Have I sold 16 people a pig in a poke?

[PiggyPokkyFool]

Name changed as this is very outing.
The facts: Saw YouTube video about growing tomatoes from a slice of tomato, had some v tasty cherry ones from supermarket so planted 3 slices with low expectations. 3 weeks later, 54 seedlings, transferred to larger pots expecting to lose half, 52 survived - nearly all grew looking super healthy - had 49 tomato plants. Couldn't possibly use all so planted some, gave away some and had 28 tomato plants left. Got the bright idea of selling them on our local group for 50p each - sold all bar 3 which I offered some to my much older, much wiser chum and he said " Oh, no thanks as they are probably F1s so won't produce anything". Have I sold 16 people a pig in a poke? Never mind friends who think I am a great grower

I think they work on the basis that you are growing everything outside, and tell you if it can be grown only under cover. Remember to read the general blurb at the top of each page which gives growing instructions. They're a very helpful bunch, so I'me sure they will tell you if you email; on the other hand, it's a small outfit, so you may not get the answer very quickly.

Have a look also at their monthly seed sowing calendar, and the article on autumn and winter sowing.

Or you could ask on here!

Guidance please wise garden gurus. We are having building work done so some plants are in the way. One is an old and beautiful rose bush.

I've taken cuttings (wrong time of year but no choice). Have used rooting powder and a mixture of in potatoes and not, in the ground and in pots covered in polythene (to be kept inside).

Any hints or tips to increase chances of success? It's a beautiful retro 1960/70 s rose that's deeply unfashionable right now but I love it.

Any help appreciated

Sorry I can't help, something has to work from all the different opportunities you've given it! I would think, though I know nothing

Useless with Roses so no information or help from me - sorry.
Today was the day of cutting back, pulling up and last collections. Hundreds of tomatoes collected - maybe 50 red and ripe, 150 orange and getting there and 300 green and currently beside the bananas.
Cucamelons, french beans and alpine strawberries still producing so I have left them but cut back/ pulled up all the cucumbers, runner beans, blackberries and raspberries. NOT my favourite time of year - though I have had great success with 'regrowing' lettuce by putting the stalk in a dish with very shallow water - can't believe how easy it is and in 7-10 days it has grown a bunch of new leaves. Just need to get on top of the micro green now!

Ooo, you just reminded me about the hydroponics piggy must get onto mine!

I am so going to do that with lettuce, thanks for the tip.

Do you have photos to brighten up thread on these wet grey days?

Eaten some of the ripe ones since yesterday @buddinggrower but here's all bar one bowl that I picked at the end.
The lettuce is very clever and you get lovely little crisp heart leaves.

Some are under the fruit bowl for the ethene benefit, some on the window cill for the sunlight benefit and some are just chilling on the counter - we will see which ripen the fastest and I'll update.

Lovely cheery photo of your autumn harvest

I buddy up in tue fruitbowl too, but I need to look into the open fruitbowl which can extend its reach to beneath!

Lettuce...must keep that in mind, I love crispy leaves..such a great tip. Thanks

Ooh how does the lettuce thing work ? Can you do it with supermarket lettuce or does it have to have a root? We are having a new kitchen and one r d will be shelves so I can do hydroponic lettuce and herbs and a place to start seedlings. Have a lot to learn !

You can do it with a supermarket lettuce - so say you have an iceberg and you just have the base and a leaf or two left., cut the base off a bit where it is brown and put the remains of the base in shallow water and it will regrow.

🎃🎃Just come to post some pumpkins and ghouls 👻👻👻👻 about the place...awaiting the real things, in the spirit of the spooky season 🎃🎃

👺👺👺👺

Saw you over there BobTheZombie

Hi all, autumn well and truly has its grip now with wind, rain and falling leaves.

I am doing the sprouting and wondering if anyone else has and how you've got on?

Heres a pic of my first batch, but do I eat the whole thing, or cut off all the sproutey bits?

Not as colourful as all the lovely gatherings of late summer, but life nevertheless

Also, when to harvest exactly? Should there be ful leaves or just lots of stems?

@PiggyPokkyFool
@BobTheDuvet
@EssentialHummus
@any!

This thread keeps falling off "my" threads, thank goodness for your tag budding. I think you can rinse and eat whole (or I do, anyway), but try and see how you prefer it? Have a google first in case I'm inadvertently poisoning you .

@buddinggrower - I don't want to leave you hanging but when it come to this I can only echo my previous post:
Sprouting? That is the expression we used growing up for one someone started to get boobs ( yes that is what we called them - if anyone had said the word breasts we would all have been appalled).
I do know a little more now but not enough to give advice but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon.
Re-growing lettuces are flourishing!!!!
How is everyone?
Sorry I've been missing for a while - we had a mad week of Unis wanting more info from DD1and then a bit of a holiday over half term, then DD1 lost her lovely lady one to one that she visited weekly at the care home and there was work, DD2 etc. and the time flew by.
Tomatoes are now - ripened/ripening nicely or in the wormery - some made it and some didn't. I picked the last of the french beans last night and what I suspect will be the last two strawberries, 15 cucamelons and 2 raspberries. S'berries and cucas were in hanging baskets which definitely extends things.
Keep us all posted with your efforts.

thanks for replies

Well I would be happy to eat the whole thing, but I am wondering about the bean type things. They're like mini kidney beans, haricot maybe?

They might be poisonous I suppose as many legumes need long soaking and boiling but surely that can't be so for sprouting seed packets or people would be dying!

budding You eat the whole thing (they'd be quite boring if you didn't have the contrast of texture and flavour), which is why it's always worth checking before sprouting. You should be Ok with something sold for the purpose, mung beans are also OK, and, according to the internet, chickpeas. The pea family is a dodgy one - some things are poisonous (eg laburnum), but garden peas can be eaten fresh from the vine.

Dried beans need soaking and long cooking to get some water back into them and soften them enough to be palatable - the bit of the process that deals with toxins in the bean is the 10mins brisk boiling at the start. So if you felt really scared you could give the sprouts a brisk boil. You'd lose all the texture though!

Yours can be eaten from any time now onwards - you don't wait for leaves.

Bob the trick with beansprouts is to keep them next to the sink or a washbasin - somewhere you'll see them several times a day and it's a minutes work to rinse. I should have said this before but I assumed other people were more together than I am.

I'm also trying to overwinter sweet peppers - a small rather odd variety needing a long season and bearing mini-fruits - I didn't give it due care and attention (didn't get round to re-potting it mid season) so it's only now producing fruit,

I have eaten some mouthfuls! Very earthy tasting and fresh and crisp. More importantly, lived to tell the tale!

Thank you for all the tips, can't actually believe it works so easily!