I used to be behind before, but now I’m first at last. Well not first exactly, but I do feel as though I’m on top of planting vegetable seeds this year.
Last week I decided now was a good time to open the polythene tunnel door. This will allow any returning frogs access to their pond so they can lay their spawn. At the time I didn’t realise the amount of work that would come out of that one simple act. When I was in there I couldn’t help but notice that the propagator was looking sad as it hadn’t been used since last year. This made me realise that I should be buying and sowing seeds. The fact that I’m not growing plants to sell this year has freed me up to concentrate on vegetables. In the past it was the flowers that got preference and I didn’t have the time, or space in the propagator to accommodate anything edible.
So it was off to the shops to do some serious seed shopping.
As I’m not growing large quantities of plants this year I decided to refrain from buying from catalogues and venture out locally to see what was available. I had no preference where to buy from so I did the rounds. I managed to get most of the seeds that were on my list but as yet I can’t get hold of vegetable spaghetti squashes or pumpkins. As well as the regular vegetables such as carrots, peas, beetroot and the like I have also gone for a few greenhouse plants now that I will have room in the tunnel. I am having a go at growing cucumbers and sweet corn. I couldn’t resist buying a few flower seeds though, old habits die hard. I was drawn to Impatiens, the Busy Lizzie. These are always good in summer, especially for giving the greenfly something to suck on. Sweet peas and Nasturtiums also went into the shopping basket. I’m holding on for Surfinias until the small plants are in the shops, as you can’t buy the seed. These plants have a copyright control on them; I think it works out at about 15 cent paid to a large company for each plant sold, which makes it illegal to propagate them without permission. Hey I like to live on the edge, out of one plant, (which will cost under one euro) I will be able to produce at least ten new plants, maybe more, as they take very easily from cuttings. When they are large plants they can cost anything up to three euro each in the garden centres…I will be having a look at propagating other copyright control plants as well. Plants such as Tapien (a vigorous type or verbena), is another one that springs to mind. Wow, things can get pretty exciting in the world of horticulture, if the Surfinia or Tapien police are reading this you know where I am… “I ain’t dealin’ in ‘em or nuffin, I was just growin’ em for me own use, honest guv!
So the seeds were bought and I have spent a few happy hours filling up seed trays. I go for the trays that have 80 individual cells in them as I find that this gives the seeds a better chance of survival. Also, when it comes to potting them on there isn’t any root disturbance as they are neat little plugs. They don’t get leggy either as they do when they are planted close together. I wouldn’t recommend this method for Lobelia and Nemesia though as the seeds are so small and they are best grown in clumps. I have saved the seed of carrots and parsnips so that I can plant them straight outside- they don’t like their roots being disturbed. I have a few old fish boxes in the tunnel, they have “Property of…and prosecution” written on the sides, (I told you gardening was exciting). I found these washed up on the beach though so I think I’m all right handling hot merchandise. Into these I have planted some radish seeds. I must confess I usually put slug pellets down after planting these up, but I can’t this year. Our next-door neighbours ducks have been visiting us on a regular basis. They are very bold and tend to stick their beaks into everything, so I’m not going to risk putting down pellets. The ducks are doing a better job at keeping the slug population down anyway and they have even taken to tapping on the back door when they want some bread to go with their meal.
As I was saying earlier, opening the tunnel door was to start off a chain of events. After the seeds were sown I realised that the plants will eventually need a home outside in the vegetable plot. I have had to come up with a planting scheme for the beds to ensure that I stick to some form of crop rotation system. If the same sort of vegetable is grown on the same ground for a couple of years, all sorts of pests and diseases appear. Some plants like fresh compost and manure, such as peas and beans, so I have been preparing beds by adding horse muck and mushroom compost to them. Other plants like the carrots prefer beds that had muck put on them in the previous year, the roots tend to fork if the ground is too rich, so I am just clearing away the weeds to make a clean seed bed. Then there is also the big expansion plan. I have had carpet down in the garden to kill off the grass onto which I can build raised beds. This is all ready to be done so …I’m off…
Horticultural.
Last week I decided now was a good time to open the polythene tunnel door. This will allow any returning frogs access to their pond so they can lay their spawn. At the time I didn’t realise the amount of work that would come out of that one simple act. When I was in there I couldn’t help but notice that the propagator was looking sad as it hadn’t been used since last year. This made me realise that I should be buying and sowing seeds. The fact that I’m not growing plants to sell this year has freed me up to concentrate on vegetables. In the past it was the flowers that got preference and I didn’t have the time, or space in the propagator to accommodate anything edible.
So it was off to the shops to do some serious seed shopping.
As I’m not growing large quantities of plants this year I decided to refrain from buying from catalogues and venture out locally to see what was available. I had no preference where to buy from so I did the rounds. I managed to get most of the seeds that were on my list but as yet I can’t get hold of vegetable spaghetti squashes or pumpkins. As well as the regular vegetables such as carrots, peas, beetroot and the like I have also gone for a few greenhouse plants now that I will have room in the tunnel. I am having a go at growing cucumbers and sweet corn. I couldn’t resist buying a few flower seeds though, old habits die hard. I was drawn to Impatiens, the Busy Lizzie. These are always good in summer, especially for giving the greenfly something to suck on. Sweet peas and Nasturtiums also went into the shopping basket. I’m holding on for Surfinias until the small plants are in the shops, as you can’t buy the seed. These plants have a copyright control on them; I think it works out at about 15 cent paid to a large company for each plant sold, which makes it illegal to propagate them without permission. Hey I like to live on the edge, out of one plant, (which will cost under one euro) I will be able to produce at least ten new plants, maybe more, as they take very easily from cuttings. When they are large plants they can cost anything up to three euro each in the garden centres…I will be having a look at propagating other copyright control plants as well. Plants such as Tapien (a vigorous type or verbena), is another one that springs to mind. Wow, things can get pretty exciting in the world of horticulture, if the Surfinia or Tapien police are reading this you know where I am… “I ain’t dealin’ in ‘em or nuffin, I was just growin’ em for me own use, honest guv!
So the seeds were bought and I have spent a few happy hours filling up seed trays. I go for the trays that have 80 individual cells in them as I find that this gives the seeds a better chance of survival. Also, when it comes to potting them on there isn’t any root disturbance as they are neat little plugs. They don’t get leggy either as they do when they are planted close together. I wouldn’t recommend this method for Lobelia and Nemesia though as the seeds are so small and they are best grown in clumps. I have saved the seed of carrots and parsnips so that I can plant them straight outside- they don’t like their roots being disturbed. I have a few old fish boxes in the tunnel, they have “Property of…and prosecution” written on the sides, (I told you gardening was exciting). I found these washed up on the beach though so I think I’m all right handling hot merchandise. Into these I have planted some radish seeds. I must confess I usually put slug pellets down after planting these up, but I can’t this year. Our next-door neighbours ducks have been visiting us on a regular basis. They are very bold and tend to stick their beaks into everything, so I’m not going to risk putting down pellets. The ducks are doing a better job at keeping the slug population down anyway and they have even taken to tapping on the back door when they want some bread to go with their meal.
As I was saying earlier, opening the tunnel door was to start off a chain of events. After the seeds were sown I realised that the plants will eventually need a home outside in the vegetable plot. I have had to come up with a planting scheme for the beds to ensure that I stick to some form of crop rotation system. If the same sort of vegetable is grown on the same ground for a couple of years, all sorts of pests and diseases appear. Some plants like fresh compost and manure, such as peas and beans, so I have been preparing beds by adding horse muck and mushroom compost to them. Other plants like the carrots prefer beds that had muck put on them in the previous year, the roots tend to fork if the ground is too rich, so I am just clearing away the weeds to make a clean seed bed. Then there is also the big expansion plan. I have had carpet down in the garden to kill off the grass onto which I can build raised beds. This is all ready to be done so …I’m off…
Horticultural.
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