What have you done or are doing now??

[JenniCog]

So all container gardeners...and everyone else with your lashings of expertise!

What have you done so far with regards to planting seeds etc and what should I be doing now? Its turned into a bit of a cold snap again, am I ok to get my veg seeds in this weekend?

Thanks y'all!

Jenni x

[smeagal]

I have my seed potatoes chitting and have tomato,cucumber and peppers in propagators
I have emptied all of my containers and washed them out and prepared them for planting up later this month.
I live on the south coast and I am a little ahead of northern climes.

[Tom d'Angler]

My seed potatoes are chitting on the window sill.

Earlier I collect three wooden pallets (courtesy of my local Feegle) and turned them into a compost bin, complete with sliding slats on the front that can be removed for easier turning and removal of the compost.

I also planted a raspberry cane with an old 2ltr Coke bottle as a cloche.

[Hollie the Wollie]

Oh goodness I have not done anything yet apart from order my seeds. We're currently digging up an old flower bed for more veg space so we're expecting to get planted in the next couple of weeks!!!

[absolute beginner]

Pardon my ignorance... chitting?

I've planted some seeds under propogators and been shopping for containers!

[kaz]

oh i know this one lol
chitting is also known as sprouting, chitting forces the seed potatoes to produce buds before they are even planted, an encouragement that results in earlier and heavier cropping. Earlier cropping has the added bonus of getting your first and second earlies in and out of the soil before potato blight becomes a problem

To chit your seed potatoes, you simply lay them in a container in a cool room but not in direct sunlight,(Egg trays in the utility room I seem to remember my father using ) to produce buds for a few weeks before sowing, he also used to remove some of the sprouts if they produced to many
hope this helps

[absolute beginner]

Thanks Kaz x

[Nicola_D]

Well, I got 3 lots of seed potatoes chitting, planted 8 chilli seeds (2 varieties) in my new heated propagator so far. Got loads of seeds waiting to be planted.

I need to clean all my containers from last year and plan what I'm going to plant over the next few weeks.

Oh and we're supposed to be building a raised bed, but haven't started yet, though it will just be a simple one

[Shaun]

hi,

my chillis are just starting to grow in the propergater on thw windowsil and my peas have started to sprout there on the windowsil aswell got to get some pots to put some stuff out side in a few weeks time.

[johnmichael]

Have filled potato grow bags with 4" of compost,divided bag in to 3 separate compartments with some sturdy cardboard,added a further 4"of compost to second compartment and 8"to the third,then 1 seed potato was planted in each compartment and a further 4" of compost added on top of each potato.will add more compost as required and when foliage is growing above height of bag the cardboard will be removed. Hoping this method will produce crops like seen in advertisements.Anyone else tried this?

[GMB27]

Im a little behind too this year! Though im pretty excited as im trying strawberries this year too! Ive got tomato plants ready to go in and im hoping for chillies and cucumbers. Fingers crossed!

[tommyq1976]

Oh dear, oh dear... where to start...

So far this year I have:

• Planted 4 lots of early spuds in bags in the garden
• Planted 3 lots of carrots in containers
• Started off c.20 cabbages (two varieties) in the coldstore
• Started off 10 onions, from seed, in propogators in the coldstore
• Planted butternut squash, pumpkins, courgettes and marrows on the windowledge and got some strong looking shoots from half of them (can't actually remember what's in which pot so not sure what's germinated and what's not... Must remember to buy labels!)
• Planted c.20 leeks - the first 8 have reached about 3in tall so far
• Planted sunflowers for the competition, these will be going in the allotment
• Started off some runner beans in the coldstore
• Started some sprouts likewise
• Planted 13 sweetcorn (the exact number of small pots I had)
• Dug over the allotment, relocated some fruit bushes to give more allotment space, checked up on last years strawberry plants for their 2nd season - looking like a strong comeback
• Planted many marigolds and mexican hats to bring in those lovely bees
• Radishes, MANY, MANY radishes have been planted - love them, easiest and one of the tastiest veg going
• Planted some peas in baskets and a trough last week
• 7 tomato plants grown which will be getting hardened off shortly for moving outside

I think that's it so far, I'm really excited to be growing again and looking at a bumper year compared to last year's attempts.

Most looking forward to: Leeks and Cabbages

[Nicola_D]

Wow, you've been busy Tom!

we finally got into gear last weekend and built the raised bed, 3.8m long and 0.7m wide (it's against a wall so couldn't be too wide as wouldn't be able to reach the back), but we underestimated how much soil/compost we needed to fill it, so it's only partly filled so far.

I also got on with...

2 types of seed potatoes into potato grow sacks on the patio (1st earlies and 2nd earlies)

6 tomato seeds (2 varieties) into the heated prop (5 have germinated)
6 basil seeds in heated prop (5 have germinated)
6 rosemary seeds in heated prop (nothing yet)
4 courgette seeds (3 germinated)
20 leeks in heated prop (2 or 3 have appeared today)
4 mange tout seeds in heated prop (all 4 have germinated - from pound shop too and came with 20 seeds, soil and a plastic propagator - bargain)
c.20 spring onions in heated prop (all seem to have germinated)

Also dug over a border down the side of garden path that we have just had slate chippings on (lifting up all the slate took ages). planted a 4 year old rosemary bush and some oregano in there from onbe of those containers with multiple holes in for growing herbs, some chives that I never planted last year (just left them in two of those biodegradable pots on the garden table as already had chives growing and just forgot to throw these ones away and then noticed they'd come back last month).

Oh and then found some spring bulbs in the garage that I lost after Christmas (tulips, crocuses and daffs) which had all sprouted so I stuck those in the border too - not sure what'll happen as it's too late really but seemed worth a try and one or two have already poked up above the soil.

washed all me containers too!
Still got loads to do though

[tommyq1976]

Originally Posted by Nicola_D

Wow, you've been busy Tom!

Yep, been a busy couple of weeks!

I was very pleased to see some new shoots in my 2nd container of carrots today too

[Denisej4]

hello , a newbie here !
I am planning on joining in with container gardens as I have a very small garden , most of which I have planted up with plants , so am now going to plant up in containers
so far have got peppers ( seeds sown today lol) told you I was just starting!
so, should I get planting up my runner bean seeds and peas? and when can I pot up my tomato seeds?
sorry loads of questions !

[keith1965]

Jusy built some rasied beds and filled with topsoil just geting them ready now got some little gems on the go onions in chilli and peppers in trays leeks in seed trays and put some carrots in still seem to have loads to do

keith

[smeagal]

I spent the day trying to repair my pressure washer which decided to die after the missus had a bonfire and scorched all the slabs.
I eventually tracked down the fault to the on /off switch now all I have to do is fine a replacement part.
As an after thought if anyone has an old red B&Q egg shaped one in there garage or shed sitting idle I could give it a very good home

[Hollie the Wollie]

Oh my look how busy everyone has been. This weekend we got on with the following:

- put out my seed potatos to chit (nice to see others doing the same- 1st time we've done potatoes)
- Sown the following into little pots inside:
- Leeks
- Courgette
- Summer Squash
- Cucumber

I also did some flowers aswell and sowed some all-year-round lettuce.

I have tried to make a planner/calendar by doing some research as to when to sow/plant, harvest etc. I am hoping to get the most out of the beds this year!

[Steph]

Have finally made a start

Planted seeds for tomatoes cucumber and sweet peppers to go in the conservatory
Seeds for parsley, basil and chives in the fancy pots on the window sill.
There are buds on the fig tree and the cherry tree hooray!!

Am contemplating what to do with the peas. The instructions are a bit vague and seem to suggest planting them on the ground which cant be right!

[keith1965]

Just maid up another raised bed 18inch deep for potatoes see how they do .Allso my boss brought me some nice seeds in of the farm today so will get started with them tommorow .