Gardening.. Grow your own..

Hi, I grow my own too.
Love doing it and it teaches the kids where some of their food comes from. I have a 3'x18' patch and also use tubs etc, and my kitchen windowsill is full of tomato seedlings, chives, basil, aloe vera and will also be nursery to nasturtium & marigold seedlings before they go out into the wild to protect my crops from munching bugs. Nasturtiums are the 'front line', bugs will munch them before your crops, can be used in cooking & salads (taste peppery) and they're also colourful and full of nectar for bees & butterflies. Because marigolds don't actually smell very nice they keep greenfly at bay. I inter-plant my carrots with spring onions as the carrot root fly can't then smell the carrots.
I've got potatoes currently growing in old compost bags. Can't beat grow your own spuds :D
 
On the 'tater front, can you just plant the spuds that have started to sprout in the bottom of the bag or do you have to buy special seed potatoes?
 
We went to stepdaughters yesterday and they had herbs growing in a pot from last year they have just grown again after winter, so Im definatley going to try some herbs they are so expenisve.
 
COL JACK POTATOES

I was watching Alan Titchmarsh the other day and he said you do need seed potatoes to grow your own. He said potaoes that have sprouted are not suitable.

Im no gardener but thats the man himself said ha ha!!!:D
 
I agree with Alan and Peggy lol

Another glorious day today!

Col - when you are taking the roots and rocks out of your soil, be sure to leave some stones in there for drainage. You don't want it too fine.
 
Sorry to throw confusion into the mix but I have successfully grown from sprouted spuds, but seed pots are definitely better, you get a better yield. No harm in giving it a go though ;)
Also, a great tip I found is that once your seeds have sprouts you can cut the potato in half length wise, making sure both halves have sprouts, and you will get 2 plants from one spud! Handy if you want bags and bags of them or you're sharing with others (cost effective)
If they are just for yourself and you're not sure you will be able to store many, then don't plant too many at one time. Do successional planting. For example I have had 6 plants growing for 4 weeks and will plant some more this coming week.
:D
 
Lots of good advice, thanks!

I am cream crackered. It's good body magic this gardening - all that stretching and humphing things about.

Today I cleared out and disinfected the greenhouse. Planting starts tomorrow. I am a bit late this year, but the snow last month threw me off track.

Hope you have all had a productive day :)
 
I've made a start.. I finally got round to bringing the seed tray and small bag of compost in from the boot of the car.. it's been in there over a month...

I've set up a "potting station" in the spare room / junk room with the remnants of my old kitchen that are in there ( I really need a clear out some day... )
I've planted seeds for leeks, parsnips, spring onions and some beans that a bloke at work gave me ( french dwarf beans I think he said.. )..
I improvised some extra planting space from a few fruit punnet containers I had lying around..
The ones with holes for the compost, and the ones without as drip trays for tho others..
I've cut several 5L water bottles in half and am using them as lids to make a sort of propogator thing..

I hope it all works..

I intend to move my shed next week/end so that the sun comes in the windows.. ( a 90 degree rotation to the other bottom corner of the garden.. full sun all day.. )
it's currently empty so it's going to be my new potting shed I think..
 
Used to have an allotment and grew lots of things.
Did you get an answer about the horse manure and digging in grass?
Horse manure I used to dig in well ready for brassicas and the grass bit depends on what sort of grass.If it is the lawn grass that's not too bad dug in but on no account dig in rye grass as it's an absolute pest and will suffocate anything around it.
 
ColJack said:
I've made a start.. I finally got round to bringing the seed tray and small bag of compost in from the boot of the car.. it's been in there over a month...

I've set up a "potting station" in the spare room / junk room with the remnants of my old kitchen that are in there ( I really need a clear out some day... )
I've planted seeds for leeks, parsnips, spring onions and some beans that a bloke at work gave me ( french dwarf beans I think he said.. )..
I improvised some extra planting space from a few fruit punnet containers I had lying around..
The ones with holes for the compost, and the ones without as drip trays for tho others..
I've cut several 5L water bottles in half and am using them as lids to make a sort of propogator thing..

I hope it all works..

I intend to move my shed next week/end so that the sun comes in the windows.. ( a 90 degree rotation to the other bottom
corner of the garden.. full sun all day.. )
it's currently empty so it's going to be my new potting shed I think..
Click to expand...

Lots of good ideas there ColJack. The water bottle idea will work, I used some as cloche's over winter to protect my lavender and some flower seedlings. Good for collecting rain water too. Some things prefer rain water to tap water, plus it's free ;)
Your spare room is better than being out in the cold at the start or end of the season anyway :winter_brr: - lucky you ;)
If you leave seedlings in your new potting shed once you've turned it you'll need to be careful they don't get too dry or wilt in the heat. :faint2:
 
plastic milk cartons, or the foil covered cardboard ones..?

I saw a thing about making seed "pods" from newspaper wrapped round a form ( they used a wooden form, but I suspect that a can / milk bottle etc would suffice.. )..
said that the roots can permeate the paper and are then "air pruned".. they don't grow in air so they stop growing out and branch to give more roots rather than simply hitting the side of the pot and curling round to the bottom of it..

the shed thing.. do they not need direct sunlight then? would I be better off leaving it where it is?

I could always put a vent in the roof and an auto opener like on greenhouses..?
 
They need light to start growing as opposed to direct sun, which can burn them. Save your energy turning the shed and use it for an auto vent which would be great. I'm jealous you can do such things :p

Loo roll tubes are great for starting things like peas and beans off as you can plant the whole thing and it will break down in the ground.

The plastic milk cartons are fine for your labels, but can also be used for seeds as can the the cardboard ones, but you can't plant them.

:D
 
ok, I'll leave it be then..

I need to get hold of some sleepers to extend the "bed" a bit..
I think I'm going to just gravel it and put pots on it though as this seems like a much easier idea..
 
At least that way you don't have to worry about crop rotation...but remember they will dry out more quickly than in the ground. Try to water early morning and/or late evening when the sun isn't hot.
 
We have an established veg plot in our garden (coming on 3rd year this year).

Just started planting, red and White onions, broad beans.

This week doing tomatoes and chillis.

Usually have loads of stuffs:
Potatoes, onions, sweetcorn, runnerbeans, green beans, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, peppers, herbs, raddish and more...

I cannot upload photos yet to show you....
 
Scotmk said:
We have an established veg plot in our garden (coming on 3rd year this year).

Just started planting, red and White onions, broad beans.

This week doing tomatoes and chillis.

Usually have loads of stuffs:
Potatoes, onions, sweetcorn, runnerbeans, green beans, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, peppers, herbs, raddish and more...

I cannot upload photos yet to show you....
Click to expand...

Hiya
I haven't grown peppers before as not a favourite but am trying to broaden my tastes with this plan and have actually been having little bits in salads & pasta. Are they best grown in the ground or a pot?
:D
 
Hi

We do them in pots and keep them in greenhouse as they like the humidity. Last year was not great, the year before was good, hopefully this year will be goose again. Was to hot last year for then...
 
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