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.

@planningaheadtoday Wow! Impressed with those tomato seedlings from fruit. I've got a few just germinating from some Tesco's cherry tomatoes. Don't expect a great deal but hopefully will get some fruit off them.

Happy Easter everyone.

it's nice seening everyone's pics.

Joining in. I always grow tomatoes and in the past have grown a fair bit of other veg, but life events mean I haven't done as much over the past few years.

Lockdown is giving me the chance to go for it again, and I also tried a trick recommended on a thread here, and overwintered the side-shoots left on my tomatoes at the end of last year. They're now in pots, growing on, and huge! I'm pinching out the new side-shoots and propagating from those, so I should have a decent haul by the time they need to go into the greenhouse (growbags arriving this week, thankfully from the only local garden centre that's still delivering).

Great to see so many new veg growers. It's a brilliant thing to do.

@Brillig clever tip with the tomatoes!

I need to get cracking and sew some more seeds, finally found some compost (at a local fruit & veg place) so can make a start. My tomatoes and peas indoors are doing well; last year we mainly did flowers but this year will be concentrating on things we can eat!!

Our allotment site seems to be closed haven't had any official word but the gates to the car park are always padlocked.

I ordered compost from B&Q using their click & collect service, had an email acknowledgement saying it was ready, drove down only to find that it wasn't ready at all... a very apologetic lady from the store was having to explain to everyone that they are completely snowed under and that orders aren't actually ready unless someone from the store has phoned you to let you know. All available staff have been diverted to pick, pack, deliver to cars etc and no-one ever answers the phone, but having seen how busy they were I can understand why now! I guess it's a combination of nice weather, people being stuck at home and probably the store having people off sick too...

If you pinch out the side shoots to overwinter the tomatoes how to you keep them from growing over the winter? Will it not be too hot to stop this in the house but too cold to leave them outside?

Joining-great thread. We have been enthusiastically growing seeds but haven’t been great at labelling so who knows what I have?!! I’ve hit some Choi sum, pak Choi, lettuce and carrots in the beds at home. DS has just requested some strawbs and raspberry plants and given up some garden play area for these so will give them a go.
We have an allotment too but are newbies and don’t really know what I’m doing-will use it as overflow for the random seedlings and see what happens...!!

Ihavenoidewhatsgoingon I kept them in a little pot of water - they rooted very enthusiastically! I kept it topped up all winter so they didn't dry out, and the foliage stayed green. A few weeks ago I took the rooted shoots out and potted them up into compost. They've all survived and seem to be thriving, I'm really pleased it's worked (so far, anyway).

Oops, should have added....the foliage didn't grow, or not by much - the trick I think is that the sideshoots (which were quite hefty to start with - I took decent-sized ones) root in the water; that's where all the action happens over the winter. I kept them on the kitchen windowsill. They've only shot up since I potted them on.

Thanks @Brillig I will try that this year

I had the kids very enthusiastically help with my seed sowing, which means most of them didn't get labelled! I've managed to identify most of them as they have got bigger but please can you help identify the seedlings below:

1. is it a chilli or aubergine?

2. could be courgette, squash or pumpkin! (If not courgette then I need to get these down asap!)

Thank you!

Joining this thread - really interesting read. I've got more time to devote to pottering now.

I've got summer bulbs in pots, plant seeds in a DIY propagator, couple of trees in pots and I've over-ordered lavender and am trying to reclaim a small patch of an embankment that is a challenge to put it mildly.

We have been enthusiastically growing seeds but haven’t been great at labelling so who knows what I have?!! Don't eat any really feathery leaves until you've learnt to recognise carrot seedlings

@livingthegoodlife 1) looks like chilli. Chilli have smooth shiny leaves, aubergine leaves are downy, and even when tiny have a matte look.
2) You're spot on with your answer You can't distinguish at this stage.

@MereDintofPandiculation thank you! But I think I'm going to plant a few courgette in case these turn out to be pumpkin (or squash). I'd be sad if I didn't have any courgette this year!!

Homeschooling included tubers today! My y1 and y6 children listened attentively (ha!) to my inexpert thoughts on why some trees produce their flowers before leaves, and other more herbaceous plants need to use energy gained through their leaves to be able to produce flowers. We didn't actually get on to the bizarre logic of earthing up potatoes, but no doubt that conversation will come.

16 Swift first early, 4 Nicola second early, and 5 oca tubers in this 1.2*2.4m bed (yes, edged with reused concrete paving slabs!).

I needed a pick axe to plant these lavenders in. I'm hoping they'll take in such a hard to cultivate slope. I can't get to the crab grass without nearly falling.

If the lavender doesn't take, what else could to do here? I tried membrane and stones last year but membrane broke down and stones slid off.

That looks like tough terrain. Lavender is pretty easy going, especially where heavy sun & drought are concerned. Good luck! My other suggestion would be alpine plants for a sort of rockery garden?

Don't you just love gardening as a topic for homeschooling! Today we learnt about runner beans. And planted out the ones we planted a couple of weeks ago. My kids are keen "waterers" which suits me as they help lug water from the water butts up to the veggie garden.

You could try semperivivum (cobweb cacti and allies) and sedum. Designed to cope with lack of water, which looks like it could be a problem there later in the summer.

I'm having a lovely time getting into gardening now I have the time, but I went way to early on my runner beans. I sowed them early march and now they're obviously quite big. Should I plant them out and keep my fingers crossed, or start again?

Hips I would harden them off, put them out and sow more as back up if you have extra seed.

@MyHipsDontLieUnfortunately depends on where you live and what the frosts are like. Mine are also quite big so i planted mine out yesterday. Fingers crossed they'll be ok even though it is a bit early. My garden is quite sunny and sheltered with a large wall on one side so I think is fairly warm. If I was in a more exposed spot then I might wait.

Don't know if that helps really!

Thanks both. They're in; we'll see!

First year of growing potatoes. Have some in a bag that have reached about 20cm so “earthed” them up, but what now? Do I keep doing that or is that it?

You keep doing it until they reach the top of the bag (several times) to get a full bag of potatoes. When you get to the top of the bag let the potato flower, keep watering and then let the green foliage die back.

Only after that are your potatoes ready to harvest.

Thank you @OverTheRainbowLiesOz that makes sense.