Seeds on the go

[Miss Creant 10]

I was planning on a sowing weekend this weekend. A day in the shed is just what I need I thought. Real chill out time.

 

I live in S36 and much to my disappointment when I opened the curtains this morning there was almost a blizzard going on. The snow continued until the early afternoon. The snow started turning to slush and mist and sleet/ rain started sweeping through the valley it was just dreary.

 

Still tomorrow is another day.

[sancocho10 10]

Hi - I just wondered if anyone has any experience of growing stock? I don't know why but I fancy some fragrant pots etc. - I think everyone is dreaming of summer with the grotty weather we have at the moment. Are they difficult to grow from seed and could they stand being blown about a bit??

 

Thanks....

[Miss Creant 10]

They are easy to grow and if you live in a windy spot you could when you plant them out place some twigs in amongst them then you can support them with string or twine very unobtrusively. Would also suggest some night scented stock nowhere as showy/pretty but the scent on warm summer evenings can't be beaten.

 

Good luck.

[sancocho10 10]

They are easy to grow and if you live in a windy spot you could when you plant them out place some twigs in amongst them then you can support them with string or twine very unobtrusively. Would also suggest some night scented stock nowhere as showy/pretty but the scent on warm summer evenings can't be beaten.

 

Good luck.

 

Thanks for replying! - I'm going to order some seeds right now before my enthusiasm wains..

 

Cheers

[mc55 10]

I've just sown some globe artichokes in the propagator.

 

I put mine in today too - purple ones and green ones

 

Off the starting blocs at last - hurrah !!

[Dirty_Doris 10]

Can anyone recommend a site to buy jerusalem artichokes?

checked on amazon but it's £5 delivery...

[Miss Creant 10]

Can anyone recommend a site to buy jerusalem artichokes?

checked on amazon but it's £5 delivery...

 

This drives me barmy.

 

Last year I was loiving in Leicester they have a great market. I paid 50p for a large bowl of jersaulem artichokes planted half ate half had a terrific crop.

 

I fully expected to be able to do the same in Sheffield market. To no avail. I have had to get mine through a catalogue.

 

If you have any friends in Leicester I suggest you be nice to them. Otherwise if you have an allotment other growers may be able to give you some tubers.

 

The only good thing about all this is that however you get them as long as you are staying put you will never have to buy them again and by next year you could be helping other folk out.

[Dirty_Doris 10]

Cheers Miss Creant,

 

I ended up geting some from the 'organic garening catalogue', works out about 50p cheaper than on amazon.

 

Ah well, looking forward to the anti-socail smells...

[cparsons 10]

I've sown my first seeds of the year today. I've got basil, rosemary, chives, mint, flat leaf parsley, curly parsley, corriander, thyme, chilli, gardener's delight tomato, roma tomato, white icicle radish, kale, beetroot, musselburgh leeks, snowball turnip, salad bowl lettuce, little gem lettuce, hundred weight pumpkin... I think that's it!

 

I don't really know what I'm doing but I'll give it my best shot. I've only got a few cells of each, not really sure how many I should be aiming for?!

[Annette K 10]

Broad beans, mange tout, peas, artichokes, broccolis & cauliflowers planted at the end of January and they are all doing really well.

 

6 types of tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes & peppers started yesterday.

 

Already in full florish a selection of herbs in the kitchen.

 

Really looking forward to the sun making an appearance and the allotment days to start. Feeling very optimistic.

 

Oh potatoes are chitting as we speak.

[rothschild 10]

Apart from my potato's chitting I haven't even started yet.

 

I intend to get the peppers sown this week though. I've learnt from previous years that unless it's an early crop or one which needs a long growing season then it's often better to wait that little bit longer. This is because the daylight hours increase and help towards reducing the liability of leggy seedlings.

I'll probably sow some sweet peas this week as well........and lettuce....and........errrrrr....oh eck! Loads of other things!

 

I notice a few people say they've sown radish seeds. May I ask where? Are they straight into their growing spot in the garden/outside container, or in seed trays indoors/greenhouse?

I've only ever grown them in-situ and then thinned the seedlings out. It's still a bit too cold to do that yet though.

 

One job that I really have to do very soon is to wash the greenhouse down. It's quite green on the outside after the winter. No doubt the inside will also need a good clean/disinfect as well.

I can't close it all down fast enough once the season ends and the autumn/winter weather arrives. I would rather begin the season with a good clean then end the season with one. I know some people prefer to scrub everything down (pots included) before the winter sets in and every springtime I wish I was one of those people!

So thats another thing to add to my list.........pot washing and greenhouse cleaning.

My greenhouse isn't heated so I won't be needing it just yet but in another month or so I'll be fighting for space for all my seedlings.

 

Every year I plant up about 25 or so huge tubs/hanging baskets with all sorts of colourful annual bedding on the front of the house so you can imagine just how many plants that takes! I grow many from seed but I also cheat and buy about 100 or so tiny plugs which I then grow on.

The seed sowing and growing on takes place mainly in our unheated conservatory which is a bit warmer then the greenhouse and a lot more convenient at this time of the year. I do have a heated propagator though which is brilliant. It means that I can start things a bit later than normal. Eventually though everything needs moving to the greenhouse because the conservatory gets too hot with the sun directly on it. Thats when the fun begins. I'm usually struggling for greenhouse space but it's also too early to plant out.

 

On the veg front it's only runner beans in huge tubs this year but I will be doing toms and cucumber and other salad stuff as well.

I covered my veg plot over last year because it's become invaded with hairy bittercress. I blame that on the floods of 2007. We had a lot of water wash down the hills from the rough farmland above us and I think it brought all the weedseeds with it. I have tried everything to get rid of this horrible stuff and nothing's worked. The minute you try to weed it out it just seems to spread even more so in the end I decided to just cover it over. I think it'll benefit from being left fallow for this year as well.

It was getting a bit too much for me anyhow which is a shame. We've actually thought about putting chickens on there. We could have a nice set up there but I'm a bit reluctant because it's just something else that I would have to look after and I'm not getting any younger! I think I'll stick with the heavy duty weed supressant for now. At least it's far enough away from the house so as not to be seen.

 

I've enjoyed reading this thread and now I've added my bit as well. I'm definately going to get cracking tomorrow now.

[Bonjon 10]

Well i've seeded lots of stuff this weekend, but only small amounts of each(apart fromp eppers and chillis which I had to sow my full crop of due to their long growing season). I will be doing some more sowing but into the month this means I can have things going into the allotment at different times and means succession, and it gives me time to prepare the allotment bed by bed instead of doing it all at once....again.