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

Primrose

Mumof two - Keep covering the potato shoots up as they peek through the compost. Mine are in plastic container bags in a sunny spot and I suspect the warmth of the sun is penetrating the bag material and warming up the compost so much that the shoots are almost growing in front of my eyes. I've been having to top up the compost level every two days and have already now reached the top of the bag so can't add any more. The leaves won't die if you cover them - this is what potato shoots keep doing, i.e. pushing through the soil to the light. Be sure to keep the compost damp. Once the shoots have reached the top of your container, let them go on growing and flowering. Once the foliage has died back, it will then be time to gently root around and check whether your potatoes are ready for harvesting.

mumoftwo

Thank you, I have been out today and added a couple of inches of soil, still have lots of room left to add more, I can't tell you how excited I am that I am actually growing something.

TheBees

Things are starting to grow at last and I've sown a second row of each of the vegetables this weekend. The runner beans are growing so fast now the sun's out and I think I can see sweet peas starting to poke throuth too:j
I THINK i have a few carrots coming but they could be weeds!

The lettuces are tiny but have about 4 little leaves so far.

I've been putting the tomato plants outside during the day but bringing them in early evening. A couple have what looks like windburn on the leaves so I need to protect them a bit more. Have set up my grow bag frame which cost me £8 but holds the bamboos upright against a sturdy metal frame and can't wait to get the toms outside once it warms up a bit. Ditto the cucumbers too. Must be patient!:mad:

DS15 and DD12 want to grow melons. Can this be done outside or do we need a greenhouse?

bevan840

I want to start growing potatoes but not sure how to start, I've got plenty of carrier bags and compost but what potatoes do you use? the normal ones you can buy from supermarket? or do you have to buy special ones?

angelavdavis

bevan840 wrote:

I want to start growing potatoes but not sure how to start, I've got plenty of carrier bags and compost but what potatoes do you use? the normal ones you can buy from supermarket? or do you have to buy special ones?

Hiya,

You might struggle to find any seed potatoes now in the garden centres (I am sure someone will post if they know of somewhere still selling them), so you can always take a chance on ones from the supermarkets. Although, it is said that they have something on them to stop them sprouting, if you buy organic, you should be ok. Some people have reported having a lot of luck with bog standard ones that have sprouted in the veg basket - so worth a try.

Spent yesterday tidying the garden, having spent two weeks away I am staggered how much everything has grown. We harvested spinach, lettuces and mange tout on Sunday and yesterday, so we are at last productive! I earthed up the potatoes I am growing in the pots, and have cleared two more areas of the veggie patch ready for planting. My courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots and leeks have been hardening off so I will plant these out hopefully today. I am also trying my hand at building a lean-to polytunnel for some tomatoes, aubergines and peppers.

bevan840

Thank you angelavdavis, for some reason the potatoes I buy always end up growing in the cupboard, even though it's dark and cold lol so I'll pop some in and give it a try, might work if they growing in the cupboard hehe :rotfl:

Primrose

Often in the past I've burrowed soft sprouting potatoes into the semi-earthy compost of my older compost heap and they've given me a good crop so I see no reason why sprouting supermarket potatoes wouldn't work. Always get a good result from the red skinned varieties accidentally grown in this way.

AlanS

I got an allotment in November 2008 (actually it's half an allotment ... mine is to the left of the path) ... it was a bit overgrown, so I've been busy for the last 6 months getting it sorted


Before ...




After

jo1972

AlanS wrote: »

I got an allotment in November 2008 (actually it's half an allotment ... mine is to the left of the path) ... it was a bit overgrown, so I've been busy for the last 6 months getting it sorted

Blimey, that's amazing, well done Alan :T:T What have you got growing there then?

AlanS

enough potatoes to feed my entire street ( earlies, 2nd earlies & maincrop )

Raspberrys ( left by previous owner )
Rhubarb ( left by previous owner )
Onions
Shallots
Chard
Various herbs ( left by previous owner)
Shallots
Sprouts
Rocket
Beetroot
Carrots
Runner beans
Broad beans
peas
leeks
pumpkins
red cabbage
radish
parsnips
cauliflowers
sweetcorn
cabbage
strawberrys ( 80 plants growing wild around the plot, but
now in 3 neat rows )

My 3 kids have a small patch each, and are growing various things ( sunflowers, beans, peas etc )

I just hope all the hard work pays off and everything actually grows !!!

I think I may have been a bit premature with the sweetcorn & pumpkins ... I'd grown them from seed in a plastic greenhouse and they were doing so well, i planted them out a couple of weeks ago .... I've covered them in fleece which I'll probably leave there till the end of May.