any gardeners

[artyb]

well its bit chilly for it all... :sulk:
but is there anything i should be getting planted yet,
i have a veg patch,
and an unheated greenhouse. with a heated frame inside
i want to grow some french beans potatoes in bags or tubs,

should i consider any growing or wait patiently... :?

 

[PD]

get your taties in.

If you can provide local warmth to the seedlings theres no reason not to start any of the vegetables off........this cold spell can't go on forever lol

 

[narmour]

Spuds should be in by now... if you bury them about 4 inches on a bed of well rotted manure that should keep the frost off them.

Tomatoes and chillies should be planted already in pots on the windowsill or in a heated propogator. It's edging on being too late for both.

 

[adrianmole72]

I've just been allotted an allotment up the road - can't get to it yet, because of the snow !

Looking forward to getting stuck in... I can't believe how expensive they are !!! £8-10 per year :

Stephen

 

[PD]

were you waiting long for one ?

 

[adrianmole72]

were you waiting long for one ?

To be honest, I'd forgotten that I'd applied !!

I don't think it was more than a year, to be honest :thumb:

 

[Baz Chaz]

Just put my spuds in the greenhouse tubs this morning.

Charlottes and Kestrel

Theres also a few pans of salad greens, Rocket, Lettuce etc which were put in a couple of weeks ago, no heating and its regularly been below freezing, but they're showing signs of germination, I just cover them over each night with a sheet of newspaper to keep a bit of the frost off them :thumb:

 

[Stu]

Right.

I have an allotment. I was going to give it up, but it had me thinking (I don't have an awful lot of time to give to it)......

Has anyone grown malt or hops before? Are they low maintenance? Could I fill my allotment with them?

 

[Baz Chaz]

..... I have an allotment. I was going to give it up, but it had me thinking (I don't have an awful lot of time to give to it)......

Even if you kept it for growing spuds, onions, leeks and other relatively low maintainance stuff that needs a quick once through with a hoe once a week, it'll be worthwhile keeping (or see if you could split the plot in half) :thumb:

I had to give my allotment up when I moved, the only thing I regret about moving, really do miss the allotment and the produce from it :!:

 

[Stu]

..... I have an allotment. I was going to give it up, but it had me thinking (I don't have an awful lot of time to give to it)......

Even if you kept it for growing spuds, onions, leeks and other relatively low maintainance stuff that needs a quick once through with a hoe once a week, it'll be worthwhile keeping (or see if you could split the plot in half) :thumb:

I had to give my allotment up when I moved, the only thing I regret about moving, really do miss the allotment and the produce from it :!:

Well that's the problem.

I've moved from being 300 yards away to being 7 miles away.

Thing is, we don't intend to stay where we currently live for more than 2 years.

 

[artyb]

right i will get on with some stuff this weekend, :thumb:
i have a warm frame in the greenhouse,
a wooden box with a polythene lid, that has two heated germination trays in it,if it gets a bit of sun it soon heats up,

i did start my potatoes in there last year in flower pots, then when they were 3'' high transfered them into the tubs and garden.. cant see the garden at the mo as its covered in snow.. :nah:

 

[Titus A Duxass]

Got some Pink Fir Apple spuds to go in when the ground thaws.
We're about to put up a 4x8 metre Poly Tunnel and 2 large cold frames.
We have 1/2 an acre of garden and it's become a full time job for the missus.

 

[Baz Chaz]

First time I grew Pink Fir Apple spuds, Mrs put a huge pyxrex dish of them in the middle of the table with salt and butter on them, steaming hot, kids were about 12 & 14, eldest said 'whats them Dad, did you grow 'em?'

'Pink Fir Apples' said I, 'been on the telly recently, HughWhittyFerningstalls raving about 'em' :thumb:

It was a big bowl, the kids took an odd one just to try....... then demolished the whole bloody lot in short order :lol:

They might be a bit rough and nobbly (the spuds not the kids) but freshly dug PFA's just cleaned, boiled in their jackets with butter and salt are possibly the best tasting spuds going :thumb:

 

[Stu]

With you on that. We did the same a couple of years ago. Tastiest spuds I've ever eaten.

 

[RobWalker]

same with garlic, if you want some of that.

i'm a big fan of radish and pak choi. sow them every week in a big pot and they'll keep growing all year, use them in salads, stir frys, wines? lol. you basically plant them and leave them too and they look after themselves. you can grow big juicy radishes too that are much, much milder than the little red ones you get from the supermarket - really nice.

 

[narmour]

I can't believe how expensive they are !!! £8-10 per year :

Stephen

Ours is £220 a year for 100m2 :shock: the provision of council allotments in Belfast is woeful so the private providers are flourishing. They can charge what they like because there is never a waiting list. Our site is on a working dairy farm and has about 150 plots, with new ones being opened every year. It's certainly popular, but you don't do it to save money...

 

[springtime]

Sorry to hear that mate - I'm paying £45 for 240m2 - I'm so keen that I now have 2 :thumb:
Off there this morning to check on the lottie greenhouse.
Hope the tatties are ok as they went in at the end of Feb :shock:

 

[Stu]

I can't believe how expensive they are !!! £8-10 per year :

Stephen

Ours is £220 a year for 100m2 :shock: the provision of council allotments in Belfast is woeful so the private providers are flourishing. They can charge what they like because there is never a waiting list. Our site is on a working dairy farm and has about 150 plots, with new ones being opened every year. It's certainly popular, but you don't do it to save money...

Yup. The old "Wyevale" group do something similar.

Thing with council ones is that you have many rights to ask for one. I'm happy to discuss if you want, but along with a dozen other people, we forced our council to provide 44.

It's not difficult to do, just takes a bit of organising.

 

[One eye]

just put some spuds in today, Good Friday,

bit late this year,

still have some second earlies (Vanessa) under the bed chitting in egg trays, will put some more in the ground next weekend,

when we had the acre of land with heated polytunnels I have planted potatoes on Boxing day, and dug them in March

sold a pound of new potaoes with a sprigg of fresh mint in the bag for £2 on the roadside stall and could not keep up with demand, happy days

 

[artyb]

well i cleaned out the greenhouse for some planting.. :party:
tidied up the strawberries in their tubs and gave them some feed, there sprouting lots of new leaves...

it was snowing outside ... :?