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The all new good, bad and ugly of growing your own in 2020

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  • unrecordings
    unrecordings Posts: 2,017 Forumite
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    Timely reminder on the lemon balm, thanks - we need to sort ours out too

    Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?
  • Suffolk_lass
    Suffolk_lass Posts: 9,332 Forumite
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    My guesses (some I know, some I'm guessing, one I have no idea!)
    euronorris wrote: »
    I have placed my order for my 'free' seeds from the heritage seed library:


    * Giant Improved Flak An old carrot variety
    * Canadian - no idea
    * Sheepnose A sweet pepper, I think
    * Crimson Giant - I know of both Radishes and Tomatoes with this name
    * Born Mangetout
    * Ostgotaart Is this a legume? Pea or bean?


    And a 'mystery' pack.


    I wonder if you can guess the vegetable from the names (with the obvious exception! lol)?
    Save £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
    OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
    I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
    My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman
  • bluesooz
    bluesooz Posts: 7,234 Forumite
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    Well I've been outside and looked at the garden, then come back in! Too cold, too windy and too wet to do much.


    Didn't notice whether the chives are coming back to life yet - but would recommend having them in any garden. I have several of them dotted round the garden and veg patch - they are prolific flowerers and the bees love them (and obviously good for salads too)
  • Kinga
    Kinga Posts: 20 Forumite
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    Gardening season has finally started in my house as well! Chili, broccoli, celeriac and tomato seeds are in the windowsill propagators, I also have a separate propagator for the flowers, sweet pea, sunflower, pansy, foxglove and a mysterious one (somebody gave me the seeds last year, but I can't remember who and what they are).
  • euronorris
    euronorris Posts: 12,247 Forumite
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    Suffolk_lass wrote: »
    My guesses (some I know, some I'm guessing, one I have no idea!)

    Well done Suffolk Lass! :)

    Canadian is a french bean.
    Crimson giant is a radish (though I have also seen tomatoes with that namr).
    Ostogaart is a pea :)

    Excited for them to arrive now. Have started to see the first onion and leek seedlings poking through here, in their trays. Saturday, did a bit more garden tidying; trimmed a Bush at the back of the garden, cut out some brambles that were trying to get in, tidied up the strawberries, cutting out the dead leaves, added some fertiliser to the soil in the trug, and gave it a good mix! Then sowed some spring onion and radish seeds (which I've brought indoors).

    Yesterday, after swimming, took DD to the garden centre. Her promised treat for trying the bits that scare her in the lesson, were some gardening gloves that actually fit her. Acquired. XXXS! Lol bless her, she loves them. Sadly it rained all afternoon, so didnt get to try them out.

    Also purchased some first early seed potatoes. Pentland javelin. My dad tells me they are a lovely variety and he was eating them since he was a toddler. He's 80 next year. So that's cool :)

    DH has promised to build my supports for the trug during the week, when DD is at nursery. Not holding my breath though! Lol
    February wins: Theatre tickets
  • Suffolk_lass
    Suffolk_lass Posts: 9,332 Forumite
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    It is finally looking as though we will get the foundations for my new greenhouse laid this week. I've got aggregate being delivered this morning (not all for the foundations) and a borrowed concrete mixer coming this evening - and the forecast is for no rain for three days!! :):):)

    I've been waiting since the second week of November for this and although I may have bought seeds, I have not started anything yet this year, in anticipation of my great new space (8x10 foot)
    Save £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
    OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
    I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
    My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman
  • Jazee
    Jazee Posts: 8,906 Forumite
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    I still haven't planted any seeds.
    Spend less now, work less later.
  • Suffolk_lass
    Suffolk_lass Posts: 9,332 Forumite
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    Jazee no shame in that. It is still only January. The risk if we plant too soon with nowhere to move them to is the seedlings get weak and leggy. Better to be a bit later and not risk rot, frost or other pests and diseases from being too early.

    euronorris, I can also vouch for Pentland Javellin - I like these as an early crop. I always let them well and truly chit and sprout to almost a little shrub before planting out though. I usually go for international kidney and something like charlotte for salad potatoes - there are lots of potato growers locally and a sack for £4 means I primarily grow them for flavour combined with their availability when the shops don't have that sort except for a premium price - and as a crop to clean my beds for other things
    Save £12k in 2024 - #2 target is £5000 only £798.34 so far
    OS Grocery Challenge 2024 25.04% spent or £754.10/£3,000 annual
    I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
    My Debt Free Diary Get a grip Woman
  • euronorris
    euronorris Posts: 12,247 Forumite
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    Suffolk lass - they are in some egg boxes, on our bedroom windowsill (no heating on in our room), as of this morning to chit. :D


    I'm still working through a sack of Wilja potatoes that I bought in Oct/Nov time. Stored in the garage. Only about half way through, as since Christmas we have been losing weight and have favoured rice over potatoes for a lot of our meal choices. I really need to find a few more potato based ones, as don't want to waste them!
    February wins: Theatre tickets
  • zafiro1984
    zafiro1984 Posts: 2,445 Forumite
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    euronorris wrote: »
    I'm still working through a sack of Wilja potatoes that I bought in Oct/Nov time. Stored in the garage. Only about half way through, as since Christmas we have been losing weight and have favoured rice over potatoes for a lot of our meal choices. I really need to find a few more potato based ones, as don't want to waste them!

    Euronorris try this link, it's on this forum moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5617061

    Went to Lidl today and they had a carousel of seeds both vegetables and flowers. I didn't recognise many of the varieties so wondered if anybody has tried their seeds in the past?
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