Drainpipe Growing

Crops with shallow roots; and when you want a whole row of a crop, I suppose. I prefer to sow little and often in modules for most veg that aren't sown direct, as you wouldn't want e.g. 36 lettuces all coming at once! I can just about keep pace with seven modules of a variety of veg every couple of weeks

didnt she make a meal of getting the seedlings out of the pipe? I have seen it done elsehwere and it's just a case of sliding them off!

Mr OWG calls her the "Nigella of the Garden" as she's always touching and caressing the plants, like Nigella does with her food...

I've never seen someone take so long to get them out of a pipe before

Thanks Supersprout
I never thought about the fact that of course you're going to have loads of whatever it is all ready at the same time!

I know a couple of people who have had good results with carrots starting them off this way.

Mr OWG, sorry but Nigella she isnt, of the garden or otherwise. Whilst waking up next to Nigella would be fabulous, to even to tempted to with Carol Klein would seriously need the beer goggles to be worn.

Ah, it wasn't the looks (as Mr OWG would swap me for Nigella any day), it was the "garden p0rn" way in which she suggestively feels everything and rambles on about the "caress of the sunshine" (and the fact she talks to beetroot)

(cough) .... Sorry folks ..... Back to the drainpipes .... how do you stop the compost running out the ends when you water it before any root systems appear? I tried it a couple of years ago with some short lengths, but couldn't keep anything in the edges.

Hmmm, you could tape something across the end?

Thick card or plastic maybe?

Jennie, You can get end caps for your guttering if you should so wish.

I tend to roll my plants guttering out sideways rather than sliding them out of the end.

Good Lord Piglet - what sort of bike are you riding? And does itreally need help with the exhaust? !!!

Lord Piglet??? We will have to pay to talk to him soon!!!!

Piglet - bloody great avatar!!!!

Oh he's changed his avatar now, so it looks like a load of nonsense!

If anyone wants the experts info, try "How to grow giant vegetables" by Bernard Lavery. ISBN 0004127714. He's a world champion in growing giant fruit and veg!
He recommends for carrots and parsnips:
"Use 20ft lengths of plastic drainage pipes 4" in diamater. Each pipe should be attached to a 6' high building or fence with 6" of the pipe below the top of it and the other end resting on the ground. The pipe should be at an angle of approx 30 degrees from the ground. Extra supports are needed at 3' intervals.
(I tried to take a photo but it didnt come out - basically a pipe diagonal to the ground, one end at the top of the fence, the other at the ground).

When the pipe has been secured to the building/fence cut a 2" strip from one end to the other. This will enable you to fill the pipe with growing mixture, water it and harvest the crop.

To prevent the growing mixture being washed out of the pipe a 6" piece of soft mesh or cloth should be wrapped around the bottom of the pipe and secured.

The pipe can then be filled with the growing mixture. (you may need a ladder when you get half way) Then water. Seeds of both carrots and parsnips can be sown from early spring at the top of each pipe. Plant 1/4" deep in groups of 12. You can thin them out later leaving the strongest one to grow on. (Use "giant" type seeds, of course!).

You should allow 36 to 40 weeks from the sowing of the seed to the harvesting. Take great care when harvesting and remove from the pipe gently!

Hope I've explained this properly! Good luck to those of you who fancy having a go!

DDL

DDL I havent got a clue what you are on about!