This Season's Progress Reports

[daveyboi]

Have you started raising plants yet?

What have you sown?

Any disasters yet (non germination etc)

[daveyboi]

[Jayb]

I planted 3 early potatoes in buckets in the greenhouse yesterday and I have some germinating Lantern chilli seeds just out of the airing cupboard. Germination is around 60%, not brilliant, self saved seed so should be better but seed got a bit damp before harvest.  Nothing else yet. I'm hoping to start sowing some tomato, onion and different brassica seeds before long.

What about you have you made a start?

[daveyboi]

Myself I have not started on anything yet as in a bit of a limbo about whether I shall be moving in the near future etc.
It is all very complicated so time will I hope clarify the future direction for me.
So at present I am waiting for the ground to dry out before doing anything at all.

[squeezyjohn]

I planted my onion seeds a few weeks back and they've all come up very nicely ... today I sowed summer leeks, lettuce, chard, sweet peas and some tentatively early Kohl Rabi and Calabrese just in case it works out.  I don't think I'll attempt chills and sweet peppers this year ... they never seem to come to much for me.

[BarriedaleNick]

I lobbed a few chilies in last week - poor germination so far but I promised to keep them to a minimum after last year's bumper crop.  Nothing else so far - too cold for me and my little poly tunnel got destroyed over winter.  Need to decide whether of not to get a proper greenhouse this year and I am having a loft extension done atm - a bit chaotic chez moi for a while!

[Jayb]

Sorry to hear you are in growing limbo at the moment Daveyboi, hope everything sorts out for you very soon.

[daveyboi]

Sorry to hear you are in growing limbo at the moment Daveyboi, hope everything sorts out for you very soon.

Thanks Jayb

I mainly started this topic to try and inspire people to join in as the forum has been a little quiet of late and with some of our missing regulars returning to not disappear again too soon.
I was thinking of calling the topic What I did today.... Like the weather in... etc.
Plus I might get jealous and actually sow something 

[okra]

The only thing I have planted so far on the plot is a row of shallots. Indoors tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, onions, leeks and broads are all progressing well.

[ACE]

One more hour of digging to get both plots ready for the season. Banana shallots, tomatoes, cauli and primo all pricked out. Peas in the propagator. All the autumn planted onions and garlic doing well and flowers on the broad beans. The only pickings from the lottie is curly kale.

[Tee Gee]

I have noticed the forums have been a little quiet of late as well.

I tend to not get involved with subjects like this  simply because everyone does not do the same things at the same time. As I see it, on seeing that someone has done something could make some people do things that may turn out to be a bit to early for them and I try to avoid that.

Back to me I am having  some mixed results from some of the things I have done.

For example I have lost a lot of the cutting material from my Chrysanthemums due to them damping off before I have even taken the cuttings.

I have put this down to the very mild winter we have had up to press and basically the stools have never really gone dormant as they usually do, then when we did get a bit of cold weather the lush growth died off leaving me with very little material to take cuttings from.

So it looks like I might have to buy in some rooted cuttings.

The Onions from seed have also given a poor return, I put that down to ' old seed' so my fault really!

Otherwise everything else ( which is not much) is coming along nicely.

[galina]

Ace,  Congratulations on flowering broadies.  Mine are still in the seed box, but not for much longer!  The delights of benign island weather coupled with experienced grower!   

The autumn planted shallots and garlic are doing fine here too.  Recently sown leeks and onions haven't appeared yet.  Peppers go in the propagator in a day or two, followed by tomatoes and the first batch of tps.  Peas get started in the unheated conservatory before the end of Feb or early March for transplanting end of March to early April.

Fortunately the harvest is still good.  Kale, even one kale with flower shoots (very early) which looks a bit like sprouting broccoli, leeks, winter radish, turnip, rocket, mispoona, celery, self-seeded land cress by the boxful, and celeriac.  This mild winter (coldest so far was -4.7C) has certainly helped and minimal fleece cover (when it wasn't blown off!) and a few cloches.  There are a few carrots, lettuce, lamb's lettuce, cress and endive in the greenhouse too and the perennial leeks, perutile onions and especially the three-cornered leeks are flourishing. 

But I really must get going pronto with the propagator stuff.    

One more hour of digging to get both plots ready for the season. Banana shallots, tomatoes, cauli and primo all pricked out. Peas in the propagator. All the autumn planted onions and garlic doing well and flowers on the broad beans. The only pickings from the lottie is curly kale.

[galina]

Plus I might get jealous and actually sow something 

Daveyboi, Not nice being in limbo.  Plants in pots and buckets to the rescue maybe?  At least you can take them with you.  And if you have to leave fruit bushes behind, perhaps take cuttings?

Hope things will be much clearer soon.   

[ACE]

Skip the one hour of digging, it's done, standing on a plank. A bit claggy really, but I want get some air in the ground where the rain has compacted it. I don't know if aerating the ground makes any difference, just something I've always done, plus it all looks good being dug over. It will also help to get a few more inches off the waist, 30lbs lighter than xmas makes me think it's worth it.

[clumsy]

Started my chillis in january but nothing else yet.

[sunloving]

Hi everyone, I'm a bit over faced really. I moved to my new place in jan it has just under an acre and there's so much to do! I've been busy clearing a site for a new polytunnel ( a very exciting 40ft x 18ft) which has been complicated as I've had to fell some very tall pine and spruce (50ft) so today I've been in the ditch clearing some of the trees and when the showers came have been happily pricking out some leeks and statice.

There was a horse loose on my road overnight they are out on the nearby bog normally and so I went out in the car to scoop up some brown gold got a whole 80l bag full!,  and naughty I cut down a number of election boards ( it's the Irish general election in two weeks) and have used then as th base for my new compost heap,, don't tell anyone about this local crime will you!
It's exciting and over facing

[pumkinlover]

Sunloving-Wow that looks like you have got a wonderful place there, lot of work but so rewarding.
Hope that you get your direction sorted soon Daveyboi, it must be frustrating when its that "time of the year" when we are programmed to get gardening.
I have some potatoes in pots in the gh, but like BN we are having work done at home, but only a new kitchen so hopefully soon sorted.

[daveyboi]

Thanks for the comments everyone.... time will sort things meanwhile you have got me thinking about actually growing something now.... mind I did say thinking lols


Lovely plot Sunloving I am posting your picture turned round for those without the option to view easily.
Are you planning any fruit trees in your new space?

[galina]

Sunloving,  that sounds like a great plot of land (and a lot of work)    Best wishes for all and easy does it 

May I call you 'Barbara'?   

[Elfeda]

I have few toms, chillis and aubs sprouted long a go and sitting in our cold utility.

[daveyboi]

I have few toms, chillis and aubs sprouted long a go and sitting in our cold utility.

Well done Elfeda and welcome to A4A