The all new good, bad and ugly of growing your own in 2020

Dizzy_Ditzy

Good morning

Lovely to see so many people posting! Everyone has been so busy!

We went to the local seed and potato fair last weekend and picked up this years potatoes, onions, shallots and garlic. I normally have garlic in by now but circumstances have prevented me from doing so, so I'm going to get some going under a cloche in the next couple of weeks. E erythung is still so wet so digging is difficult to say the least. Hopefully a week or so without rain will make things easier but who knows?!

I have plans for my new extended plot but the council are taking their time sorting out the tenancy and I don't want to do anything to it until the tenancy is officially in my name. Typically, that's where the onions, garlic and shallots are going. Thankfully the previous tenant covered the whole lot with cardboard after he'd dug up all his potatoes so it won't take much to get it ready for planting out

Richmc

Although pretty cheep to buy I've found a fantastic onion that I grew last year and will do again in 2020, it's from Marshalls and called Fen Early, they grew disease free, are huge! and taste great, mid January and still have a couple of strings hanging in the garage, so great storing too!
Leeks are still going strong but will soon send what's left to the freezer to free up spring space.

unrecordings

Richmc wrote: »

Although pretty cheep to buy I've found a fantastic onion that I grew last year and will do again in 2020, it's from Marshalls and called Fen Early, they grew disease free, are huge! and taste great, mid January and still have a couple of strings hanging in the garage, so great storing too!
Leeks are still going strong but will soon send what's left to the freezer to free up spring space.

Hmm, spring planting - unfortunately I've only just ordered from Marshalls, but could be tempted - depending on what the Pomona Fruits catalogue has in it - I daren't look...

Lovely weather here but cold

ancientmum

I have sandy soil on the allotment, would it be improved by using seaweed, or adding seaweed to my compost bin? I live on the coast and free seaweed is readily available especially after storms have washed loads up ln the beaches.
I've also been collecting dung (polite term) :rotfl:from the heathland where ponies and cattle graze, but leaving it to weather down a bit before I put it on the soil.
Any advice is much appreciated thanks.

lynneee

Hi all,
A chiil but sunny day so husband and I have been clearing out rubbish from the garden, resulting in a tip run so it all look much better now. I also planted some onion seeds. I've only ever grown them from sets before so will see how I get on with seeds!

euronorris

Hi all!


You've all been busy, which is lovely!


We had a day out at Crealy with DD on Sat, which was lovely, but oh so cold!!


After swimming yesterday, I finally got out in the garden with DD (DH still wrapped up inside due to nasty cold). Raked some leaves away from the flower beds, weeded (carefully) around my garlic (which I could smell!! Lovely!), dead headed a few of the hydrangeas, took out the Brussel srpouts (which never amounted to anything sadly) from the trug, and a few rogue weeds. Gave it good turnover, but didn't have enough time to move any soil around. DD was very impatient and desperately wanted to water an already very wet garden! So that was a bit of an ongoing battle lol. And then we found a seedling tray, filled with fresh compost and sowed some onion seeds and leek seeds and came inside.


Wasn't too chilly in our garden, but I was knackered by then, so called it a day. Hopefully next weekend will also be dry (and a bit warmer), so I can do a bit more. Plan to get narrow planks of wood to go at the back of the trug this year to form our own makeshift trellis, that should be sturdier than the sticks I used last year. Wondering if we put some at the front and a couple across the top, whether we can have own makeshift cold frame too. Mmm, things to think about.


I'm at the stage where I am watching lots of youtube videos about planting, and problem solving and harvesting and driving my husband a bit potty! haha


Happy gardening all! x

Suffolk_lass

ancientmum wrote: »

I have sandy soil on the allotment, would it be improved by using seaweed, or adding seaweed to my compost bin? I live on the coast and free seaweed is readily available especially after storms have washed loads up ln the beaches.
I've also been collecting dung (polite term) :rotfl:from the heathland where ponies and cattle graze, but leaving it to weather down a bit before I put it on the soil.
Any advice is much appreciated thanks.

It does depend on what sort of seaweed it is but kelp is rich in nitrogen and will break down quickly, and should work well in a bed that you will grow potatoes in (on the basis that potatoes follow legumes (beans) in the rotation because the legumes fix nitrogen in the soil. If it isn't kelp the classic thing is to put some in a big glass tank and add water and allow it to brew a tea (4-10 days is enough) that is great to deter insects on your plants a bit later in the year.

Regarding the manure you are collecting, the best advice is to compost it well and not use it fresh on your garden. Cattle manure takes about 120 days to rot down sufficiently before it will not impact root veg to be planted in it. Horse manure is quicker and takes about 6-8 weeks - allow 60 days in your mixed up compost bin. Both would burn the roots if applied fresh as a top dressing, and you don't want the product touching the manure in any kind of recognisable state or you won't want to eat your radishes or lettuces :eek:

bluesooz

have previously lurked, however thought I'd actually join in!

I've got 2 main veg beds and as there are only 2 of us I try to grow a little of each veg.

permanent plants are:

asparagus (9 plants) - more than enough

strawberries - proabably too many but I worry that if I get rid of any there will be a poor harvest due to weather conditions. Makes lovely jam though and I still have a supply of berries in the freezer to use in smoothies

Raspberries - summer ones are giving diminishing returns so may need to replace with new canes. Autumn ones still give a good harvest though (more jam)

Rhubarb - 2 plants, again more than enough

Also grow toms, lettuce, rocket, spring onions, broad beans (sown in autumn), runner beans, french beans, courgettes, purple sprouting broccoli, perpetual spinach, leeks, cavelo nero, garlic, cucumbers, peppers, chillies

don't tend to grow potatoes as we're not big potato eaters

I over wintered 2 chili plants indoors this year to see if they give me an earlier crop of chilis - looks hopeful as one is currently in flower, although I don't know if they self pollinate or will need help!

don't have success with cauliflower or calabrese - they grow ok but give tiny heads

euronorris

Chilli plants usually need help. Tickle a cotton bud inside the flower and then into another and back again. After 2pm is usually a good time. Can't remember why exactly, something to do with the pollen being looser.

bluesooz

thanks euronorris - I'll give it a tickle this afternoon