Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Bubbles26 on March 04, 2015, 18:13:33
-
Hey,
So it's now March and we have a plot in Bedfordhsire.
What should we be sowing/planting now? Everything says from March or 'in the spring' but do they really mean it lol
Thought I would see what everyone else is up to to get an idea. Like has anyone planted their first earlies yet?
Thanks :) :)
-
Broad beans; zebrune onions; leeks and tomatoes in modules and pots to germinate.
I have 60 jermor shallots in the ground (I was given 80 by my niece!!! I asked for about 20) as well as garlic. Potatoes are chitting in the second bedroom.
I want to get the parsnip in this weekend and cover with plastic to warm the soil.
I sowed chives and spring onions in old drinks cartons and they are on the window sill for early pickings.
I am also sewing my garden socks so the wind does not get through the holes.
Enjoy your gardening
Bill
-
not planted anything outside yet as I live in yorkshire and it has been so cold but I have coverred some of the beds in plastic to warm the soil so hoping to get 1st earlies in on Sat
-
Hmm, sOunds like we are on the right track.
We have some shallots, onion and garlic in the ground and toms, spring onions and chillies on the windowsill.
When will everyone be sowing their first potatoes?
-
It's still a bit early for most seeds, but I'm thinking about what to put in. Brassicas can go in once it warms up a bit, and broad beans any time. I haven't planted them yet because I've damaged my back and want to give it a bit more time.
-
Hi Bubbles26.
I first sowed potatoes many many years ago. I stopped it when my dad told me that broadcasting wasn't the thing to do.
I usually plant my potatoes about Easter, but I might leave it to the following week this year. It will depend on whether I can get on the soil without compacting it.
Still sewing my gardening socks.
Bill
Enjoy your gardening
-
When will everyone be sowing their first potatoes?
If you plant them early they will be up early and you will have to protect them from late frosts.
I plant the earliest earlies in Bags (the first were done mid February) in the warmth, when they sprout into the conservatory (doesn't fall below 10C this time of the year) and then the greenhouse a bit later on ...
... that enables me to plant my Earlies outdoors a bit later
I then plant a few Earliest outdoors ... and then the rest a couple of weeks later. In most years the last frost is early enough I don't have to protect them at all (well, usually I have to earth up a bit to cover foliage, but that is trivial compared to having plants a foot above ground and trying to protect them with grass clippings when fleece will not be enough ... it maybe only happens once of twice a decade that we have a frost late in May, but if the foliage is tall by then, due to early planting, it will be hard to protect).
You can plant your 2nds and Mains at the same time - "Early" refers to the length of time the plant takes to mature, rather than the planting date. 2nds and Mains will take longer to get above ground, and then grow more slowly, so are less of a frost risk in that sense.
-
I'm in Harrow, London and will be planting/sowing broad beans, onions and first early potatoes in a couple of weeks time, weather permitting.
-
Just had a look at what I sowed last year at this time and (in addition to the above) I also sowed kale, brussels and cauli in short rows directly into the greenhouse soil and all came up nicely.
I also sowed coriander (two batches from two different packets) and none came up. Perhaps it was too early for coriander.
My overwintering outdoors rocket has been eaten down to stumps by "something" (deer? we have muntjacs coming into the garden). All now dug up and transplanted into the greenhouse. I have late sown salad crops as well in the greenhouse, but now is a good time to buy a living salad punnet, separate the lettuces and plant into the greenhouse for a catch crop before the tomatoes need the space. Or plant under a cloche.
This is also the time of year where windowsill growing is a good idea. Cress is easy and sprouting beans, especially Mung and adzuki beans. Pea shoots are a good idea for indoors/conservatory/windowsill growing. Sow cheap marrowfat peas from the dry food shelf in the supermarket (not expensive seed packets), sow thickly and snip the greens once they are a few inches high. They can be cut several times.
-
Hi Ya, I have just sown Tomatoes, lettuce, aubergines and cabbage in pots in the greeen house. We are still getting frosts so wonderde how you protect your seedlings. I have mine in trays and in a mini g/h with flecce and plastic cover. I find this easier to heat with a small frost beater parrafin heater. If you sow direct into the g/h soil galina do you cover them? I have two cold frames down the plot I could sow direct into them. I haven't had a look at my sowings for 6 days now so will have to take a peek today. Happy gardening
-
Cucumbers sown last Sunday and put on a sunny bedroom windowsill are up already after a few sunny days! :happy7:
-
Hi Ya, I have just sown Tomatoes, lettuce, aubergines and cabbage in pots in the greeen house. We are still getting frosts so wonderde how you protect your seedlings. I have mine in trays and in a mini g/h with flecce and plastic cover. I find this easier to heat with a small frost beater parrafin heater. If you sow direct into the g/h soil galina do you cover them? I have two cold frames down the plot I could sow direct into them. I haven't had a look at my sowings for 6 days now so will have to take a peek today. Happy gardening
Lezelle, no I don't cover them, they come up when they want to. And this year I have sown some caulis into trays (unheated gh not covered) and they have just sprouted. All my peppers and tomatoes are indoors though, even the conservatory is too cold at the moment, but soon they can go into the conservatory once they have been transplanted into individual pots.
I should think sowing brassica directly into cold frames would work fine.
And Happy Gardening to you too :sunny:
-
I sowed broad beans in a cold frame yesterday and covered the potato patch to warm it up (I hope!). Rocket and Mizuna in cold frame 10 days ago and the rocket has come up! Also cabbage, onions and leeks started indoors. Well, my fingers got itchy and I had to do something for the plot!
-
I find rocket slow to germinate :glasses9:
-
I'm off to Tenerife for a few days so it I am waiting for a week. Going to shove some Red Alert toms in before I go and when I get back - Plant all the seeds!!!
-
Hi all, tahnks for your response galina, I have always sown outside but now you have given me a new idea. I have not considered sowing this early with no protection before but will give it a go. Thanks for your idea. :happy7:
-
The soil is very cold and wet so, since I was getting impatient, I sowed some leafy stuff on Tuesday - salads, parsley, rocket, cabbage and kales - in trays that are now in the unheated greenhouse. Next on the list are broad beans, toms and chillies but first I need to clear space on the sunniest windowsills and clean my heated propagators. Still far too cold and wet to be thinking of direct sowing root crops.
-
Thought I would discuss my sowing in pictures;
Broad Beans & Sweet Peas in Cold frame:
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd27/tgalmanac/7th%20March%202015/P1240887_zpsrei5n5ke.jpg) (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/tgalmanac/media/7th%20March%202015/P1240887_zpsrei5n5ke.jpg.html)
Potatoes Chitting:
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd27/tgalmanac/7th%20March%202015/P1240886_zpsiau7ykad.jpg) (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/tgalmanac/media/7th%20March%202015/P1240886_zpsiau7ykad.jpg.html)
Onions and a few perennials;
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd27/tgalmanac/7th%20March%202015/P1240885_zps3whaafqd.jpg) (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/tgalmanac/media/7th%20March%202015/P1240885_zps3whaafqd.jpg.html)
Hot bed containing pricked out Tomatoes & Peppers plus various under propagator lids e,g Sweet Peppers,Chillies, Antirrhinum,Petunia,Aubergines and a few more!
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd27/tgalmanac/7th%20March%202015/P1240884_zpsochkdilf.jpg) (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/tgalmanac/media/7th%20March%202015/P1240884_zpsochkdilf.jpg.html)
Closer look;
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd27/tgalmanac/7th%20March%202015/Hotbed_zpscnddfzpq.jpg) (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/tgalmanac/media/7th%20March%202015/Hotbed_zpscnddfzpq.jpg.html)
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd27/tgalmanac/7th%20March%202015/P1240881_zpsfrggkos8.jpg) (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/tgalmanac/media/7th%20March%202015/P1240881_zpsfrggkos8.jpg.html)
-
Looking good! I'm curious to know what's in the pot in the middle of the coldframe?
-
I'm curious to know what's in the pot in the middle of the coldframe?
Its a rather poorly charm chrysanthemum that was getting in my way in h greenhouse.
It might survive, I was hoping it would send up some basal growth so that I could take cuttings, but I am not very optimistic!
-
I nipped down to the plot for the first time in ten days - I did my back in - and planted a few Welsh Onion and Everlasting Onion. The latter is known for not seeding, but it does happen occasionally, and someone sent me a seed head recently. I have more seed of both, but it should work with the temperature rising slowly. Crocus tommasinianus is in full bloom.
-
Sorry to hear about your back Robert I have been there and I think I know what you are going through.
I was lucky to get an operation that cured it!
What I found that that helped was keep the small of the back covered up, particularly when I was bending over and my clothes tended to ride up to part or fully expose this area of my back and allow the cold in!
Even now after all these years I still wear either a thermal vest or long tee shirt during cold weather, as I never want to go through that again!
However I am Glad to see that you are on the mend!.....Tg
-
When I was out in the Far East midrift-warmers (as underwear, rather than overwear) were popular. I don't think I've seen them/much over here?
Nearest I could find easily on Google was this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/hippsy-ORIGINALS-kidney-lower-back-warmer/dp/B007XYZOUM
-
When I was out in the Far East midrift-warmers (as underwear, rather than overwear) were popular. I don't think I've seen them/much over here?
Nearest I could find easily on Google was this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/hippsy-ORIGINALS-kidney-lower-back-warmer/dp/B007XYZOUM
Looks like a boob tube that slipped a bit :tongue3: Not wanting to advertise but my ancient thermal Damart undies are indestructible and still do good service after many years. But I appreciate the bigger size (having slimmed a bit since I got them) because everything stays tucked in better.
BIL got injections which have helped him a lot (not sure exactly what he got). I had referred backache and could not walk more than a couple of hundred metres. An NHS physio sorted me out and I still do the exercises and haven't looked back. I am glad you could have a successful op Tee Gee. Back ache is miserable. Don't give up Robert, there must be a solution out there for you too! All the best. :wave:
-
A book: "Treat your own back" by Robert McKenzie is worth a read.
-
I'm curious to know what's in the pot in the middle of the coldframe?
Its a rather poorly charm chrysanthemum that was getting in my way in h greenhouse.
It might survive, I was hoping it would send up some basal growth so that I could take cuttings, but I am not very optimistic!
Ah well, nothing ventured..!
-
Looks like a boob tube that slipped a bit
Yup, that's exactly what they looked like! For anyone with Damarts they would be fine, but personally I only wear Long Johns / Thermal underwear in perishingly cold weather, whereas this "kidney tube" :) could be worn at any time that the back should not be exposed to wind etc.
For me it my neck, if I go out without a scarf I have to turn my whole body to look sideways for a couple of days :(
-
Thanks, everyone. I've now planted potato onion 'Green Mountain' seeds which arrived in the post yesterday. Seven lines of TPS went in yesterday, and are now sitting on the windowsill. three more arrived this morning, and will join them shortly.
-
Yup, that's exactly what they looked like! For anyone with Damarts they would be fine, but personally I only wear Long Johns / Thermal underwear in perishingly cold weather, whereas this "kidney tube" :) could be worn at any time that the back should not be exposed to wind etc.
For me it my neck, if I go out without a scarf I have to turn my whole body to look sideways for a couple of days :(
I wear leggins under my jeans and they are, I suppose, similar to Long Johns. I always wear a vest this weather and make sure that they are long enough to cover my backside si I don't have a gap of bare flesh exposed to the elements. I have a few vests from Damart but bought a pack of 3 or 4 vests from Lidl for £5. They aren't thermal but they are warm as well as being long.
So far I have only planted peppers, chillies, melons and tomatoes and they are indoors. The problem is that I am running out of room!
-
I have some tomato seedlings three days after sowing, a few chillies, leeks and onions are up, and I'm planning some TPS over the next few days.
In the garden my broad beans are growing (I need to sow some more so I can see if there really is a difference between autumn-sown and spring-sown beans), shallots and garlic are getting established, and apparently last year's spinach has seen fit to give me a million little seedlings which I was not expecting!
-
So far I have only planted peppers, chillies, melons and tomatoes and they are indoors. The problem is that I am running out of room!
Me too... :BangHead: Does one ever make big enough light unit....or get big enough GH...NOPE! :BangHead:
I'm starting to call up all the gardeners that I've promised to get some plants started..they can take over now and I can have some more room!
I haven't started that much...chillies are growing now quite fast and looks like they need potting on soon... :sunny:
I've started pick out tomato varieties and I'm sowing them tomorrow.
Peppers and 'scarlet' cape gooseberries AND 'tall' gooseberries AND 'just' cape gooseberries all need pricking out. (yes, 3 lots of 'supposedly different cape gooseberries and they are all same'... :BangHead:)
Few sweet potato plants are now taken on in compost and the old 'spuds' are thrown away to make room for other things.
Tigernuts are just coming up :icon_cheers:
Water spinach are all up :icon_cheers:
Pop beans are growing well..they are in GH under fleece and now that they are in cooler conditions they look much better...they were growing too quick and spindly under lights..being in GH, although much cooler place, they've become stronger and better looking plants :icon_cheers:
I've got LOADS of broad beans sowed in pots :icon_cheers:
I've got several last years chilli plants in GH that survived winter in GH without any extra help from me... :icon_cheers:....BUT I've got already too many new chilli plants coming on...where am I going to put them all?! :BangHead:
Potatoes have chitted nicely and first earlies are ready for plantng as soon as the temperature is more kind for my bones..brrrr....not very warm..
-
Three more lines of TPS. That's Desiree, 'Diverse', Russian Blue, Russian Banana, Highland Burgundy Red, Amarilla, Violetta, Blue Belle, Skagit Magic and Kita Akari. Skagit Magic is the one to watch since it's blight resistant. Hopefully I'll be able to cross it with the others.
-
I'm hoping to add a few more TPSs to the seed circle this year, as I have a few varieties that are prone to setting berries.
-
Thanks, everyone. I've now planted potato onion 'Green Mountain' seeds which arrived in the post yesterday. Seven lines of TPS went in yesterday, and are now sitting on the windowsill. three more arrived this morning, and will join them shortly.
I'm on my 3rd year with Kelly Winterton's potato onions! The seeds he sent me only made one surviving onion in the first year probably due to the weather. I replanted it last year and it made 5 decent sized onions - unfortunately two of them rotted in storage but I've potted up the remaining 3 and they've made good roots in the greenhouse. If all goes well this year I should have 15 of them or so. With any luck I will be able to actually eat one to see if they taste any good next year (year 5!)
They are a brilliant concept - but growing them from seed and multiplying them up to a decent amount is definitely a labour of love.
-
Potato onion? That's a new one on me!
[Edit] Just looked them up and they look fantastic! Where did you get them from? I'm fascinated by all these "everlasting" vegetables and I'm planning a "perennial" bed when I get round to it.
-
Thanks, everyone. I've now planted potato onion 'Green Mountain' seeds which arrived in the post yesterday. Seven lines of TPS went in yesterday, and are now sitting on the windowsill. three more arrived this morning, and will join them shortly.
I'm on my 3rd year with Kelly Winterton's potato onions! The seeds he sent me only made one surviving onion in the first year probably due to the weather. I replanted it last year and it made 5 decent sized onions - unfortunately two of them rotted in storage but I've potted up the remaining 3 and they've made good roots in the greenhouse. If all goes well this year I should have 15 of them or so. With any luck I will be able to actually eat one to see if they taste any good next year (year 5!)
They are a brilliant concept - but growing them from seed and multiplying them up to a decent amount is definitely a labour of love.
An interesting read and a real eye opener for me was Kelly Winterton's booklet, here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jnqst7-9YfWFovhqjARtcZZVJC0TPzKsow_5mdAwnyA/edit
My own experiences, here
http://www.growingfoodsavingseeds.co.uk/forum/breeding-and-genetics/new-channel/1902-giant-shallots
-
Giant shallot ... that's really a much better description! They used to be common in the USA, but are now quite rare. The documentation by Kelly Winterton is very detailed and well worth reading - he really has done a huge amount to get people growing them again.
He will generously send seeds out for a small fee to cover postage when he has them - but as they're deliberately bred so as not to flower then the seed is a rare thing! Each onion made this way is genetically unique and will have different properties. I know Kelly offers his onions to send to the USA, but is reluctant to send them overseas due to postage cost and international regulations on plant tissue.
My aim is to keep multiplying mine up as they seem to divide well and make onions of a decent size - with the aim to have enough for myself to eat and keep growing (I really really hope they taste nice!) - and hopefully I will eventually have enough to share them around and I'll definitely offer them here if that happens.
-
Shallotts will flower occasionally, but like a dummy I've always snapped the flowers off. I won't be doing that again! If it's grown from a seed, then if Kelly's experience is anything to go by, the descendents should be more willing to flower, at least for a few generations. Time will tell!
-
Lots of interesting reading there! I'm very interested in these potato onions, and even more so if they are the same species as shallots. If that's the case, any of us who grow shallots might be able to save seeds and breed our own giant shallot varieties (or share the seeds with others for breeding).
-
Kelly Winterton says that he's tried it with shallotts, with similar results, but I haven't tried, yet. The behave in the same way, but relationships among alliums aren't always clear. I don't doubt that shallotts are just a type of potato onion, but what's the relationship with ordinary seed onions? I'm wondering whether potato onions are just an onion which has been selected for clumping and vegetative reproduction, while seed onions have been selected for seed production and single onions.
-
Wikipedia says that ordinary onions, shallots, and potato onions are all the same species, Allium cepa.
I think you're right and it's just that they've been selected for different things, kind of like how beet has been selected for beetroot, leaf beet, and chard.
-
Lovely day in Durham so planted some over-wintered rocket.
-
Lovely day in Durham so planted some over-wintered rocket.
Rocket and cress are so nice to have at this time of year. :wave:
-
I'm very slow to get going this year but I've just sown a variety of TPS, Celeriac Giant Prague Improved (from the Seed Circle :icon_cheers:), Hablitzia Thamnoides. I've been potting up some Ullaco, Yacon, Tiger nuts and Oca.
-
I need to pot on the peppers from the seed parcel - the piquantes and barons are jumping out of their modules.
And sow some beetroot, chicory and more spinach. Getting very impatient with this chilly Spring!
-
Hi all, early spuds are planted undercover on the lottie, with Sungold potted on and coming along nicely on the kitchen window sill. :wave:
-
Today potting up mixed cherry plants, tomatoes sown 2nd week of March. Sown yesterday, chillies Rocoto Aji Largo, Espelette, Fish, Black Hungarian, Caldero F5, and from the Seed Circle Aji Fantasy, Trepadeira Werner, Piri Piri, Lemon Drop, Alberto Locotto.
Another a bit late - Aubergines, Noong Ta Klong pea, Thai Lavender Frogs Egg and Diamond.
Also Pepino,
Tomatillo Plaza Latina Giant Green, Cisineros and Amarylla.
Naraanjilla
Tree Tomato
-
Beautiful day today 23C in the back garden this afternoon and 35C in the greenhouse!!
I planted up some more french beans and runners. The Broccoli (Raab) and purple sprouting went out in to the hot raised bed and I put some french beans out in to the raised bed too.
The toms are coming on in the window sill - black cherry, tigerella and ailsa craig.
Chillis have been slow to get going but the seeds might have been from the year before last. I bought some plugs from worldofchillis.com so they should arrive soon; tabasco, chi chien, chinese space chilli & thai demon. Can't wait!
-
Just spent a cold afternoon on the plot which is looking too brown for my liking. Came home and sowed some Celery, Celariac (never had much luck with them - but this year...), swede, turnips, spinach, cabbage, brussels and potted on some broccoli..
Some early spuds in buckets in the ploy.
Still slow but the toms are ok on the window sill with the chilis, aubergines looking a little sad. Happy to be growing new varieties of toms and chillies. Big Mama might be nice for paste as might Jersey Devil. Big Thai, Birds Eye and some chillies imported from Thailand are looking good and hopefully will be fruity as well as hot. The Trinidad 7 Pot Jonah is the slowest growing thing I have ever done! Hopefully will pick up once we get some light and heat.
Really still waiting for that Spring explosion and I'll be ready when it comes!
-
Just wanted to say how useful this thread is for not forgetting stuff to sow - so thanks for sharing. Spring has come really early here this year, first swallows arrived mid March and all the allotment neighbours are busy planting. My wife came back from the market on Friday with 7 tomato plug plants' 4 aubergines, 6 mixed peppers, 12 lettuces and about 100 onions all for €5 so I'm sowing a lot less, it's just doesn't seem worth it for the standard stuff.
Will be sowing melons and cukes in the propagator tomorrow and have some lemon grass waiting to come up. Beetroot, carrots and mixed salad leaves sown outside today, parsnips just beginning to show and the grape vines are just beginning to show some life.
-
Hi, I've just earthed up some container spuds in my back garden.
Sungold Toms coming along
Rhubarb on lottie really coming to life. :sunny:
-
Crosses between Dorbenton's kale and broccoli, and replanting everlasting onion seed. Welsh onion and Green Mountain potato onion are coming up strongly, and I'm wondering whether the everlasting onion seed is viable, but I'll give it another try.
-
Beautiful morning and planted last of onion sets, planted out some cauliflower plants, sowed some Japana radish and planted out a third of a row of spinach plants. Not bad and all by 9.45. Just love this busy time of the allotment year.
-
Beautiful morning and planted last of onion sets, planted out some cauliflower plants, sowed some Japana radish and planted out a third of a row of spinach plants. Not bad and all by 9.45. Just love this busy time of the allotment year.
Ohh...spinach! ...thanks for the reminder...I keep forgetting and the packets won't get used... :icon_thumleft:
Well...all spuds are done, broadies planted, sown loads of kale...broadcasted straight into bed and many varieties together so can get rid of some in bulk (...I keep hoarding too much....). Sown carrots...parsnips...planted few fruit bushes and trees (more to go yet...)...lot of brassicas sown in GH...and and...huh...it is all go! :sunny: