2020 new Gardeners’ thread

[FoolsAssassin]

I think there will be a lot of people this year looking to grow veg and things generally. Thought I would be goof if those of us who have been growing for a bit could help those getting started,

I’m far from expert but a few allotments over the years and I know there are lots of people on here who are far more knowledgeable than me. So if anyone has any questions please feel free to ask and will see what we can do.

Nothing in the courgette or sweetcorn. Is it too late now, has the chance passed? I have more seeds so could try again differently... if I knew what I did wrong! I sowed my courgettes yesterday. 10 days is a bit early to give up hope, especially with a large seed like courgette. Probably nothing you did wrong, just that the weather wasn't the exact combination that the seed wanted. I find germination rates are either 100% or 0, not much in between.

I've never kept cucumbers or tomatoes in the dark. AS soon as there's any sign of germination you need to get them out into the light.

Thinking of planting out a herb garden on the front, does anyone utilise their front gardens At my last I house I made a parterre filled with herbs. It was lovely weeding it, different scents depending on whereabouts you were weeding.

Those saying "it's too late to sow seeds" must be in the south. It's still too early to sow outside here in Manchester area. Still playing chicken with frost.

There’s a really easy way of sowing sweet corn where you soak it for a few hours then keep on damp kitchen roll in a lidded Tupperware for 3 weeks or so. Then plant out. I’ll attach a photo from the video I watched on it!

We had frost in SE last night.

I’m in the south and have planted very little as still very cold. It was 0 degrees during walk this morning and ice on the cars. No hurry, things will catch up.

Yes it’s definitely too cold to plant out - I found that frost map handy someone kindly shared and going to wait 3 weeks but it’s nice seeing seeds germinate and I’ll be planting most things at intervals anyway for longer supply.

What a great thread! I've been making copious notes.
I'm converting my son's homemade clubhouse to a greenhouse by taking off the walls and roof and covering the whole thing in polythene. It's sitting on a slightly raised wooden deck so it will all be container planting including one very big wicker planter. Do I need to insulate the decking boards or will it be warm enough without? I'm in Edinburgh so fairly cold and windy much if the year.

Does ‘planting out’ include in a greenhouse or are seeds ok in there do you think?

I have most of my seeds germinating in an unheated greenhouse, but some in our warm kitchen which need warmth (from memory my indoor ones are cucumber and melon but also beans as I love seeing them pop up with such vigour!
I read you can also plant some root veg out for example and just pop a glass jar over as a cloche to protect anything .

Fartlek I’m sure that would be enough to keep the frost off but I am not experienced, looks like a good job!

I've made three square raised beds and filled with compost ready for planting seeds. Tomatoes, carrots and little gem lettuce. Could I plant seeds straight outside if I cover the planters with old window frame/picture frame? Will it be warm enough now?

Such a shame it isn't a little bit warmer! We've squeezed some more seeds inside the (warm) kitchen for now. We planted pumpkin seeds yesterday and the DC are looking at them keenly every hour to check when one is appearing

I’m with them, i last checked my broad beans just before bed as find it so exciting !!

Extracted some red and yellow pepper seeds from the fridge, will see what happens! On shed windowsill under polythene.

@FromIbizaToTheNorfolkMaud you mentioned smaller nurseries. I would love to support a smaller nursery but am completely new to my area and don't know where I might find them! Is there a website that might list nurseries? Thanks

My courgettes and squash are in a plastic greenhouse and haven’t sprouted yet. My cucumbers (inside) haven’t either.

I do have mixed lettuce and peas just starting that we’re out straight out.

Sown purple sprouting broccoli and dwarf beans today. Feel well out of my comfort zone with seeds but just giving it a go.

If they don’t sprout do you just leave them and keep them from drying out.

Some seeds like being soaked first - not essential but sweet corn , courgettes , courgettes, squash , peas and some beans I think.
They don’t seem to like staying wet though - my experiment into using mole hill earth to sow seeds didn’t always work as one broad bean rotted! The earth did look very wet and heavy though

Timebean look at your local Facebook pages, people are posting who are delivering on mine.
Fartlek given where you are then if you have things to insulate then you could do. Not essential though, just start later,

Nothing frost tender is going into my greenhouse for a bit as it’s a bit rubbish. Things like peas and lettuce are fairly hardy. Tomatoes cucumbers, courgette, sweet corn much less so.

With the weather having been as it is things won’t have germinated fast, it still gets cold on a kitchen window sill at night. Just keep slightly damp and wait and see what happens. I am not sowing cucumbers or courgettes until the middle of the month but I do go a bit overboard on the cautious side these days.

The weather is improving I think this weekend and this morning my phone is saying 7 whereas few days ago it was 0 at this time of day. There is something called horticultural fleece you can put over seedlings in greenhouse when it does get cold at night. For those of you with a big greenhouse I have made a smaller more insulated bit inside before with something similar to a plastic greenhouse and fleece and got some chilli plants through a cold spell.

Have been hunting around and found some breeze blocks and an old it of window so am going to make a cold frame from those. Do have a look around and see what you have. Bamboo sticks tied together with twine and covered with plastic can make a temporary cloche to warm the soil if you can find a way of securing so it doesn’t blow away.

Can we have a quick chat about compressed coir ? I do have some and will no doubt have to press it in to use but I find it so difficult in use as it dries out in a flash .Or possibly it's just the surface that dries out ?

I'm not intending to sow seeds as I always fail ,though I might attempt some flowers .

Should I mix it with something ?

*I'm not intending to grow any veg from seed but might try flowers

Nice thread. Today I gave put 6 chitted spuds in a planting bag, sown kale and runner beans. Just germinating indoors I have Swiss chard, beans, pea shoots and hopefully courgettes. My toms are up to seed leaves. I may have gone a little mad as I only have a small yard. I also have strawberry runners to plant properly. I hope the sun comes out soon.

Nice thread. Today I gave put 6 chitted spuds in a planting bag, sown kale and runner beans. Just germinating indoors I have Swiss chard, beans, pea shoots and hopefully courgettes. My toms are up to seed leaves. I may have gone a little mad as I only have a small yard. I also have strawberry runners to plant properly. I hope the sun comes out soon.

Hoping for some warm gardening weather this weekend, I've 12 strawberries to plant out. Currently all reported (from bare roots) and in the conservatory, think I may keep a handful in their for early fruit.

Have repotted my tomatoes 'minibel' which will stay in the conservatory.

I've got a few more chitters (shop bought) potatoes to plant in a pot and seed potatoes arriving. However kind of less enthusiastic about potatoes now that I have so many ready to go into the ground. Then again with disrupted supplies of rice and pasta (inc GF) I guess potatoes could be pretty crucial.

Will sow some more broad beans. I have french beans and runners to sow too, but think it could be a bit cold here still (Yorkshire).

No sign of life yet from the outdoor sown lettuce, spinach, carrots or beetroot. Think I was a bit over keen

I'm hoping to get going with seed sowing at the weekend, as we're promised mild weather in the south. This'll be flowers, as I'm leaving the veg up to DH. As part of my efforts to avoid single-use plastic I've reused most of my seed trays so often that they've disintegrated so will be repurposing the containers from last week's (delivered) takeaway.

Good news here - beetroot now has two little purple-y green shoots! (From M&S seeds, in the conservatory).

Thanks for all the tips, apologies for having no advice to give!