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

droopsnoot

I've got about ten tomato seedlings in separate pots now, and still no activity from the chives or the chillies. I've put the chillies in the airing cupboard in case that helps, and I think I'll forget about the chives - they grow quite happily up between two paving stones in the garden, so I'll just use those. I have some potato plants coming up, some where I planted them and others where I didn't. No sign of the lettuce seeds doing anything, but they haven't been in long.

FreeBear

ArbitraryRandom said:

FreeBear said:

Spuds planted. Picked up half a dozen Bleuet tubers early last month and sowed them alongside some unknown purple potatoes that I've been replanting for several years.

I'm very glad to see this post - between the builders and them just not chitting, I've not gotten around to planting mine as yet. Hoping/planning to get around to it this weekend (if the weather holds off), but I was thinking I'd missed the boat completely  

There is an old adage - Get your earlies in late, and your lates in early.

I have planted spuds in October for a crop at Christmas (in big tubs). So you can plant them just about any time of year as long as you avoid frost/snow.

Silvertabby

Glittering_M said:

Hopefully my nepata seedlings will continue to take off and replace what I have then.

Another question please that G00gle doesn't seem to be able to help with:

We planted an apple pip (from the supermarket, not marked as organic) around 5 or 6 years ago. It is now about 5-6ft and it produces leaves but it has never formed buds or fruit. 

Ultimately I don't mind it as a tree but I'd prefer it if it produces flowers and apples! 

Is it just too immature? If so, when can I expect as a benchmark for it to do something.
Will it ever fruit? 

It is in a large pot and I replaced the top layer of soil this year with well rotted manure. It probably could go in the ground we just haven't decided where it's permanent home will be (and we are likely going to be moving around too so for now easier in the pot).

 I know apples can get a bit confusing with different root stock and grafting which obviously we haven't done.

An apple tree grown from seed will take 8 to 10 years to fruit.  And then there is no guarantee that the fruit will be edible.  

kiss_me_now9

Picked up a few more strawberry plants today from the garden centre. They were only £1.49 and £1.99 (depending on variety) a pot and look very healthy. If they even just produce 5 decent sized fruits each they've saved me some money in fruit! 

Also got some more compost, which is very necessary as I now need to earth up my early potatoes and I need to pot on my tomatoes (though some are still a wee bit too small and don't have true leaves yet). I was originally only going to have 6 varieties of tomato this year but I have once again ended up with so many seedlings I had to buy a few more pots...

Suffolk_lass

Apples are confusing. There are a few things in addition to the variety that you need to look for.

• Thing 1 is rootstock. Look for M26 which is the semi-dwarfing one that means your tree will grow the right size for most gardens - about 3 metres. (M27 is ideal to grow in a pot or on a wall, as a small cordon or espalier but hopeless in a windy location. Avoid 106 - the trees grow too big for most domestic apple tree situations
• Thing 2 is pollination group - you can check these online but usually you want a group 3 or 4 as these will cross over with a group either side
• Then there is whether the apple tree needs 2, 3 (triploid) or no pollinators nearby. As others have said, crabapples are known as universal pollinators as their blossom period is longer than any single apple tree, so you don't need your apples to be in the same or adjacent pollination groups. Then there are some which are pretty much self fertile but will crop better if pollinated by something else.

For me, a good variety of crabapple "Good housekeeping" recommend Malus "Jelly King" and Malus "Gorgeous" is another good culinary variety. Plus a Bramley (cooking apple), a good eater or two (Braeburn, Jonagold and Granny Smith are all group 3 or 4 (or C or D, as some growers call them)) and a late fruiting eater like a russet (Hereford is another group 3). 

Then there is whether they store well. I get round this by cooking (or freezing them peeled, chopped, washed in lemon water [stops them going brown]and in big ziplock bags). Stewed apples, hot into sterilised jars as if I were making jam and they store happily for 3-6 months without paying to store them in the freezer.

I hope this helps someone here.

Suffolk_lass

Just back from two weeks away. Dead houseplants thanks to son's drown or drought approach - he forgets them until the day or two before we get back, then fills the decorative pot they are in, so I think they are OK. This time the Christmas present succumbed. All the leaves were crispy and off. My gardener's wife has tended the greenhouse and they are thriving! Lots to pot on, give away and then squash and bean seeds to plant. Strawberries need to move, onions and potatoes go in, and salad leaves need sprinkling!

sammy_kaye18

Well was doing well until I ventured into the greenhouse and discovered something has been at my planted seeds. 
A whole tub of peas eaten as well as my courgette and cucumbers ones so I am presuming it is some sort of rodent. 

Then to make my day I went outside to hang out washing and found a jackdaw had tangled itself in pea netting so spent nearly 20 minutes trying to catch and untangle it and now I seem to have made a friend who likes to come and sit on the fence and watch me garden

So spent the last few days
- tidying the garden, removing any rubbish,

- putting lids on top of new sowings,

- put some bleach between the pallet slats as apparently they dont like the smell and so far so good. 

- Have resown some peas and beans in the big strawberry bed and used some milk bottles to protect them. 

- Planted up some earlies and second potatoes but need to earth them up a bit as I used the last of my compost to do it and got a few more bags yesterday. 

- put a border in (this plastic border stuff) and put some wild flower seeds into it and gave it a good water. 

- cut what grass I have left from idiot dog zoomies ripping it all up but left a heavy dandelion patch for bees. 

- built a bed with old bricks around my crocosmia 


Today will focus on potting on some chillis and tomatos as a few of them have their second set of leaves coming in. 
Earthing up some spuds. 
Getting some compost in and some things planted in tubs. 
Might put some extra compost in the blueberry bush since its now showing signs of life rather than stick in a bucket. 
Apple tree is showing signs of life too. 

Need to get some flower seeds planted and sure I have some other bits to sow and direct sow too. Havent started any brassicas or carrots yet so maybe them

ladybird1106

Sown seeds in greenhouse, lettuce, rocket, spinach and radishes. Very grey day but at least no rain. Will start sowing peas in the greenhouse into guttering to start them off. I have sown some direct and put netting over some and glass over others. However, the weather may affect germination rate.
Love 🐞

alfmurph

I am doing everything by the book and yet for the third year running my tomato seeds in greenhouse have failed to germinate .  I give up .

-taff

Sometimes they need a bit of help, start them off indoors. btw, the book is usually a guide not an absolute. I started al mine indoors this year, just because it's been so cold and I'm in the south west.