The even bigger and better and hopefully not lower bits of growing your own in 2022!

MissRikkiC

I’m going to get one I think @Suffolk_lass they seem good enough! 

Oh well done on the peppers! I’m envious. How long ago did you start them?

Suffolk_lass

Over 2 weeks ago. The tomatoes were sown the same day and germinated on a gentle plug in propagator thingy (Aldo's have them too online; one on order too) within 5 days so I moved the tray of 6 (two each of two kinds of chilli and two of yellow peppers). Only 2 chilli seedlings and 2 peppers so far. I sowed five seeds in each cell so not a great rate

twopenny

Thought I'd stick my nose in briefly as I've moved from 65ft garden to 17ft garden so my fruit and veg is an interesting challenge but I'm always looking and have 'history'.
Looking at previous posts.....
If anyone is in the south west there is an excellent farmers market stall that specialises in Chilli plants, seceral varieties. The one I know is in Watchet, Somerset but thanks to the last 2yrs i dont know where else. I will ask when the markets start again shortly.
For pigeons mentioned I used a 1-2ft netting around the veg They are too clumsy or silly to get over it.
Myself I moved from huge to tiny grass garden but the first thing I dug was the veg bed.
Goosberries can be grown as cordons. Useful edging/space saving way.
I've managed Bramley, Cox, greengage, plum, strawberries and raspberries, red currents.
Veg is beans various, tomatoes, purple sprouting,kale.
The size is 2 tiny thin beds and a bit at the top.
So any advice on craming it in  working in a small space would be helpful.

Farway

twopenny said:

Thought I'd stick my nose in briefly as I've moved from 65ft garden to 17ft garden so my fruit and veg is an interesting challenge but I'm always looking and have 'history'.
Looking at previous posts.....
If anyone is in the south west there is an excellent farmers market stall that specialises in Chilli plants, seceral varieties. The one I know is in Watchet, Somerset but thanks to the last 2yrs i dont know where else. I will ask when the markets start again shortly.
For pigeons mentioned I used a 1-2ft netting around the veg They are too clumsy or silly to get over it.
Myself I moved from huge to tiny grass garden but the first thing I dug was the veg bed.
Goosberries can be grown as cordons. Useful edging/space saving way.
I've managed Bramley, Cox, greengage, plum, strawberries and raspberries, red currents.
Veg is beans various, tomatoes, purple sprouting,kale.
The size is 2 tiny thin beds and a bit at the top.
So any advice on craming it in  working in a small space would be helpful.

I find cordon growing easier once it is set up wiht no need for first aid after picking, and all the berries are visible and ripen easliy, plus can quickly spot sawfly caterpillars and mildew before they get going

Here's mine last year,in the ground but grown as single column. I suppose this would work in a large pot

MissRikkiC

I have purchased said Cold frame but think ill need to return it as i did think they had bases. I dont have any ground spare to utilise it on without a base so i have instead spent the (to be returned) money on a heated propogator. I really want to get some Alpine strawbs going this year as well as peppers and tomatoes so providing i get some success itll be money well spent. 

Whilst we're getting this garden (and house!) the way we want it at the moment, we dont plan on sticking around much after my daughter is of school age, so possibly 2-3 years max so want her (and the new addition) to get the most use out of the garden whilst we're still here. With that in mind, i have purchased a few potted and established soft fruit plants (3L, 4L and 5L) so that the children can have their pick off them whilst we're still here. I have purchased a few larger strawberry runners as we dont have many from last year and have the same idea for the tomatoes (which i purchased earlier this week).

I was surprised that already some sellers had already sold out of the established plants for blueberries and raspberries, am i late to the party?

Suffolk_lass

@MissRikkiC I can recommend Ken Muir for any fruit, and especially strawberries. They send them from cold store so March is the perfect time.

BTW my cold frames stand on a few paving slabs where the swing seat used to be before it broke down (rusted and irreparable) - hence the no bottom (which I thought was normal) is fine for me. I seem to have stuck at 3 cayenne and 2 yellow bell pepper seeds so far.

I'm going to redeploy the sweetpeas to the cold frame and plant some more tomatoes and chillies this afternoon I think.

twopenny

Farway, id forgotten column growing. Trouble is pllants sold are grown with multiple stems to make them look worth more.
I'll have to see whats about. Morisons has gone downhill since the takeover. They eem to be trying to cut large corners in everything. 
But someone will jump in to take over that trade.

MissRikkiC

@Suffolk_lass I will bear them in mind. I purchased from James McIntyre in the end after much searching around. Their prices were slightly less, had better stock availability too and everything will be delivered tomorrow which is fantastic considering delivery was free and I only ordered last night. 

Now to explain to my husband why I have purchased yet more things! 🤪 

Suffolk_lass

MissRikkiC said:

@Suffolk_lass I will bear them in mind. I purchased from James McIntyre in the end after much searching around. Their prices were slightly less, had better stock availability too and everything will be delivered tomorrow which is fantastic considering delivery was free and I only ordered last night. 

Now to explain to my husband why I have purchased yet more things! 🤪 

Yes, not like handbags or shoes where "I've had this ages, you just haven't noticed!" was frequently used at one time

MovingForwards

I transplanted 2 random fruit plants which had popped up elsewhere in the garden, must thank the birds for my extra strawberries when they start producing.

Today I'm going to sow tomato and chilli seeds in the propagators my OH got me. I also want to get my carnation seeds on the go.

Last year I scattered marigold seeds around the edges of two beds, they produced a lot of flowers and the seedlings are sprouting everywhere in my garden and neighbours plots.