Veg plans for 2020

scarepanda · 03-02-2020 2:22pm

CelticRambler wrote: »

Just bought 15 packs of seeds in Lidl for 4.50€. For the veg garden: giant pumpkin (40-50kg it says on the packet :eek: ... we'll see - have only ever had 10kg-ish before); white onions, yellow onions; two types of carrot (summer and winter); lettuce; leeks; Charentais melon (don't know who's going to eat it - I won't, and the family insist on visiting too early in the summer - but why not ...); and new for this year: jalapeño chilis.

Ha, you sound like me! I nearly always try to grow something new every year, even though chances I won't either eat or will have the best of intentions and then don't :-0, but it's all in the fun of growing something cool! I love growing pumpkin's. And I have plans to grow seeds of coloured corn eventually!

uck51js9zml2yt · 04-02-2020 2:48pm

My Sutton's seed box arrived today.

Ordered Yacon in addition to the rest of the tubers from Martin @ gardens for life.

Living Off The Splash · 06-02-2020 11:59am

I have 9 raised beds. Last year I grew mostly peas, mange tout, french beans and runner beans. A bed of lettuce, spinach, chard, beetroot and potatoes.

My potatoes were poor, my beetroot was poor, very small.

This year will be more of the same but I will not grow potatoes or beetroot. We had a huge crop of Mange Tout and had to freeze them, but I felt that they did not freeze well. Tasted bitter when cooked. I love cabbage but no matter how well I protect them the cabbage white butterfly always finds a way in.

I will cut back on the Mange Tout and grow more French Beans.

I will turn my compost shortly and probably dig it in to the beds in March. I will start a new compost heap beside last years for next years supply.

MacDanger · 06-02-2020 12:14pm

Any recommendations for what variety of early potatoes to plant? I prefer floury potatoes generally. This will be my first time trying to grow spuds

beer enigma · 06-02-2020 1:00pm

This year will be a big return to the veg front for me.

Im lucky enough to have a 'spare' 50ftx50ft area at the bottom of the garden with greenhouse that up to 5 years ago provided veg through the season. Used to be gorgeous with raised beds etc but a party sewer burst and the whole area dug up and destroyed.

5 years on, lovely neutral soil I'm going to replant. This year I'm just rotovating the whole lot. Gradual job to restore raised beds but for now it's almost a mini allotment.

Sweetcorn is my nemesis though, always goes earwiggy so if anyone has a resistant variety I'd love to hear.

pconn062 · 06-02-2020 3:18pm

MacDanger wrote: »

Any recommendations for what variety of early potatoes to plant? I prefer floury potatoes generally. This will be my first time trying to grow spuds

Queens are always a nice early one and very floury.

scarepanda · 06-02-2020 4:28pm

Can you prune back currant bushes? And is it too late to prune raspberries? How hard of a prune can you give these fruits?

I've just been out in the garden starting a bit of the post winter tidy up and I was looking at the fruit bushes. I'm going to bring the blueberries, but undecided about the rest. They were let go wild last year so it's a tangled mess at the moment but If I'm bringing the stuff I'd want to get them moved sooner rather than later before they start growing properly

CelticRambler · 06-02-2020 9:43pm

scarepanda wrote: »

Can you prune back currant bushes? And is it too late to prune raspberries? How hard of a prune can you give these fruits?

Currants - yes, up until February ... usually. These you can prune pretty hard, especially if the older stems are getting a bit woody. I usually prune them moderately two years in a row, then cut them right back the third year - if the deer haven't already done that for me in the meantime. :mad: If there's any growth at the top of these leggy stems, I cut single stems of that to about 20-30cm, shove it in a nursery bed and have fresh plants the next year to use as replacements.

Raspberries are a different story, as it depends on whether the variety bears one crop or two (or more). There's plenty of guidance available elsewhere on the subject that you should be able to match to your situation.

kylith · 07-02-2020 2:27pm

Got my Sutton seeds’ box yesterday. A good mix of stuff, some i’ll Use, some I probably won’t. Not a fan of cucumbers or peppers so i’ll Probably pass those to MiL. I haven’t had Swede in years, so it’ll be interesting to see if I like them any better than I did as a child.

08-02-2020 11:02am

Here's what I got form suttons

scarepanda · 13-02-2020 10:09pm

Thank you Celtic rambler. I've had a better look online to see how to do it. I'm planning on giving the currants and blueberries a go this weekend. As for the raspberries, I'm not as bothered with bringing them with me. They are in a bigger mess and I won't have the time or a spot for them this year, so I might just leave them behind and start from scratch next year.

I dug up the rhubarb today. I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting the roots to be as they are! I've left the weakest of the two plants in one piece and split the stronger one into 3 pieces. I've probably killed them, but if I haven't I'll hopefully have 4 rhubarb plants to pick in a couple years time!

I got some chive and cress seeds to sow with the toddler tomorrow. I'm going to see if I can get them to grow as 'grass heads', you know where you sow grass into the end of tights and make a face and hair out of it.

kilns · 02-03-2020 11:29am

The Master. wrote: »

Here is one after being treated and soil in. There are 12 beds altogether and I've garlic in one that is shooting up. I've no idea what to put in the others or when to plant it!

How did you fill the beds with soil? Did you put out sheeting at the bottom with holes for drainage?

MacDanger · 02-03-2020 1:05pm

Bought seed potatoes (1 x earlies, 1 x main crop) and onions sets at the weekend so was told to plant them indoors in the dark for a couple of weeks until the weather improves a bit.

Bought seeds also today:

Leeks
Celery
Brocolli
Cauliflower
Carrots
Rocket
Lavender
Basil (to be planted indoors)

Do any of these need to be grown indoors first or will I just plant them directly in the soil once it gets a bit warmer / dryer?

Thanks

scarepanda · 02-03-2020 2:02pm

I've never grown brassicas or lavender from seed so I can't comment specifically on them, but from your list the only thing that you will need to grow outside, or can't/shouldn't start off indoors is the carrots. They don't like to be disturbed. I don't sow mine till June either, to avoid the worst effects of carrot fly.

After that you can start stuff inside or not, waiting may delay/shorten your growing season depending on when the weather picks up, but waiting can mean less fluttering about with transplanting etc. Leeks afaik need a long growing season, so I do always start them inside in a seed tray.

04-03-2020 1:26pm

PLanted 3 types of pumpkins,butternut squash and romanesco cauliflower.
Will give it a month and plant the same again so I get a bit of a staggered harvest.
Have a few brussel sprout seedlings coming up too.

MacDanger · 04-03-2020 1:46pm

BrownFinger wrote: »

PLanted 3 types of pumpkins,butternut squash and romanesco cauliflower.
Will give it a month and plant the same again so I get a bit of a staggered harvest.
Have a few brussel sprout seedlings coming up too.

Indoors I take it?

04-03-2020 1:50pm

Oh for sure!
The sprouts are in the greenhouse with frost protection.

Planet X · 13-03-2020 1:06pm

Just planted tomato seeds, saved from last year as advised by Self Sufficient Me on YouTube

, Rocket, Spinach and Pak Choi.
In special seed compost and indoors at the moment to warm the whole lot up.

rolion · 14-03-2020 12:18pm

Too cold to plant any seeds outside...even in the green house midnight/morning temperatures lower than 5 degrees affects the life of poor seed.

Living Off The Splash · 15-03-2020 10:15am

Certainly growing spinach this year. At least it will add flavour to the pasta we will all be eating in a few months....

scarepanda · 15-03-2020 10:56am

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

Certainly growing spinach this year. At least it will add flavour to the pasta we will all be eating in a few months....

Basil too

Fleetwoodmac · 15-03-2020 6:18pm

Set spuds in haybales today... first time trying the bales. Anyone used them before

Markcheese · 15-03-2020 6:30pm

Fleetwoodmac wrote: »

Set spuds in haybales today... first time trying the bales. Anyone used them before

How's that work ? Like hydroponics with a liquid feed ?

Fleetwoodmac · 15-03-2020 8:00pm

Markcheese wrote: »

How's that work ? Like hydroponics with a liquid feed ?

Bales need to be well soaked... using old school.square bales, bone meal and fertilizer added over past few days to encourage decomposition, milk cartons to drop feed, 6 spuds per small bale... first time doing it, going to try tomatoes also. And straw bale tower for strawberries. Bales bought cheap at the moment and less than a bag of compost. Our soil heavy clay and difficult to dig so hoping this a better alternative

CelticRambler · 15-03-2020 8:17pm

Fleetwoodmac wrote: »

Set spuds in haybales today... first time trying the bales. Anyone used them before

Not exactly, but I have grown them under old hay cleared out of a barn, topped off with black plastic. Won't use the plastic again (am aiming for zero-plastic in the garden, other than pots) but I've just made a long heap of grass clippings as part of my ongoing experiments to find the least laborious way of growing a decent crop.

Harry Palmr · 16-03-2020 10:48am

The potatoes are going in today/tomorrow, I'm not growing many so I'll probably do them in a couple of large containers rather than a ground bed.

And I'll do some salad green seeds in trays as well. Might make a mini greenhouse to see if I can speed them a bit

whelzer · 16-03-2020 11:22am

Harry Palmr wrote: »

The potatoes are going in today/tomorrow, I'm not growing many so I'll probably do them in a couple of large containers rather than a ground bed.

And I'll do some salad green seeds in trays as well. Might make a mini greenhouse to see if I can speed them a bit

Which county are you in. I'm in Dublin, due south facing garden and think its a bit early for spuds, it has been very cold these last few nights. Was planning on waiting till the end of March...

Any other thoughts out there?

Just for info - I have loads and loads of salads that have over wintered very well, been picking some every other day. Mostly Chinese greens/mustards but also the likes of Winter Purslane & Lambs Lettuce.

16-03-2020 11:29am

We have some salads that have been over wintered too.
Got a good crop of radish over winter but they were a bit on the small side!

Have romanesco cauliflower seedlings well on their way and 3/4 types of pumpkins flying up.
Tomatoes/brussel sprouts are in the GH and are doing well.
Keeping the GH above 5degrees,had a frost this morning surprisingly.
Have a new large pumpkin patch under construction too.

Harry Palmr · 16-03-2020 2:52pm

whelzer wrote: »

Which county are you in. I'm in Dublin, due south facing garden and think its a bit early for spuds, it has been very cold these last few nights. Was planning on waiting till the end of March...

Any other thoughts out there?

Just for info - I have loads and loads of salads that have over wintered very well, been picking some every other day. Mostly Chinese greens/mustards but also the likes of Winter Purslane & Lambs Lettuce.

I'm in Waterford facing south, the spuds are chitting so I'm not going to hang about.

Are the salad greens under protection?

whelzer · 16-03-2020 3:08pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

I'm in Waterford facing south, the spuds are chitting so I'm not going to hang about.

Are the salad greens under protection?

No - so it has been a battle with pigeons. Interestingly enough they did not touch the two types of kale I have (one red, one green). Picked at all the salad and turnips.

I did do a whole string effort with bits of shiny insulation attached - kind of worked. They have stopped now - presume there is food elsewhere.

I always have something new (to me) in the ground, last autumn it was Komatsuna "Rapido". Pigeons absolutely destroyed it when they got the chance. Its obviously hardy enough and the plants I have are thriving - might pick some this weekend!

Harry Palmr · 16-03-2020 3:10pm

Kale is probably a bit bitter for pigeons who, I hear have a sweet tooth

CelticRambler · 16-03-2020 5:20pm

I have a great crop of lamb's lettuce this year. Two lines of about 5m in open ground (beside an equally great crop of beetroot and parsely. I started picking at it back in December to thin it out; now I'm ripping it out in handfuls! It must be close to the end now, but hopefully I'll get another month out of it.

Unless President Macron bans cross-country travel tonight, I have to work away for a fortnight, just as my incubated seedlings are germinating and getting a bit leggy. I've moved my pumpkins, gerkhins and tomatoes outside, putting them into holes in that heap of grass that I laid out the other day, and covering the plants and grass with a mini tunnel. I'm counting on the heat of decomposition to keep any frost at bay (I didn't measure it, but after just two days the base of the heap feels like it's about 15°C or more).

Our forecast here (central France) is for a two weeks of sun with temps in the high teens, so I've taken a chance and sowed a few lines of carrots today, along with a line of peas.

_Brian · 16-03-2020 5:57pm

In the north east here exposed at 650ft. We get frosts into mid May.

Usually don’t do much in the polytunnel until second week in April.

However with kids off I got a supply of seeds and plan is to stick a 30w bulb over one bed to keep it frost free, on a timer to run probably 8-8, will only cost a few bob to run and should help get things going.

16-03-2020 11:09pm

We've been blaming our two cats for digging up lettuce for the last few months but it turns out it's been the black birds.
Funnily enough they haven't touched the red lettuce.

I think they have eaten the sweet pen we sewed outdoors too .

Fleetwoodmac · 17-03-2020 12:23pm

_Brian wrote: »

In the north east here exposed at 650ft. We get frosts into mid May.

Usually don’t do much in the polytunnel until second week in April.

However with kids off I got a supply of seeds and plan is to stick a 30w bulb over one bed to keep it frost free, on a timer to run probably 8-8, will only cost a few bob to run and should help get things going.

Same here with kids... got the older one building a chicken coop and hoping to get laying pullets. The younger ones setting seeds ... I think getting them out and busy is going to be important for all of us.
We are lifting a herb bed today that got out of hand, reporting into large pots and using bed for veg...
Was hoping today would be bit warmer but not looking good so far.

Harry Palmr · 17-03-2020 12:58pm

Just reading the QuickCrop newsletter and the no dig method of potato crops - looks like a good idea and I have the idea spot for it think I'll do that.

TLDR of article - dump 6 inches of compost on your prepped soil bed area, sow spuds as per but only to a depth of 6 inches and then build the bed up with composting material as the spuds develop. Harvesting is as easy as can be with no heavy earth getting in the way. Plus excellent growing medium for next crop on that bed.

uck51js9zml2yt · 17-03-2020 12:59pm

Fleetwoodmac wrote: »

Same here with kids... got the older one building a chicken coop and hoping to get laying pullets. The younger ones setting seeds ... I think getting them out and busy is going to be important for all of us.
We are lifting a herb bed today that got out of hand, reporting into large pots and using bed for veg...
Was hoping today would be bit warmer but not looking good so far.

I made a herb garden out of 4 euro pallets.

Fleetwoodmac · 17-03-2020 1:15pm

Karlee Magnificent Valve wrote: »

I made a herb garden out of 4 euro pallets.

Thanks.. good idea..kind of regret I let my herbs go, a herbalist friend recommending thyme rosemary sage boiled drank as a tea in this current climate. Wish I had harvested more ..

CelticRambler · 17-03-2020 5:53pm

Herb gardens seem (to me, at least) to need an awful lot more time than all the rest of the veg garden. I had one, beautifully laid out with loads of different culinary and medicinal herbs, that seemed like a great idea when the whole family was here ... but as soon as the children got fed up with being used as cheap labour, it became unmanageable.

In recent years, I've taken to throwing one type of herb or another in with the regular veg so at least I can grab a few handfuls when I've finished weeding or thinning or harvesting.

That said, I'm hoping that one or other of the garden centres or supermarkets here sell off their lavender and rosemary cheap once the lockdown is over.

uck51js9zml2yt · 17-03-2020 8:07pm

CelticRambler wrote: »

Herb gardens seem (to me, at least) to need an awful lot more time than all the rest of the veg garden. I had one, beautifully laid out with loads of different culinary and medicinal herbs, that seemed like a great idea when the whole family was here ... but as soon as the children got fed up with being used as cheap labour, it became unmanageable.

In recent years, I've taken to throwing one type of herb or another in with the regular veg so at least I can grab a few handfuls when I've finished weeding or thinning or harvesting.

That said, I'm hoping that one or other of the garden centres or supermarkets here sell off their lavender and rosemary cheap once the lockdown is over.

I got some lavender in Lidl last week. Would love more but it needs to reduce in price

Harry Palmr · 19-03-2020 4:58pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Just reading the QuickCrop newsletter and the no dig method of potato crops - looks like a good idea and I have the idea spot for it think I'll do that.

TLDR of article - dump 6 inches of compost on your prepped soil bed area, sow spuds as per but only to a depth of 6 inches and then build the bed up with composting material as the spuds develop. Harvesting is as easy as can be with no heavy earth getting in the way. Plus excellent growing medium for next crop on that bed.

Potatoes for early cropping in, onions which went in a month ago and salah leaves (salah's leaving?!) oh and some tumbling toms (red and orange) which are sat on a bedroom window sill until late April/early May

I'll have to come up with a more long term fix for bird protection, it could be a chicken wire cage in a couple of sections

MacDanger · 19-03-2020 7:05pm

Hoping to plant my early potatoes (Sharpe's Express) this weekend and out down a few onion sets

jack_frost_09 · 19-03-2020 8:27pm

Potatoes (earlies) are chitted and ready to be planted in beds in the coming days with the main crop going into containers as an experiment next month.

Also have some broad beans started off on the windowsill as well as some lettuce and herbs so far.

One question - have any of you had any issues with ants in your raised beds? Are they generally good or bad and is there a non-chemical way to get rid if needs be?

Living Off The Splash · 20-03-2020 10:51am

I always have some ants living in the corners of some of my raised beds. I generally just sprinkle the ant powder in the general area and they disappear quite quickly.

20-03-2020 11:07am

Here a few pics of my pumpkins,butternut squash and romanesco cauliflowers from the other day.
They have been mostly repotted and moved to the greenhouse now.
And replaced with 3 more trays of tamatos/sweet pea .

cuculainn · 20-03-2020 2:31pm

they look great

quick question for all the experts on here. i have germinated tomatoes and peppers in a heated propagator. they are about 2 inches tall now. How long do they need the heat of the propagator? i have been taking hte lid of during the day to avoid damping out.

I want to transplant into bigger pots but i wont be able to give them the same heat.
especially with the cold nights, am i better off leaving them in the propagator till they are stronger and the nights are warmer?

pconn062 · 20-03-2020 3:05pm

cuculainn wrote: »

they look great

quick question for all the experts on here. i have germinated tomatoes and peppers in a heated propagator. they are about 2 inches tall now. How long do they need the heat of the propagator? i have been taking hte lid of during the day to avoid damping out.

I want to transplant into bigger pots but i wont be able to give them the same heat.
especially with the cold nights, am i better off leaving them in the propagator till they are stronger and the nights are warmer?

You could take them out of the propogator now but leave them inside somewhere warm for another few weeks.

uck51js9zml2yt · 23-03-2020 12:06pm

I was just talking to a local farmer and have arranged for him to come up and plough the garden this week.

Just need to get it harrowed after than and I can start planting.

MacDanger · 23-03-2020 12:24pm

Planted my early spuds and a few sets over the weekend. Will plan some celery, leek and broccoli from seed this weekend with a view to planting them out in around 4 weeks along with carrots from seed (direct sowing)

bizidea · 23-03-2020 3:12pm

MacDanger wrote: »

Planted my early spuds and a few sets over the weekend. Will plan some celery, leek and broccoli from seed this weekend with a view to planting them out in around 4 weeks along with carrots from seed (direct sowing)

Do you mind me asking whereabouts you are I'm in the Midlands just a bit weary of the cold nights still didnt want to chance planting the spuds yet

Veg plans for 2020

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