My "grow it myself" ideas so far

Stressica

This year so far I have

-Leaks
-Tomatoes (both cherry and reg varities)
-Cauliflower
-Spinach
-sprouts
-broadbeans
-cabbage
-turnip
-parsnip
-cabbage
-peppers

all started on windowsills (bar a few) and are coming along nicely
(The carrotts/spinach/cabbage/parnsip/cauliflower are all outdoors under cloches)

I also have butternutsquash/cucumber/runnerbean seeds and others which i havent set yet.

I'm also ordereing seeds of seedsaholic today (never knew about them until i saw on this -Great selection of organics!)

Im oredering brocolli, more carrotts, melon (brownenvelopeseeds) and i might give quinoa and pupmkins a bash too, why not

I have 2 small decent sized greenhouses which i bought from woodies last week, they were only like 25 each so they wont have to repay me much even if they just last this year, i have them both in sheltered spots, ill move the ones from my windowsill into them when it gets a bit warmer, hopefully in a week or two.

My main question I have for the year is regrding fertalising and (organic only), any advice/tips you people can offer for any of the types of veg I have stated?






Thanks

redser7

Looking good Stressica! I guess for fertilising organically you cant go wrong with compost and manure. Do you make your own compost? You can also use these to make compost and maure teas which are liquid feeds. Nettles also make great tea. As a general tip, your should mulch your beds around the plants with any organic matter you can get your hands on eg. nettles, dead weeds, grass clippings, plant stalks etc. These will rot down and feed and condition the soil for you. The worms will love it and rotavate the soil for you You can also get large tubs of Fish, Blood and Bone which is also organic. There is also an organic range of fertilsers called Osmo. I havnt used them but they are supposed to be amazing, have a google. For the future see if you can get some Comfrey Bocking 14 plants. These are very high in NPK values and make great mulches and teas, a real miracle plant that you grow purely to use as a feed for other plants.
Just a tip on your greenhouses - they are affectionately known as 'blowaways'. You really need to weigh down the bars at the bottom on the ground with very heavy blocks or patio slabs. The wind will take them away and wreck them in no time. Trust me and dont take a chance putting them out in wind without bracing them and weighing them down. I had one and it worked out great for me for 3 years till i got a polytunnel. I have a feeling you will get one too some day

landlord

Carrots and parsnips sown six weeks ago saw nothing assume the seeds were killed due to frost. I sowed them again one week ago seen nothing yet. Cabbages broccoli cauliflower all doing well Grown from seed in small pots in the greenhouse. Some of them have been planted outside in raised beds with netting over them to protect from birds. Spinach started from seeds in small pots im the greenhouse doing well planted outside now Courgettes grown from seed in greenhouse doing well planted out in raised bed yesterday. Strawberries in greenhouse are growing well and almost starting to redden. Peas and mangetout are approximately 1 foot high growing up the netting in raised bed. Lettuce doing very well outside. Tayberries blackberrys blueberries raspberries all doing well. I built a fruit cage to protect the blueberries from the birds. Raspberries are incredible they grow so easily and are never affected by any pests. Three of my rhubarb plants bolted I have never seen that before? Last year my spinach and pak choi bolted? But last year was a disaster with almost everything !! Plum apple pear cherry trees all flowering nicely. I made sure all the grass and weeds were removed from the foot of the trees and added some blood fish and bone and compost a couple of months ago. Last years rosemary thyme Sage and Oregeno has come up very nicely outside. This year I am trying to grow some basil and coriander in the house. They are very very slow to grow. I have been told you should never ever water basil and coriander from the top but instead into the saucer underneath the pot. Anybody any idea how many coriander seeds you should put in say a 10 cm diameter pot?
Some tips I was given this year was one I bought cabbage collars on eBay about 60 for 5 euro to protect against the cabbage root fly and two. I bought copper tape on eBay and put it all around the raised beds no slug problem at all so far. !!...except for one of the raised beds I didn't use the copper tape on as a test.