Has anyone started their sowing yet? I was going until the week before Xmas, but have come to a halt .I was reading in one of my gardening mags, about soing annuals that need a long season now, such as Geraniums and Laurntia.
I always seem to take a while to get going again after xmas, then it's one mad panic and rush to keep up with it all, think I'll spend today sorting through my many packets of seeds that I've aquired over the season, and sorting them into sowing order, and conditions.Then maybe I'll clean out the propogator ready.
Sowing yet?
Hi Sue. No I havent started sowing yet but I know that with annuals such as geraniums and lobelia I used to start sowing them around the middle of January. They always did well and I am colder that you up here in the north so I guess you would be ok to start now. My perennials are diferent though and I do not start sowing those until the end of febuary.
I used to sow mid feb but now leave it til later and find the seedlings easier to manage without them getting so leggy and needing to be moved on out before conditions are right
Spose it partly dedepends if you have got a greenhouse or not. All mine have to make do with a windowsill.
yes light levels are critical. I am lucky as I have a very big conservatory with excellent light levels which means my seedlings do not get leggy. If you are using a windowsill I would recommend leaving sowing until mid march.
well I sat and sorted through my seeds ready, put them into correct sowing order, and temps. How on earth did I get that many packets of seeds to sow? where am I going to put them all? I spent last night in bed thinking where could I put a new bed without 'him indoors' noticing?
I need a very large garden!!... i was even contenplating removing some plants that didn't do much for me ( I hate taking out anything) I have some red hot pokers, that have grown enormous, but never do much in the way of flowers, the buds seem to get eaten before they even emerge, shame, as I love the colours.
I checked on my trays in the greenhouse and cold frame, which I ashamedly haven't done since Xmas. they're all coming through fast now, can't decide wether to pot on ,or leave until it gets a bit warmer. I'm chuffed though as I have some of the Hellebores 'golden something?' come through, I've never had a lot of luck with Hellebores .
Can't get to my propogator at the moment as the sunlounge is full of building/decorating tools/gear from doing our loft. I'm not allowed to pack them in the garage, as we can't get in their either because that needs sorting, that too is full of sheets of plaster board, wood etc.
Sue when my garden got too small i got an allotment. Now i can grow whatever I want and as much as I want ;) allotments arent just for growing vegetables on and I can assure you that when in full flower it is my plots that get the most attention.
Psilo, I took on an allotment last summer with my sister, I do the growing, she does the digging,
I've already managed to sneak a double row of oriental poppies in there, to hide the heap, I told her.
I've got a few annual poppies to ready to sow, to bring in the insects.
I think that maybe there's a bit more room for a few more of my plants , what excuse can I use for these?
i lie in bed at night scheming about where I can sneak in a few more shrubs/plants that I haven't got room for in my garden.
I did wonder about taking the plot next to use, triangular shaped to make into a lawned area, with big borders around it.then we'd have somewhere nice to sit and picnic, and the grandchildren could play on when they come up with us.
I can dream
That sounds a good idea sue :)
What veggies are you going to grow?
Oh the usuaul, carrot beetroot, peas, beans etc. We did pots last year, but they took up a lot of room.We had a huge crop of various toms too, then blight took the lot overnight virtually.
One half is left to rough grass, with fruit trees planted in it, we're hoping to put some rasberries in this year, and some other fruit bushes.
Also ,hoping to get other half to build a polytunnel type thing, so that we can groe toms, peppers etc.
The weird thing about it, is that I hadn't realised that my sister has a thing about dirt, she can't stand it!!...
When I picked some swiss chard for her to try, she freaked about the wildlife on it!..but she's veggie, and won't use chemicals. She'll adjust.
Oh, yum, I love raspberries and the cllimate here doesn't really suit them. I've always wanted to grow Autumn Bliss - cos they are blissful, and they don't only fruit in the autumn - but I'll have to try other things instead....
Yes, I tried tomatoes and lost them to blight a couple of years running. Haven't tried since. I used to grow outdoor bush tomatoes years ago with no problems, but blight seems to have got a real hold all over the place now :(
I have arow of Autumn bliss in my garden at home, oh boy! are they yummey, and I get loads off of them, right from july, through to the frosts.
Me and the birds share them, in fact when I go thjrough up to where the veg plot used to be, all the birds start squawking at me!! As far as they're concerned , I'm raiding their plot!! LOL
what sort of veggies can you grow there Philomel?
I haven't started trying yet, but the locals grow tomatoes, a lot of salad, beans of varying types - lots of broad beans, climbing french etc - courgettes and other squashes, asparagus. Melons and garlic are grown commercially here.
I'm planning to start preparing some deep beds very soon, as the clay is very heavy here, sticky in the winter and concrete in the summer. It'll be hard going, but, if I can get some beds going that I don't walk on, the rewards should be good.
For us here in Belgium we have stille to wait 3 months before we can start sowing fegs, but in my greenhouse I already started with cactus & succulents.
Is your greenhouse heated ableroy? or do cactus need cold to start them off?
i did try some succulents , the only ones I got to germinate was Agaves, had no luck with sedums.
I have just started some succulents too and my lemongrass seeds have all sprouted..I have no idea either where on earth I will put all these seeds...cannot even scheme as I haven't any grass [or lawn] to pinch :))
and it is too hot here for pots..they need to be watered constantly during the day...
Got loads of tammies, all different kinds..some are black ones from Russia [ordered from my rare seed catalogue]..what we get on our tams are these huge [and I mean HUGE]..tomato worms that are bright green..if you can imagine a green catapillar magnified about 30 times [ I am talking up to 8-10 inches long..full grown]..
they are so disgusting..and difficult to see as they blend in with the green leaves...the only way I can dispose of them [as they are almost glued to the plant] is to take a pair of shears..and yes, you've guessed it :((
but it makes me feel ill when Ido it...would love to see your sister face Sue..grin..
[explain to her what we have to do] real beasties..real wildlife...as my mother in law said when she visited..'everything grows bigger-er and better-er in California' :()
Please grow some gooseberries for me..have never had any in years, and I loved them so..but am hoping our greengage plums [something else I love] will keep their fruit on this year..I don't think they like this heat but after 5 years of watering and TLC they owe me..
Eeugh!...don't think I'll complain about greenfly anymore. I don't like the little beasties, but I'm squeemish when it comes to destroying them.
Slugs and snails i throw onto the road, so the birds can get them (or the cars!! )
When I cut back my grasses yesterday, between the grass and the wall were lterally hundreds of snails togetrer, so I peeled the all off, and chucked them onto the road, hope the birds had a feast. A few less to nibble my plants this summer, bet there's hindreds more though, somewhere!
I hope you're using your hot-tub to germinate them? LOL haven't you though of plantimng up little aquatic pockets in your tub yet?
What excuse do you really need Sue!! I grow both flowers and veg in equal abundance on my plots. I am totally organic and I do not have a problem with pest, pigeons and diseases like everyone else does. I grow my veg and flowers all together and not in regimented rows like on most plots. This serves two purposes. The flowers bring in all the beneficial insects that you need for pollination and pest control and it is also stumps the pigeons and rabbits who cannot find the brassicas! lol! Also an allotment should be fun and be enjoyed. Grow whatever you want and dont feel guilty about doing it! ;)
We don't get many slugs or snails here because of the heat/dryness but get a lot of other bugs that am sure you guys don't get..so not sure which is worse [at least you can see snails even if they are disgusting]..
I have to be careful where I plant the tomatoes because some of the tropical fruits [trees] will nor florish beside them or growm in any soil where they have been..
I have used a fair amount of nastertums [spel?] and marigolds as they ward off some insects..grew sunflower seeds as they attract birds, and spray with a mixture of garlic to kill the beasties [the beasties probably love it]..I have no rows either everything just mucks in together [except for the tammy's]
Other than that just try to keep them all well mulched and watered and hope they eventually make it..:))
I'm always hankering after warmer weather, hotter climes, but I guess that even that brings it's own problems Marion, (including larger bugs!!...)
it's not the other plot holders psilo that I'm worried about, it's my sister, we took the plot on to grow veggies, and every row of flowers that I plant, means one less for veggies.
If I could manage the physical side of the work, I'd have my own plot soley for flowers, but I have to rely on my sister to do all that, with an occassional hours digging from my hubby or elder daughter (when I can bribe them)I really used to enjoy the digging side of it, nothing nicer than a cold suuny morning, working out in the soil, smoking breath.
I hear you on digging and slogging in the garden Sue, it was something I always enjoyed too..
it gets old waiting to have the family dig and move things around for us tho, the independance has gone and the zest of just going out there and doing all of it on our own doesn't exist anymore..
we take so much for granted then when it has gone we realise how much is lost..[and it is not spontaneous anymore] I miss that a lot all of it !!!
Hear, hear...people get fed of hearing me tell them to go and do things now, don't wait!
you never know whats around the corner
Too right both of you ;-)
Hi Sue..I've done no sowing this season YET..Because I've been so ill lately and many things have left to do ...things still go so slowly.. I'll sow some annuals like Tagetes..but I'll wait to do that. I've placed an order for summerbulbs yesterday..I'm looking forward to that...they' ll arrive end of april:
Dahlia coccinea;
Watsonia's;
Irisses;
Agapanthus;
Eucomis pole-evansii;
Lilium;
Hedichium....
Saya
Dear Sueone,
Sorry for the delay, but I was in Monaco for a while and now just back home.
Yes my greenhouse iw heated as cacti and other succulents need a minimum temp to survive of +/- 10°C. For the seedlings I have a separated electricaly heated small greenhouse (60cm x 100cm) covered with a special glass sheet, who has in daytime a temp (thermostate) of at least 28°C and at nighttime 15°C. I have a collection of arround the 2500 plants near my house, all exotics and cacti. Apart of this (individual) greenhouse I am collaborating with two other cactomaniacs(!!) in a greenhouse of 25m long and 12m wide, where we have the common collection of more than 40.000 plants. Yes you read well 40.000 forthy-thousand!! I know it seems that we are crazy, but we find it normal, without we couldn't live!!!!
Greetings,
Albert