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Author Topic: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?  (Read 22551 times)

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #30 on: February 01, 2017, 09:42:58 pm »
My seeds from Garden Organic's Heritage Seed Library have arrived   - the six packets (squash and both runner and climbing French beans) plus my lucky dip extra which this year is celeriac. Never grown it before so I'm not sure whether or not to try it. I did try one once but didn't like it much but it was a rather grotty little one. What do people use them for?

DavidandCollette

  • Joined Dec 2012
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #31 on: February 02, 2017, 09:38:23 am »
Mgm we grow celeriac and have disovered that it needs to be watered even if its raining! We make celery and celeriac soup, mash it with potatoes or just have it as a veg. Nice in stews as well

Polyanya

  • Joined Mar 2015
  • Shetland
    • The Creative Croft
    • Facebook
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #32 on: February 02, 2017, 12:03:50 pm »
What a coincidence MGM just got back from the tunnel with a big celeriac which I've added to a load of other veg fto make a delicious curried veg soup! We had hit and misses growing this vegetable until we tried the variety called Prinz - fantastic - non bolting, behaves itself very well and makes the best soups!
In the depths of winter, I found there was in me an invincible summer - Camus

www.thecreativecroft.co.uk

DavidandCollette

  • Joined Dec 2012
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #33 on: February 02, 2017, 12:52:27 pm »
 :thumbsup:

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #34 on: February 02, 2017, 02:44:38 pm »
Most of my chilli and sweet pepper seeds, as well as two of the aubergine varieties (both F1) have germinated and all have been moved to the light box for growing on. My one aubergine variety I got from Real Seeds sadly has not done anything, but then I saw in their packet that it needs 35 deg C to germinate.... well no chance of that in my house, unless I tuck them inside the poultry incubator... , which I may try as it is empty at this time of year...

Recently pre-germinated and then planted in the polytunnel into toilet roll holders three different kinds of b/beans, just before we had quite a bit of frost... but they are now coming slowly through.

Garlic still in pots in p/tunnel waiting to be trans-planted into outside beds (once two of my goats have kidded - due yesterday and at the w/end)...

so enough to do, but finished all the pruning, even the gooseberry bush...

Tomatoes next into propagator, end of February only though...


waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #35 on: February 02, 2017, 03:18:54 pm »
Nothing as of yet, weather's still too bad to do anything in the garden :(  I may sow some veg seeds this month, if I have time, else I'll leave it till march...
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

Terry T

  • Joined Sep 2014
  • Norfolk
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #36 on: February 02, 2017, 05:00:39 pm »
Planted some shallots and sowed aubergine and kohl rabi for the tunnel this week.
Celeriac is particilarly good creamed with double cream, butter and seaoning. I find it needs a long growing season to achieve a good size and dies much better in the tunnel. I also find it germinates much better in the polytunnel in a tray than indoors, even in a heated propagator.

TracyC

  • Joined Aug 2016
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #37 on: February 03, 2017, 09:51:15 am »
Great to see so much activity and thoughts.  I love hearing what other people are growing.
I've sown a few things which as expected went very leggy, but I am sowing every 7 days to get the right date for me, then next year I'll know when that is.  I must stress I have so many seeds that need using which is why I am sparing them for this experiment :)
Re aubergines, mine only started showing yesterday and are in my kitchen which is 19/20C daily.  They were sown on 15th so it's taken over 2 weeks for them to germinate, so don't give up.

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #38 on: February 03, 2017, 07:57:31 pm »
Well after writing that post tother day I decided to sow some sugarsnap peas, for an early harvest. Here's hoping it works.... :excited:
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #39 on: February 04, 2017, 12:13:21 am »
First things to go in this year - broad beans.  I sow them in pots in the tunnel.  They are put into bakers' trays then suspended from the crop bars.  This is usually to deter mice, but this winter with the hens in there I'll need to hang them extra high to stop them deciding to fly up and perch.  In about April the beans will be transplanted into the outside garden.
My garlic is coming up slowly, maybe half up now.
The hens still haven't touched the kale or sprouts, although the giant cabbage is nothing but a stump - kept them entertained for weeks.  The sprouts are sooo delicious - we had some tonight with our own sausages and potatoes  :yum:   :hungry:


Today was warm and sunny so we did the first work in our flower garden.  I've found before that if you get mild weather in Feb it's the ideal time to get many weeds out.  They seem to have only weeny roots and have been pushed up by frost, so come out very easily.  In a couple of months they will have put down long, strong roots which are much harder to get out.
It was lovely seeing all the bulbs coming up, and some in flower, jasmine too - promise of things to come.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

GribinIsaf

  • Joined Aug 2015
  • Montgomeryshire
    • Gribin Isaf
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #40 on: February 05, 2017, 07:37:18 pm »
One thing we have been experimenting with is using a hotbed for germination.

Built a metre cube out of pallets in the polytunnel and filled it full of fresh horse manure.  Within a few days the interior temperature was 50 degrees C and the surface temperature 29 degrees.

Would not have normally planned to do any sowing yet but had plenty of various salad leaf seeds and wanted to try and get the tunnel producing salad all year.  Planted various trays and put on top of hotbed, covered with plastic.  Germinated in four days and today moved into a coldframe inside the tunnel before they frazzle.
« Last Edit: February 07, 2017, 07:59:47 pm by GribinIsaf »

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #41 on: March 02, 2017, 12:36:51 pm »
Who's your gardens after last week's storm?
My polytunnel/greenhouse cover nearly flew away. I caught it on time and put it nicely in the shed. That gives me time to clear some overgrown Holly trees which are covering much of the sunshine to my plot. Hopefully this weekend  :fc:
Then I really want to put cauliflower and cabbage seeds in toilet roll pots!
When should you start sweetcorn???
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #42 on: March 02, 2017, 03:18:29 pm »
I can at last get to my polytunnel and veg plot now that the hens and geese can roam.  The tunnel is dark with kicked up dust so first thing is a thorough pressure wash, then some uncovering and weeding of the leeks, garlic and brassicas which were netted while the hens were in.


Although we missed the worst storms, we have had a lot of snow and rain so the ground in the veg patch is way too soggy to work yet, where it's been open to the elements.  The main patch though has been covered for a year with a tarpaulin, so soon we can uncover it, rotavate in manure (we usually just spread it on the surface then cover and leave it to the earthworms, but we were too late this year) then re-cover until we're ready to start planting.


I really need to start sowing seeds now I have access to the tunnel, as all I've got in so far is broad beans.  For tender plants, I set up the jumbo propagator in our bedroom  :eyelashes:  so that's today's task.


For sowing sweetcorn [member=156019]macgro7[/member] , it does depend on where you live.  I won't be growing any this year, but usually I go by the seed packet and for Scotland go by the latest date given, or the earliest if I'm starting things off under cover.
We've been doing lots of tree work too, to get it all done before the nesting season starts.  Just some tall willows still to attack  :tree:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Terry T

  • Joined Sep 2014
  • Norfolk
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #43 on: March 02, 2017, 08:18:26 pm »
I sow sweetcorn in April for the tunnel and May for outside and I'm based in Norfolk.
Harvested my first ps brocolli this week. Lovely....

cloddopper

  • Joined Jun 2013
  • South Wales .Carmarthenshire. SA18
Re: What's going on in your veg plot at the moment?
« Reply #44 on: March 04, 2017, 05:09:21 pm »
I was just given keys to the allotment!
I was given a plot which is bordering my garden! The best I could wish for!
It has two mature apple trees and very sweet plum and a glasshouse!!!
Two years on the waiting list but it was worth it lol

So at the moment I spend my weekends shifting a mountain of compost and rabbit and chicken manure to the allotment. Then I want to dig the weeds out and plant some garlic and onion before its too late. 
Sooooooo much work! At the same time our house is being decorated.... headache headache constant headache...
Can't wait till I can sit down and watch everything grow, chickens running and scratching...

This might save you a little time & also be very beneficial for you .
 My gardening books say that your garlic & onions do not need a newly manured bed for that will make them grow a lot of greenery  and small bulbs  .

The books recommend  not manured in the previous year so they are similar to carrots & other root crops  ..

 TIP :-
Growing a row of onions & a row of carrots side by side for several 6 foot plus long rows  is supposed to be a good biological pest control .. Carrot fly don't like onions & onion fly does not like carrots .

 I'm not sure  ..... about these folk lore tales ,   carrot fly are not supposed to fly much above 18 inches off the floor   yet in the early years they decimated all the carrots in my 36 inch high raised beds till I started to use a new seed type called " Flyaway ."

 So far I've not had onion fly strikes though I do use a bug away spray to treat all my crops including all flowers  .
Strong belief , triggers the mind to find the way ... Dyslexia just makes it that bit more amusing & interesting

 

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