terryd 8,681 Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Cheers Allan well worth a try that Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darbo 4,776 Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 The Rhode Island reds i bred in summer laid their first eggs this week. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terryd 8,681 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Picked some veg for the father in law today still got loads of parsnips, leeks and sprouts so need to give some away . Also swedes but on the tennis ball size ones now need to tidy the shed when I get a minute. A couple of rats took up residence under it but they are no longer with us hung up a couple sticks too so I can try my hand at the stick making lark 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darbo 4,776 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Still producing the goods Terry I might have missed it but did you grow sweet potato this season if you did how did you go on? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiercel 6,986 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Terry, paint or wax the ends on the thick part of those sticks or they will split. TC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terryd 8,681 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Still producing the goods Terry I might have missed it but did you grow sweet potato this season if you did how did you go on? I did start ones off using aldi normal ones on the window sill they looked good then started to get spots on the leaves may have been over crowding but when I planted them out they just never budged and died. May have just been the wrong variety for this climate Terry, paint or wax the ends on the thick part of those sticks or they will split. TC Cheers Allan I will do Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darbo 4,776 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 i have never grown them myself just wondered how you had gone on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Foxi_Roxi 21 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Im going to give growing veg a go this year. I can only really grow in pots though, i dont have any grass i could turn into a patch! I have ordered some books, but any ideas what i can start planting now? I know about onions but looking on a website they are saying cauliflower and leeks as well? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terryd 8,681 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Im going to give growing veg a go this year. I can only really grow in pots though, i dont have any grass i could turn into a patch! I have ordered some books, but any ideas what i can start planting now? I know about onions but looking on a website they are saying cauliflower and leeks as well? The thing I learnt last year is there is no panic to get out of the blocks stuff planted when the weather is right soon over takes any that as been struggling due to going in too soon. But from what I read onions need as long as possible from seed. Mine will have to from window sill to cold frame so bit hesitant to get them sown yet Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darbo 4,776 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) Might be helpful Im going to give growing veg a go this year. I can only really grow in pots though, i dont have any grass i could turn into a patch! I have ordered some books, but any ideas what i can start planting now? I know about onions but looking on a website they are saying cauliflower and leeks as well? vegetables in containers Planting vegetables in containers is a versatile way of growing edible crops in the garden, particularly where space is limited. Quick factsSuitable for Most vegetables, as long as the correct container is chosenTiming All year round, but mostly from April to OctoberDifficulty Easy Jump toWhen to grow vegetables in containers How to grow vegetables in containers Crop Selection Problems Suitable for... The following vegetables lend themselves well to container cultivation: Beetroot, Broad beans, Carrots, Dwarf French beans, Herbs, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes, Rocket, Runner beans, Chillies & Peppers, Salad leaves, Salad onions, Salad turnips, Tomatoes. When to grow vegetables in containers Timings vary depending on the crop, but the main growing season is from early spring to autumn. How to grow vegetables in containers Container choicePots, troughs and grow-bags can all be used to allow gardeners without time or room for a vegetable plot to grow fresh, tasty produce Container-grown vegetables can be started off in a glasshouse, conservatory or porch for earlier crops Smaller containers can result in a lack of moisture and nutrients for plant roots. Aim for containers with a depth and width of at least 45cm (18in), otherwise frequent watering and feeding will be needed Compost choiceUse sterile proprietary potting composts to obtain best results The soil-based compost John Innes No 3 is especially easy to manage, but other composts, including peat-free varieties, are also suitable Compost in grow-bags is often both good value and reasonable quality Home made mixtures of two parts soil and one part well rotted organic matter fortified with extra fertiliser can be an economical substitute, but home-made mixtures are not sterile, so may pose a risk for pest and disease problems Organic growers who wish to avoid fertiliser use can get good results from mixing well-rotted manure into the potting compost in the lower half of their containers – 20 percent by volume should be sufficient Further careAftercare should involve provision of a constant water supply, but take care to avoid prolonged waterlogging. A feed of general-purpose liquid fertiliser can be applied every two weeks. If frost is likely, cover the plants with horticultural fleece and move the pots to a warm, sheltered spot. Crop Selection Rewarding vegetable crops for containers include: Beetroot: sow in March at 10cm (4in) spacings. The young leaves can be used as ‘spinach’. Follow these with quick growing crops of late summer salads. See AGM beetroot Broad beans: sow from February at 20cm (8in) spacings. The tops can be pinched out to reduce blackfly attacks and also for use as ‘greens’. The broad beans can be followed in June or July with beetroot for late summer crops. See AGM beans and peas Carrots: sow Nantes or Amsterdam cultivars from February for June harvesting. Thin seedlings to 8cm (3in) between plants. Cover the containers with fleece from April onwards to exclude carrot fly. After the carrots, sow French beans to gather in September. See AGM carrots Herbs: parsley, for example, can be sown in March for harvesting from June; coriander is also an attractive and popular crop. Basil is another great herb for pots. Repeat crops can be sown for late summer harvest Lettuces: mini lettuces such as ‘Little Gem’ and ‘Tom Thumb’, spaced at 15cm (6in), can be sown from January for June harvesting. Follow the lettuces with leeks for winter harvesting. See AGM lettuces Peas: sow ‘mange-tout’ cultivars with edible pods from March; plant them out at 15cm (6in) spacings; harvest in June and follow with salad leaves for late summer. See AGM beans and peas Potatoes: plant early cultivars from March with one tuber for every 30cm of pot diameter. See AGM potatoes Salad leaves: sow from February aiming for 5cm (2in) between plants. Rocket, coriander, lettuce, chicory and spinach are tasty choices. Harvest by pinching off the top few salad leaves, leaving a stump to re-sprout for follow-on crops Salad onions: sow from February with 3cm (1¼in) between plants. Pull them up when they get big enough. By July, you should be able to re-sow with finger carrots for bunches of baby carrots in October. See AGM onions Spinach: sow from February aiming for 10cm (4in) between plants. Spinach quickly runs to seed, so follow it with courgettes in June for late summer fruits. See AGM spinach LinksAGM vegetablesRHS Grow Your Own Problems Growing vegetables in containers are generally quite easy with the main problems being; Drying out is a common problem, so ensure a regular water supply, avoiding floods and droughts Lack of root space can be a problem in small containers, and may result in wilting and symptoms of nutrient deficiency Edited January 18, 2015 by darbo 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Foxi_Roxi 21 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Thanks for that! Really interesting. Ive bought a book on growing veg in containers as well as one saying what to plant when. Looking forward to it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sky10 11 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 any one ready for the veg plot Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terryd 8,681 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) Not me just dropped few bags of manure off and I got a small bit of weed suppressant on order for me onion bed. Still lots of crops in at the moment too. Leeks, parsnips, swede, sprouts and purple sprouting. Need to turn over the compost heaps and weed the strawberry beds and weed in general. Too wet to get on there at the moment though Edited January 21, 2015 by terryd 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darbo 4,776 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Mines all dug over a general tidy up. The first seeds i will sow will be onion seeds a first for me. Roll on spring. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiercel 6,986 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Share Posted January 21, 2015 Mines all dug over a general tidy up. The first seeds i will sow will be onion seeds a first for me. Roll on spring. Get them sown now. Sow them in modules in the cold greenhouse and just cover them with bubble wrap, they will germinate. Once they get their first true leaves pot them on to 3" pots, use a good compost. TC 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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