Allotments 4 All
General => The Shed => Topic started by: aquilegia on January 20, 2005, 10:14:22
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Remember last year - we had a thread where we could all list what we've sown, when it germinates etc. I for one got a lot of enjoyment and learnt a lot from it. So here's one for this year.
Yesterday (19 January):
Chili Peppers: Poblana, Aji Amarillo, Chocolate Chili and Apache sown two to a small module cell, four seeds of each in all. Put in propagator on living room window ledge.
Onions: Long red Florence, sown five to a medium cell, in propagator.
Lettuce: Kellys (winter greenhouse variety) about three to a cell, in propagator.
At least I've learnt to sow thinner, but as for my resolution to label things... ::)
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:)Is it ok if i join you here,even though i,ve not sown any veg yet.
11th jan
VESTIA
RUDBECKIA MAXIMA
KIRENGESHOMA
ERYTHRONIUM
SMYRNIUM
CRAMBE CORDIFOLIA
IRIS SETOSA
GERANIUM BUXTONS BLUE
14 JAN
GERANIUM SPLISH
GERANIUM ROSE QUEEN
AQUILEGIA FORMOSA
AQUILEGIA RED STAR
DIANTHUS CRIMSONIA
15JAN
KNIPHOFIA
VERBENA HASTATA
HESPERIS
SIDALCEA
CORYDALIS
MALVA
RATIBIDA
ERODIUM
DELPHINIUM
CLEMATIS RADAR LOVE
PETROHAGIA
ALCEA NIGRA
will check back in when i have sprouts. ;)
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Sunday 16 jan sowed long red florence seeds in medium cells, around 3 to a cell. On living room floor (out of the way) until I manage to buy a mini-greenhouse to go on the balcony.
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12 Jan sowed Cauliflower (snowball), Sweet peas, Spring onion (Eiffel), Lettuce (winter density) all but the spring onion have made an appearance above soil level.
16 Jan sowed butternut squash (F1), capsicum (Toreador), and three tomato varieties (St Pierre, Golden Sunrise, Outdoor girl). No appearance yet.
All are in heated conservatory at about 17C. Sown into my homemade newspaper modules, 2 seeds per module.
Oh and my potato seeds are chitting - Charlotte (salad pots) and Kestrel (2nd earlies).
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Jesse - Butternut Squash already? I was going to wait until March/April to do mine. Any reason why so early?
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Aqui, I've only sown a few squash seeds and will thin to 2 plants. It's for my experiment with using a wallo'water. The rest of the squash seeds I will sow end of March in heated conservatory, that's the normal time I sow them. My tomatoes and peppers are also for an experiment as I don't have a greenhouse. The rest of the tomatoes will be sown end of March as well for planting outside around May/June. I'm hoping the Wallo'waters will work, that way I can stagger my sowing much better in future, my conservatory tends to get overcrowded with seeds around march time!
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Jesse, What is Wallo'water. ??? Never heard of that before, is it somne kind of propergator?
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Mimi, there's some information about it here:
http://www.wallowater.co.uk
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Thanks Jesse, interesting. Feel sorry for the guy with the tomatoe maze :-\
Sorry doesnt show on the site you gave me.
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My lettuce germinated on Saturday and now lovely little seedlings! horray my first proper new plants for this year!
and i think one of the onions germinated today.
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All are in heated conservatory at about 17C. Sown into my homemade newspaper modules, 2 seeds per module.
Jesse, is your conservatory kept at 17°C (63°F) constantly throughout the night? as I was thinking of putting a dimplex 750 watt oiled fire in there as the area is only about 12ft x 7ft or maybe a convector heater that will go up to 2 Kw both have thermostats, then maybe I can start a few seeds off as long as the leccy bill doesn’t spiral. :o
Oh dear where will I put my sub-tropical plants? ???
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Roy we had our central heating extended into the conservatory (helps when your husband is a plumber) so the temps during the day remain the same as the house around 17C. At night we turn the thermostat in the house down so the temps are around 15C in the house and the conservatory I have no idea how cold it gets but should imagine a little cooler than the house (the door to the conservatory is closed at night and the temps drop quicker in the conservatory because it's all glass and not as well insulated as the house). If the house temp drops below 15C then the heating kicks in and the conservatory receives some heat. The seeds that have not shown themselves yet are pampered and brought into the house overnight, once they have fully emerged then they get left out in the conservatory with everything else. It is beginning to look like a jungle in there and I look forward to spring when I can get everything out and planted.
Hopefully not too much longer to plant using my "experiment". I checked the wallo'waters on the weekend. My compost contains some straw from our hens bedding and the wheat from that has germinated and strarted sprouting inside and directly around the base of the wallo'waters but not anywhere further outside of the wallo'waters. I thought that was encouraging. The rest of my non-experimental sowing will happen around March, that's when the packets of seed say I should be sowing.
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Thanks Jesse, I will try it with the Dimplex fire tonight and record some temperatures, anyone know what minimum temps seeds will survive at? ??? ;D
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Sown in trays, The Kelsae huge onion, rossa di milano (a red onion), lao lavender & black beauty aubergines and some miscellaneous chillis on 17th Jan with my son's help (hopefully, not overly crowded in places in the seed trays).
Re the wallo-water- whatshisname Yeoman person filled coke bottles with water and used this to surround the plants.
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How strange Multi I was thinking of coke bottles when I read that ;D
Just out of interest, any idea of the temperature that you keep your seeds at Multi ???
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I believe if you keep a large barrel of water in your greenhouse it's meant to help maintain night time temps to prevent sudden drops in temp. Not sure if it works though.
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haven't tried the coke bottles myself (yet!) but that might be worth an experiment one of these days!
Seeds are on the windowsills in the house - probably less than 18 degree celsius.
Just had a look and can see half a dozen rossa di milano onions just leaving the starting blocks - quite a quick germination (can't seem to find me veggie expert in the house and I am not going down the plot at this hour to look in the spare copy!)
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My onions have started to germinate. About five or six where up this morning.
I've now taken the lettuces out of the propagator and they are in a clear plastic bag on the kitchen windowsill. They were starting to get leggy.
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All my onions have germinated :D Now I just have to stop them from getting too warm :-\
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Oh Moggle - hopefully that means that mine will all germinated by the weekend.
Do you have a cooler windowsill you can put them on? I do most of my germination on the living room windowsill as it's warmer and then i move them into the kitchen where it's cooler, but has the same aspect.
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Aqui, have moved them to the spare room now, when I put my thermometer in there, it says it's about 16 degrees in there, I hope that will be okay
I will be buying a mini-greenhouse on the weekend (after payday) and they will go in to that once that is assembled.
With the lottie this year, I am trying full scale production - trays of modules rather than pots on windowsils. Trays don't fit on the windowsill too well :P I knew it was probably too early to sow them, I was just hanging out to get something growing!
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Looks like I'm singing to a whole different tune or maybe a couple of beats behind.........just put my seed order in yesterday.
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Yet more this weekend:
Aubergine mini bambino 2 seeds per mini module x 4 cells
Sweet Pepper Oro (yellow) 2 x 4 seeds again
Sweet Pepper Marconi Red 2 x 4 seeds
Lambs Lettuce/Corn Salad about 5 seeds per medium module x 4
Rocket (4 modules)
Watercress (4)
My chillis are popping up now!
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hurrah! managed to make a start on my sowing today. have been out of action with the flu.
onion ailsa craig and long red florence
chilli winter warmer
brussels red bull and groninger
and lots and lots and lots of tomatoes!
i shall be eagerly awaiting that first sign of green each morning when i check on my 'babies'.
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Today I sowed
Onion - Long Red Florence and Ailsa Craig (same as kerry how odd!)
Leek - Natan
Broad Bean - masterpiece green
Pea - Meteor
And also planted my wilkos strawbs, and chucked a couple of onion sets in pots too.
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Didn't sow anything new this weekend, but did prick out the chilis that were big enough. Still have a few left in the cells. and also pricked out the lettuces. they are starting to look like proper plants (I think i left them a little bit too long!) Also my aubs, sweet peppers, rocket and watercress are all germinating happily. The aubs are starting to get a bit leggy, so as soon as half of them have germinated, I'll switch off the propagator.
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Envy you guys!
But come the end of the month, when we move....I'll HAVE A GREENHOUSE!!!
YIPPEE!!!!!
CLx
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Aqui - put a daylight bulb near them??
And Lassie - don't fret - I have never sown stuff for the cold house before mid February and, much more usually, March or early April for mid July first pick. Everything is cleared by October. We lost the lot to frost one year from a May planting.
Set-back from average cold can easily nullify early planting. I reckon. = Tim
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Garlic planted out yipee!
Thats it though. No greenhouse, and no time for planting stuff in amongst all the clearing and digging anyway!
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tomatoes are showing through, first seed up of the season!
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Going to try to revive this thread :)
Onions, broad beans leeks, and most of the peas that I sowed on the 6th are now up. Had them in the mini-greenhouse to start with, but it's been barely above freezing in there most of the time, so brought them in to the unheated spare room on the floor. Will have to start opening the window soon to start hardening them off.
Also sowed 18 sweet peas in loo rolls and newspaper pots last weekend, still waiting for them to show their heads.
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I haven't sown anything for weeks. I miss it. But then my windowsills are already full. I was due (written in my diary) to sow leeks last weekend, but it was too cold, and I was too busy. THey probably won't be this weekend either, considering the forecast. ANd I was planning to plant a couple of early spuds in pots this weekend. but not now.
I NEED spring!
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tomatoes showing the beginnings of their first set of 'true' leaves, onions slow but coming up, brussels and cauli likewise. today sowed sow broad beans in pots as cannot get them in the ground and don't envisage doing so for a while yet!
will be thinking about sweet peas soon.
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I bought my seed potatoes and onion sets today. I'll start sowing a few things indoors next weekend.
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Finally made a real dent on my box of seed packets.
Last week I sowed:
french beans (about five varieties)
Peas (six or seven varieties)
tomatoes (six varieties)
Leeks (two varieties)
Onions (red and pickling)
chard
sprouts (two types)
loads of herbs
kale
and planted four charlotte spuds in bags.
At the weekend, a few tomatoes, quite a lot of different basils, and some french beans had germinated.
(at least this time I labelled everything!)
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yesterday, i sowed two varieties of tomatoes, celery and celeriac, and a variety of herbs. yes, i do realise some of them say sow outdoors, but i did want to start them off indoors - just have to be careful to not disturb their roots when planting out. also, hopefully this will give me a good germination rate.
the books say not to sow parsnip indoors unless one can transplant them before the tap roots form - does anyone know when that would be?
also, not started on cabbages, broccolli or brussels - should i have?
svea
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Saturday I sowed:
sweetcorn, leeks, asparagus and tomatoes.
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Svea my seed packets on cabbage and broccoli say sow indoors between Feb and late March so you should be alright if you sow them soon.
Aqui, you have been busy! :)
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Jesse - it was such a relief to do! I love sowing. Those tiny little brown dried up things are so full of hope and life. I still find it amazing!
This morning my first chick pea had broken the surface and a few more basils and tomatoes too. Also a Lemon Balm.
So exciting!
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I got all my seeds out to see what can be sown now and nothing can according to the instructions so I breathed a sigh of relief. Most stuff says late April or May. Tomatoes for going outside shouldn't be sown til April according to all the packets so I'm a bit more relaxed now. I don't have much growing space so whatever I can sow direct is a bonus. Even the squashes I've got says sow in May so there's no hurry is there?
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Okay..........had a bliltz.......nicotiana (2 var), petunias, pansys, salpaglosis, silybum, phormiums, marigolds, basil (2 var), bee balm, chives, rue, lupins, larkspur,,,,,what else...maybe that was it. Watered my squashes with a watering can from above instead of below as I normally do, and within minutes they were all breaking the surface. Couldn't believe my eyes!
MUST get some more compost.
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EJ Do you buy your seed compost by the articulated truck load? ;D if there's ever a world shortage we'll know where it's all gone!
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hehehe Wardy. B&Q monster bales.
Forgot Salvias, cleomes, cerinthes and astrantia. ::)
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EJ - let me know how you get on with astrantia will you? I thought I had one from a sale last year but can't find it at the mo. It will probably pop up shortly somewhere. That's the trouble with me I never know where I put stuff :)
So if I can't find it I'd like to know if they're easy from seed.
Ta
Wardy
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ok, can i just say that my basil which i sowed on sunday night (!!!) has started coming up. quick or what?? also, the other (surface sown) seeds are starting to burst open and reveal teeny weeny green shoots (celery, celeriac, and a couple of herbs)
this is exciting stuff.
i try not to hover over them too much, just just ignore them, really. dont want to stiffle them in their development and make them die :o
svea
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Most of the seeds I sowed last week are coming up. The only ones that haven't are: Red Piper peas, Sugar Ann peas, pennyroyal, Italian Parsley, Golden Sunrise tomato. That is indoors. None of the things I sowed in the mini greenhouse have germinated yet. (but that's to be expected, I suppose!)
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tomatoes shot up on thursday night (24th march) - i am amazed. had thought that toms are a difficult seed to get going but appearantly not :)
and the first seeds on my allotment are the radishes, sowed 13.3, must have come up three days ago, maybe)
this is exciting stuff
svea
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Some of my sweetcorn are up, lettuce are up, one tray of toms that's been in the airing cupboard are up, and I think a few leeks have poked their heads up too. ;D ;D
Today I have sown some more sweet peas, cucumber, peppers, and one variety of my aussie pumpkins - Queensland Blue.
Nothing from the asparagus yet :-\
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EJ - do you find cleome difficult to germinate? I never get better than about 30%, despite making sure of a sharp temperature dip at night. Any tips?
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hmmmm Simon, well, this is the first time I have sown them from seed, thanks to Ms Pinks, and the lot have come up! They are in modules, but just scattered, not individually sown, and were watered and have been happily residing in my greenhouse which is heated by night, but only just to keep the frost off. Have a packed tray full so tomorrow, Emma will be pr*cking out seedlings!
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Thanks EJ. :D
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Very first seeds sown on the new plot today! Parsnips.
By God they'd better thrive - hammering a bit of pipe in 15 inches, removing the soil and replacing with sand/soil (50:50 mix); took nearly 2 hours to sow 5 short rows!
Woe betide any other seed that thinks it's gettng that kind of treatment!
But it is a good feeling to have the first seeds in :)
All best - Gavin
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This weekend I pricked out: tomatoes (about 35-40 plants), basil (20-odd plants), other herbs, french beans (hmm - by the size of them I think I sowed them too early), broad beans and various hardy peas.
And then I sowed: courgette (two types), squash (three types), more herbs, some marigolds, asparagus. (maybe something else, I can't remember).
I've now got both south-facing windowsills full, plus the ironing board is covered, and I've had to move the lettuces on top of the fridge. Next time I sow or prick out anything, I'm going to have to harden off my peas. eek.
Not even started on the ornamentals yet!
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Ha ha Aqui - so that's what the ironing board is for!!!
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02.04.05
sowed half row of spring onions outside
garlic is up (probably been for a few days). first sowing of spring onions (13.3) reluctantly showing. lambs lettuce and spinach more so - none of them overwhelming at all!
sowed brassicas 27th march - all up within three days.
hmm, what next? need to consult the books, havent a clue what i should be doing next :)
svea
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Mixed a packet of rocket with some mixed lettuce and sowed them outdoors on the lotty today. Covered with fleece. Fingers crossed the slugs don't get em or rabbits or pigeons or frost ;D
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OK finaly starting to catch up with things:
Today sown or planted:
Lettuce (planted out)
Corn salad
Rocket
Raddish
Beetroot
Peas
Maincrop potatoes planted out
Prepared to sow undercover
2nd batch of tomatoes
Basil
Nicotiana
Half hardy asters
Morning glory (put into soak)
Phew! Still loads to do though!
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This weekend I sowed/planted OUTSIDE!!!
bed 2 had nine spuds and six broad bean plants. Bed 1 had a square of carrots, one of parsnip and radish and one of pickling onions. Seems like something has already germinated in the carrot and radish patches - although I bet they're weeds!
Moggle - I noticed last night that some of my asparagus has finally germinated! It's about three or four weeks since I sowed it. I'd given up on them and left them on the floor for a week or so and haven't watered them!
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Brill Aqui Let us know how they develop :)
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Sowed another load of toms this weekend, and some chillis and yellow peppers.
Cabbages, and brussel sprouts that I sowed last weekend are up already!
Moggle - I noticed last night that some of my asparagus has finally germinated! It's about three or four weeks since I sowed it. I'd given up on them and left them on the floor for a week or so and haven't watered them!
Have yours been inside or outside Aqui? If I don't get something soon, I am going to ask for a replacement!!
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Inside. On the window sill, until I gave up on them, when they were moved to the floor, as i needed more room (as usual!)
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Ah, mine have been in the mini-greenhouse, so perhaps they are just being slow :-\ Well it was hot enough in there for the sweetcorn to germinate ::)
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Indoor seeds now sown with the addition of some annual rudbekia (chim chiminee), and dahlias (coccinea sp mixed).
The last are to replace some older tubers that (at the time) I beleived to have died. I have since discovered otherwise!! ::).
Never mind. I like dahlias and the seed ones are of a different type to the older ones.
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Moggle - I noticed last night that some of my asparagus has finally germinated! It's about three or four weeks since I sowed it. I'd given up on them and left them on the floor for a week or so and haven't watered them!
Hurrah, I have finally got an asparagus seedling!! Only one out of 12 yet though :-\ Oh well one is good :D
I have quite a few brassica seedlings up now, and have sowed yet more toms - am supplying my mother-in-law and other family with some plants.
One of my aussie pumpkins finally emerged too, after about 2 weeks!
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24.04.
sowed spinach, three types of dwarf french bean, coriander, chives, parsley, parsnips, scorzonera, lamb's lettuce.
indoors: little gem and pentared lettuce in modules.
took all my brassica seedlings, celery and celeriac, and most of my tomatoes and moved them to the balcony for the day. 'forgot' to bring them inside in the night and they looked fine this morning. will leave them there for the next few days unless it gets very cold. nighttime temp last night was 9 degrees.
svea
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I forgot to say: sowed sweetcorn and melons last wednesday (in propogator on windowsill).
One sweetcorn was peeking through yesterday.
The radishes and rocket I'd sown on my potato bed have germinated.
Still waiting for the carrots, parsnip and pickling onions in the root veg.
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btw, how long do squashes, cucumbers and courgette seeds take to germinate? was thinking about putting them into pots indoors this week.
svea
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Svea - I'll check my diary when I get home tonight. Think it's about a week or so...
(I sowed mine way too early - about a month ago!)
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Last weeks sowings of morning glory, tomatoes rocket and radish (strange mix i know) are now starting to com e through. No sign of anything else yet. :(
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Oh ****. Sorry Svea, I forgot to look. I did read somewhere you're supposed to sow them 4-6 weeks before the last frost. So now is about the right time.
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on that note:
25.04.
sowed indoors:
pumpkin baby bear
squash vegetable spaghetti
squash butternut
courgette all green bush
courgette black beauty (got those seeds from my mum)
cucumber burpless tasty green
one plant of each. will see how it goes and then do a second sowing of the cucumber and courgettes in a few weeks, to stagger the harvest.
unfortunately my plot is small so one each of each variety of pumpkin/squash only :(
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On 24th and 25th April sowed:
2 more yellow peppers - 3rd sowing, none of the others have germinated :(
Craigella toms
Gardeners delight toms - second sowing of these, just a couple of backup plants
Connovers Colossal asparagus - many thanks derbex for the swap :)
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Today I sowed on the plot, mixed lettuce, radish, mini beetroots and turnips and I planted huckleberries and curly parsley.
Friday will be the turn of the kohl rabi, red cabbage, romonescue broc/cauli (you know, that fancy one that I can't spell) and spring onions. Plus, if I have time, I shall sow what I can where there is space. ;D
In the greenhouse today I will be sowing the last of my sweetcorns, runner beans, cobra beans, various french beans. ;D
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My asparagus has gone mouldy (or something) anyway it's not looking happy.
I sorted through my seed box yesterday and divided into things and need to sow and things I've sown already. They split fairly exactly in half. I have so much to sow still!
Thank goodness we're going shopping with MIL this weekend, so I can get more compost. (and then build some shelving brackets to double my windowsill space!)
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27.04.
my lettuce seedlings are starting to come up. not all yet, but about half. that was quick! :)
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My asparagus has gone mouldy (or something) anyway it's not looking happy.
Oh dear Aqui, that's bad :-\. More of mine have finally come up :) One even came up in a tray of celeriac! I have 5 or 6 weedy little seedlings now :D
Finally one of my chillies came up too - now just waiting for the yellow peppers >:(
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My second batch of tomatoes have been a disapointment. I sowed about a dozen from a fresh packet around 10 days ago. Only 3 have come up and it doesnt look as if the others are coming up any time soon.
They are of my favorite variety Gardeners Delight, sown to replace some of the first sowing that got either damaged or eaten :(.
I could tell a similar story with some basil and nicotiana i put in at the same time.
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Today on the plot I sowed 2 rows of beetroots and I planted spring onions, leeks and kohl rabi. Dwarf french beans - purple queen, were also planted out but protected under a cloche. Still have lots to plant but run out of time so quickly!
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Got the runner beans in a couple of days ago, along with some sunflowers. ;D
On the 'already sown, waiting to come up front' progress has been slow. Beetroot starting to appear, ditto some half hardy annuals in the conservatory.
Oh and FINALY my early spuds (planted nearly a month ago) are starting to come up too. ;D :o ::)
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today some moster plants appeared in the middle of their earth volcanoes - erm, i mean, my cucumbers, courgettes and squashes all came up today and have already grown about a inch while i wasn't looking :o
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STILL no yellow peppers >:( >:( But did a tomato tally today and now have 11 roma toms, 12 Gardeners delight, 2 red alert, 9 Craigella, 2 golden sunrise. Also discovered some yellow pear that I'd forgotten I had so have sowed a couple of them too :) Pricked out some lettuces, only to have a slug munch 7 of 24 overnight >:( Another one of my aussie pumpkins surfaced too. Sowed another bunch of sweetcorn as well.
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Had a busy weekend...
sowed indoors - another batch of three different types of dwarf french beans (yellow, green and purple ones), a second lot of sweetcorn (only half the first lot germinated), and some more french marigolds (one of the first lot popped up!)
Outside (in modules) - loads of different hardy periennials (including even more aquilegias!), some annual grass and other annual flowers, plus sunflowers (covered in fleece to protect against slugs).
Outside (in ground) - more radishes, beetroot, spring onions, pickling onions, leeks, more broad beans (my autumn sown ones have tiny beans on them and the spring sown ones are flowering already!!!), more carrots (that packet didn't go very far!) and I'm sure I'm forgetting something!
The carrots, pickling onions, radishes and rocket that I sowed outside two weeks ago seem to double in size every day over the weekend. I love this weather!
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Well finally things had to give, so on the plot today I planted out runners and climbing french beans - only half of each! Celery, celeriac and lollo rosso lettuce. Had a handful of onions sets left, so plugged all the gaps in the onion bed, dug up the last of the caulis and got another row of spuds in. And on Tim and Lishkas advice, a nice big block of flat leaf parsley joined the curly wurly stuff today. ;D
Tomorrow I shall be planted out all of my leeks, the last of the brassicas that are big enough, lettuce - alsorts and I think I will get my first 2 pumpkins in my mile high compost heap! Ava went poo collecting for me at the weekend and now my compost heap is stacked high with very fresh horsey poop. ;D
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Glad to hear of your poo pile is getting bigger. You can never have too much ;D
You'll love that flat leaf parsley - it's fab :)
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yesterday, sowed spring onions and a different variety of peppers indoors. two types of radishes outdoors.
today sowed leeks indoors.
not done much this weekend so far as we had guests.
i have checked on my sowings from two weeks ago:
beans: only the dark beans seem to have budged at all, only to be eaten by something - slugs? the two white varieties have not made any move at all. i may carefully remove some earth tomorrow to see if they are still there.... might resow some too. i am trying not to have to do them indoors, as i havent got any space.
scorzonera: some seeds seem to have germinated, but no plants visible yet.
herbs: chives starting to show whisps, no coriander, no parsley.
parsnips: nothing so far as far as i can see. how long should they take?
overall, i am a bit disappointed. i did spend two hours sowing that weekend, and got nothing to show for it just yet.....
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It's really cold though so I'm not surprised that seedlings are keeping their heads down :(
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My runner beans - sown just over a week ago, are starting to pop up. ;D ;D ;D Yay - my fave crop!
Not outdoors, mind, in cells in the greenhouse. I find they do better started off this way.
Sunflowers too, sown at the same time (day) are nealy all up.
Oh and surprise, surprise, the tomato seeds I'd all but given up on have now started to germinate too. Typical! Still a few later ones wont go amiss.
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Bright idea??
When you label you seed trays, add the expected germination date & you won't keep hassling the poor things!
Germination times can be found in many places - inc the 'Doctor's' book!
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My sweetcorn and beans are now popping up. And loads of the things I sowed outside are too.
But the rocquencroft beans have all rotted. bizarre - exactly the same conditions are the others. Thiis is the second batch I've lost.
My toms are still tiny. I'm getting VERY concerned now. I've even started feeding them in desperation.
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I would say no, no!!
If they're in seed or potting compost, that's enough!
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08.05.05
sowed 36 beans in paper pots (!!) as was disappointed with results outdoors - some of the beans had been eaten/attacked by bean seed fly, i think. this morning two beans from the outside lot were actually up, but it doesnt matter, i think i will have lost almost all of the outdoor sowing so will plant these out when a decent size (when would that be, people?)
also sowed indoors parsley, chives, coriander
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sowed red cabbage seeds and red brussels seeds in modules yesterday.
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This weekend I:
Pricked out all the brassicas I have to date - greyhound cabbage, normal and red brussells sprouts, and sprouting broc.
Potted up a few toms in to bigger pots, where I had pots.
Sowed some dwarf beans - Hildora (yellow) and purple teepee (thanks DP :))
Sowed marina de choggia and blue hubbard squash.
Lettuce that I sowed to replace the slug-munched ones are germinating too ;D (also think i found the slug responsible! He was as fat as my index finger, blergh :-X)
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Tim - really? But they are so tiny. How will they ever grow to planting out size in two weeks? Some only have one set of true leaves. They are normally about 1ft tall by this point. oh panic!
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Aqui - I have to say that things are being depressingly slow this year.
I thought it might be the new compost we're using. Pity, because it handles so beautifully. But we'll get there in the end!
As to fertiliser my thoughts are that, if the plants are not growing, they are not taking up & transpiring moisture & thus could not take up any more fertiliser than they have in the compost. That probably doesn't make technical sense, but it'll have to do for now!
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This weekend I planted out my cues, gherkins, pumpkins and Marina de Choggia squash. Did my baby sweetcorn last weekend.
Aqui, our toms must be twins! Mine are still indoors on the windowsill and although healthy enough, are very small.
Here in central London it's been deadly dull for most of the last fortnight which I'm beginning to suspect is the cause - not enough bright light. I might just put them outside in the mini-g as it hasn't been too cold lately. I wouldn't mind the clouds if they opened up a bit more often - my clay soil is cracking up again... and I know the feeling ;D
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Oh that's interesting Tim. I didn't realise. WIll stop feeding them and learn to be more patient. (I think it's after the blight disaster last year, I really want the toms to do well this year!)
Amazin - I'm in outer london. a few of my toms have been out for a little while (under protection) and seem to be doing fine. The temperature hasn't gone below 2C in ages and we haven't had frost for a month (touch wood!) And where does that rain go? My soil is so dry and I was running round the strawberry pots with a watering can this morning as they were wilting! (It rained YESTERDAY!)
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amazin,
i am in central london too and can't complain about the weather at all.
my toms have been out on my balcony for about three weeks now as they were growing too fast for my liking indoors - didnt want them spindly. they have done well, even though a few leaves here and there seem to either have a little cold damage, or scorch damage. all looking healthy. protecttion? these plants have one of two choices with me - luckily they prefer to be alive ;)
on the sowing front:
sowed sweetpeas this morning i got in a trade :)
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Reading all your posts it looks like one or two of us are sowing Marinas. Mine have not begun to break the compost year but fingers crossed. :)
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i now have nearly 30 runner beans germinated and growing. Hurrah!!
Some of my other seeds, sown indoors are now coming up too - a little late than never, and seemingly all around the edge of the pots they were sown in. ::)
Never mind at least they are up and growing. Soon have to start transplanting them. Fun fun fun! ;D ;D ;D
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Richard - 30 runners? OMG - you're going to turn into a bean!
(Sorry - just wanted to have post number 100!)
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Have my 3rd tray of kohl rabi through - slugs scoffed the last lot once it was planted out!
Have planted the last of my peas just to fill in the gaps where the mice helped themselves.
Also sown another selection of beans - have so many different ones to try like yard long, soldier, borlotti, cobra and many more. Already have half my poles at the plot planted with beans.
More sunflowers planted as the stems on half of mine split. Erractic watering I fear.
Pricked out more early purple sprouting.
Have acacia and banksia all germinated...now what on earth do I do with them!!!!
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kohlrabi in trays? hmm, interesting. :)
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Richard - 30 runners? OMG - you're going to turn into a bean!
(Sorry - just wanted to have post number 100!)
Thats OK aqui. BTW its nearly 35 now!!
There are 3 of us here - we all love our runner beans and try to grow as many as we can. Mind you when cropping is in full flow we dont have beans with something we have something with beans!! Have now gotten into the habit of freezing some for the winter. Not quite the same taste but still a little taste of summer in the dark days.
I grow these beans in a 3m x 1m bed, however if you think I grow a lot you should see the allotments near me in the summer!
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Today on the allotment I planted early pruple sprouting broc, florence fennel, 15 toms (under a double thick cloche I hasten to add!), and 3 sunflowers. I sowed 2 varieties of swede (never had any luck with these so this is their last chance), radish (bunny tail! cute name!!), beetroot and spring onion.
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Sowed some St Victor leeks last night :D These had caught my eye at Royton, when I was there for the potato day earlier this year. They have a purple/red tinge to the edge of the leaves :)
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Well if you're doing it EJ - I'll give some florence fennel a try this weekend. Going to sow them direct this year and protect from slugs, as well as some in modules (if I can find any spare ones!)
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Can't plant or sow owt up here in N Derbys. Really very cold last night - it felt decidedly wintery as I walked home fuelled with red wine ;D Today is warmer but the winds are drying everything up.
I have a note on my calendar which reminds us to sow parsnips today for those of us who haven't already :)
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ooo-thanks-you reminded me-parsnips! ;)
right-i bought some cauli plants at the plant sale today-anything special in the way of planting?i've heardthey are really difficult :(
anyone help?
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Funny this - my first sowing of carrots (mid April) germinated after two weeks. But second sowing (beginning May) seems to have failed. It's definitely got colder!
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Yesterday I sowed some borlotti beans and purple beans(thanks doris pinks :-*) and some yellow beans. Also sowed some tundra cabbages and some cauliflowers.
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Can't believe I forgot to say all I sowed...
About 10 different types of squash and pumpkin (thanks to Phil Cooper and Ruud) and about 15 different drying beans (thanks Ruud!) I only sowed one seed of each and even if they all germinate I still might have trouble squashing them in, but I'll find a way!
Also potted on the sweetcorn. Now have about 14 plants. Nearly enough!
And my tomatoes seem to be growing at last. But I won't hold my breath!
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not sowed anything this weekend, but planted out my celery, celeriac, brussels, cabbages, and calabrese. finally i am growing something besides brown earth.
btw, the celery and celeriac took almost two months from sowing to planting out stage - must make note of that. i was getting a bit impatient with them, i admit.
need to sow some kohlrabi though, urgently. hopefully today after work.
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Today on the plot I sowed some more carrots under fleece and some more radish under fleece. Did notice that finally things are germinating at I have a lovely row of mixed lettuce through, beetroots, spring onions and radish. Still nothing on the parsnips, and I haven't lifted the fleece to look at the carrots, but I am hoping this rain will have helped make up their minds.
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Great excitement for me as I picked my first radishes from under their cosy warm fleecy box. First thing which struck me is how much foliage there was. Do you think that was down to them being fleeced and will there be more tops than radish? Anyway couldn't wait and picked some titchy ones. My OH thought they were delish. I don't go mad on them meself. One of my lotty neighbours gave us some French Breakfast to eat which were massive compared to my pea sized ones. Oh well size isn't everything ;D
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s'what you do with 'em that counts-i know we are supposed to steer clear of salt but i dont think you can beat fresghly pulled radishes dipped in salt with brown bread and butter.....yum! :D
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I think I need to thin my radishes - they are way too crowded. (the seed was quite old, so I sowed them quite thickly expecting not many to germinate, but they did!)
The squashes and beans I sowed at the weekend are already coming up. The heated prop really helps!
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Dont know about anyone else but my outdoor sowings are SO SLOW! To germinate and grow that is.
Rocket and radishes are up and groing - but not much. Beetroot has been disapointing so far (I have to look verrry cloely to see what HAS germinated) and the corn salad virtualy non existent! (hardly managed a single seedling in two sowings - the first undercover).
Weeds are geminating and growing OK though ::)
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late yesterday (17.05) sowed
dill
kohlrabi and rocket
and the last chance for spinach. two previous sowings have completely failed. not a single seedling to be seen! so, if this one doesnt come up, i give up on the spinach for this year and will be growing something else in its place!
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My plotty mate was moaning about his directly sown stuff and what slow progress it was all making. We sowed his stuff on a lovely day and then we've had horrid winds and frosts since so it's not surprising. He'd recorded that last year his spinach was well up but this year's was hardly showing at all. I expect things will germinate if we have a bit on sunshine and warmth soon.
Ever the optimist :)
Wardy
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Today in the greenhouse I sowed 4 different types of french bean for a autumn harvest, selection of chinese greens, spinach (not perpetual), chard bright yellow, cauliflower, kale red russian, 2 varieties of red spring onion in bunches in modules and 2 varieties of lettuce.
Had to stop as I ran out of room thanks to the size of my aubs, peppers, chillis and toms!
Have another batch of peas, 'twinkle' just breaking the compost in their modules, so will plant those out next week.
This is all to fill in the now vacant area left by my onions and shallots, and the soon to be vacant area left by my early spuds! ;D