Show Us Your Veg Patch - You Know You Want To!! (Merged Thread)

smellymel74

hi redcedar. i'm no gardening expert but from my experience chillis just take longer to germinate. mine are only just sprouting now and they were planted at the same time as the toms, which are already a couple of inches high.

i think i remember seeing somehere that chilli seeds need light to germinate though, so if you've covered them in compost, they might never see the light of day!

can anyone confirm this or am i talking rubbish?!

Lotus-eater

Well I wouldn't go as far as to say you are talking rubbish, but its not true.
They germinate in the light or dark, although I think light being available helps them a bit. By being available, I mean the seed is still covered with a thin covering of compost.

Primrose

I cover my chilli seeds with a very light layer of compost. If you leave them on the surface there's a risk of them drying out. Like pepper seeds they do take quite a long time to germinate and next year I might try to speed up the process by putting them between layers of damp tissue paper for two or three days before sowing them or even waiting until the seed shows a tiny white shoot.. This works with parsnip seed so I can't see why it shouldn't work with other large seeds which are fairly easy to handle. (In fact I might experiment with just one chilli seed now so that next year I know whether it will work) Temperature is also important so the warmer the environment, the better.

Sazbo

Hi Redcedar, just to agree with the other replies - I planted my chilli seeds at same time as toms and other seeds - and everything else germinated much earlier than the chillis. I think the chillis took around 3 weeks longer to germinate... I'm the world's most impatient person lol, but I guess they just need a bit longer and maybe a bit more warmth perhaps?

Saz x

Redcedar

Thanks everyone Will keep my eye on them - they are in the kitchen on a south facing window sill, so get tons of light and warmth.

I guess i am just too imaptient as well

bevan840

Another complete newbie here, I've been wanting to set up my own little veggie patch/herb garden for ages, the only problem I (thought I) had was that the only space I have outside is a brick floor So didn't think I could do it, but after looking on the first page and seeing Mrs M's pictures I know I can do it (I just have to figure out where to start!) Plus with no money at the moment it's going to take a while. I'd also like a compost bin but I don't know if it would cause a problem with having no earth below the bin? Any idea's would be great

hathor

Welcome Bevan.
I am a balcony veggie gardener, so am totally containerised, so to speak!
Compost is a problem with no earth floor; I've made a wormery out of some plastic crates for very little cost, and my veggie scraps, peelings, fruit bits, eggshells & some shredded paper go in there. I will eventually get a small amount of compost from that, and am reducing my rubbish bin contents at the same time. I found the home-made route a lot cheaper than buying a wormery, but you might be lucky with ebay/car boots etc.
Made my own self-watering crates out of black storage crates, too which was quite cheap, and makes the management of an a-pot-ment easier as well. Don't forget you can adapt lots of containers for growing in: just so long as you have a minimum depth of "soil" for whatever the veg is, and there is drainage. Mrs M has quite a variety; mine are just crates or washing-up bowls. Some people use stacks of tyres, if they have space.

Lotus-eater

Composting is not a problem with a solid floor, it does just as well, the only problem you will have is the liquids which will come out of the bottom, as long as you can deal with this, then it's not a problem. A spadeful of earth from a garden when it is filled up would help it, but it's by no means essential.

RAS

BLUis wrote: »

I have a bad back but would really like to grow salad stuff and veggies. Can anyone recommend how I can make a small raised bed, around 5' sq but about 4' high so that i dont have to bend over too far.

It is worth reducing the width of your bed to 4 foot or whatever distance you can reach easily, otherwise even with a raised bed, you will find you hurt yourself trying to reach the middle.

dcurzon

hmmm... id like to grow some veggies! only got a small patio area, with high walls, so some planning required!

i currently have lots and lots of flowering plants on the go, in tubs and pots, we sell these at car boot sales, but i'd happily reduce the amount of these to make space for the veg.

i have some chilli's (apache, jalapeno, scotch bonnet and fuego)growing away in the mini greenhouse, plus 1 at work under the desk in my home made usb greenhouse(!), and recently seeded some tom's in the windowsill so im waiting for those to spring up.

not sure what veg i'd be able to grow, and wether to make some kind of raised bed, or containers. i'm thinking containers and maybe do some potato's and some lettuce? onions would be good, as i do like to make my own curries from scratch and the chillis, toms and onions would all get used