The 2015 Allotment / Veg Patch Thread Part 2

[agoodbook]

the previous thread is just about full, - well done spotted so welcome to everyone interested in growing their own veg!

Previous thread is here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2282529-The-2015-Allotment-Veg-Patch-Thread-its-here?msgid=53650520

Does anyone grow celery? I bought some plug plants on impulse the other day then realised I know absolutely nothing about cultivating them .

I'm bringing my courgettes indoors to the propagator to try and get them to germinate, 10 days in the greenhouse has not done the trick.

Woohoo! All of this germination chat has encouraged by courgettes and squash, and my purple beans and there has been more emergences overnight. And my cucumbers are up too, tho once again I may have left them a day too long in the dark airing cupboard. No signs of the cucamelons yet, and the overwintered roots I think came to nothing.

Off to plot for a few hours today to hopefully finish off digging out my path. I left a large expanse - and many piles of - mud, so i expect the return of the Quagmire after yesterday's heavy rain.

WhoKnows - that's exactly what I did, try my courgettes outside then give up and bring them in.

No to celery for me. I like most veg (good, as I am veggie), but I HATE celery and celeriac. And don't really like peas. So selfishly, I don't grow them.

I love celery, eat it all the time. It's the sweet veg I don't like, parsnips, sweet potatoes, squashes etc.

See, they are my favourites. I have a ridiculously sweet tooth, even for veg. Which is why I am so excited about my squash seeming to be growing!

I know nothing about growing celery but want to try growing it next year.

It's ridiculous how pleased I get about seeing a little green shoot appearing in a plant pot!

Hope to pop over to my plot later to see how things are doing after all the rain we had yesterday - good for the plants but hoping for not too much slug damage.

i'm the same as you whoknows. i haven't grown celery ever, but i love it - celery with strong cheese is wonderful

My courgettes finally germinated after 3 weeks in the greenhouse, but only after I brought them inside into the attic and put them directly under a window. They are quite long and leggy though so maybe I need to find somewhere sunnier now. Sweetcorn also germinated, although not all of them. I reckon I'll get about 10-12 plants though and that's more than enough to start off with.

I have some King Edward potatoes that were only delivered from JPARKER a couple of weeks ago. I had put them in an egg tray to chit but nothing has happened. What do you all reckon? Should I not delay any longer and plant them out anyway or have I missed the boat and just forget about them now?

I'd get them planted TheDiet, chitting isn't essential.

Courgettes have been brought back into the propagator, alongside the cucamelon seedlings, which really are too small and vulnerable for the greenhouse at the moment, I've lost a couple, and French marigolds which are getting slugged. I'm thinking of sowing some of those straight into the ground in a couple of weeks time.

I'm confused about marigolds. Apart from all being pretty, which k neon es are good for what?

And that should read: ...which ones are good for what?

i sowed them indoors though, in april

Unless your house is warm all night though, it is still cold at night. I know it is annoying but French Beans are very tender indeed. In April, even if warm enough indoors to germinate, they need light and may grow too long to be sturdy enough once they go outdoors.

Marigolds - all marigolds give off pheromones that can keep pests away - but the French ones are the ones that are used for companion planting mainly. If in doubt, any marigolds will do.

and calendula are no longer in that family, is that right? Do they have any benefits in the garden?

I tried to grow pot and french marigold from seed. The former germinated but are soo slow. The latter, nothing. So I think I'll buy some.

no i get that alternative - but they were fine earlier last year, anyway, so i must have got lucky

my french marigolds will also be used to make natural dye from the petals

Natural dye?! I think that can be a project for another year!

What do you dye with your natural dyes? Why other ones do you grow?

i dye wool and other animal fibres, usually handspun (though not by me) for knitting/weaving/crochet. i don't grow anything else, though i would love to, but i just don't have the space for indigo, woad etc. but i have used elderberries i've collected, onion skins, turmeric (not very colourfast), henna, walnut shells, and lots of different barks

no i get that alternative - but they were fine earlier last year, anyway, so i must have got lucky

Last year we had about two frosts all winter. This year we are still having frosts in May.

Thanks WhoKnows. I rushed and planted them straight away. :) Just finished now. Hope it's not too late though.

Alternative these are broad.

Do strawberries need a lot of muck?

Afternoon.- warmer today, thank goodness!
Just back from the plot -. Put up all the netting for the brassica cage, ready for me to mend properly on Sunday- a lot of tears from wind damage, and chewing from pesky rabbits, but the hard work is done. All the wigwams up ready for beans. Planted out plug beetroot .
Its very dry here - could really do with some rain.
Also, had a quick look at the fruit bushes- and not only are there lots of flowers , but berries are setting - just shows those insects are tough little things . So here are a couple of pictures of one of my redcurrants (please ignore weeds! ) hope you can see :) spring really is happening

violet - it took me so long to write and upload my post, I didn't see yours!
I don't put muck round strawberries, I did put muck on the bed 3 years ago before I planted it up .
Your broad beans can be planted straight out in the ground - they are very hardy - mine germinated in the ground in February/March under fleece, but they should be fairly quick if you do some more now - you have time, it will just be a slightly later harvest, thats all :)

Thanks, dshas some strawberry plants to put in his (instant) garden. They're in flower.
His garden is also the herb bed so not fed at all.

Won't hurt to put a bit of fish,blood and bone in while planting if you have any