I’ve had 1st Earlies in bags for almost two weeks now - already chitted - but the return of the colder nights has hampered them so not much is happening yet!
I also put in salad leaf in a trough covered over with fleece - same with that too but the cabbages and kale I seeded are coming up in my plastic mini greenhouse.
The Red Onions are also in and covered with a cloche (birds!) but again the colder weather has slowed them down so they’ve hardly grown anything in the way of shoots yet.
I always try to get everything going early but perhaps I was a bit premature this year. I’m champing at the bit, waiting for better weather now because there’s so much that I want to do and, because I’ve got limited space I sow small amounts with the hope of adding more after about a month but with nothing happening yet it’s putting my plans in jeopardy!!
I’ve decided to do my bush tomatoes and ridge cucumbers in the larger plastic greenhouse this year. Bit of a disaster last year as I got just one cucumber out of four plants and I’ve no idea why as the previous year I had enough for us, the kids and next door!
The tomatoes took far longer to ripen last year too despite my feeding them more so that’s why they’re going in the greenhouse this year. Funny thing is a neighbour had the same problem but with different cucumbers and tomatoes to mine??
I’ve still got Japanese Spring Onions, Beetroot, Italian Runner Beans, Calabrese, Parsnips, 2nd Earlies, Main Crop spuds all to do plus of course my tomato and cucumber seeds Time’s rushing by too!! stevmk2
I planted my spuds yesterday (Charlotte) after chitting them for around four weeks on a bedroom windowsill. My broad beans, peas and mange tout are through in seed trays, as are mixed lettuce and some trailing tomatoes (Tumbling Tom). I’m thinking of giving brassicas a miss this year as I tire of seeing them being destroyed by caterpillars. We had an absolute plague of them last year and managed to rescue very little of the brassica crops. Did someone mention growing marigolds amongst them as a form of camouflage? Does anyone know if this works?
I have never tried it, but I have heard that growing marigolds (the perenial ones I think) do help deter caterpillars and other bugs. I think it is the smell of the marigolds that puts them off and the big perenial marigolds also look nice when they flower, so thats a bonus.
oh how I would love my own allotment, but alas I will make do with the small patch in my garden.
I grow spuds every year without a fail, and I love to grow tomatoes too in the green house, although the weather doesn’t always allow them to get as big as I would have wished.
Oh and coriander is a regular in my garden. Does anybody have any tips on any other easy vegetables to grow and maintain?
spuds in at last,first broad beans starting to sell(I`ll plant mine tomorrow)
and hundreds of tomato plants at various stages-hopefully some will be ready for sale for Easter.
With luck and a fair wind I might have sold this pile by this time next year and have moved to a smaller garden that I can manage and have time to enjoy.
Anyone want a Grade 2 house with 1/4 acre garden??
I was in hospital at seed-starting indoors time; just as well, as I can’t get out to the back garden how that I’m on oxygen all the time at home. The tubing is plenty long enough to let me navigate in the house, both up and down stairs, but not to the back. So sad, this will be the first time in more than 50 years that I haven’t grown vegetables…
Oh OG, you will miss that lovely garden when/if you sell…
Wishing you well DM,it must be hard not being able to get out and grow things.
But believe me I will not miss this garden-its too large to keep the way it was before Jenny got sick. When I move Ill still make sure there is a garden-just one a bit smaller,one I/we?(if it works out with my new lady) can keep tame -and I might even have time to relax in my hammock:-D
It’s frustrating indeed. House plants are OK (my friend kept mine watered while I was hospitalized), but it’s not the same as grubbing outside in the dirt o a nice sunny day!
Good luck in selling the house; I know you can make the smaller garden a showplace too … and have room for some tomatoes also!
A small raised bed?-Where space is limited I would always go for salad crops. But think upwards as well a simple wigwam of 6 canes will allow you to grow climbing beans be they runner beans or climbing French.
Cost can be an issue-hardly worth buying a full packet for just a few plants-beg/scrounge or even buy plants-but not from GCs-look out for us hobby growers who sell a bit to cover our costs
Limited space or not, I HAVE to have tomatoes, OG! And can always squeeze in basil, hot peppers and onions. Yes, it’s a nuisance wasting 95% of a packet of seed so I followed your advice of last year and saved tomato, pepper and basil seed, and I had OK germination!