Grow your own 2013

Seedlings have enjoyed the last few days of decent sun:

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Quite a few types of Tom (San Mazano, Black Krim, Sun Gold, supersweet F1, Red stripe and garden peal), cucumber and aubergine. Under cover and not yet up are some sage and wild strawberry.


Gonna get a few more in soon, got peas, corn, squash and other yummies :)
 
Nice!!

I feel a sowing session is due this weekend. Need to get my everything sown pretty much. And I need to get the plot dug over STILL!!
 
Hmmm, I guess the growing season is on hold for a few days. At least the cold is good for the garlic.

2013 off to a good start with some chilli & pepper seeds germinating on the kitchen window cill.
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What garlic do you have? Don't suppose you have any opinions on the variety a do you? Elephant garlic looks nice and easy to cook with, black garlic looks interesting. But like everything so many varieties. I also need to pick up some horseraddish from somewhere.

Was meant to be putting in 2 raised beds, but an unexpected week away with work.
At least two plastic cloches arrived sat, so when I do get to plant stuff can cover some stuff up.
 
Be careful with horseradish! I put some in the garden a couple of years ago, and it runs amok - gets everywhere, and even a little bit left in the ground creates mounds of the stuff. If I were doing it again, I'd bury it in a pot. Possibly lined with lead!!
 
Glaucus said:
What garlic do you have? Don't suppose you have any opinions on the variety a do you? Elephant garlic looks nice and easy to cook with, black garlic looks interesting. But like everything so many varieties. I also need to pick up some horseraddish from somewhere.
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I can't remember exactly what types I have in this year, I'd have to look in by notebook at home. One was a soft-necked purple variety, not sure about the other. I always go for soft-neck so I can plait them more easily.
Edit: actually, the second lot was 'Marco' that I'd grown last year along with 'French Thermidrome'. The Thermidrome was disappointing but the Marco was good. I used some spare bulbs I had hanging about in the shed that I hadn't plaited.

I've never tried Elephant garlic but I wouldn't try it for normal culinary use as it's too big, and I'm not sure it's got a regular garlic flavour IYKWIM.

Ideally garlic should overwinter as it needs a decent period sub 4C tp promote splitting. Mine went in at the beginning of November after the last of my spuds came up, and I'll follow it with winter/spring veg in September.
 
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Now this is something the wife and i want to do and also get the kids involved. The learning when veg comes from. From the seed to their plate.

On that point i'd like to grow things they like to eat, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes, Peppers, Carrots just to start with.

I was thinking, is it possible to use one of those one of those metal, shelf like structures with a see through plastic cover over them to start with. We call them baby greenhouses, not sure of the real name :)

Also, any tips for a complete beginner such as myself?.
 
A blowaway? :D Yes. I use one at home to get seedlings going as my proper greenhouse is at the allotment. You can fit quite a bit in them and as long as you take care - water properly, don't let it get too hot (they can really heat up in full sun), and move stuff about so they all get a share of good light -they can be really useful. Mine's weighted down with a paving slab on the bottom shelf and in a fairly sheltered spot.

Tips? Have a go, don't get disheartened by failiure, involve the whole family, enjoy it :)
- Tomatoes will go well outside against a south or west facing wall.
- Grow sweetcorn in with squash, the squash give groundcover and the sweetcorn take the height
- Start peppers now.

It's my absolute favourite hobby and I love eating our own produce & educating my daughter about food.
 
WillyNelson said:
A blowaway? :D Yes. I use one at home to get seedlings going as my proper greenhouse is at the allotment. You can fit quite a bit in them and as long as you take care - water proplerly, don't let it get too hot (they can really heat up in full sun), and move stuff about so they all get a share of good light -they can be really useful.

Tips? Have a go, don't get disheartened by failiure, involve the whole family, enjoy it :)
- Tomatoes will go well outside against a south or west facing wall.
- Grow sweetcorn in with squash, the squash give groundcover and the sweetcorn take the height
- Start peppers now.

It's my absolute favourite hobby and I love eating our own produce & educating my daughter about food.
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Ha ha! - Many thanks! - New word of the day :D

Thanks for the words above, will definitely take note of those.

I presume, i get the blowaway to start the seeds off in small pots?. If so, what do i move them into once they're too big for the pot?. Do i just keep moving them into bigger pots?. Or is that a really silly question?!.

Thanks again for your advice :D
 
Ideally you'd stick them in the ground but it depends what room you've got & where you want to put them. Either start them off in pots that they can stay in until you plant them out or pot them on.

For biggish individual plants like tomatoes, peppers & squash, I sow 2 or 3 seeds to a 3 or 4" pot & then thin down to the strongest plant after germination. Most should do well in the same pot until big enough to plant out. Smaller ones like cabbages, lettuce or sweetcorn can me started in module trays and then planted out.

The other way is to start them out in a seed tray & t hen ***** out the seedings into modules or individual pots, but that just seems an extra bit of faff to me.
 
Thought I'd be getting my chitters in by now but it's freezing here & snowing a bit, What the **** is going on. :mad:
 
WillyNelson said:
Ideally you'd stick them in the ground but it depends what room you've got & where you want to put them. Either start them off in pots that they can stay in until you plant them out or pot them on.

For biggish individual plants like tomatoes, peppers & squash, I sow 2 or 3 seeds to a 3 or 4" pot & then thin down to the strongest plant after germination. Most should do well in the same pot until big enough to plant out. Smaller ones like cabbages, lettuce or sweetcorn can me started in module trays and then planted out.

The other way is to start them out in a seed tray & t hen ***** out the seedings into modules or individual pots, but that just seems an extra bit of faff to me.
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Thanks again! - Shopping list almost completed :D

Definite sub to this one.
 
I've been looking at seeds and stuff to buy when I get off the rig. Unfortunately, the list of things I'd like to grow far exceeds the limited space I can muster. I've been exploring ways to maximise the space available but I won't know for certain what will be possible until I get home in 11 days time. Hopefully, I'll be able to grow most of it. I've made a list and divided it into 'must haves' and 'would likes'.
 
@ Stan - You need to check out vertical gardening.


First vid I could find but the idea is there & can be adapted to suit. :)
 
The one I saw before was an old red telephone box, The bloke had put gutter pipe coming down & around the edge like a slow helter skelter, He then had a drip feed sorted at the top which fed All the plants as it trickled down to the bottom & sent it back up using a cheap fish tank pump.
Little pockets all the way down the gutter for the plants & they sort of fell over & grew like vines. Was nowt short of genius if you ask me.
 
Was going to plant out today but with 3" of snow I'll leave it.

Potatoes are chitting in egg boxes
Garlic
Onions
Broad beans

All ready to go in
 
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