The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

Karmacat · 11 January 2019 at 10:02AM

I've been lurking along for a few days, after Suffolk Lass mentioned the thread, and had to join in when I saw Kantankrus Mare mention watering right now - I've been starting to wonder about winter watering, actually ... all my garlic is in pots and containers this year, I'm needing to dig up a lot of the garden to get at bramble roots. Anybody got any feedback on watering in winter? I'm actually wondering about the plants freezing with water all over them, things like that.

CAFCGirl · 14 January 2019 at 10:04AM

I've never needed to water anything in Winter I must admit, so know nothing about doing it I'm afraid.

Spent a glorious few hours on my plot yesterday. Cleared a large bed and then started on the pathways and area around my shed, clearing out weeds. Thick layers of newspapers down and the mammoth task of worshipping the area. Managed 4 barrow loads before the winds defeated me. Plenty more to get done next time with more newspaper but need to be quick to get to the dwindling workshop pile.

I've got some onion sets to risk planting out next time I'm there and some flower bulbs too. Also planning to paint up a pallet, staple some liner to it and fill with compost as a planter to lay on my large woodchip area near the shed. I'm thinking flowers in that one....

Will be attempting a bonfire up there tomorrow for my visit as hopefully the winds won't be too bad.

Anyone sown anything yet? Last year I started far too early I think I so trying to curb my enthusiasm LOL

unrecordings · 14 January 2019 at 11:07AM

I don't water over winter either. Finished chipping the xmas tree yesterday along with some cotoneaster (xmas tree being fairly hard to chip on its own with a cheap domestic grade chipper). That's going to get spread around the woodlandy bit at the bottom of the garden. I tend to start sowing in early Feb (maybe late Jan if I'm eager). I've got my windowsill propagators washed & ready

Karmacat · 14 January 2019 at 2:57PM

Thanks both - it's the kind of off the wall enquiry that nobody writes about, so a thread of people-like-me is really useful (lurking on here, retired, single, currently living on savings about sums it up).

zafiro1984 · 15 January 2019 at 4:00PM

I seem to have lost all my seeds. They got moved before Christmas as I needed the utility room for something. I can't find them in the greenhouse, shed -I have looked everywhere. I just wonder if my daughter has thrown them out as she is on a decluttering mission - she says not but.........

I think I'll spend the next couple of days working out exactly what I need and the cheapest way of buying them

Onions and kale in the polytunnel doing well, still got loads of leeks and potatoes in the ground but not much else. Quite a lot in store or frozen. I sometimes wonder why my shopping bills are so high having all this stored/frozen food ??

Dizzy_Ditzy · 18 January 2019 at 9:15AM

Just because i can :rotfl:

I missed my local potato fair last weekend as I couldnt be in three places at once :eek: so we are off to a different one this weekend. I have my list of what I want - i want international kidney for earlies, either Pentland Javelin or Wilja and Rooster for main crops

I *might* have a go at growing shallots too this year. I've got 50 winter onions in and will need more but I will get those from Lidl for about 69p when the time comes.

I am still at that time of year when I can only get to the plot at weekends and on days off but the evenings are starting to get a bit lighter so that wont be for long. The only watering that gets done on my plot at the moment is multiple cans of it down the bloody rat holes that keep appearing in my chicken run. That backfired on us a couple of weeks ago and a blinking rat came back up out of the hole :eek: :eek: :eek:

Karmacat · 18 January 2019 at 10:25AM

Oh my word at the rat :eek:

There are potato fairs?

Yes, there are: http://www.potato-days.net/

I'm very happy to know that! And there's one I can get to, as well

Dizzy_Ditzy · 19 January 2019 at 10:13PM

We went to a a different potato fair today as we couldn't make it to the one we normally go to. We came back with 8 different varieties, none of which we've grown before but we wanted something a bit different for us. We've gone for international kidney, wilja, casablanca, estima, kingsman, kestrel, yukon gold and rooster.

My new plot is going to be mostly potatoes this year, along with garlic, onions and some shallots. We've never grown shallots either so hopefully they'll be good

Scottish_Mike · 20 January 2019 at 9:59PM

My seed packets are all about 5 years old now. I’m hoping they’ll all germinate this year. I don’t see why not.

devildolly · 23 January 2019 at 2:18PM

Just had some seeds delivered, potatoes should be on there way shortly and strawberries in a couple of months.

I have just bought a cold frame which is exciting. Can anyone advise whether this would be enough to protect seedlings in this weather or should I wait a few weeks before starting things off?

Also had 60 bags of compost delivered to fill the raised beds. Another question - my cats are taking a liking to the trug and using it as a loo which is gross. To protect the beds, I'm thinking MDPE pipe and bamboo canes to make hoops for netting, but is there another way of putting up cat/insect protection on the cheap?

The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

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