The even newer good, bad and ugly of growing your own in 2021!

ancientmum

I thought that the rhubarb crown I planted last year had been lost, but it turns out it was  mislaid and has just peeped through.  Only about an inch high at the moment.

the_cross_rabbit

Looking forward to a day of potting on 🌶 and tomatoes 🍅.
Rent for allotments paid for. Went up yesterday to get it ready for Monday when the onion and shallots will be going in now the ground has dried out.
CRx

zafiro1984

At last, thank goodness, I'll be able to get in the tunnels from the 31st Mar as hen lockdown is over. I think I'll move one set back to their proper house asap and keep the other set on the veg plot for a few extra days to help weed the paths. After all, I can only sort out one tunnel at a time and to be honest it looks like an invasion has happened - such a mess,  the first planting will be earlies and they should hopefully do OK. Busy days ahead.

Seeds are growing ok, toms, aubergines, chillies, apricots in flower, leeks up and I'm about to sow parsnips in the usual toilet tubes. My ambition is only to grow what we eat and not to grow more than I use as I still have loads of beans from last year plus all the parsley. 

Spent some some last week cutting out brambles from around the currants, I've got some oak chippings which I think I'll put down around them as I'm sure there are still some bramble roots lurking so when they grow they will be easier to deal with. I must keep an eye on the bushes, last year I forgot to net them and the birds got there before me.

carinjo

Finished pruning the last 2 gooseberry bushes. Planted some rosemary and thyme plants in the 1 raised bed. Ms C found some more artificial grass in the shed, so went to town with the staplegun covering the pallet deck. Looks really nice! 1/3 of the potato beds now dug. My diary says last year potatoes went in 8Apr, so aiming for similar. 
At home most of the tomatoes and aubergines have now germinated and the leeks are coming along nicely. 
And tonight: Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble! 

Fosterdog

Things still quiet here, I've planted my first early spuds today in a trug, I love trugs for planting because they are lightweight and easy to move around, easy to drill drainage holes in, come in so many sizes and colours, stack together well for storing when not in use, they outlast any other type of container I've used for planting, and they are pretty cheap. My onion sets are doing well, my other seeds are starting to germinate but are a little bit leggy, I really do need a greenhouse because none of my windows get enough light so I have to keep moving them from room to room. I might look into some grow lights for next year. Oh and I've finally managed to get enough compost to fill my big raised bed, I've been buying bags from as many places as possible when they are on offer. Quality is a mixed bag but between them all mixed together I've got something decently workable.

If anyone is looking for compost this year I've found the Lidl peat free one to be good, it was awful last year but very much improved, the 100l bags from B&Q are also decent, a few stones and some bits of plastic found but mostly good and came with three bonus worms. The Asda peat free one is very fibrous, fine to add a bag mixed in with the others but not good enough this year as the only compost source, it's been drying out quickly and I could use it better as a mulch than a growing medium.

Suffolk_lass

I have succumbed to the offer of a basic electric propagator that accommodates four small covered trays for just under £20 from my local seed supplier. All the second packet of sungold tomato seeds have now germinated - still in the kitchen with the rabbit food cosmos seedlings

Caitykinss

After two weeks on the windowsill in the back bedroom, 10 out of 18 peppers have germinated and are looking good. I got my tomatoes on at the weekend too (Moneymaker, Roma, Black Russian and Maskotka), so fingers crossed for those. This is my first ever attempt at peppers and tomatoes. 

I also put in an order for some rainbow chard seeds (on recommendation from here, thank you!), aubergine (possibly too late but I'll have a go) and some padron peppers. Was pleasantly surprised to see Monty Don doing a padron pepper grow-along on Gardeners World this week, so I will be joining him in memories of Barcelona tapas.

Sent for a few more flowers too - my windowsills are getting full. I have a small, zip-up Aldi greenhouse, but I don't trust it to be quite warm enough for anything yet. 

RelievedSheff

No signs of life from the carrots or parsnips yet but they have only been in for 14 days. Hopefully we will see some life from them soon though.

The other half is sowing the chilli seeds as we speak. We are a bit behind with these but I'm sure they will catch up. We have Cayenne, Jalapeno, Habanero and Rat Turd chilli plants being planted. They will sit on a nice sunny window cill until they are strong enough and it is warm enough for them to go out against the south facing garage wall.

And last but not least he has also sowed the beetroot seeds in the new trough planters.

-taff

Finally got round to sowing my tomato seeds today. I've done six varieties and there's only room fro sixteen plants. I need a bigger greenhouse, the age old cry of the gardener...:)

greenbee

Suffolk_lass said:

I have succumbed to the offer of a basic electric propagator that accommodates four small covered trays for just under £20 from my local seed supplier. All the second packet of sungold tomato seeds have now germinated - still in the kitchen with the rabbit food cosmos seedlings

I was repotting my cosmos seedlings earlier, and wondering how big they need to be  in order to survive the rabbits...