Going to Seed

Runner Beans & Cucumbers Cold Greenhouse

Cucumbers & Peas Cold Greenhouse

O.K. so having trawled through hours of information on the internet, read dozens of gardening books & catalogues,  I've come to 2 conclusions about vegetable gardening.

1. The answers lie in the soil.
2. The weather controls almost everything, especially the gardener.

Well maybe 3, if it feels like the right thing to do at the time then do it. Easter Weekend is the traditional time, or so it's said for planting Potatoes. Well this season I'm going with the weather if I can estimate what its going to do from one day to the next. Can't complain so far this year as the following seed sowing "calendar" will show.

Main Crop Trenches Before Planting

After Planting (Desiree)

January: Mainly mild up until the end of the month.
 (Got my back & front gardens into shape after the Winter & actually mowed the 2 lawns, first time ever in early January) Planted a couple of shrubs & trimmed back various hedging.

DOWN THE PLOT:

9th January - Parsnips (Gladiator) sown, 1 x 15 foot row.  They are currently 2 inches (5cm) tall. Sown direct.
9th January - 140 Peas (Kelvedon Wonder) sown. All are growing well in deep trays.
16th January - 150 Peas ( Oregan Sugar Pod) sown. Most have germinated & awaiting planting out. In trays.
16th January - 40 Runner Beans (Enorma/Scarlet Emporer) sown 50% growing in cold frame 50% in cold greenhouse, awaiting planting out.

February: Very cold/icy until the middle of the month. 2nd half of the month slightly warmer up to 9 deg. C.
20th February - 30 Cucumber (Marketmore) sown.Growing well in cold greenhouse. 4 failures. In deep trays.
20th February - 30 Tomatoes (Gardeners Delight) sown. 20 growing well in cold greenhouse. In deep trays.
22nd February - 150 Cabbages (Spring Hero) sown. All doing well in cold frame. In trays
23rd February - 50 Oriental Cabbages (Questar) sown. All doing well in cold frame. In trays.
23rd February - 210 Cabbages (Landjeck) sown. All doing well in cold frame. In trays.
24th February - Leeks (Musselbrough) sown. 15 foot row. Showed through 3 days ago. In situ.
25th February - 60 Lettuce (Iceberg) sown. All doing well outside in trays with glass tops.
26th February - Early Potatoes (Maris Bard) sown 1 and a half 30 foot rows. In trenches.
27th February - 25 Cauliflower (All Year Round) sown. 2 inches (5cm) tall. In polystyrene box outside.
28th February - Carrots (Autumn King 2) sown 2 x 15 foot rows. In situ.

March: First 2 weeks of March cold again with heavy mist & fog, most daytime temperatures down to 3 degrees C, with a few exceptions.
1st March - Spring Onions (Ramrod) sown. 1 x 15 foot row. in situ.
6th March - Peas (Hurst Greenshaft) sown. 4 x 15 foot rows. Growing well. In situ.
8th March - Turnips (Purple Top Milan) sown. 2 x 15 foot rows. 1 inch (2.5cm) tall. In situ.
8th March ? - Maincrop Potatoes (Unknown) sown. 4 and a half 30 ft rows. Already through. In trenches.
12th March - 70 Peas (Hurst Greenshaft) sown. Just showing in cold greenhouse. 7 failures. In pots.
15th March - 100 Runner Beans (Enorma/Scarlet Emporer) sown. Inside sheds. In pots.
20th March - 9 Oca tubers (Oca) sown. Into pots. Being kept indoors.
21st March - Maincrop Potatoes (Desiree) sown. 6 x 30 foot rows. In trenches.
22nd March - Carrots (Norfolk Giant) sown. 3 x 15ft rows. In situ.

Onion sets, comprising Ailsa Craig & Stuttgarten have been planted on various dates in different locations around my plots. They are currently in different stages of development and no problems so far.
2 trays of Brussels Sprouts sown in February were a total failure in my cold greenhouse. 2 x 15 foot rows have since been sown direct.

Froggy is Well Camouflaged

Froggy Safe from My Spade

Mouse Shelter in My Shed (Or Always Keep Yer Seeds in a TIN)

An amazing 16 degrees C today. (Warmest day of the year here so far).

There's always tomorrow.

Thursdays Top 10 Tryouts (Or Show Us Yer Tips)!! 4

1. Many plot holders on my allotments are currently busy using rotavators & strimmers on their plots, but how many of them wear sturdy footwear & eye protection whilst doing so??

2. When sowing seeds remember the 3 basic rules, don't sow too early, don't sow too deeply and don't sow too thickly.

3. To prevent slugs getting into your pots/containers, smear vaseline onto the outside of the pots/containers.

4. Start thinking about making plant collars before its time to plant out your seedlings.

5.Here's another "organic" spray recipe against insects attacking your plants. Although it is not harmful to your health it will kill beneficial insects as well as the baddies. 10 garlic cloves, 10 small chillies, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1 litre of water, 1 teaspoon of washing up liquid. Blend, liquidize & strain. Add the liquid to a spray bottle to use.

6. Apart from the fact that the Marigold is a beautiful flower, why plant it in your garden or down the plot?
     (a) They will attract Butterflies.
     (b) They are a natural repellent of, nematodes & other pests.
     (c) They are beneficial to the health of Tomatoes, Potatoes & other vegetables.
     (d) Some species of Marigolds can be used medicinally.

7. If you are running out of plant pots/trays remember to recycle old plastic bottles & food containers as cheap alternatives.

8. If you are staking young trees use old tights or bicycle inner tubes, correctly tied to the stake & tree, to avoid damage to the tree bark.

9. This is the time of year to check your garden/allotment over & remove rubbish and other items that slugs & snails can hide under before they come out to attack your seedlings and plants.

10. Check the sharpness of your gardening tools now, well sharpened tools, especially hoes & spades need less effort to use if they are kept sharp.

Thursdays Top 10 Tryouts (Or Show us Yer Tips)!! 3

1. Now is the time of year to mulch & feed your fruit trees/bushes to promote healthy growth.

2.  If you have any plants suffering from Downy Mildew try the following remedy - mix 1 part milk with 9 parts water and spray the stems and tops of leaves with the solution. Reapply after rain. 

3. Although Tomatoes will flourish in most soil types, they will fare better in soil which has had well decomposed organic material added to it. Also add Tomato feed during the growing season.

4. When Planting Beans DO NOT plant close to any of the following, as they may have adverse growing effects: Chives, Fennel, Garlic, Leeks.

5. Got the space, but don't want the extra work, try planting a few perennials such as: Globe Artichokes, Asparagus, Jerusalem Artichokes, Welsh Onions, Radicchio (Biennial).

6.  When planting out your Brassicas add a small cube cut from a Rhubarb stalk to the bottom of the planting hole, this is said to protect against club root.

7.  If your Brassicas are being attacked by Caterpillars sprinkle flour over them, leave it overnight and rinse the flour & dead Caterpillars off, the following day.

8.  If the soil around your plants is dry to your touch, 3 to 4 inches below its surface, then generally speaking your plants need watering.

9.  Plant Basil close to your Tomatoes to protect them from, Whitefly, Aphids & Mites.

10.  Click HERE to get yourself a free gardening journal. Its a PDF file in a blank monthly calendar format, to print off, with monthly tips. I like this one because of its simplicity. It may be too simple if your an expert gardener.

 

Waiting for Oca

Last week the weather looked liked it would give us a glorious warm & sunny March. How things have changed in 48 hours. Shrouded in mist & fog for the last 2 days with the temperatures well down on last week, a visit to the plot yesterday was curtailed.
After sowing a few Runner beans & Sweetcorn seeds into modules & pots inside my shed, the cold, dampness in the air, wouldn't allow my fingers (and toes) to warm up so I left for home about 1-30pm. Several of my fellow plot holders were in attendance during the late morning, doing various tasks on their plots but most of them left early too.

Cabbages & Peas in Cold Frame (8th March)

For the last couple of weeks, up until yesterday, I have been busy sowing various seeds both outside & into various containers in my sheds & greenhouse. The lettuce I sowed outside a couple of weeks ago have already made an appearance. I sowed 50% under cloches & 50% in the open. Both rows germinated on the same day so in future, unless the weather is seriously cold, I will dispense with 1 more task, that of laying down covers to warm the soil over Winter.

Rhubarb Doing Well 1 Tray of Lettuce & 1 Tray of Cabbages Hardening Off (8th March)

All the Peas I have sown both under cover & in the open are doing well as are the Parsnips. My Rhubarb plants are looking in very good shape. I enjoyed a nice Rhubarb crumble at the weekend with 4 stems from 1 of the plants. 28 out of 30 Cucumber seeds sown into pots in my greenhouse are coming on well as are the first batch of Runner beans and Tomatoes. Several trays of Cabbages are well on their way but no luck with the Brussels Sprouts that germinated a couple of weeks ago. Although I have not had any damping off yet, it seems that the sprouts don't like being sown in good compost, so last Sunday I sowed another 2 rows directly into soil in my Brassicas bed.

More Peas & Cabbage in Cold Frame Runner Beans in Pots (8th March)

Most of my fruit bushes are budding at the moment and the Strawberry plants have a good amount of new growth on them. The Onions don't seem to mind either the colder temperatures or the changes in temperature and seem to be developing merrily away. No sign of any Carrots popping through yet though, except for the few that were sown last October.

Goji Berry Plants "Greening Up" (8th March)

Yesterday, against my better judgement I ordered some more Carrot & Lettuce seeds and also some,
(new to me), Oca.
Oca is from South America (The Andes) and is similar to Potatoes with a hint of Lemon taste. The tubers can be eaten raw, roasted, boiled, fried, steamed or mashed. As they are late developing (harvest from November to December) and don't suffer from diseases associated with Potatoes, if I have any problems with my spud crop then the Oca will hopefully be a welcome addition.

Gotta go now & water some seedlings in the greenhouse. Wishing you good germination & warm weekends to come.

There's always tomorrow.

A Thought From The Cree

 Only after the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you understand that money cannot be eaten

                                                

Thursdays Top 10 Tryouts (Or Show Us Yer Tips)!! (2)

1. Save your used tea bags/leaves & coffee grounds & add them to your Strawberry patch as a feed.

2. When its time to cut your Cabbages, make a X shaped cut in the end of the remaining stalk, this should re-grow giving you some extra greens.

3. If you use Hens eggs keep them in a container in the kitchen, they will keep longer than in the fridge.

4. To test an eggs freshness put it into a container of cold water, if it floats its gone off.

5. Try spraying plants infected with aphids, with sugar spray to attract Ladybirds but don't spray the Ladybirds.

6. When your Tomato plants have grown to about 4 inches (10cm) in height remove a couple of their lower leaves near the ground to prevent mould/fungus.

7. Plant outdoor Cucumbers in amongst your Sweetcorn plants.

8. An easy way to make a "drill" or "furrow" for sowing seeds or planting is to put a strong stick or metal tool handle along the ground and make a dent by pressing it down into the soil with your foot.

9. Before sowing Carrot seeds sprinkle them into some dry sand and then sow them to give you a thinner spread of the seeds.

10. Try sowing some Daikon this month for picking in May/June.

A BIG Thank You

Due to the overnight & this mornings' heavy rain and cold winds, I spent the day indoors rather than risking getting soaked down the plot. At about 4 pm I received a phone call from my Allotment Representative, who informed me that my shed & several others had been broken into overnight. I went down to my plot to inspect the damage. I was lucky on this occasion, only a slightly bent metal fastening on my shed door was apparent. Three or four other sheds had been damaged and their padlocks forced off. One of my fellow plot holders poly tunnel was badly damaged where it had been slashed open. Luckily the thieves were disturbed by one of our plot owners who lives nearby, before they could cause anymore damage or theft.

I would just like to say thank you, to these spineless scum, who sneak around in the darkness damaging & stealing other peoples' property. Whether they think so or not, they have NO right or justification for taking or damaging other peoples property. If they haven't got a brain to EARN a living then I suggest that they earn an education before someone teaches them a lesson they won't appreciate!!

Maybe tomorrow!!