Veg plans for 2021

CelticRambler · 16-03-2021 9:11pm

Michellenman wrote: »

I just meant would something like that be practical for growing small tomato plants and some herbs while also being moveable?

Meh ... it looks too "decorative" to me, at the expense of being functional. If the primary purpose of this structure is for growing veg, you don't need all that wasted space at the bottom, and you don't need the fiddly tray at the top. The trellis could be handy, but not for small tomato plants - if they're to be of any use, you want them big!

With the very limited space available, you'd want to be growing high-value plants, so mostly herbs, cut-and-come-again lettuce, edible flowers such as nasturtiums, and maybe a couple of tomato plants. I can't see it being all that great for root veg or anything of the leafy veg (such as cabbage) that you harvest in one fell swoop.

Google "planter with trellis" for better designs than that, then build something that suits your space.

Michellenman · 16-03-2021 9:13pm

CelticRambler wrote: »

Meh ... it looks too "decorative" to me, at the expense of being functional. If the primary purpose of this structure is for growing veg, you don't need all that wasted space at the bottom, and you don't need the fiddly tray at the top. The trellis could be handy, but not for small tomato plants - if they're to be of any use, you want them big!

With the very limited space available, you'd want to be growing high-value plants, so mostly herbs, cut-and-come-again lettuce, edible flowers such as nasturtiums, and maybe a couple of tomato plants. I can't see it being all that great for root veg or anything of the leafy veg (such as cabbage) that you harvest in one fell swoop.

Google "planter with trellis" for better designs than that, then build something that suits your space.

Thanks a mil, the planter with trellis ides looks spot on!

The Master. · 16-03-2021 9:17pm

Michellenman wrote: »

The last few years I’ve been growing small veg plants and some herbs in a raised bed type box that was here when we bought the house. It was just fashioned from an old pallets from what I can tell. Unfortunately it’s now fallen apart and rotten and unusable. I’d like to get something to replace it but that would be moveable but also that’s OK to leave out all year round!

I like the look of the attached but I fear one windy night might take it out entirely!

Has anyone any recommendations? I don’t have the space to plant directly in the ground unfortunately.

https://www.aosom.ie/item/outsunny-wooden-planter-raised-elevated-garden-bed-with-2-shelves-for-vegetables-flowers~845-475V01.html

i use these pallet collars that sit on top of EURO pallets and you can get one or two for free if you ask around warehouses.
they are 1.2m x 0.8 m.

CelticRambler · 16-03-2021 9:21pm

Michellenman wrote: »

Thanks a mil, the planter with trellis ides looks spot on!

All being well, I'll be making a set of "partial" planters with trellis this year, for my climbing veg (mainly peas, gherkins and melons). Partial because they'll be open on one of the long sides and at the bottom, so that I can plant directly into the soil. Like you, I feel that (even) the veg garden should be as visually pleasing as possible, and a bit of formal vertical structure makes a nice contrast with all those long horizontal lines!

SouthWesterly · 17-03-2021 12:34am

The Master. wrote: »

i use these pallet collars that sit on top of EURO pallets and you can get one or two for free if you ask around warehouses.
they are 1.2m x 0.8 m.

Where do you get the collars from?

PoorFarmer · 17-03-2021 9:21pm

SouthWesterly wrote: »

Where do you get the collars from?

Plumbers supplies usually come in them. Got some lately that came around a set of chains for an excavator
B&Q sell them as do AJproducts

MacDanger · 24-03-2021 3:38pm

Hi

I'm trying to grow a couple of tomato plants with my kids, we don't have a greenhouse or anything so they'll be grown in window pots.

I don't have any expectations of a huge (or perhaps any) crop but we'd like to give them the best chance possible. Since they're growing in a window, should we rotate them regularly so they don't just grow in one direction?

Any other advice would be appreciated

Zardaz · 24-03-2021 5:11pm

MacDanger wrote: »

Hi

I'm trying to grow a couple of tomato plants with my kids, we don't have a greenhouse or anything so they'll be grown in window pots.

I don't have any expectations of a huge (or perhaps any) crop but we'd like to give them the best chance possible. Since they're growing in a window, should we rotate them regularly so they don't just grow in one direction?

Any other advice would be appreciated

What variety are they?
What size are the plants at the moment?
How big is the window?
Is it south facing?
Do you have any outside south facing and sheltered path or patio you can put them out on during the summer?

2011abc · 24-03-2021 5:20pm

Zardaz wrote: »

What variety are they?
What size are the plants at the moment?
How big is the window?
Is it south facing?
Do you have any outside south facing and sheltered path or patio you can put them out on during the summer?

Dont even think of putting them out overnight for at least a month .Outdoor tomatoes are a major challenge and apparently blight is becoming far more of an issue .If you have a serious suntrap in your garden (consider painting walls behind it white) and you plant out in June they MIGHT crop well .I had success with yellow pear shaped mini tomatoes outdoors last year but many still had a mildly fungal flavour Then again they were neglected for weeks on end .I think there were dozens of toms on it in October . But basically keep them indoors at night and in any hint of rain or cold wind etc for at least another 5-7 weeks .

EDIT If exclusively kept indoors you will eventually need very big pots .Indeterminate tomatoes grow VERY fast in mid to late Summer .If a purely window sill planter you will only grow cherry tom varieties Id say .

MacDanger · 24-03-2021 5:49pm

Zardaz wrote: »

What variety are they?
What size are the plants at the moment?
How big is the window?
Is it south facing?
Do you have any outside south facing and sheltered path or patio you can put them out on during the summer?

1. 2 x Tumbler and 1 x Moneymaker
2. Just bought them at the weekend, ~10-15cm tall I'd say
3. The window is medium size, maybe 0.8m * 1.2m
4. Faces W-SW
5. Not really

Zardaz · 24-03-2021 7:23pm

MacDanger wrote: »

1. 2 x Tumbler and 1 x Moneymaker
2. Just bought them at the weekend, ~10-15cm tall I'd say
3. The window is medium size, maybe 0.8m * 1.2m
4. Faces W-SW
5. Not really

You might have a chance with the tumblers. They are a small bushy plant. If the window sill is wide, and you get a rectangular pot and tray, it should give you a crop. But turn it round every couple of days as you mentioned.
It will want to "tumble" over the sides of the pot and down, so you will need to train it up with a few small canes and string or something.

Forget about the Moneymaker indoors. It will want to grow 3 foot high before it even sets fruit.

Given the Irish weather you will need to make the best of the light. If you don't need the light from that window, consider a reflector behind the plant to bounce a bit more light at it.
Or one of those 50cm long cheap under-cupboard countertop led lights would also give it a decent bit of an extra boost. (I use three of them above my indoor propagator and they work brilliantly, even though they are only 8W each)

MacDanger · 24-03-2021 7:36pm

Zardaz wrote: »

You might have a chance with the tumblers. They are a small bushy plant. If the window sill is wide, and you get a rectangular pot and tray, it should give you a crop. But turn it round every couple of days as you mentioned.
It will want to "tumble" over the sides of the pot and down, so you will need to train it up with a few small canes and string or something.

Forget about the Moneymaker indoors. It will want to grow 3 foot high before it even sets fruit.

Given the Irish weather you will need to make the best of the light. If you don't need the light from that window, consider a reflector behind the plant to bounce a bit more light at it.
Or one of those 50cm long cheap under-cupboard countertop led lights would also give it a decent bit of an extra boost. (I use three of them above my indoor propagator and they work brilliantly, even though they are only 8W each)

Ah well, you live and learn. I guess I should have researched a bit more before buying!! Are there any varieties that would be suitable for a windowsill?

Zardaz · 24-03-2021 7:44pm

MacDanger wrote: »

Ah well, you live and learn. I guess I should have researched a bit more before buying!! Are there any varieties that would be suitable for a windowsill?

Well, a dwarf cherry is your only real option.
I'd recommend "Tiny Tim", or "Little Sun".
Especially "Little Sun", but you probably wont find that one is a garden centre, have to grow it from seed.
Very hardy, tidy plant, gives lots of small sweet yellow toms.

Here's two pics of "Little sun",
my 4 plants last year in AutoPots in the glasshouse on July 17th,
And one of this years plants, today (in 10cm square pot). (yes, it's flowering already!)

beggars_bush · 25-03-2021 3:31pm

hanging baskets always work well for us with cherry tomatoes.

CelticRambler · 25-03-2021 5:49pm

Has anyone here grown a few square metres of cereals? I got a notion there over the weekend to plant oats, but it seems like I've left it a bit late for this year (advice here in agri-France is to get it sown by the end of Feb at the latest for a decent crop). I think I could make good use of a small sack of oats; not sure I could grow enough wheat or barley to be worth the effort, though.

And then, other than asking a friendly farmer for a fistful of seed to start, where do you buy packets in quantities of less than about 50kg?! :pac:

Bill Hook · 25-03-2021 9:02pm

I think you can buy oats from Brown Envelope Seeds and Irish Seed Savers.

I fancied growing a patch and have a sack of them that I got from a farmer lurking in the sitting room somewhere; maybe I'll get around to sowing them in the autumn!

CelticRambler · 25-03-2021 11:08pm

Bill Hook wrote: »

I think you can buy oats from Brown Envelope Seeds and Irish Seed Savers.

So you can ... but at least as expensive as what I've been looking at here, on account of being sold in quantities for just about 1m². If I'm going to do it, I'd be thinking of at least 5m², maybe 10, at which point it'd be cheaper to buy from a proper agri-merchant ... ... ... and have enough for about twenty years! :pac:

Hmmm ... just wondering if I called into the local agri-merchant whether he might have a damaged sack or half a bucket left that he'd like to get rid of seeing as the sowing season's finished?

Bill Hook · 27-03-2021 10:12am

That might work. Or maybe an animal feed supplier would have some. Or sow some linseed instead; not at all like oats I know but a sizable bag from the supermarket/BIO shop would be cheap, lots of lovely blue flowers and nice straw too.

CelticRambler · 27-03-2021 10:38am

Yes, I'd thought about linseed too, especially because of the flowers. How many of these grain(-like) products can be propagated from the product bought in mainstream commercial outlets (including agri suppliers)? My experience with two small bits of Lidl's ginger has - so far - been very satisfying, but I could see those on the shelf and pick good candidates; it's not always easy to tell when a packet of something has been treated "for human consumption" and rendered useless for the garden.

pat2167 · 27-03-2021 11:15am

Mixed bird seeds propagate pretty well. Every summer we have an unintentional patch of grains growing underneath a bird feeder, mainly wheat.

Bill Hook · 27-03-2021 11:55am

It's probably hit and miss with the store-cupboard gardening but always worth a try.

I find linseed from the health food shop grows well. Last year I scattered the end of a bag of chia seeds from Lidl into a pot and it grew no problem. It was too late in the year for it to do anything so I thought I'd try again this year but so far my efforts with chia seed from Tesco have not been successful. I might try some from the health food shop and see if that works.

Zardaz · 27-03-2021 12:27pm

I use mustard seeds from the Indian shop to grow microgreens. At a couple of euro for a 1Kg bag, its a great deal. Using a teaspoon a day for the microgreens, a single bag lasts for 2-3 winter seasons.
If I used ordinary mustard seed packets at a euro or two each, it wouldn't be cost effective.

CelticRambler · 27-03-2021 1:59pm

My objectives tend more towards the macro than micro!

Veg-wise, 2021 has got off to a messy start, on account of deliberately planning to take both of my beds out of commission at the same time, then getting behind schedule for various reasons; but I'm now running at about 90% self-sufficiency in fruit, vegetables and herbs (including feeding parties of up to 10 vegetarians! :pac: )

It looks like it'll be touch-and-go as far as the last of the potatoes go (I've replaced almost all my rice and pasta with potatoes, and stopped buying frozen chips, so using more than before) so I need to increase my yields from this years crops. The same goes for peppers and chilis, and last year's tomatoes were very poor too, so they're all on "must do better" list. Other than that, I'm aiming to have about 6-18 month's worth of food in the stores (depending on whether it's dried, frozen, pickled, etc) which is where the new-and-improved veg beds come in.

Speaking of which, I should go out ...

MacDanger · 08-04-2021 2:56pm

Hi

I had pencilled in this weekend or next to sow some seeds (carrots, peas & lettuce) in the veg patch. The temperatures forecast for the next two weeks are looking like this:

Friday 9th April: High 7C/Low 1C
7/0
8/5
9/6
11/2
10/2
11/3
Friday 16th April: 12/3
11/2
12/5
13/5
12/5
12/5
Thursday 22nd April: 14/4

Looking at those, am I as well holding off until the weekend of the 23rd before planting?

Living Off The Splash · 09-04-2021 9:59am

I planted out my Broadbeans, Peas and Mange Touts. Concerned about the temperatures now. I am holding off in planting out my Spinach and French Beans plus salad leaves.

laoch na mona · 09-04-2021 10:21am

I'm holding off my planting this weekend. no real point in putting seeds in the ground when I know its well below germination temperature.

I've a few trays I can start more plants in for transplanting though

Living Off The Splash · 12-04-2021 8:25am

How do you, use seaweed as compost in your garden?

If I collect a few bags of it and throw it in to my compost heap, not to be used until next year, is that a waste of goodness?

The Master. · 12-04-2021 3:47pm

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

How do you, use seaweed as compost in your garden?

If I collect a few bags of it and throw it in to my compost heap, not to be used until next year, is that a waste of goodness?

If I remember correctly I went down to killiney beach after a stormy day at the end of last year . Collected two big bags of washed up seaweed.
I have raised beds and I had finished growing anything so just lobbed the seaweed on top and covered with paper and cardboard sheets I had and by the spring it had nearly all decomposed.
Things I would have done differently are
1 waited until the washed up seaweed had gone dry and crispy on the beach before carrying it back to the car because the wet stuff weighed a ton.
2 I would have tried to wash off the salt in a bucket or hose it down before spreading it on my beds.
I'm only new to gardening and the first time I've done this so I don't know the results but seeing how my potatoes are all frostbite and black it may all just have been a big waste of time and money!

Anyone else know if the frosted potatoes will come back or should I try to replace them with a few spares I have.

DeadSkin · 12-04-2021 4:23pm

My spuds have succumbed to the frost too :-(

CelticRambler · 12-04-2021 5:49pm

The Master. wrote: »

Anyone else know if the frosted potatoes will come back or should I try to replace them with a few spares I have.

They'll be grand. It'll only be the top growth that's been traumatised; you'll see new green shoots in a week or so.

Veg plans for 2021

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