The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: debbigord on March 01, 2015, 08:16:26 am
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So, today I'm going to start off some toms, aubergines, chillis and peppers and pop some early spuds in grow bags in the poly........and so it begins, at last! It's been a long Feb and I am so pleased that March is here......
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I started my planting today too!
Got some chillis, Tom's and cucumbers in a heated propegator. I also planted leek seeds in toilet roll tubes in the greenhouse.
Also got some basil, rosemary and lavender on the windowsill. I've also got some samphire seeds which I put in a container.
:garden:
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no greenhouse yet
so leeks are on a cold windowsill
sweet peas are on a warm windowsill
next according to my planner will be some early direct sown carrots in a couple of weeks once the bed is finished...
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I wouldn't be sowing carrots outdoors in Scotland just yet....
I just transplanted my first batch of tomato plants as already nearly 4" high and outgrown their original seeding pots (seeded in propagator late Jan and then grown on in my home-built lightbox), also got chilli plants in there coming along nicely. Leeks just germinating in propagator and broad beans germinating in moist tissue paper, will go into toilet rolls tubes next week.
Tatties hopefully coming this evening courtesy of my neighbour as I couldn't make it to Potato Day today - goats kidding etc.
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i have a big fleece tunnel thing i plan to use over my early direct sowings to increase my season and its a sheltered south facing patch so i can but try...
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Clarebelle - have you grown Samphire before? I come from Norfolk where we could just pick it at the coast, but I've bought seeds this year so it will be my first time growing it. I love the stuff and am hoping home grown lives up to the wild type and doesn't mind the Scottish weather.
I'm being quite conservative with my sowings, as I hate it when I run out of places to put growing plantlets. I fill all my sunny windowsills with tomatoes, peppers, chillies, cucs and so on (started in a heated propagator), but there isn't enough light to stop them from growing pale and gangly. Nothing delicate can go out into the tunnel before May, and there's still a chance of frost, including inside the tunnel, until early June.
I do have broad beans, two kinds, in 4" pots swinging in a bakers tray from the crop bars in the tunnel (keeps those meeces off). There's also podding peas, sugar snap peas and sweet peas in another basket. I have garlic and shallots growing, but I haven't sown any other seeds yet. I'm planning some hardy salads such as mizuna to go direct into the tunnel soil tomorrow, and some lettuce which I'll start in the kitchen. It's about time to sow leeks too, and summer cropping purple sprouting broccoli.
My potatoes have been set on a cool windowsill to chit for 2-3 weeks now, but it will be late April or May before I plant them out.
I think I'll sow the peppers now, but leave tomatoes and cucs for a few weeks more.
It is time to sow flowers, so I'll concentrate on those. I want my veg patch to be full of flowers this year - helichrysum which the bees and butterflies LOVE :love:, plain marigolds, johny jump up which is a tiny viola, oh, all sorts of things. I'm hoping for a riot of colour, with a few edibles in between ;D well, quite a lot really :garden:
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This is first time sowing samphire for me too fleecewife, so I'm not sure how well it will do. I've direct sown the seeds into a large enamel tub in some sandy soil. I've put aside a small watering can to put salt water in. I plan to keep the container in the greenhouse. Fingers crossed! I love samphire but it's so rare!
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Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and coriander went in trays a few weeks ago. Tomatoes are through so will need repotted in a couple of weeks, peppers just starting to merge. Coriander a few inches high now.
A few leftover potatoes from last year sprouted so are in bags in the poly.
Planning to plant peas and beans in pots in the poly this week until warmer times mean they go out. Sent for more seeds yesterday ( totally not needed but too tempting to leave ) ::) so will be merrily sowing for the next month or two ;D
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The LED UV underheat bed was officially switched on to day .. by the weekend of 7 March I should be sowing .. During the week I hope to start the clearing of the glasshouse , at present there are six trays of giant over wintering pansies in the heated misting propagation bed , four 25 litre tubs of over wintering rooted geraniums plus a few geranium cuttings . Then it will be scrub & disinfect everything including the trolly's I use for mobile staging ., leave it to sweeten up whilst I wash & disinfect all my tube pots & seed trays . With luck I'll be dry inside the glasshouse, for the next few days are looking as though they are going to be cold and damp outside .
In the meantime I'm resisting the cabin fever urge to sow too early .....Honest!