The ups, the downs and the insides out of growing your own in 2025!

Suffolk_lass

Re the rhubarb, you should add compost around the crowns, not covering them or they will rot. Next year, it's a January job. Mine are showing pink bobbles on the late rhubarb and the early one is in the bottomless pot (aka the rhubarb forcer) - you definitely don't want anything like horse manure or farmyard manure at this stage of the starting to grow year but something lighter might be alright.

I think having a covered propagator tray with your cutting leaves in will help, and you can pop it outside so they grow vertically and just bring them in overnight, or as it gets dark (maybe t cut them then too!). The advantage of this is that you can bottom water them so the white crust is reduced

moneysaver1978

dND said:

Thank you @carinjo for the heads up about the potting bench and everyone else who commented about it.  I treated myself to one and spent the weekend painting it.  Not the greatest photo but I was shot by the time I'd finally put it together. Dx

Love this potting bench and a wonderful paint job too! If you have some sealant left, this is a good opportunity to seal around the edges to prevent seeds or soil getting inside!

Loving this thread. We have just planted seeds of sugar snaps, tomatoes, mint, rosemary, and (more) parsley (you can never have too much!) in trays. Far too cold for the little greenhouse, so I have stacked them in the kitchen.

Soon, I will need to shop for a decent trough (or two!) for the sugar snaps.

dND

moneysaver1978 said:

dND said:

Thank you @carinjo for the heads up about the potting bench and everyone else who commented about it.  I treated myself to one and spent the weekend painting it.  Not the greatest photo but I was shot by the time I'd finally put it together. Dx

Love this potting bench and a wonderful paint job too! If you have some sealant left, this is a good opportunity to seal around the edges to prevent seeds or soil getting inside!

Thank you @moneysaver1978 I was looking at the top and thinking that myself.  I also realised that I've not yet put the backs onto the shelves 🤣

Today though DS1 and I, although it was mainly DS1 because I no longer have the strength, finished putting up the new greenhouse.  I'm exhausted so it will probably be Sunday before I start moving things back in there.

Seedwise things are germinating but not my chillies, I'm wondering if they should be on a heated mat? Dx

carinjo

Thanks for the advice regarding rhubarb @Suffolk_lass. I ended up just doing a basic frame and filling up the edges with used guinea pig bedding. 
My first raised bed: filling up with cardboard, 3bags of used bedding hay and 2bags of manure. Only half full! After doing some research, will go for bark (which i can get for free) and paid for compost. the manure will go into the compost bin for now. I'm thinking of mixing compost with topsoil to bring the costs down a bit.
It is very cold here in hertfordshire this morning, so will wait with seed sowing a bit.
Happy growing this weekend everyone!

Suffolk_lass

Those look great! Cold here too! Frosty overnight again. Lots of propagators deployed currently and the planting plan updated!

dND

@carinjo I have some property of Howden's Joinery too. 🤣

New_in_the_fens

Morning all 🌞 can I ask where you are getting your pallet collars from please? Are you buying new or finding them on Facebook etc? Wondering where I should be searching!

Suffolk_lass

Ours have come from both FBMP and speaking to locals having work done. The hardwood crates that paving comes in is the best stuff. We also went to an industrial estate locally and asked - although some are returnable and reusable, a large number of businesses pay to have them removed - worth asking if you can have some (builders merchants, landscapers, etc)

New_in_the_fens

Thank you! Didn’t want to pay lots of money for them if I didn’t need to. Will ask around 😀

dND

New_in_the_fens said:

Morning all 🌞 can I ask where you are getting your pallet collars from please? Are you buying new or finding them on Facebook etc? Wondering where I should be searching!

Suffolk_lass said:

Ours have come from both FBMP and speaking to locals having work done. The hardwood crates that paving comes in is the best stuff. We also went to an industrial estate locally and asked - although some are returnable and reusable, a large number of businesses pay to have them removed - worth asking if you can have some (builders merchants, landscapers, etc)

If you need a lot, which I did and I couldn't find locally, I used this place
https://associated-pallets.co.uk/product/1200-1000mm-pallet-collar/

The reason I mention buying a lot is because of the delivery charge,

Thank you for the information @Suffolk_lass, I didn't think about the places you mentioned, only did an internet search.  I think I have enough for the moment but will try as you've suggested if I need a few more. Dx