Hobbit Allotment!

[VirginVegGrower]

Think I am prized nanar.

I put my tatos in-all of them-four weeks ago. And nothing as of yet has come up by way of shoots.


And it could be my own fault. When they were planter they had self chitted and had these long great big tentacle. I took these off. So now feel a big numpty...

Those long tentacles needed to come off. They will come up. Mine aren't showing yet either but that's a good thing, if we get frosts. Chillax

[rustylady]

They may grow more Hobbit - be patient. However next year make sure you chit them in the light. Mine have only been showing for a couple of days and they were planted around the same time as yours.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Think I am prized nanar.

I put my tatos in-all of them-four weeks ago. And nothing as of yet has come up by way of shoots.


And it could be my own fault. When they were planter they had self chitted and had these long great big tentacle. I took these off. So now feel a big numpty...

[horticultural_hobbit]

Since then, exactly. When I first started the 'obbitry.

[Two_Sheds]

Have grown chillies outside once.

Me too, but they have not grown much nor fruited outside since (let me check my records) ... 2009

Summers have been too cool and wet since

[horticultural_hobbit]

Only the Wendy house. I need to put the cover back on, but I'm rather loathe to if there is lots of wind. That would be a cold frame. The last they worked, I covered the pots with gardening bags. Acted like mini greenhouses.

[VirginVegGrower]

Do you have a cold frame you could grow them under on your plot or Perspex sheets?

[horticultural_hobbit]

Have grown chillies outside once. Just started to turn colour and brought them indoors. Might experiment with a few; with rest lurking indoors in the classroom.

[Two_Sheds]

I swear I hear Aunty Two_Shed ... she'd probably boot my behind for half the stuff i do and half the stuff I don't.

No, I'm not a booter or a bosser. My advice is put out there because it's what I've learned through trial and error, and I want others to be encouraged in their growing, to get it right sooner rather than later, to not have to make the mistakes that I did.

If you take my advice or not ~ I don't let it bother me. I don't have a burning need to be "right". What works for me might not work for you. (but you still can't plant pumpkins outside in February)

wondering whether not they [chillies] would survuive outside.

If we have a long, hot summer, they might do.

It's a big risk though: you may get no crop at all. They're much more reliable grown under glass.

[horticultural_hobbit]

:: excited post::

Dear Aunty barley sugar,

Your Nigel's outdoor chilli has come up a beauty. Well as beautiful as seedlings go.

Anyone ever grown chilli and pepper seeds from Real Seeds? I have a few purple babies, and they look lovely too. Just wondering whether not they would survuive outside. I have purple beauty, pretty purple rainbow chilli and their early jalepeno. So far so good.

[Samurailord]

Just remember that advice can be both good and bad, and only you, as you stand on your plot, can make the final decision of which to take and which to ignore (for now).

It all depends on youir circumstances.

Speaking of advice .....

Have you tried growing potatoes in 20 to 30L buckets? I am trying that this year, standing them inside one of my raised beds and earthing up around the drainage holes so that any questing roots can get into the soil of the bed itself.

Later when I tip them out to harvest I will also fill the bed with compost as a nice side effect.

Andy

[horticultural_hobbit]

Well, the half plan for the weekend is as follows. Direct sowing of broadbeans and peas. Perhaps string up pea/bean netting for runner beans and climbing beans.

:: braces ones self for sucking of teeth:: and Mother's spinach, chard, mustard and fenugreek.

Doing as advised for sweetcorn and squashes when necessary.

For all my paper pot enthusing, need to make some more and be persitent with them. I have to shuffle things on window sills.

Tatos, last year it was slugs and rain. This year, they are in raised beds, and I have crossed fingers.

Despite what Aunts VVG and Binley say. I am sowing squashes, and they will be inside in a coolish place. I can lurk with fleece when they have to go out. As well as half pop bottle cloches to cover them. Bruno the ghost rider pumpkin was a tiddler when he was transplanted out the year before last. As flukey as he was, i did well with it. Have half thought about it, and reflected on what worked wel. Though weather is the unknown variable.

Going to sound funny, but I swear I hear Aunty Two_Shed whenever I loiter on the plot. Though I do stand there, hands on hips uttering that she'd probably boot my behind for half the stuff i do and half the stuff I don't.

[Two_Sheds]

Wanting to play with dwarf French Beans and runner beans

you get more for your space with climbers. They take up the same amount of ground as dwarves, but you get the vertical space too. Four canes, tied at shoulder height into a roughly X shape. One bean at each cane, then another in the gaps: tie some string to the top of the canes and put a tent peg in the ground. Grow the "gap" beans up the string, but keep it tight not flappy

Peas are sat there looking at me.... Still too early

No it's not. Peas are cool weather plants

I might, start with paper pot babies. Comparing them then, with direct sown ones.

Direct sown ones tend to get eaten by slugs as soon as they germinate

Sweetcorn! Now where do I start with this.

It takes up a lot of room and you don't get much of a crop for the space it takes. Plant them 12"-18" apart, in a block as you say.
Earth the bottoms up to really anchor them in the soil. Then plant your squashes at the bottom, to sprawl at the feet of the corn

Last year, me and tatos failed miserably

In what way did they fail? Spuds are easy, aren't they? What biblical catastrophe struck yours? Too wet, you say? Then plant them in Morrisons pots, partly sunk in the ground

[VirginVegGrower]

I said the same ^^^

[binley100]

Unless you have somewhere coolish to keep them after they germinate I would hold off for a couple of weeks. Also , I wouldn't consider planting them out before june. You're only down the road from me and unless the weather pulls its socks up bigtime I don't think it'll be warm enough and we may still get a frost.