The ups, the downs and the insides out of growing your own in 2024!

ArbitraryRandom

droopsnoot said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

Literally none of the seeds I sowed a few weeks ago have sprouted yet, and my potatoes are still sulking. There's been the odd warm day, but I don't really heat the kitchen/it gets the afternoon sun so I'm guessing they're still sleeping. As you say, a little frustrating though as I want to see progress  

I had one tomato seed sprouting, but that's fallen off now and nothing else is coming up. I can't quite decide whether to leave them a bit, or plant some more and risk having too many plants when they all come up.

I'm waiting to 1 April then starting again... luckily I have a small mountain of seeds picked up last year and only actually want to grow a few plants  

Suffolk_lass

To those of you considering the need for a cold-frame - Aldo's middle aisle has the wooden ones for £29.99 plus good value tomato liquid feed, and other plant liquid feed, and some hand tools for £2.99 each - in today. I have just bought two frames and one each of the feeds and one tool (the claw one for scraping moss off the surface). Only in-store but worth considering if you can afford them

DD265

@Suffolk_lass is there much benefit to a cold frame when my greenhouse is unheated? Other than perhaps more space?

I have bought some little brushes ready for hand pollinating my fruit trees. The nectarine is in full blossom and some of the others aren't far behind, but I figured I'd give them a helping hand.

Also need to make a decision on my rhubarb. I only planted it last year, so wasn't planning to harvest anything, but it's flowering. Normally people remove these, but as it's an immature plant should I leave it be? I've read that the flowers are a sign of stress...

Other than that, it's still too wet to do anything. OH ran into my allotment fairy godfather (AFG) yesterday, who offered a hand putting the shed up when things finally dry out. He (AFG) was also bemoaning the weather, saying that he hasn't been able to plant anything out yet. Hopefully in a couple of weeks it'll be dry enough to put potatoes and onions in, as they'll be ready for it.

KajiKita

@DD265, I wouldn’t worry too much about the rhubarb - just remove the flower stalk right down at the base. 

KK

ArbitraryRandom

DD265 said:

@Suffolk_lass is there much benefit to a cold frame when my greenhouse is unheated? Other than perhaps more space?

I picked up a cold frame that should fit on my raised beds - with the 'plan' that next year I can direct sow some early crops without worrying too much about late frosts and the cats knocking everything off windowsills. 

With both available, you could start your seeds in the GH then harden off in the ground using the CF to give just a bit of extra protection (prob easier to open a CF than keep carrying pots in and out of the GH). 

And of course you could use a CF inside a GH... (like you using a blanket inside the house on a nippy day).

Suffolk_lass

ArbitraryRandom said:

DD265 said:

@Suffolk_lass is there much benefit to a cold frame when my greenhouse is unheated? Other than perhaps more space?

I picked up a cold frame that should fit on my raised beds - with the 'plan' that next year I can direct sow some early crops without worrying too much about late frosts and the cats knocking everything off windowsills. 

With both available, you could start your seeds in the GH then harden off in the ground using the CF to give just a bit of extra protection (prob easier to open a CF than keep carrying pots in and out of the GH). 

And of course you could use a CF inside a GH... (like you using a blanket inside the house on a nippy day).

Some great ideas there. I just want them as somewhere to grow on little perennials I dig up when clearing areas and they are a bit small for the intended location. And to start things like sweet peas

kiss_me_now9

leftatthetrafficlights said:

KajiKita said:

leftatthetrafficlights said:

I'm hoping to get lots of sowing done with my grandbaby this weekend 🤞 If not successful (he gets bored quickly 😂) I'm going to at least get the compost into the trays and I'll sow on Sunday once he's gone...

I'm sure many of you will know this but I found out the other day that potatoes are either determinate or indeterminate just like tomatoes!! It makes a big difference on how to grow them to get the best crop - I've grown potatoes numerous times and it's one of those things that I've never known but I'm putting the new knowledge into practice this year and will hopefully have better results!! 😁

Really?! Wowsers … totally new one on me. How do you tell which variety is which and how do you grown them differently?

KK

Try this link: 

https://youtu.be/A6zhvmVuPZc?si=L0V7wFTKTtxPqq6n

He explains it better than I could 😉😁 

For which are determinate/indeterminate try this: 
https://laidbackgardener.blog/2020/04/05/determinate-and-indeterminate-potatoes/

This is really useful, thanks. I have Pentland Javelin (a determinate, according to the second link) and another (indeterminate). My issue is I don't really understand what the difference between first early/second early/main crop is! I've watched loads of videos on it and I still get confused. 

ArbitraryRandom

I think early vs main is based on how long between planting and harvesting - so early tend to be smaller boiled/new type potatoes that you eat fresh and main are larger roast and baking type potatoes that keep well. 

But there's probably more complicated differences  

-taff

first early - takes 10 to twelve weeks to be ready

second early - takes 12 to 14 weeks to be ready

maincrop - takes 14 to 16 weeks to be ready.

don't worry, I learned that this week....after 20 years of growing veg...to be fair though, i didn't grow potatoes that often, only in the last five years...

Dizzy_Ditzy

The Gardeners World forum is closing down this week - If anyone is a current member and can still post, please could you signpost members to this board?