Whats happening in your veggie plot today?

[dickymint]

Today I will be planting 50 shallot and 50 onion sets for overwintering. I have red Fabor kale and Savoy cabbage already in. Planted a bed of Carlingford potatoes about four weeks ago in the hope of new potatos for Crimbo dinner. So what's happening on your plot?

[mybrainhurts]

This week, 'oi 'arve been mostly....

Losing the plot....

[dickymint]

mybrainhurts said:

This week, 'oi 'arve been mostly....

Losing the plot....

Get back in your shed

[anonymous-user]

Onions and spuds up. Beans, strawbs, raddishes etc.. all finished. Lots and lots of leeks growing. I love leeks and they will happlily sit in the ground all through the winter getting bigger.

[TpdNotts]

Bloody hell, I'm jealous. Only thing we've got is loads of tomatoes and herbs. Nothing sowed for later.. Should have kept room to put spuds in instead of plants!

[JulesV]

As part of my seemingly on-going mid life crisis I am thinking of getting an allotment as I don't really want to dig up half my garden, just summoning up the energy but new spuds for Christmas dinner sound good.

[anonymous-user]

TpdNotts said:

Bloody hell, I'm jealous. Only thing we've got is loads of tomatoes and herbs. Nothing sowed for later.. Should have kept room to put spuds in instead of plants!

I struggle with toms outdoors. Loads in the greenhouse though and just now all turning red. Delicious. Lots of chilli peppers and capsicums too. Cucumbers just about finished, had about 35 off 3 plants.

Forgot my marrows in the veg garden too. 4 plants must have yielded about 25 marrows and the same in courgettes through the summer. Especially delicious are the round marrows. 4 seeds = 25 marrows @ 1.20 per time in Tescos (tasteless) and about a tenners worth of courgettes.

[dickymint]

JulesV said:

As part of my seemingly on-going mid life crisis I am thinking of getting an allotment as I don't really want to dig up half my garden, just summoning up the energy but new spuds for Christmas dinner sound good.

Worth doing in large pots/tubs. That way you can move them into a garage etc for frost protection. Still time to get them started as they need about 12 weeks before lifting as new potatos.

[AndyAudi]

dickymint said:

JulesV said:

As part of my seemingly on-going mid life crisis I am thinking of getting an allotment as I don't really want to dig up half my garden, just summoning up the energy but new spuds for Christmas dinner sound good.

Worth doing in large pots/tubs. That way you can move them into a garage etc for frost protection. Still time to get them started as they need about 12 weeks before lifting as new potatos.

I'm getting some of these.
http://www.selections.com/GF2027/potato-planters-p...

[TpdNotts]

dickymint said:

JulesV said:

As part of my seemingly on-going mid life crisis I am thinking of getting an allotment as I don't really want to dig up half my garden, just summoning up the energy but new spuds for Christmas dinner sound good.

Worth doing in large pots/tubs. That way you can move them into a garage etc for frost protection. Still time to get them started as they need about 12 weeks before lifting as new potatos.

So it's possible to grow some decent spuds in, say, an old plastic bin? Pierce a few holes for drainage etc... Sounds good..

[dickymint]

TpdNotts said:

dickymint said:

JulesV said:

As part of my seemingly on-going mid life crisis I am thinking of getting an allotment as I don't really want to dig up half my garden, just summoning up the energy but new spuds for Christmas dinner sound good.

Worth doing in large pots/tubs. That way you can move them into a garage etc for frost protection. Still time to get them started as they need about 12 weeks before lifting as new potatos.

So it's possible to grow some decent spuds in, say, an old plastic bin? Pierce a few holes for drainage etc... Sounds good..

Easy. Put compost or soil in to about 1/4 full, bury 3 or four *seed potatos in this. As they grow add more compost/soil untill full then enjoy in about 12 weeks time.

• If you can't get seed use any old spud that has been kept in the dark untill they sprout. (chitting).

Loads of info out there. http://www.self-sufficient.co.uk/Grow-Potatoes-in-...

[AndyAudi]

dickymint said:

• If you can't get seed use any old spud that has been kept in the dark untill they sprout. (chitting).

Almost, Potatoes sprout after their natural dormancy period has elapsed, this dormancy can be extended by refrigeration between 2 and 4 degrees. The best wasy to sprout them is in the light, sprout will grow slower, stronger+and be green, and the potato more likely to adopt a dominant one. In the dark they grow spindly and quickly (like bean sprouts) in all directions trying to find the light.

If using any old spud from the supermarket beware as some may have been chemically treated with a chemical to prevent sprouting to aid storage. There is a school of thought that says Potatoes grow best after a long dormancy period 9months between harvesting and planting.

[mybrainhurts]

'Oi be cultivatin'....

dandelions and nettles.....

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

mybrainhurts said:

'Oi be cultivatin'....

dandelions and nettles.....

[mybrainhurts]

Bloody hell...

How long have you been waiting for me to post that...?

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I knew it'd come in handy eventually

[littlegreenfairy]

Toms are still in flower, and the runner beans are beaning, apart from the ones with flowers on them. Its all rather odd.

[dickymint]

littlegreenfairy said:

Toms are still in flower, and the runner beans are beaning, apart from the ones with flowers on them. Its all rather odd.

Yep. Summer came much later but at least things are still growing. Problem now is a snap frost will kill it all. I've covered me spuds with a fleece as I'm determined to have home grown for Christmas. Chillies can be moved indoors if needed. I lost all my toms and a lot of spuds to blight back in July

[bint]

Beans have finished here, but still flowering so I've left the plants JUST in case. My plum baby toms are doing really well, it's only me that eats them though so I just keep picking and eating and they just keep coming. Courgettes did better than I expected with all the rain. May have to do the potatoes in a bin suggestion too - previous owners left a black bin out the back for compost and would be ideal. Good idea, home grown spuds in time for Christmas.

[anonymous-user]

Ive eaten all my peas and mangetout, ate the last of my runner and french beens yesterday, have got so many chillis comming I dont no what to do with them! all my toamtoes got blight and went brown, dont think they liked all the rain making them damp.