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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: johhnyco15 on April 20, 2018, 13:40:07
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the last two days have been glorious here on the sunshine coast so ive bitten the bullet stopped sitting on my hands and started planting out lettuce, beetroot and directly sowed parsnips and carrots.
im mostly no dig however i have 4 beds which i do dig then cover and as its dry i used my mantis it made short work of the beds after i blinded them with leaf mould one for soil structure the other to keep the thousands of cats using them as litter tray
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williams and concord pears are now in full bloom
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peas today
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first of my tomato beds started today 70 plants will go in this bed at 36"spacing all around after i finished the 2.5 mtr poles i blinded ground with leaf mould to stop weeds and aid water retention
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I'm definitely going to cover my no-dig beds next year ... the weeds this year have been a nightmare. Couldn't do a thing for the snow and wet in March and early April and now BANG - summer temperatures and they are growing so fast I can see them moving! The weed seedlings must have been growing huge roots under all that snow. The start to this year is almost (but not quite) as hard work as when I first cleared the land!
That being said - I'm slowly working my way through them and also have first peas, lettuces, beetroots and spinach that were growing in the greenhouse out. I've also weeded the perennial allium bed and am chuffed at the resilience of Babington's Leek, Egyptian walking onions and Everlasting onions. They're growing away strongly now.
A lot of work to still do before all those weeds flower and set seed though ... ugh.
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Thinking of making a start on my planting out tomorrow if the weather is fit.
Everything on the plot is prepared for a start, I will probably start with my potatoes.
The stuff in my greenhouses is running a bit late but it has now started to develop now that the light levels are better.
I guess this year it will be back to the "old times" of planting the hardier stuff middle of May and the more tender stuff at the end of May.
I am not particularly concerned as I know the plants will mature when they are ready and as I have an abundance of patience,waiting for them will be no problem.
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my tomatoes are ready to go out however wont chance it for a couple of weeks
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garlic is going strong as are the shallots
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We put cardboard down on the beds we already have but it hasn't stopped the local bindweed - small, pink and horizontal rather than vertical - from growing all over the place or the creeping buttercups. I planted tomatoes out a couple of weeks ago because, in that little heatwave, the polyT got up to 40C and things were cooking. They have to be covered at night but seem to be doing OK.
I planted potatoes - Charlotte and Bintje - a while ago too and they are now looking good but the 3 sweet potatoes planted under a cloche are strugglng with only one showing so far. All the other toms and squashes and cucs and sweetcorn are definitely staying in the PolyT and I haven't even opened it today as it's so cold.
While they grow on I'm hoping we can get the new strawberry bed made as I have some ready to go out and a lot less cold sensitive than the squashes and co.
First time growing garlic and not having it frozen to mush and it's looking good after being planted in December. Red Baron onion sets less happy for some reason.
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Red Baron onion sets less happy for some reason.
I have noticed this has been the case with onion setts for the last few years, in particular Red Baron, hence me going back to growing from seed.
Personally I think it is a 'stock' issue i.e. the quality is not good as it once was and the seed merchants haven't addressed the problem.
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Thanks Tee Gee. I use far more red onions than white or brown. I've also discovered pink ones from Brittany so may well just look for seeds next year. Didn't have the PolyT set up for early sowing this year but it should be good next year.
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I've done the same as TeeGee, abandoned sets in favour of growing from seed the past few years. Although I have been tempted to try a few red sun shallots sets last week! My banana shallots do really well from seeds but are a bit puny in their rootrainers at the moment.
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Sun shining after early rain so :icon_cheers: got my Cobra and Moonlight beans planted in their tubs, fleece protected from the wind. Tomorrow's plan is getting the Asterisk and Bianco del Veneto celeriac into the ground. Under the membrane the soil temperature is 14C at 10cm depth so warm enough, I hope!
I'll have them under a plastic covered tunnel with, initially, 2 litre bottle sleeves protecting each plant from slugs and snails. It's a new attempt at growing celeriac again after giving up some years ago. Fingers crossed :angel11:.
Tricia :wave:
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Red Baron onion sets less happy for some reason.
I have noticed this has been the case with onion setts for the last few years, in particular Red Baron, hence me going back to growing from seed.
Personally I think it is a 'stock' issue i.e. the quality is not good as it once was and the seed merchants haven't addressed the problem.
I've planted red baron from seed and they are miles behind my roscoff, zebrune and globo onions despite being sown at the same time. Maybe it's just a weak grower.
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Hi Ya, I have considered sowing onions from seed but have never got the nerve up to try. I am considering it as setts have been somewhat disappointing over the years and do seem to be getting worse. Apart from red baron what other seeds do you sow and do you get good results? Interested to hear.
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Good place to start would be:
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/onions.html
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One of the easiest to grow is " Exhibition" which I purchased at £1 a packet last year from DT Brown, although other suppliers may sell them also! Needless to say I am growing them again this year!
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Hi Ya, Thanks Ancells I will peruse the site you recommended. I like the onions you grew Teegee and I will definitely give seeds a go next season. Do you grow over wintering from seed as well? or just stick with summer ones? I will do some more research now and you can count me in. Cheers
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Do you grow over wintering from seed as well?
I have done in the past but as these onions usually last me to around Easter, I don't bother anymore!
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away this weekend so put some shade up in my greenhouses the lettuce are growing on strong
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half way through the great tomato planting 70 in 80 to go
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I take it you like tomatoes then?
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Suppose we'll try and ketchup with you now
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Suppose we'll try and ketchup with you now
ancellsfarmer stop being saucy
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sweet peppers all planted in there final positions today will finish chilli planting this week one greenhouse for mild chillis one for hot
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Whats with the hole in the greenhouse floor Johnny?
I have seen that done once by an old mate of mine who used to grow late Chrysanthemums which can grow up to 8ft high.
You will well know there are very few greenhouse that can cope with that, so he dug a pit to put his taller varieties in, it worked a treat. His only problem was he was less than 5½ ft tall :blob7:
I have my Peppers in now as well but unlike you I have to put a sheet over them ( see pic) rather than under them to cater for the cold nights it has been down to 1°C this last couple of nights.
I planted out my Pumpkins & Courgettes on the compost heap today but I have to cover these at least till the end of the month (see pic)
Sowed Parsnips in my barrels to day as well but I have to cover these for a different reason which is: there are lots of feral cats roaming around our plots (along with the Fox & Badgers) and they (the cats) sunbathe on top of my barrels and also use them as cat litter bins.
Trying something new this year (at least for me) I am trying 'taped' parsnip seeds' to see if I get more success and have to do less thinning out.
So you see it is a totally different world up here in the wild and woolly North!
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Whats with the hole in the greenhouse floor Johnny?
I've a bad back so with the floor taken away i don't have to bend as i get in and out i toyed with the idea of putting tomatoes down the middle however with 150 planted out ..... you get the meaning
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you get the meaning
Yes it is a case of fetching the Mountain to Mohammad rather than the other way around
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red -green salad bowl coming on a treat
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greenhouses are growing on well i have watered these once a week