The fruit and veg growing thread

kate36 · 26-03-2009, 18:43

Quote:

Kate - I have only ever grown perpetual spinach - and this stuff just keeps on going providing you pick it religiously. It does bolt after a year or if it gets very dry, but as it germinates pretty quickly, if it does go over, you do not have to wait a long time for it to grow again.
Certainly, it looked a bit sad after the severe weather we had this year, but it is picking up again now.

Something you might care to grow instead of spinach is chard, particularly rainbow chard. I love it much more than spinach when cooked, though if you want spinach for salad, then you cannot use chard (or at least, I think not)

thanks sally, i LOVE spinach and those little bags at the supermarket just dont last five minutes with me, i eat it raw, cooked, in salads, pasta dishes, steamed you name it....so i'd love to cultivate it myself and save some money!!
i love kale too, have you grown that?
could i grow spinach in a grow bag or is it better in the actual ground? also kale, any ideas?

i will give chard a go too!

thanks again

sheddy99 · 26-03-2009, 21:35

we grew spinach last year in tubs on the patio and it's very hard to mess up really, we had a crop from june right through to november

Al lot ment · 27-03-2009, 10:16

I haven't been on the site for a while and am pleased to see a "growing" thread

My allotment is doing ok at the mo, my onions,garlic and shallots all survived over the winter and will be ready June time.

My kale is looking lovely again and will soon be big enough to pick the leaves (pigeons have a lot to answer for!!) All the fruit is starting to bud and looks promising.

This weekend I am going to plant seeds of tomato and chilli in my little (plastic) greenhouse and maybe start of some peas, carrots, parsnips ready for planting out later.

The trouble is I cant remember what seeds I have so I need to look through first.

Oh yes and my potatoes have nearly chitted and will be ready to put out maybe next week. Looks like I will be busy then

Sallysally · 27-03-2009, 11:07

I've been picking kale - purple curly - from November and to tell the truth I am really bored with it now. The pigeons don't get anywhere near mine (or any of my brassicas) because my husband makes a sort of tunnel cobbled out of plastic pipes, with netting over and holds down the netting with bricks. Makes weeding a bit of a chore because you have to pull over the netting, but it is worth it.

kate36 · 27-03-2009, 14:43

i just hope i haven't started too late

...i'm ordering the greenhouse and my miniature fruit trees this weekend though so ic an get started and i'ev got to get some compost for my spuds

i'm going to plant my peppers in the growbags at the weekend and put my courgettes in

malaikah · 02-04-2009, 01:16

Well, the pumpkin seedlings are going great guns. Pea and Sugarsnap Peas are looking good too, nice and compact. Potatoes are chitting well - I need to get them planted - also the sweetcorn and extra chive seedlings sprouted well. Tonight I planted herbs - mint, thyme, parsley and basil. Also some tomatoes, half a dozen turnips, cos lettuce, savoy cabbage and some broccoli. Still got onion and shallot sets to go in. There were a few onion seedlings which sprouted but I ate them. Very tasty they were too!

Sallysally · 02-04-2009, 12:00

A few years ago I started a sort of mini herb garden using hanging baskets - those semi-circular ones which can be attached to a fence or wall. I now have about a dozen of these attached to a fence near my kitchen and each one contains a different herb. Surprisingly, I had herbs all through this bitterly cold winter - even those that normally die down over the cold weather carried on. It might have been the shelter given by the fence, but the joy of fresh thyme, mint, tarragon, sage, oregano etc was wonderful! I did bring in the parsley, but that did not do that well anyway.

I have not planted my pumpkin seeds yet, not sweet corn. I will do so probably over the next couple of weeks.

kate36 · 02-04-2009, 18:36

i've changed my mind about getting a greenhouse now, probably will invest in a couple of cloches though, norfolk greenhouses have a good offer on at the moment..

i've sown some parsley and rocket today and put them in a nice sheltered sunny spot at the back

i haven't put the courgettes in yet, probably will do that at the weekend and the seed potatoes
i'm hoping to have enough room for some spinach or a couple of broccoli plants..

holidaynumpty · 02-04-2009, 21:42

I am so glad to have found this thread. I had tried another local forum but no one seems to post there !
This is my first year...blame Alan Titch... I got his book for Christmas.
I chitted my potatoes and put them in about a week ago.
Today was glorious so I took advantage and sowed salad leaves, spring onions, red onions, shallots and cabbage.
I have carrots and parsnips seeds to sow ( they're going in pots as my soil is a bit stoney)
Have sown sprouts, french beans and little gem lettuce in cells and they're showing through already.
It's so exciting...but I really MUST do some housework tomorrow lol

mandelifeboats · 04-04-2009, 00:22

Not had time to read the last couple of pages but have to say I disagree with those who say don't grow spuds. They may be cheap to buy but the flavour is remarkably different. Plus varieties you never see in the shops
are a revelation.
So my veg area so far:
7 rows of spuds
2 rows of garlic
3 of onions
2 of peas
2 of carrots
1 row of radish
20 runner beans on the way from mums greenhouse
she's also growing me 6 tom plants abd 3 cucumber.
Lettuce in pots at the weekend
Melon shall be my experiment this year.
God I love planting and picking.

Sallysally · 04-04-2009, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandelifeboats

Melon shall be my experiment this year.
God I love planting and picking.

I was one of those that said not to plant potatoes - but only for reasons of space. With limited space, I still think that if you can grow the more expensive veg, it is better. However, potatoes can still be grown in tubs etc. If you have space, I totally agree that home grown spuds have no comparison with the shop ones.

Snap about the melon! I too am growing one this year. Let's compare notes at the end of the year!

superluke2 · 05-04-2009, 21:51

Started off purple spouting today. Still picking last years only 5 plants and cropping since end of jan and feeding 4 of us, they will probably be done though in a couple of weeks. Colder up here so starting off in the poly greenhouse

Roz · 05-04-2009, 22:25

Hi everyone. Just found this thread!!

I bought a little mini walk in greenhouse from Wilkinson's for £30 about 3 weeks ago, and a water butt!! Inside my little greenhouse I have strawberry plants, tomato plants, spring onions, yellow peppers, climbing cucumbers, and some flowers. I also have a tub with carrot sown in that. I LOVE this little greenhouse, just hope my stuff continues to grow!!
I also have lettuce to sow as well.

malaikah · 06-04-2009, 22:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roz

I bought a little mini walk in greenhouse from Wilkinson's for £30 about 3 weeks ago

It says online they are all sold out now! I am waiting for them to email and say they are back in stock..

Roz · 07-04-2009, 11:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by malaikah

It says online they are all sold out now! I am waiting for them to email and say they are back in stock..

You could always phone your local Wilko's coz even though it says they're out of stock online, your local could still have them as they did in my case.

jabegy · 07-04-2009, 23:10

I got a letter today from the council offering me an allotment that I'd applied for last year. !!!! I'm so thrilled, can't wait to go and check it out. I expect it'll be in a bit of mess, my brother in law told me that it probably would be, we shall see !! I'm going to phone the bloke up tomorrow to accept it, then it'll be getting down and dirty for me for the summer.

I've never had one before so it'll be a bit of an experience and I'll have to learn as I go. First stop will be the library, to check out some books on keeping allotments.

malaikah · 07-04-2009, 23:17

Oooh, fab.

Great news! Don't be put off by what you see, and don't expect to be growing too much this year - concentrate on clearing and preparing - don't set yourself up for disappointment

But you might be surprised and not need to do too much!

sheddy99 · 08-04-2009, 14:48

Well my greenhouse blew over last night and both my garlic plants were knocked on the floor and ruined - by the time I got to them this morning they had been decimated by slugs

The corriander also came out of the pot but i've resowed that so hopefully it'll take again. Bloody wind

Sallysally · 08-04-2009, 16:02

Oh, that is so sad. I hope you can rescue as much as possible.

My greenhouse is really a lean-to against one of the kitchen walls and is well and truly anchored, but I lost a roof panel when we had gales last year. Luckily, there was not much in it at the time. I would be devastated if it happened now - there are all sorts of plants growing in it ready to be planted out later.

malaikah · 08-04-2009, 22:35

Look at my first bed which I finished today! Been digging it over which has taken a couple of weeks and got the boards in - half a few days ago and then the rest today. Ready for the onion sets now!! It is quite big in area, but there is a central board laid down the middle to use as a walkway. Finished bed. This is how it looked before I started - before the graft.

malaikah · 09-04-2009, 22:32

I planted 150 onion sets today in one half of the new bed

Sallysally · 09-04-2009, 23:08

I'm totally impressed by your efforts. The state of your garden at the beginning would, I think, have defeated me - I would probably have turned it into a wild garden!

jabegy · 09-04-2009, 23:14

That looks great Malaikah, did you dig that all by yourself. It looks like it was a lot of hard work.

I've been down to see the allotment, I couldn't get in because I haven't got the key yet, but there are some plots that have been rotavated by the council, and mine is one of those. I'm going to meet the allotment rep on Saturday morning, so she can show me round.

Welsh-lad · 09-04-2009, 23:18

Has anyone else tried growing potatoes in a bucket?

I had great success with them last year. Basically just a tall bucket with an old compost sack turned inside-out for lining. Good loam and a bit of compost and dung, no more than 3 seed potatoes in the bottom, and you're away!

One of my buckets failed last year, but I reckon that was down to under-watering. The others produced a heavy crop all thrugh the season.

Bear in mind I grew them all on a broad window-ledge and on the roof of a lean-to (as bf and me were living in a flat at the time).

You can stuff them anywhere - it's so much fun

malaikah · 10-04-2009, 00:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sallysally

I'm totally impressed by your efforts.

Thank you! I had a more relaxed mooch around tonight after onion planting; I've been given an apple tree which needs to go somewhere, and I have some blackcurrant 'bushes' (very small, lots of green growth but were sticks three weeks ago) which need a permanent place to go into. There are a load of raspberry canes already growing so I guess the fruit should all be together. I've a rhubarb crown here at home in a pot which needs to go somewhere too. Also the plot behind me is abandoned and amongst the overgrown bramble thicket I've discovered a rhubarb crown, and a couple of blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes.. which are going to be plant-napped and moved onto the plot, when I've worked out where they should go!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabegy

That looks great Malaikah, did you dig that all by yourself. It looks like it was a lot of hard work.

It was a bit backbreaking but good to see it transform over the weeks/visits! Got the next one to start now though, it's had carpet covering the area since January which has weakened the weeds quite a bit. I need that one for the potatoes which are next to need to go in.

Good news about your plot, makes things a bit easier if it's been dug over! Saves time too. You can get on and plan now!

26-03-2009, 18:43	#101
kate36 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 7,577	Quote: Originally Posted by Sallysally Kate - I have only ever grown perpetual spinach - and this stuff just keeps on going providing you pick it religiously. It does bolt after a year or if it gets very dry, but as it germinates pretty quickly, if it does go over, you do not have to wait a long time for it to grow again. Certainly, it looked a bit sad after the severe weather we had this year, but it is picking up again now. Something you might care to grow instead of spinach is chard, particularly rainbow chard. I love it much more than spinach when cooked, though if you want spinach for salad, then you cannot use chard (or at least, I think not) thanks sally, i LOVE spinach and those little bags at the supermarket just dont last five minutes with me, i eat it raw, cooked, in salads, pasta dishes, steamed you name it....so i'd love to cultivate it myself and save some money!! i love kale too, have you grown that? could i grow spinach in a grow bag or is it better in the actual ground? also kale, any ideas? i will give chard a go too! thanks again

27-03-2009, 14:43	#105
kate36 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 7,577	i just hope i haven't started too late...i'm ordering the greenhouse and my miniature fruit trees this weekend though so ic an get started and i'ev got to get some compost for my spuds i'm going to plant my peppers in the growbags at the weekend and put my courgettes in

26-03-2009, 21:35	#102
sheddy99 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Deepest Darkest Cornwall Posts: 5,545	we grew spinach last year in tubs on the patio and it's very hard to mess up really, we had a crop from june right through to november

27-03-2009, 10:16	#103
Al lot ment Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Berkshire Posts: 93	I haven't been on the site for a while and am pleased to see a "growing" thread My allotment is doing ok at the mo, my onions,garlic and shallots all survived over the winter and will be ready June time. My kale is looking lovely again and will soon be big enough to pick the leaves (pigeons have a lot to answer for!!) All the fruit is starting to bud and looks promising. This weekend I am going to plant seeds of tomato and chilli in my little (plastic) greenhouse and maybe start of some peas, carrots, parsnips ready for planting out later. The trouble is I cant remember what seeds I have so I need to look through first. Oh yes and my potatoes have nearly chitted and will be ready to put out maybe next week. Looks like I will be busy then

27-03-2009, 11:07	#104
Sallysally Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: lala land Posts: 2,203	I've been picking kale - purple curly - from November and to tell the truth I am really bored with it now. The pigeons don't get anywhere near mine (or any of my brassicas) because my husband makes a sort of tunnel cobbled out of plastic pipes, with netting over and holds down the netting with bricks. Makes weeding a bit of a chore because you have to pull over the netting, but it is worth it.

02-04-2009, 01:16	#106
malaikah Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Not far enough Posts: 12,248	Well, the pumpkin seedlings are going great guns. Pea and Sugarsnap Peas are looking good too, nice and compact. Potatoes are chitting well - I need to get them planted - also the sweetcorn and extra chive seedlings sprouted well. Tonight I planted herbs - mint, thyme, parsley and basil. Also some tomatoes, half a dozen turnips, cos lettuce, savoy cabbage and some broccoli. Still got onion and shallot sets to go in. There were a few onion seedlings which sprouted but I ate them. Very tasty they were too!

02-04-2009, 12:00	#107
Sallysally Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: lala land Posts: 2,203	A few years ago I started a sort of mini herb garden using hanging baskets - those semi-circular ones which can be attached to a fence or wall. I now have about a dozen of these attached to a fence near my kitchen and each one contains a different herb. Surprisingly, I had herbs all through this bitterly cold winter - even those that normally die down over the cold weather carried on. It might have been the shelter given by the fence, but the joy of fresh thyme, mint, tarragon, sage, oregano etc was wonderful! I did bring in the parsley, but that did not do that well anyway. I have not planted my pumpkin seeds yet, not sweet corn. I will do so probably over the next couple of weeks.

02-04-2009, 18:36	#108
kate36 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 7,577	i've changed my mind about getting a greenhouse now, probably will invest in a couple of cloches though, norfolk greenhouses have a good offer on at the moment.. i've sown some parsley and rocket today and put them in a nice sheltered sunny spot at the back i haven't put the courgettes in yet, probably will do that at the weekend and the seed potatoes i'm hoping to have enough room for some spinach or a couple of broccoli plants..

02-04-2009, 21:42	#109
holidaynumpty Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,038	I am so glad to have found this thread. I had tried another local forum but no one seems to post there ! This is my first year...blame Alan Titch... I got his book for Christmas. I chitted my potatoes and put them in about a week ago. Today was glorious so I took advantage and sowed salad leaves, spring onions, red onions, shallots and cabbage. I have carrots and parsnips seeds to sow ( they're going in pots as my soil is a bit stoney) Have sown sprouts, french beans and little gem lettuce in cells and they're showing through already. It's so exciting...but I really MUST do some housework tomorrow lol

04-04-2009, 00:22	#110
mandelifeboats Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 872	Not had time to read the last couple of pages but have to say I disagree with those who say don't grow spuds. They may be cheap to buy but the flavour is remarkably different. Plus varieties you never see in the shops are a revelation. So my veg area so far: 7 rows of spuds 2 rows of garlic 3 of onions 2 of peas 2 of carrots 1 row of radish 20 runner beans on the way from mums greenhouse she's also growing me 6 tom plants abd 3 cucumber. Lettuce in pots at the weekend Melon shall be my experiment this year. God I love planting and picking.

04-04-2009, 10:31	#111
Sallysally Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: lala land Posts: 2,203	Quote: Originally Posted by mandelifeboats Melon shall be my experiment this year. God I love planting and picking. I was one of those that said not to plant potatoes - but only for reasons of space. With limited space, I still think that if you can grow the more expensive veg, it is better. However, potatoes can still be grown in tubs etc. If you have space, I totally agree that home grown spuds have no comparison with the shop ones. Snap about the melon! I too am growing one this year. Let's compare notes at the end of the year!

05-04-2009, 21:51	#112
superluke2 Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Stirling Posts: 528	Started off purple spouting today. Still picking last years only 5 plants and cropping since end of jan and feeding 4 of us, they will probably be done though in a couple of weeks. Colder up here so starting off in the poly greenhouse

05-04-2009, 22:25	#113
Roz Forum Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Cambridge, England Posts: 1,427	Hi everyone. Just found this thread!! I bought a little mini walk in greenhouse from Wilkinson's for £30 about 3 weeks ago, and a water butt!! Inside my little greenhouse I have strawberry plants, tomato plants, spring onions, yellow peppers, climbing cucumbers, and some flowers. I also have a tub with carrot sown in that. I LOVE this little greenhouse, just hope my stuff continues to grow!! I also have lettuce to sow as well.

06-04-2009, 22:45	#114
malaikah Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Not far enough Posts: 12,248	Quote: Originally Posted by Roz I bought a little mini walk in greenhouse from Wilkinson's for £30 about 3 weeks ago It says online they are all sold out now! I am waiting for them to email and say they are back in stock..

07-04-2009, 11:01	#115
Roz Forum Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Cambridge, England Posts: 1,427	Quote: Originally Posted by malaikah It says online they are all sold out now! I am waiting for them to email and say they are back in stock.. You could always phone your local Wilko's coz even though it says they're out of stock online, your local could still have them as they did in my case.

07-04-2009, 23:10	#116
jabegy Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: North Hampshire Posts: 5,363	I got a letter today from the council offering me an allotment that I'd applied for last year. !!!! I'm so thrilled, can't wait to go and check it out. I expect it'll be in a bit of mess, my brother in law told me that it probably would be, we shall see !! I'm going to phone the bloke up tomorrow to accept it, then it'll be getting down and dirty for me for the summer. I've never had one before so it'll be a bit of an experience and I'll have to learn as I go. First stop will be the library, to check out some books on keeping allotments.

07-04-2009, 23:17	#117
malaikah Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Not far enough Posts: 12,248	Oooh, fab. Great news! Don't be put off by what you see, and don't expect to be growing too much this year - concentrate on clearing and preparing - don't set yourself up for disappointment But you might be surprised and not need to do too much!

08-04-2009, 14:48	#118
sheddy99 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Deepest Darkest Cornwall Posts: 5,545	Well my greenhouse blew over last night and both my garlic plants were knocked on the floor and ruined - by the time I got to them this morning they had been decimated by slugs The corriander also came out of the pot but i've resowed that so hopefully it'll take again. Bloody wind

08-04-2009, 16:02	#119
Sallysally Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: lala land Posts: 2,203	Oh, that is so sad. I hope you can rescue as much as possible. My greenhouse is really a lean-to against one of the kitchen walls and is well and truly anchored, but I lost a roof panel when we had gales last year. Luckily, there was not much in it at the time. I would be devastated if it happened now - there are all sorts of plants growing in it ready to be planted out later.

08-04-2009, 22:35	#120
malaikah Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Not far enough Posts: 12,248	Look at my first bed which I finished today! Been digging it over which has taken a couple of weeks and got the boards in - half a few days ago and then the rest today. Ready for the onion sets now!! It is quite big in area, but there is a central board laid down the middle to use as a walkway. Finished bed. This is how it looked before I started - before the graft.

09-04-2009, 22:32	#121
malaikah Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Not far enough Posts: 12,248	I planted 150 onion sets today in one half of the new bed

09-04-2009, 23:08	#122
Sallysally Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: lala land Posts: 2,203	I'm totally impressed by your efforts. The state of your garden at the beginning would, I think, have defeated me - I would probably have turned it into a wild garden!

DS Forums

The fruit and veg growing thread

09-04-2009, 23:14	#123
jabegy Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: North Hampshire Posts: 5,363	That looks great Malaikah, did you dig that all by yourself. It looks like it was a lot of hard work. I've been down to see the allotment, I couldn't get in because I haven't got the key yet, but there are some plots that have been rotavated by the council, and mine is one of those. I'm going to meet the allotment rep on Saturday morning, so she can show me round.

09-04-2009, 23:18	#124
Welsh-lad Inactive Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Mid Wales / Canolbarth Cymru Posts: 37,555	Has anyone else tried growing potatoes in a bucket? I had great success with them last year. Basically just a tall bucket with an old compost sack turned inside-out for lining. Good loam and a bit of compost and dung, no more than 3 seed potatoes in the bottom, and you're away! One of my buckets failed last year, but I reckon that was down to under-watering. The others produced a heavy crop all thrugh the season. Bear in mind I grew them all on a broad window-ledge and on the roof of a lean-to (as bf and me were living in a flat at the time). You can stuff them anywhere - it's so much fun

10-04-2009, 00:18	#125
malaikah Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Not far enough Posts: 12,248	Quote: Originally Posted by Sallysally I'm totally impressed by your efforts. Thank you! I had a more relaxed mooch around tonight after onion planting; I've been given an apple tree which needs to go somewhere, and I have some blackcurrant 'bushes' (very small, lots of green growth but were sticks three weeks ago) which need a permanent place to go into. There are a load of raspberry canes already growing so I guess the fruit should all be together. I've a rhubarb crown here at home in a pot which needs to go somewhere too. Also the plot behind me is abandoned and amongst the overgrown bramble thicket I've discovered a rhubarb crown, and a couple of blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes.. which are going to be plant-napped and moved onto the plot, when I've worked out where they should go!! Quote: Originally Posted by jabegy That looks great Malaikah, did you dig that all by yourself. It looks like it was a lot of hard work. It was a bit backbreaking but good to see it transform over the weeks/visits! Got the next one to start now though, it's had carpet covering the area since January which has weakened the weeds quite a bit. I need that one for the potatoes which are next to need to go in. Good news about your plot, makes things a bit easier if it's been dug over! Saves time too. You can get on and plan now!