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Calling SMB veg growers

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 5265
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duff_man said:
Not sure which variety i used but sure i got them from wilko.
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I think I tried one of theirs too. i have had rubbish luck this year.

I absolutely cleaned up in Wilkonsons over the last couple of months. All their seeds went to quarter price and they were still on three for two, so I got a lot of seeds for very little month. I picked up tonnes of trays and pots in their clearout shortly before that. And in the Summer I got loads of the big green coir disc propagators or 25p a go, and loads of the little growing kits for a similar price, all good for filling with soil on window sills, growing seeds and herbs etc. I picked up boxes and boxes of grass seed for about a quid a go aswell. I was going to plant some in trays to keep on the window sill and to put under my feet when I miss the lawn.

The only plants I have had that looked good are the tomato plants that I grew in my flat, but they have not really flowers or given fruit. I got quite a few cucumbers off of my cucumber plants though. The problem is you have to be around to hand pollinate then when the flowers appear.

Flared Hicks said:
thanks, and also to duff man. I like a bit of pak choi so might try and grow some next year. What's the turnaround time from seed to cropping?
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It should be a matter of weeks. With most salady things they tunaround quite quickly, but you want to use decent quality seeds that have some resistance to bolting (i.e. turning into a huge stick that you can not eat) and then you need to try and keep them evenly watered over the days. If you use the 'cut and come again' approach you can rotate where you take it to eat and keep the same plant going for some time.
 
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Rhubarb was crap because I divided it last autumn....

Missed my gooseberries by going away whilst they fruited

Good spuds, courgettes, tomatoes, cucumber, runner beans, salad leaves & currants.

Poor strawberries and summer cauliflower

Have purple sprouting broccoli in the tunnel going beserk, not supposed to be ready till spring, but picking now.

Got winter salad, spring cabbage and kale in for over wintering. Also a mystery gourd..... Hoping it's a butternut squash but I'll keep you posted.

@Bagpuss for year round veg you probably need to look at a greenhouse or polytunnel and get a really good sized freezer.....
After 10 years on a big veg plot I still buy in quite a lot of fruit & veg
 
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Bad_mother said:
Rhubarb was crap because I divided it last autumn....

Missed my gooseberries by going away whilst they fruited

Good spuds, courgettes, tomatoes, cucumber, runner beans, salad leaves & currants.

Poor strawberries and summer cauliflower

Have purple sprouting broccoli in the tunnel going beserk, not supposed to be ready till spring, but picking now.

Got winter salad, spring cabbage and kale in for over wintering. Also a mystery gourd..... Hoping it's a butternut squash but I'll keep you posted.

@Bagpuss for year round veg you probably need to look at a greenhouse or polytunnel and get a really good sized freezer.....
After 10 years on a big veg plot I still buy in quite a lot of fruit & veg
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Cheers fella, been watching some documentaries about GMO's, that shit is scary and want to try and avoid as much as poss.
 
Bagpuss said:
So recently turned vegan, love the idea of growing my own food, how much land do you think would be needed to do this, would a bog standard allotment sustain one person year round?
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If you get a chest freezer you can grow enough for the year. Stored correctly potatoes, onions and apples etc can also be stored for ages.
 
JumpingAnaconda said:
I think I tried one of theirs too. i have had rubbish luck this year.

I absolutely cleaned up in Wilkonsons over the last couple of months. All their seeds went to quarter price and they were still on three for two, so I got a lot of seeds for very little month. I picked up tonnes of trays and pots in their clearout shortly before that. And in the Summer I got loads of the big green coir disc propagators or 25p a go, and loads of the little growing kits for a similar price, all good for filling with soil on window sills, growing seeds and herbs etc. I picked up boxes and boxes of grass seed for about a quid a go aswell. I was going to plant some in trays to keep on the window sill and to put under my feet when I miss the lawn.

The only plants I have had that looked good are the tomato plants that I grew in my flat, but they have not really flowers or given fruit. I got quite a few cucumbers off of my cucumber plants though. The problem is you have to be around to hand pollinate then when the flowers appear.



It should be a matter of weeks. With most salady things they tunaround quite quickly, but you want to use decent quality seeds that have some resistance to bolting (i.e. turning into a huge stick that you can not eat) and then you need to try and keep them evenly watered over the days. If you use the 'cut and come again' approach you can rotate where you take it to eat and keep the same plant going for some time.
Click to expand...

I meant to go to wilko to pick up stuff in the sale but just didn't get the time.

Has anyone used the no dig method?
 
duff_man said:
I meant to go to wilko to pick up stuff in the sale but just didn't get the time.

Has anyone used the no dig method?
Click to expand...

Is that when you put cardboard boxes on top of the soil until it is time to plant out, and then you lift them? I planning to do that this year. Normally I rotate bonfires in my boxes to try and make hard seeds such as bindweed unviable.

Nookie Bear said:
Quick question , will my tomatoes ripen now or should I window sill them off the vine - all summer watering for four tomatoes so far !
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I would keep them out for as long as you can. Even if they are a tiny bit red or orange it is better than bringing them in green. Whereabouts in the country are you? My tomatoes have been rubbish this year as well.
 
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Nookie Bear said:
Quick question , will my tomatoes ripen now or should I window sill them off the vine - all summer watering for four tomatoes so far !
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4? i have been giving them away to neighbours for months.

duff_man said:
I meant to go to wilko to pick up stuff in the sale but just didn't get the time.

Has anyone used the no dig method?
Click to expand...
Yes, it works very well and is a load easier on the back. Just need lots of compost and manure.
 
JumpingAnaconda said:
Is that when you put cardboard boxes on top of the soil until it is time to plant out, and then you lift them? I planning to do that this year. Normally I rotate bonfires in my boxes to try and make hard seeds such as bindweed unviable.



I would keep them out for as long as you can. Even if they are a tiny bit red or orange it is better than bringing them in green. Whereabouts in the country are you? My tomatoes have been rubbish this year as well.
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Yeah sort of. I have put cardboard down and a thick layer of manure then waiting for some weed control fabric to be delivered to go over the top. It works by the cardboard keeping the light out to weaken the weeds, the worms pull the manure into the existing soil to fertilise it, and the fabric again keeps the light out. Seems worth a try. There are loads of sciencey reasons why it is actually better than digging, improved soil structure etc but as a beginner I wouldn't know if that was true or not.

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Gingga said:
4? i have been giving them away to neighbours for months.


Yes, it works very well and is a load easier on the back. Just need lots of compost and manure.
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Cheers. Started doing one bed as no dig the other day.
 
duff_man said:
Yeah sort of. I have put cardboard down and a thick layer of manure then waiting for some weed control fabric to be delivered to go over the top. It works by the cardboard keeping the light out to weaken the weeds, the worms pull the manure into the existing soil to fertilise it, and the fabric again keeps the light out. Seems worth a try. There are loads of sciencey reasons why it is actually better than digging, improved soil structure etc but as a beginner I wouldn't know if that was true or not.

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Cheers. Started doing one bed as no dig the other day.
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You are going to love trying this sort of stuff and everyone of your fellow allotment holders will have their own methods and tales for you.

JumpingAnaconda said:
Is that when you put cardboard boxes on top of the soil until it is time to plant out, and then you lift them? I planning to do that this year. Normally I rotate bonfires in my boxes to try and make hard seeds such as bindweed unviable.



I would keep them out for as long as you can. Even if they are a tiny bit red or orange it is better than bringing them in green. Whereabouts in the country are you? My tomatoes have been rubbish this year as well.
Click to expand...
On the subject of tomatoes I bought one of those grafted plants this year which is the tomato Heinz use for their ketchup. It cropped well and the tomatoes are some of the best looking ones I have seen when it comes to shape and colour, but you know what i thought they were pretty tasteless.
 
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duff_man said:
Yeah sort of. I have put cardboard down and a thick layer of manure then waiting for some weed control fabric to be delivered to go over the top. It works by the cardboard keeping the light out to weaken the weeds, the worms pull the manure into the existing soil to fertilise it, and the fabric again keeps the light out. Seems worth a try. There are loads of sciencey reasons why it is actually better than digging, improved soil structure etc but as a beginner I wouldn't know if that was true or not.

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Cheers. Started doing one bed as no dig the other day.
Click to expand...
Crop rotation and no root veg in the freshly manured plots and you will be good to go.

spitfire said:
You are going to love trying this sort of stuff and everyone of your fellow allotment holders will have their own methods and tales for you.


On the subject of tomatoes I bought one of those grafted plants this year which is the tomato Heinz use for their ketchup. It cropped well and the tomatoes are some of the best looking ones I have seen when it comes to shape and colour, but you know what i thought they were pretty tasteless.
Click to expand...
I grew some Sakura toms this year, very heavy croppers and the taste is fantastic.
 
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spitfire said:
On the subject of tomatoes I bought one of those grafted plants this year which is the tomato Heinz use for their ketchup. It cropped well and the tomatoes are some of the best looking ones I have seen when it comes to shape and colour, but you know what i thought they were pretty tasteless.
Click to expand...

I suspected the same about that pomato or totato plant or whatever it was called, the one that was a tomato plant and a potato plant grafted together. You would have thought they would have taken off if they were any good.

There used to be a guy that ran a mail order service from his home in Hemel Hempstead. He had the best supply of quality tomato seeds in the country, but when I last spoke to him a few years ago he was telling me he was terminally ill and he seemed to be going a bit mad. But pretty much anything you got from him would be a great tomato. I think what you get in the mainstream shops tends to be pretty rubbish compared to the specialists. The Wilkos etc. are selling stuff that is designed to be fairly disease resistance and easy to grow. The specialist companies tend to sell proper heirloom varieties, but if you don't water them right and take really good care of them, the fruit will get blossom end rot, or they will grow into strange shapes and be difficult to use. Having said that, I would recommend a variety like Black Sea Man, but only if you are growing them in a really well cleaned greenhouse, and to be ready for them to fail in an allotment where you have less control over disease from nearby plots.
 
JumpingAnaconda said:
Is that when you put cardboard boxes on top of the soil until it is time to plant out, and then you lift them? I planning to do that this year. Normally I rotate bonfires in my boxes to try and make hard seeds such as bindweed unviable.



I would keep them out for as long as you can. Even if they are a tiny bit red or orange it is better than bringing them in green. Whereabouts in the country are you? My tomatoes have been rubbish this year as well.
Click to expand...

Sunderland , there's loads on the plants and I've just picked a red one off this morning so I'll leave them out for a bit longer - thank you
 
duff_man said:
Yeah sort of. I have put cardboard down and a thick layer of manure then waiting for some weed control fabric to be delivered to go over the top. It works by the cardboard keeping the light out to weaken the weeds, the worms pull the manure into the existing soil to fertilise it, and the fabric again keeps the light out. Seems worth a try. There are loads of sciencey reasons why it is actually better than digging, improved soil structure etc but as a beginner I wouldn't know if that was true or not.
You must be logged on to see external links
Click to expand...

I used weed control fabric this year on plots I was looking to keep clear of weeds before I dropped in plants, as I usually work a few days in the garden and then am away for a few weeks. It can be useful in this regard, just by blocking out light, but it will not stop certain weeds from breaking through, which is the point of the layer of cardboard and manure on top. However, I would personally recommend before putting the cardboard and everything down, rotating bonfires of weeds and other organic wood on your plots to try and kill off some of the weed seeds that may be lurking. If there are any bindweed seeds in the ground, in my opinion, this will help make them unviable and probably save you a lot of headaches in the future. The ash should complement the manure well while processes are taking place over the winter.

Nookie Bear said:
Sunderland , there's loads on the plants and I've just picked a red one off this morning so I'll leave them out for a bit longer - thank you
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The weather is probably going to be good enough for them to stay out for at least two or three more weeks if they are in a greenhouse. You will probably find everything slows down with them, and (assuming they actually are indeterminate) that the plants might benefit from some additional pruning of any sickly looking leaves. Just don't try to water them more than normal, because that will be likely to split the fruit. In theory most indeterminate plants will actually live until they are killed by frosts. I had a plant on my window sill last year that actually produced tiny fruits in February of this year.
 
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JumpingAnaconda said:
I used weed control fabric this year on plots I was looking to keep clear of weeds before I dropped in plants, as I usually work a few days in the garden and then am away for a few weeks. It can be useful in this regard, just by blocking out light, but it will not stop certain weeds from breaking through, which is the point of the layer of cardboard and manure on top. However, I would personally recommend before putting the cardboard and everything down, rotating bonfires of weeds and other organic wood on your plots to try and kill off some of the weed seeds that may be lurking. If there are any bindweed seeds in the ground, in my opinion, this will help make them unviable and probably save you a lot of headaches in the future. The ash should complement the manure well while processes are taking place over the winter.



The weather is probably going to be good enough for them to stay out for at least two or three more weeks if they are in a greenhouse. You will probably find everything slows down with them, and (assuming they actually are indeterminate) that the plants might benefit from some additional pruning of any sickly looking leaves. Just don't try to water them more than normal, because that will be likely to split the fruit. In theory most indeterminate plants will actually live until they are killed by frosts. I had a plant on my window sill last year that actually produced tiny fruits in February of this year.
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We aren't allowed bonfires other than 5th November. I know that this method won't kill off the perennials but hopefully it weakens them a hell of a lot to be much more manageable

Gingga said:
Crop rotation and no root veg in the freshly manured plots and you will be good to go.


I grew some Sakura toms this year, very heavy croppers and the taste is fantastic.
Click to expand...

I read that about root veg, but have also been told that doing it now the beds should be fine by spring for root veg

spitfire said:
You are going to love trying this sort of stuff and everyone of your fellow allotment holders will have their own methods and tales for you.


On the subject of tomatoes I bought one of those grafted plants this year which is the tomato Heinz use for their ketchup. It cropped well and the tomatoes are some of the best looking ones I have seen when it comes to shape and colour, but you know what i thought they were pretty tasteless.
Click to expand...

Yeah the amount of conflicting advice you get is amazing, problem is what someone says won't work another bloke says does. Yet both tell you their advice while holding massive and great looking veg!

JumpingAnaconda said:
Normally our strawberries get devoured by the birds when they look anything like they may soon be ripening. This year I had been away for a few weeks, and I went down the garden and I could smell over ripe strawberries starting to rot on the plants. It looked like the birds had not touched them. I scratched my head over that for a few days, but I think I have an idea what happened. I had planted various salad things in the next box. Some mustard leaves had starting growing wild in the box at the same time. With the iffy weather this year, while I was away the mustard leaves had fully grown and bolted, and were about 7 feet tall. I think the strong flavour of the leaves and the height of the bolted plants frightened the birds off of coming in. I am going to try and plant some mustard leaves around susceptible fruiting plants early next year and see if it does work as a deterrent.
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Look up companion planting. Basically you plant two crops next to each other that the pests for one don't like the other and vice versa, and in theory the pests are kept away
 
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