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

Primrose

If anybody is worried about frost getting at their salad leaf seedlings, I sowed Rocket last autumn in an outside trough and was surprised how hardy it was. It grew and survived through all the February snow and frosts. Have only just finished picking the last of it and new seeds sown in the same location have already germinated. If you like spicy leaves (they're a little peppery like watercress), this is a good leaf crop to sow in small patches as you can cut and come again.

Steel_2

Lotus-eater wrote: »

How long has it been since the rhubarb was divided? They look absolutely HUGE.

Sorry lotus-eater. I missed your question first time round and came across it as I was scrolling through looking for something.

Er....I've never divided them and I've been here four years this month. I've no idea when the previous owner divided them and they were big !!!!!!s when we moved in.

Every year I think, this is it, this is the year they get divided and then I chicken out because they are so huge and I'm worried the foundations of the greenhouse will subside.

So I throw some more manure on them and slink away.

They're so large that sometimes it takes both hands and a boot at the base of the plant to pull off a stalk.

gingernutbizkit

Hi all,

Fantastic thread... it's taken me ages to read it all through!

This will be my first year growing in my back garden. I have 5sqm of raised beds and lots of pots and want to grow as much as possible.

I will be spending tomorrow filling my raised beds witha mixture of top soil, 2 types of compost and chicken manure pellets. I have some peas, mangetout and lettuces ready to go in.

5 days ago I sowed a load of other seeds.... courgette, marrow, tomatoes, runner beans, pumpkin, squash, chilli's, peppers etc A coupleof the little darlings are poking their heads through already :T.

Already in pots I have grapes, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, apples, pears, tayberries, blueberries and blackcurrants. I've a plum tree and cherry tree in the ground too so hopefully a lot of our fruit will be sorted.

Anyway, plan to fill the beds and get some more sowing done tomorrow.... but I do have my MIL coming over so that might slow the process down somewhat :rotfl:.

Ging x

hathor

That's impressive, Ging!

I've been trying to get my April-sowing seeds in for a week now, and still haven't managed it; must make an extra effort this afternoon.

SuzieMum

Not sure where to post this question and didn't want to start a new thread!

My runner beans, peas and mange tout are getting out of control (tall!) in my summer house (they are in the window sill so its like a cool greenhouse) and in my boiling hot porch. Shall I hold off another few weeks before putting them up poles in the garden (husband will make a few tripod thingys out of canes) and does it matter if they all get mixed up (I know peas wont go very tall so will keep them to the side maybe).

Also I have 5 huge bushy red pepper plants indoors, they all have loads of flowers on now, one looks like it has a green bulgy pepper about to start growing behind a flower, so are they ok indoors as I presume they don't need bee's to polinate??

Everyone is doing so well, I love reading all this stuff. My tomatos are doing great, rocket, cucumbers too - all indoors still.

Lotus-eater

The peas can go out after you harden them off, I include mange tout in that.
Your runner beans...... go and get a short ruler, hold out your hand and whack yourself on the knuckles for starting them off too early.
They go out after the last frost, which unless you live in a very warm area, isn't yet.
If they are starting to wind round everything you will have to plant them out, cover them up on cold night and hope for the best. Hold them indoors as long as you possibly can and sow some more in a couple of weeks in case the other ones don't survive.

MRSMCAWBER

Lotus-eater wrote: »

The peas can go out after you harden them off, I include mange tout in that.
Your runner beans...... go and get a short ruler, hold out your hand and whack yourself on the knuckles for starting them off too early.
They go out after the last frost, which unless you live in a very warm area, isn't yet.
If they are starting to wind round everything you will have to plant them out, cover them up on cold night and hope for the best. Hold them indoors as long as you possibly can and sow some more in a couple of weeks in case the other ones don't survive.

:rotfl:I started reading that thinking "oohh a ruler!! -this might be some top tip coming up"
Glad to say I don't have to get a ruler -as my beans are still in their packets too I set mine to early last year -and won;t get caught out again !!

SuzieMum

I did it at the same time last year and held them indoors till May and they were FAB so no ruler needed for me thanks, just a lovely crop of beans coming my way nice and early. So nah. But thanks for the tips on the pea's.

Lotus-eater

Bit of a strange thing to say, as you said before that they were getting out of control indoors.
Do what you did last year and plant them out in May then, you were the one who asked if they could go out now?

SuzieMum

I was asking mainly because I don't know the last frost dates and any suggestions for keeping them under control indoors as they are going towards the windows and up the frames, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for keeping them non-tangled, or maybe someone would have said just put them out they will be fine. Never mind.