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

JenWren

charlies82 wrote: »

Hi Jenwren,

Its probably white cabbage butterfly, they lay eggs on the underside of the leaves as well as eat them! i found this out last year being a newbie and all. I'm sure others on here with more experience and knowledge than me can help.
My husband made a big frame to go over my raised bed and stapled fleece to it, this stops the butterfly getting to my brassicas.

Charlotte

After seeing your edited post if its slimy then sounds like slugs lol! but look out for the above too.

Thanks for that. Actually I just remembered, my daughter came running in the house this morning holding 2 big snails she had found in my garden, not sure where she put them after. I bet it was them!! :mad:

hathor

Does anybody have experience of germinating Red Onion Squash seeds? I put 2 in a pot on the window ledge (indoors) on 14th April, and there's no sign of activity, so I tried another 1 in a different pot about a week ago. Still nothing.

I put in 2 butternut squash seeds at the same time, and they'll be ready for hardening off soon, so I don't think it's dodgy compost/lack of light/heat as they've been treated the same.

I must have germinated allsorts on the same window over the last few weeks, but only the Red Onion Squash (can't be bothered to look up its proper name at the mo, something like Oochie-Coochie) has failed to budge.

I'm thinking of emailing the seed supplier to complain. It's getting a bit late now to be starting, and I only wanted 1 plant.

I might cry...

charlies82

JenWren wrote: »

Thanks for that. Actually I just remembered, my daughter came running in the house this morning holding 2 big snails she had found in my garden, not sure where she put them after. I bet it was them!! :mad:

That sounds like something my two girls would do put them next to my veg lol!

Primrose

hathor - in the past I've sometimes had difficulty in getting squash seeds to germinate. As a rule they've got very thick hard skins and I find it helps to soak them overnight before sowing. Possibly rather late to start again but maybe worth a try if you've got a warm airing cupboard. Alternatively, if you don't have a propagator, try putting a warm (but not hot) hot water bottle under the pots to keep the compost gently warmed up. My first lot of courgette seeds failed to germinate and I've had to start again.

hathor

Thanks for that Primrose. You rightly judge I do not have a propagator; unfortunately, I don't have an airing cupboard either. I've been germinating all my seeds on the bedroom & kitchen window ledges, which get good sun (on bright days, obviously) in the mornings, but I've been so desparate, I've even been moving the squash pot over to the lounge later in the day, where it gets the late afternoon sun, to try & extend the period of warmth.
Interesting that you suggest an airing cupboard, though. Presumably that means they need the warmth but not necessarily the sunlight? Good news as it's forecast to chuck it down for 4 days this week; no sun there!
I'll try the soaking and hot water bottle trick & cross my fingers.

Lotus-eater

Not too late to start at all, squash grow like billy O once they get started. Some of my cubit seeds are through, but I seem to be having some problems with a couple of courgettes and a cucumber. I resowed yesterday, still not sure what I did wrong. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.....

Still trying to decide if I can fit in a butternut squash as well as the 3 other squashes I have........ and the oca/tomatillos/loads of lettuces/some onion seedlings/summer broccoli rape seem to have no where to go either Help

robnye

i know htis might sound silly..... but ive run out of things to grow from seed....

ive got carrots
beetroor
pots earlies and 2nds
onions
garlic
spring onions
cabbage
parsnip
turnip
swede
peas
runner beans
french beans
tommies
lettuce
spinach
broccoli
cauliflower
cucumber
pepper


but am wondering should i sit back and wait until some of the stuff has matured and been eaten then reuse that space in my raised veggie bed?

sparkleworld

Hi what about courgettes & pumpkin radishes are really quick

Regards
*Sparkle

robnye

sparkleworld wrote: »

Hi what about courgettes & pumpkin radishes are really quick

Regards
*Sparkle

ooh forgot them.... yep gots loadsa radishes on the go,

planted 3 pumpkins seeds at weekend.

ill look out some courgette seeds... as we like them with dinner

Primrose

Hathor - the airing cupboard is fine for warming the compost (providing it doesn't get too hot in there) but the moment seedlings start appearing they need to come out in the daylight and get as much of it as possible. Like you I've been moving my tomato seedlings from one end of the lounge to the other during the day to catch the sun from the east, and again from the west. By the time I've picked my first tomato they will have completed a lot of food miles :rotfl: