Fruit and veg growers of 2023

[Evoluzione]

Road2Ruin said:

Thanks for that. It's a very small amount of ash for the bed size. Was really more looking for somewhere to dump the ash rather than the garden bin, but without killing my crops. Ground is heavy clay based, but no idea of the PH.

Clay soil has the advantage of being naturally fertile, but obviously it needs work to make it plant friendly. Lots of organic matter does it, don't waste time and money on sand though.

[Sticks.]

Evoluzione said:

Road2Ruin said:

Thanks for that. It's a very small amount of ash for the bed size. Was really more looking for somewhere to dump the ash rather than the garden bin, but without killing my crops. Ground is heavy clay based, but no idea of the PH.

Clay soil has the advantage of being naturally fertile, but obviously it needs work to make it plant friendly. Lots of organic matter does it, don't waste time and money on sand though.

I found horticultural grit made the most difference, but needs digging in, obviously.

[sherman]

Evoluzione said:

sherman said:

Put my seed potoatoes in the tray to chit yesterday.
Pentland dell (good all rounder) and 2 tubers of Salad blue. Purple skin and deep blue flesh.

It's good to read about someone chitting themselves

Into the ground or containers?

---

Potatoes are one thing that you can successfully grow from Supermarket bought ones, I believe you can cut them in half too to double the number. Consider that if you're on a budget.
I'll think about getting some into containers and under the cover of the polytunnel later in the month for an early start maybe.
If you have a different kind of protection (a porch, cold frame, shed etc) you could consider the same. They won't like frost.



Yeah I know. I'm posting that up to show what lovely things can be flowering on the windowboard in Winter for a splash of colour. It's a Cyclamen of the indoor type and pretty easy to grow, just ask if you want to know more.

In other news the Winter 'Microgreens' are ready after only a week in a relatively cool house:



That's two punnets of three.
I don't think i'll be making much of a meal from those, but they were a welcome addition to my salad.
They're very good If you want something to grow for yourselves in Winter or to get kids interested.

Someone earlier was asking about greenhouses and shade, below is an example:
They were sown at the same time, in the same soil and have lived side by side.

These were able to get some sun:



These had plenty of light, but no actual sun:



The difference is quite apparent and that is over Winter when there less sun, in Summer I think they would be even further apart in size.
Notice also how i've sensibly crammed them all in to maximise the space, there is a safe 3" between anyone of them. One row was put in, then the other row was sown with them staggered so every onion sat opposite a space.
I've allowed enough for them to get fairly big, I just hope they do!

Kind if both. Its a raised bed. Made of sleepers.

[48k]

Evoluzione said:

Potatoes are one thing that you can successfully grow from Supermarket bought ones,

Whilst it's possible, it's not recommended. Supermarket spuds are more susceptible to disease and you don't know what they may or may not have been treated with in their life. If you get any disease in your soil from the potatoes you are basically buggered, it's really difficult to get rid of without digging out the whole bed and replacing it. And even then you may have problems for years after. Plus it's not always 100% clear what variety you have. Seed potatoes on the other hand are properly certified as there are quite tight standards around seed potatoes and of course you get to choose the exact variety you want. In terms of cost, given the size of some of the supermarket tubers, seed potatoes generally don't work out more expensive.

[Evoluzione]

48k said:

Evoluzione said:

Potatoes are one thing that you can successfully grow from Supermarket bought ones,

Whilst it's possible, it's not recommended. Supermarket spuds are more susceptible to disease and you don't know what they may or may not have been treated with in their life. If you get any disease in your soil from the potatoes you are basically buggered, it's really difficult to get rid of without digging out the whole bed and replacing it. And even then you may have problems for years after. Plus it's not always 100% clear what variety you have. Seed potatoes on the other hand are properly certified as there are quite tight standards around seed potatoes and of course you get to choose the exact variety you want. In terms of cost, given the size of some of the supermarket tubers, seed potatoes generally don't work out more expensive.

I know someone who has managed it a couple of times, but he's probably got lucky. You're right of course and it's not worth the risk, seed potatoes it is.

---

If anyone wants some cheap seeds they can pick up locally I noticed Lidl has a quite few in at the moment.
FB Marketplace yielded a few exciting garden related goodies this week, a load of plastic fruit and veg trays for free:



I'll line them with cardboard and plant something in them, radish and lettuce maybe. They could even do for putting the finished product in too.

A potted 6ft fir tree for £40! Will plant that out somewhere, or maybe keep in a pot for next years Christmas tree




Someone was selling a load of this off for £6 per length, it's about 6' long and 6" wide per plank:



It's made from a small amount of recycled plastic mixed with wood dust and resin.
I got it in brown though, not trendy grey. I bought some slotted corner posts with it and will make them into planters, they aren't very rustic, more plastic, but will do the job for a few years. I found similar completed ones for sale for a few hundred quid each.

A plastic water tank for free also, the type that normally lives in the loft. That's for show carrots, I won't be showing them! Just that I want to try and grow some to that kind of standard.

A load of ready bagged hoss muck came my way too, the local stables leaves it outside for anyone to pick up. Some pallets were cobbled together and it all mixed in with various other ingredients, that'll be compost for next year.

And finally I've come across someone clearing many years and tons of old woodchip/mulch out of a yard. This will at least be laid down for paths between the veggies, but it does also combine with the above to make great compost.
I think i'm going to do a PH test on it as it is and also when it's mixed and made into compost. I'm hoping it'll be good for blueberry plants and/or carrots, (if it's acidic for the former and lacking in nitrogen for the latter) but we'll see.
Again the whole lot is free, I've just got to get it over here somehow.....

[CharlesdeGaulle]

I've just spent an hour pottering in the garden, tidying up and checking the progress of spring bulbs. I was surprised to find that much of the ground is still frozen.

Compost is coming along nicely. This is one of 3 containers I cycle through, and is over a year old. Ready for use once things warm up a bit.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Forgot to add that I found a sprouting walnut in one of the planters. They get taken from the tree next door and buried by the red squirrels we get here. ​If it doesn't get eaten I'll pot it up in spring and grow it.

[NMNeil]

Road2Ruin said:

I am mixing the Ash from the fire into my beds to hopefully add some more body is this okay or am I going down the wrong path?

Tomatoes love wood ash with it's high concentrations of calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
But as others have said it is alkaline so you need to check ph levels so you don't overdo it. I fill a 5 gallon bucket with ashes from the bonfire and spread it over my whole garden which is around 2000 sq ft in area. Never had a problem and I just need a nitrogen fertilizer early in the season for vegetative growth.

[NMNeil]

Evoluzione said:

Clay soil has the advantage of being naturally fertile, but obviously it needs work to make it plant friendly. Lots of organic matter does it, don't waste time and money on sand though.

This may sound weird but on the advice of our local extension office I use an old paper shredder and turn newspapers into mulch. Spread it on the ground and dig it in and it will rot down lovely and improve the soil no end. It is after all wood based and free

[otolith]

Compost heaps can get quite acidic during decomposition (though should come out fairly neutral). I wouldn’t expect wood ash in moderate amounts to result in excessively alkaline compost though.

[wombleh]

We got a live fir tree last year when local farm was selling them cheap close to xmas. Plan was to plant it in the garden and re-use it each xmas. Unfortunately it didn't survive the summer heatwave! Might try again next year.

[droopsnoot]

Seems as if you were correct Evoluzione - I had five tomatoes up to a point where they were "large enough to handle", which is the time when the packet says to move them to individual pots. The night before I did that, one of them shrivelled up and is no more, and the other four have done it since I moved them yesterday. I suspect they were probably just clinging onto life and disturbing them was too much of a shock, but as the first had already gone then maybe these would have too, given another day, even if I hadn't moved them.

I'll leave it a bit and plant some more in a few weeks.

[Evoluzione]

droopsnoot said:

Seems as if you were correct Evoluzione - I had five tomatoes up to a point where they were "large enough to handle", which is the time when the packet says to move them to individual pots. The night before I did that, one of them shrivelled up and is no more, and the other four have done it since I moved them yesterday. I suspect they were probably just clinging onto life and disturbing them was too much of a shock, but as the first had already gone then maybe these would have too, given another day, even if I hadn't moved them.

I'll leave it a bit and plant some more in a few weeks.

It's how we learn, i've had many cock ups!

What you've put there raises a useful point though and that is 'Hardening off'.
This is what we do when taking a small plant from one environment (indoors) to a different one (outdoors). At this point it can shock the plant and it can suffer in one way or another from death, to just pausing for a while looking a bit sick.

So we perform something called hardening off, it's like breaking something in gradually. This is to carefully introduce the plant to it's new slightly harsher environment. It's normal at this point to take them out of the house or greenhouse and put them outside during the day, but bring them back in at night. Do this for as many as you can, a week at least and keep a careful eye on the forecast. Try to lengthen it's time outside a bit more every day if possible until it's finally ready to live in its new place without crapping itself at the sudden change.

Please note the place you are moving them to has to be just a bit different from where they are coming from and actually able to let them live! It won't work if you're taking a plant from a warm sheltered environment to outside if it's too cold, snowing and it's a tomato or whatever.

Edited by Evoluzione on Monday 13th February 18:36

[Jambo85]

Evoluzione said:

droopsnoot said:

Seems as if you were correct Evoluzione - I had five tomatoes up to a point where they were "large enough to handle", which is the time when the packet says to move them to individual pots. The night before I did that, one of them shrivelled up and is no more, and the other four have done it since I moved them yesterday. I suspect they were probably just clinging onto life and disturbing them was too much of a shock, but as the first had already gone then maybe these would have too, given another day, even if I hadn't moved them.

I'll leave it a bit and plant some more in a few weeks.

It's how we learn, i've had many cock ups!

What you've put there raises a useful point though and that is 'Hardening off'.
This is what we do when taking a small plant from one environment (indoors) to a very different one (outdoors). At this point it can shock the plant and it can suffer in on way or another from death, to just pausing for a while looking a bit sick.

So we perform something called hardening off, it's like breaking something in gradually. This is to carefully introduce the plant to it's new harsher environment. It's normal at this point to take them out of the house or greenhouse and put them outside during the day, but bring them back in at night. Do this for as many as you can, a week at least and keep a careful eye on the forecast. Try to lengthen it's time outside a bit more every day if possible until it's finally ready to live in its new place without crapping itself at the sudden change.

You're not talking about hardening off tomatoes in the UK in February though are you?

Anyway - garlic growers, I checked mine over the weekend and it is only just starting to shoot up now, having been planted in October or November, so worth giving it a bit longer if you don't see any sign yet. Something has snaffled a few cloves though.

[droopsnoot]

Jambo85 said:

You're not talking about hardening off tomatoes in the UK in February though are you?

My tomatoes started in a seed tray on the kitchen window sill, and I moved them to small pots, still inside the house and on the window sill. Even I wouldn't think of sticking them outside yet.

[Evoluzione]

Jambo85 said:

You're not talking about hardening off tomatoes in the UK in February though are you?

Anyway - garlic growers, I checked mine over the weekend and it is only just starting to shoot up now, having been planted in October or November, so worth giving it a bit longer if you don't see any sign yet. Something has snaffled a few cloves though.

No I just meant in general, but didn't add it's next venue has to be habitable! I'll edit it.
Surprised your garlic is taking so long, mine was up before Christmas, but hasn't done much since then. Is it possible some of your cloves have rotted away perhaps?

[alfabeat]

Just found this thread. We tend to grow chillies, a variety of herbs, strawberries. Want to start growing more vegetables when time allows.

I received one of these as a gift in January. Not something I would normally buy myself, but I've planted basil, rocket and corriander in there a couple of weeks ago and it's going well. You just leave them growing in there and harvest as required, topping up the water and plant food every 2 weeks.

[Evoluzione]

droopsnoot said:

My tomatoes started in a seed tray on the kitchen window sill, and I moved them to small pots, still inside the house and on the window sill. Even I wouldn't think of sticking them outside yet.

That shouldn't have killed them though. I wonder what went wrong, was it a very cold night perhaps? They do often flag when moved, but usually pick back up.
I think they are better started in separate cells. If you start them all together in a tray then by the time they are ready to be potted on the roots can be entangled with each other. If you don't own any separate 'cells' then raid the green bin, all kind of things can be repurposed from a bog roll tube to half a plastic bottle.

alfabeat said:

Just found this thread. We tend to grow chillies, a variety of herbs, strawberries. Want to start growing more vegetables when time allows.

I received one of these as a gift in January. Not something I would normally buy myself, but I've planted basil, rocket and corriander in there a couple of weeks ago and it's going well. You just leave them growing in there and harvest as required, topping up the water and plant food every 2 weeks.

Welcome onboard, that's an interesting looking gadget, do you have a greenhouse for your other stuff? Have you started your chillies yet?

---

As per my earlier post I found a chap clearing a yard out of well rotted woodchip so went along for a look, but also with bags and shovel to help myself:



He has tons and tons of the stuff, I bagged as much as I could before my back was screaming at me to stop. I'd been humping large pieces of stone around the day before so it was already complaining.
I'm going to test it for Ph. Whatever it is i'll find a use for it, if it's acidic then it'll be useful for the Blueberry plants which have arrived:



When I was putting the pepper seeds in I had four cells left empty so bunged 4 peas in, as you can see they're a lot quicker and stronger than the peppers of which just a few are showing at the moment:



No sign of life from the gutter peas yet, it's much colder where they are of course.

When we see a seed sprouting upwards we often assume it's the first sign of life. Actually it isn't and the seed has been busy way before that, it throws out a root first to take in water and nutrient before sending out the top shoot.

Seed potatoes have arrived, I went for Orla which can be a first early (as a salad potato), Charlotte as a second early and Maris piper as a later main crop. They're now chitting. I think i'll put them in a mix of my homemade compost and the rotted woodchip stuff as I have no soil yet.

If you're putting them in containers like me it's important to know which of the two types you have, so if you are just ask.

Edited by Evoluzione on Saturday 18th February 19:08

[droopsnoot]

Evoluzione said:

droopsnoot said:

My tomatoes started in a seed tray on the kitchen window sill, and I moved them to small pots, still inside the house and on the window sill. Even I wouldn't think of sticking them outside yet.

That shouldn't have killed them though. I wonder what went wrong, was it a very cold night perhaps? They do often flag when moved, but usually pick back up.
I think they are better started in separate cells. If you start them all together in a tray then by the time they are ready to be potted on the roots can be entangled with each other. If you don't own any separate 'cells' then raid the green bin, all kind of things can be repurposed from a bog toll tube to half a plastic bottle.

Poor terminology on my part - it's a tray with separate sections, I expect it's something that my Mum bought some very small plants in and kept "just in case", along with the other hundred or so (like the last photo in your post, but each cell maybe 30mm square. One of the five hadn't been transplanted and had keeled over before I moved the other four. I don't recall a particularly cold night, especially in the last week when they went. I'm still watering them in case they rally, tomorrow I might plant some more seeds.

[IanA2]

Evoluzione said:

XCP said:

I am returning to gardening having bought a house with a garden including a raised bed and a greenhouse! I shall be planting some spuds in the ground and some onion sets and carrots and French beans in the raised bed. Tomatoes in the greenhouse. Nothing too adventurous to start with. All frozen solid at the moment obviously.

Beds or bags for tomatoes?
Be aware carrots are 'special needs' veg so be careful.

They are, but surprisingly Chantenay are not too problematic....