This week in your Kitchen Garden.

[fogbat]

'Borrow' a Morissons trolley and get down Rye Lane imo.

99p shop had decent enough compost.

Cheers, might take a look. I did pop in there a while back, but couldn't see any big bags of compost. I reckon I'll need at least another 70 litres

I can carry one 35L bag back from the garden centre to mine, but any more would be pushing it.

Oh, and I still need to get those chillies to you
Will PM you later on.

 

[Melinda]

'Borrow' a Morissons trolley and get down Rye Lane imo.

99p shop had decent enough compost.

I love a girl with no shame!


Oooh Sheo- two weeks back I dropped some honey dew melon seeds in an inch of soil, more out of amusement than anything else. Checked the 'cold' frame this morning and masses have come up, about 2 inches tall!

I'm hoping for massive melons now. LOL. Actually I'll save two and pass the the rest on to summer fetes.

 

[citygirl]

At the sowing stage, you just need to make sure they have 20 degrees C or so of warmth. At that stage it's probably more important to have them where you can keep an eye on them.

You're pushing it I'm afraid sowing pepper plants now - though you may get some fruit if you have some sort of greenhouse.

Most garden centres will have plants for 75p, but maybe not the variety you wanted. ... a crying shame you don't live near me as I have spares...

ahh right, well that's the point as I don't have things like sunny windowsills here at home I can use you see Not really bothered which type they are. but these were the bell type ones rather than the chilli type ones, just wanted to have a go at growing em...but I don't live anywhere near or within easy reach of a garden centre by bus/train. and Morribobs definitely didn't have any left this week....

as do I... and I should be doing a job in bingley in the next few weeks

That could be useful I could have a go at growing some on for you but don't blame me if i murder them please... as you've already witnessed i'm not that good yet

 

[gentlegreen]

ahh right, well that's the point as I don't have things like sunny windowsills here at home I can use you see

Get yourself a cheap PVC greenhouse and some cheap fluorescent lamps from the supermarket - especially economical if you can have them as supplemental light near a window.

I've gone the whole hog with capacity for 6 seed trays and timers and ventilation because I'm up to 500 watts or so.

Having a miniature indoor garden is a joy in itself. 40p per day per seed tray of 15 little pots. The heat from the lamps can take the chill off your room so isn't wasted. We're only talking about a month or two each year.

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

Peas, runner beans, french beans, broad beans, carrots, pak choi, radishes, winter cabbages, broccoli, spinach, beetroots, cauliflower, squash courgettes, sweetcorn, spring onions, swiss chard are all getting sown over the next two weeks (for second crops in most cases) on my plot. It's about the right time to sow almost anything, really, late May

cool , thanks for that

I have some carrots to start in loo roll tubes this week too shall just plant loads of stuff and see

 

[sheothebudworths]

Oooh Sheo- two weeks back I dropped some honey dew melon seeds in an inch of soil, more out of amusement than anything else. Checked the 'cold' frame this morning and masses have come up, about 2 inches tall!

I'm hoping for massive melons now. LOL. Actually I'll save two and pass the the rest on to summer fetes.

I have good news and bad news!

Bad news first.

Sorry to piss on your bonfire but my book says that taking seeds from melons is generally not such a good idea because most of them are imported from much warmer climes, so that while it may GROW, it will probably not fruit. But worth a try (they look complicated, but fun, to grow... )!



Good news!

However, I bought twelve seeds and only used six (and they all germinated), so have six left - would you like me to post some/all to you?

Minnesota midget.

If you pm me your addy today (by four, say) I can post em today, otherwise it's more likely to be Monday or Tuesday.

It says to sow in April/May, but I'm sure a couple of days won't do any harm!

 

[gentlegreen]

I was going to suggest it might not be kind to sell plants grown from scavenged seeds - what with all the effort it takes to grow them and the long wait ...

 

[aqua]

I'm sowing some more chilli plants but I think it should be OK. Where they germinate is brilliant so why the hell not

Not fussed about fruit this year, as I want to overwinter them and sort them out properly for next year (when hopefully I'll have a greenhouse too)

 

[Melinda]

I have good news and bad news!

Bad news first.

Sorry to piss on your bonfire but my book says that taking seeds from melons is generally not such a good idea because most of them are imported from much warmer climes, so that while it may GROW, it will probably not fruit. But worth a try (they look complicated, but fun, to grow... )!



Good news!

However, I bought twelve seeds and only used six (and they all germinated), so have six left - would you like me to post some/all to you?

Minnesota midget.

If you pm me your addy today (by four, say) I can post em today, otherwise it's more likely to be Monday or Tuesday.

It says to sow in April/May, but I'm sure a couple of days won't do any harm!

I was going to suggest it might not be kind to sell plants grown from scavenged seeds - what with all the effort it takes to grow them and the long wait ...

So I cant even give them away! Boo! Consider my melon bonfire well and truly pissed on!

Could I label them as conservatory plants then? (I'm giving them away to a local village fete). I dont want to chuck 'em.

Thank you so much for the offer Sheo (super generous with your melons!!) but Ive just about cut my growing area by a third by fencing off the back of the garden for chickens! *claps hands excitedly*

 

[Melinda]

Oooh and after 3 weeks of nursing parsnip seeds on damp kitchen paper, I finally see roots and germination! Hurrah!

GG, Im still waiting for the seeds I mixed with non-fungicidal wallpaper paste. After all this hassle, they better be tasty.


Are the more cautious people planning to plant out their courgettes, beans and outdoor cucs this weekend?
Is there still a point to potting on at this stage? Or can wee seedlings be planted directly into the garden ?

 

[gentlegreen]

GG, Im still waiting for the seeds I mixed with non-fungicidal wallpaper paste. After all this hassle, they better be tasty.

You did pre-germinate them as with the parsnips ?

 

[Melinda]

Im scowling!

I was supposed to pre germinate the ones in the wallpaper paste? Then what's the pint of the paste?!

Flipping buggitty!!

*mumbles under her breath*

 

[gentlegreen]

It coushions their delicate little shoots...

I think I once tried the same with parsnips - I can't remember how it tuned out.

 

[citygirl]

Get yourself a cheap PVC greenhouse and some cheap fluorescent lamps from the supermarket - especially economical if you can have them as supplemental light near a window.

I've gone the whole hog with capacity for 6 seed trays and timers and ventilation because I'm up to 500 watts or so.

Having a miniature indoor garden is a joy in itself. 40p per day per seed tray of 15 little pots. The heat from the lamps can take the chill off your room so isn't wasted. We're only talking about a month or two each year.

I feel that's not really an option open to me at the mo the whole point of me getting my allotment was the fact i don't have the room to do it at my house, bar a few pots outside...

 

[free spirit]

Oooh and after 3 weeks of nursing parsnip seeds on damp kitchen paper, I finally see roots and germination! Hurrah!

GG, Im still waiting for the seeds I mixed with non-fungicidal wallpaper paste. After all this hassle, they better be tasty.


Are the more cautious people planning to plant out their courgettes, beans and outdoor cucs this weekend?
Is there still a point to potting on at this stage? Or can wee seedlings be planted directly into the garden ?

I can't really answer this question as I'm defo not cautious... but anyway, I've had my first lot of corgettes and beans planted out for a month now with no real problems (just a couple of suspicious dead leaves on he corgettes), and planted another set out 2 weeks ago.

The location is very sheltered though, and someone a couple of weeks back said that their first lot of beans they'd planted in the allotment around the same time as me had died off, so I was obviously a bit lucky.

 

[free spirit]

That could be useful I could have a go at growing some on for you but don't blame me if i murder them please... as you've already witnessed i'm not that good yet

I'll give you a shout when I'm heading up in your direction next then... I've got sweet pointed and min peppers, tomatoes, corgettes, pumpkins, beans, probably some other stuff once I've filled the rest of the garden up this weekend

 

[gentlegreen]

My courgettes will be going out this weekend and the runner and French beans will be sown outdoors, with a few indoors to fill gaps.
All my ornamentals will have to come out of the greenhouse and fend for themselves as I have to get the greenhouse crops into bigger pots - though mostly not in their final pots until I can get a lift with a lot more compost.

But then I live in the sunny south west. It's quite an eyeopener watching the Scottish programme "Beechgrove" on TV ... My banana plant survived several winters without protection.

 

[citygirl]

I'll give you a shout when I'm heading up in your direction next then... I've got sweet pointed and min peppers, tomatoes, corgettes, pumpkins, beans, probably some other stuff once I've filled the rest of the garden up this weekend

That would be great, thankyou

 

[gentlegreen]

Potted up my greenhouse tomatoes, peppers and aubergines into 6 litre pots - the aubergines were seriously potbound after 8 weeks ...

The tomato plants I bought in the shop because I doubted my ability to get my own plants big enough, I will try to bring on as extras for early fruit - stopping them after one to three trusses - two of them are additional varieties I would like to try. It will be interesting to see how a couple of them do outside against a sunny wall.

If this lot are productive (6 toms, 6 peppers), my focus is going to shift hugely from the garden to the kitchen before long.

 

[Badgers]

How is the hop gg? Ours is prolific, just touching the trellis now.

Have a lot of repotting to do here too. Need to stock up on compost and other supplies. Could also do with something to put them all on, maybe a pallet or some planks on bricks.

 

[gentlegreen]

How is the hop gg? Ours is prolific, just touching the trellis now.

Unstoppable

Gawd nose how it would do if it was planted in the ground - though I reckon it must have put roots through the drainage holes.

It's managed for years with no attention. This year I've fed and watered it and removed the huge buddleja that was sharing its tub.

If I can find my tripod thingy I'll do a panorama. It's charging up the wall on the left.

 

[Badgers]

Blimey!! Mine looks like a runt next to that. It is in a pot about half the size of a dustbin. Guess this one was only six inches tall and has not bedded in as long as yours.

Has good fresh compost and I am watering it loads. What are you feeding yours?

 

[gentlegreen]

Blimey!! Mine looks like a runt next to that. It is in a pot about half the size of a dustbin. Guess this one was only six inches tall and has not bedded in as long as yours.

Has good fresh compost and I am watering it loads. What are you feeding yours?

You need to bear in mind I planted it at least 8 years ago.
I have a few rooted cuttings in another tub in an effort to grow a sunshade.

I think I gave it sewage pellets - "Biogran". I don't think Wessex water sell it any more.
In that much fresh compost you shouldn't need to feed it for ages.

The weird thing is I'm almost certain it's seeded itself all over the place - I'm pretty good at identifying seedlings - though it could possibly be birdseed. By all accounts female hops can grow boy bits if they're stressed.

It's amazing what's popping up in what was an abandoned garden. I have a potential forest of bronze fennel and what looks for all the world like dahlia seedlings.

 

[Badgers]

Climb my pretty, reach for the stars!!

 

[Badgers]

Just about there, going to need some tying to get it across the trellis. A couple more weeks of sun should get it sorted.

 

[Badgers]

These Strawberries have appeared in less than a week. May need to get some more started.

 

[gentlegreen]

You need to bear in mind that the optimum growing arrangement for hops is probably a 45 degree angle.
To be fair it's so long since I paid any attention to my garden I don't know about side shoots, but you'll fight with it to make it grow horizontal - as I'm finding - I had thought I could just run it across the top to the trellis on the right ... and those shoots are painfully fragile ...

 

[Badgers]

Yeah, I am going to try and get it to cover as much of that corner as I can then see how far (if at all) I can get it across. Will probably need another climber...

Got to plant the new Privet this week and have a load of Corn Poppy seeds for the front garden too. Busy busy

 

[gentlegreen]

It'll be brilliant once it's established though - I'm almost glad for the crude block and flat-roofed extension to grow mine on. It's the end of May now and wham ! there's the backdrop sorted for most of the year.

I really ought to fit something grapey in somewhere - maybe an ornamental variety on a pergola over the seating area.

 

[Melinda]

Ive just spent a pleasant if rather chilly two hours outside, belatedly pricking out broccoli, squash and delphiniums with only R4 for company.

Snail-gasm! Threw 15 snails on the garage roof. The birds are loving it.

And STILL waiting for my grass seed to germinate.