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Allotment/Veg patch thread 11 'We bid farewell to rainbow leaves but will keep plotting along'

987 replies

bookbook · 08/09/2017 20:17

Well, nights are drawing in, leaves are starting to turn, harvesting carrying on
What a summer it has been!
Join in with the ups and downs of growing our own into autumn.
Last thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2951768-Allotment-Veg-Patch-Thread-10-Plotmenters-busy-into-summer-and-loving-James-Wong?msgid=71770088HERE

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126
UnaOfStormhold · 18/03/2018 07:27

I must also stop buying plants! But, erm, where did you get the perennial cauliflower from?

tizwozliz · 18/03/2018 08:50

Heaviest snowfall of the year so far for us, about 5 inches overnight and -2 right now with more snow falling.

My intention was to put the potatoes out in the shed for chitting, but think it might be a bit cold there. Probably going to stick them in the pantry instead.

bookbook · 18/03/2018 10:19

Morning !
snow yesterday, more snow overnight = no plot today. I still have a couple of crown prince squashes , so one of those is on the menu for tonight :)
Una I got my perennial cauliflower from Victoriana Nurseries , ( the only supplier at the time) but they haven't done as well as I would like - more like large white sprouting broccoli in truth , but they are hanging in there. They need to do well this year to make it worth the money they cost , but they are supposed to last for up to 5 years.
Nope, still not sowing stuff !

OP posts:
SerendipityFelix · 18/03/2018 11:23

Una I’ve ordered from Victoriana, it wasn’t expensive though, I expect it’s a baby at the moment and perhaps price has come down now. It’s also called 9-Star Broccoli so I am expecting more of a chunky white sprouting broccoli than what we usually think of as caulis.

SerendipityFelix · 21/03/2018 08:11

Just popped down the plot before work and it’s all frosty! Greenhouse was nice and snug though. Just dropped off a few things and had a wander around. Itching to get going now, wish this cold snap would hurry up and get gone!

PostNotInHaste · 21/03/2018 15:24

Found second hand summer house which I helped collect today. Is very very heavy and as the guy who helped me said ‘ it won’t blow down when up’ I anticipate practically moving in really ! Met very nice lady there who is on her first year there. Said it’s been a rollercoaster with the plot getting very wet but it’s her favourite place in the world. Am getting to know a couple of the old boys there who are very helpful.

Got my date to see Consultant which is mid May so do actually have a fair bit of time and can slow down a bit. Next step is to get shed base down, shed up, guttering on and water butt down there. I’m hoping to make path edging from old pallets but trying to work out best way to dismantle them. Local tree surgeon site says free wood chippings and I have some membrane. Also have some 2 x 1 left so thinking of making a fruit cage. In my head it’s a case of it isn’t rocket science, bet the reality very different !

No seed sowing happened yet as am hacked off with the weather.

SerendipityFelix · 21/03/2018 17:03

Summerhouse for shed sounds lovely! Sounds like it’s all coming together nicely.

I’ve been thinking of making a fruit cage since I got the plot 18 months ago! I’ve planted curranty/berry things all in one corner and one day will build a structure around them. One day! Probably a project for next year. This years project is compost bins and clearing the shady area at the top of the plot (fig, elder and hawthorn trees so am planning on underplanting with shade tolerant things like mint, blackberries, horseradish, wasabi, comfrey to make use of the space).

UnaOfStormhold · 21/03/2018 17:13

Wow Post, you're really motoring ahead! Love the thought of you sitting in your summer house watching your plants grow.

RhubarbFizz · 22/03/2018 07:40

Post that sounds amazing!

Going to do my first sowing of the year this weekend, using my small heated propogator. Not sure which seeds to start first - tomatoes/cucumber/cucamelom ( something new and fun for my children)/butternut squash/crown prince squash or courgettes!! Must remember to label well after a disaster last year!

SerendipityFelix · 22/03/2018 08:11

Rhubarb I’d start with your tomatoes, they’re the only ones from your list that I’ve started so far! The rest on your list are all curcubits, I’m not planning on starting most of mine for another month or so. I’ve sown melon (also curcubit) and they have come up really quickly and quite strong, I think I’m going to have trouble keeping them from going leggy before the weather is good enough to get them into the greenhouse (mine is unheated).

I’m disappointed with my peppers & chillies Sad obviously tipping over the propagator didn’t help and about half of the ones I rescued have since died. Those that are surviving are not exactly thriving. I’ve sown a second batch but they’ve not come up yet. Watching YouTube one of the allotment vloggers I follow had some lovely young chilli and pepper plantlings on her windowsill, I was very jealous! I think next year I’ll start them in January rather than Feb. I might look at ordering some plants later on this year. Pah.

Tomatoes, melons, aubergines looking good though. Going to start pricking out/potting those on today I think, and sow next batch of seed - basil, okra, perhaps some other herbs and salad greens. I’ve got a new batch of labels for my label maker, i forecast a happy afternoon of playing with plants and labels ahead!

Oh and tea plants arrived! They look to be strong plants which is good as they weren’t cheap. Weighing up potting them on indoors or in the greenhouse, not sure.

CrabappleBiscuit · 22/03/2018 08:28

Am I too late to sow chillis? It’s been so cold and I have limited window space s9 haven’t down anything yet...

brownelephant · 22/03/2018 08:29

tea plants sound intriguing.
we are going to move house in a year's time, so am taking lots of cuttings. don't know yet if we will have a proper garden...

gussyfinknottle · 22/03/2018 09:45

Planted chilli only last weekend. Cold here too. To tip to prevent leggy seedlings is to put crinkled up foil behind them. I have some seedlings in vermiculite in loorolls in a make shift tray ( old sainsburys brownie plastic box Grin) in a crinkle foil lined upturned shoe box. Despite the tongue twister explanation, they are doing well.
Also put a mini wall of crinkled foil behind some planted seeds so they get what light and heat is going in my patio.

TheHoundsofLove · 22/03/2018 10:27

Serendipity My peppers and chillies are doing okay, but they are soooo slow growing aren't they? I can see now why people start them in January.

Crabapple You do need to start them asap. In comparison to any other plant I have ever grown from seed, they are monumentally slow.
Having done a bit of research online, several sources say they should be fed even from the seedling stage. I assumed they would be like tomatoes and only need feeding once flowers were visible, but maybe some weak feeding might do them some good? I've got a surplus of seedlings, so might try an experiment on half...

TheHoundsofLove · 22/03/2018 10:40

I suppose that what they really need is some nice warm, sunny weather, but it is currently snowing here!

gussyfinknottle · 22/03/2018 10:55

Take a look at Project Diaries on YouTube. He's just started a series on germination temperatures. Think he's based in S.England.
All his vids are excellent.

bookbook · 22/03/2018 12:28

Hello!
everyone busy busy :)
Post - the summerhouse sounds amazing- glass so room for sowing I would think?
Weather has been a roller coaster here , but today is lovely, so I have spent the morning at the plot. Picked veg, and started moving manure to mulch the autumn raspberries - only 4 wheelbarrows so far, but it gets the cardio exercise in early ! I finally cracked and dug up my sad celeriac - once again, something of a failure - I will not be trying again , it doesn't seem worth the effort
I am considering sowing leeks and tomatoes this weekend - leeks in cold greenhouse, tomatoes in the house . Though I have heard the weather is not good for Easter weekend - hopefully they have it wrong ...

Allotment/Veg patch thread 11 'We bid  farewell to rainbow leaves but will keep plotting along'
OP posts:
SerendipityFelix · 22/03/2018 13:37

Book nooooo! Don’t say that I have the long Easter weekend earmarked for lots of plotting!

Hounds interesting idea about early feeding. Doing a bit of reading seems they need potassium more than nitrogen, I have some kelp powder in the kitchen, might try making some weak kelp juice for them! I’ve pretty much mentally given up on them so what harm can it do.

tizwozliz · 22/03/2018 14:53

Just had a couple of hours in the garden doing various little bits.

Weeded the fruit bed, although a bit claggy for weeding still, but needed to get the stuff out that was in amongst the rhubarb. Pleased to see that the raspberry cane that went in last year has survived the winter and the strawberries too.

Herb box pretty much unscathed too - up until last year all our herbs were up against the house and I was concerned that they might not survive in a less sheltered spot.

Turned over the raised beds, left the self sown leek for now. Will need topping up before I plant out but I'll wait to do that otherwise the local cat population will see fresh compost as their personal litter tray. Angry

Allotment/Veg patch thread 11 'We bid  farewell to rainbow leaves but will keep plotting along'
tizwozliz · 22/03/2018 15:00

And I just need to take some measurements, but if it will fit I'm going to buy one of these for the raised bed

www.aldi.co.uk/gardenline-seedling-cloche/p/082249199599600

Cedar03 · 23/03/2018 08:27

Nothing doing here plotwise. I did peer over the fence last weekend when it was snowing and had a quick look but that's as far as I've got.
Hope it will be dry at the weekend so I can get some work in. It's raining again at the moment and I haven't looked at the forecast for the weekend.

We've left our seed potatoes in the shed and I meant to look at the them the other day to see if they were OK but forgot. Hope it hasn't
been too cold in there for them. We didn't get the real extremes of temperatures that some parts have had but it was cold.

My strawberry plants were delivered a few weeks ago. I had to shove them in pots and put them on the window sill. They're looking decidedly sorry for themselves but hoping they'll perk up when put in the ground. When it gets warm enough!

TheHoundsofLove · 23/03/2018 12:56

If anyone is looking for rhubarb, I ordered 3 Timperley Early crowns for £9.97 from Hayloft the other day. They came today and I'm really pleased with them - lots of healthy looking shoots. The weather looks okay tomorrow, so I'll hopefully be able to get them in the ground.

bookbook · 23/03/2018 14:12

Hounds - good price. Thats my thug variety, and its almost ready to pick , but will wait until the bad weather has gone.
Cedar - I think strawberries always look sad at this time of year - all brown leaves and hard twig bits from the runners. They will soon perk up I'm sure - they are tough little things .
tiz - looking lovely !
I cracked a bit yesterday and sowed leeks, a few summer cauliflower and a very few aubergines. I am trying a new variety called 'Jackpot' , which is supposed to be an early cropper, as well as vigorous and spineless. I'm not sure how they measure vigorous - last year, mine were triffids

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Cathpot · 23/03/2018 14:45

Just catching up on everyone’s news. I’ve not planted yet outside due to tidied chickens and crazy weather but very pleasingly some peas are coming up in the greenhouse. Cheered me up as the weather is horrid today. Chillies and tomatoes are up on tissue paper on windowsill but I need a dry spell to pot them up now. I’m trying cape gooseberries this year . Any ideas where to get cheap hoops to support netting? The odd shape of our raised bed has defeated my attempts so far

Cathpot · 23/03/2018 14:45

Rogue chickens. They have never been tidied..

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