that an hour in the garden sowing, growing, weeding or just being out in the natural world is as good a recipe for reducing stress as any packet of pills !

unrecordings

Primrose wrote: »

Reading all the forecasts about the (possible) shortage of fresh Mediterranean produce, I was wondering whether there will be a fresh surge for allotments this Spring or whether more people will start trying to grow more fruit & veg in their gardens.

I think if there are still shortages by the time my tomatoes/courgettes etc fruit, then we are all truly f**ked

But hey, let's not spoil a perfectly good gardening thread with talk of br**it. I believe the Old Time Moneysaving sub forum has a fairly robust discussion going on

Slowdown

Let's hope we have a meditteranean summer to bring all our veg on!

I'm eagerly awaiting my seed delivery so I can start organising. I'm hoping to get out in the garden on Sunday to start mending the shed roof. Then I'll have somewhere to store my bits without them getting soaked. Rescued the kindling from the shed to dry out a few days ago. Seems like the perfect weather to have a fire on the crackle.

I have just ordered some fruit bushes which includes two new blueberries. I have one in the ground already but does anyone know if one would survive and prosper in a pot? I'd love one near the back door.

Good luck with the treatments unrecordings. Hope you're not laid too low and can get back on your feet asap.

Slowdown:)

Suffolk_lass

Re blueberry in a pot - quite a few people do this because they like acid soil and it's a good way of keeping the ericaceous compost in place, for thise of us with the wrong soil. You just need to keep it protected from extremes and replenish the acid every year (bracken cuttings are a good mulch)

Slowdown

Thanks Suffolk lass. That all makes sense and as my soil is clay based it could be why the last one didn't do so well. I think I'll try big pots with ericaceous compost in.

unrecordings

I always fancied growing blueberries but didn't realise bracken could help condition the soil - we've tons of ferns round here - too many in fact

cod3

Thank you for the link. I have just ordered this deal and added a bay plant to the order :beer:

Slowdown wrote: »

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/thompson-and-morgan/#51133

Anyone interested? Ive just used this link to take advantage of this deal for fruit bushes and seeds.