Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Tommy54321 on March 07, 2021, 17:28
-
Hello,
I would be interested to hear what seeds people have already planted in their allotments now, and whether they have gone straight into the ground or planted first in a tray and planted out. I currently have just planted some young Radish seedlings from a module tray, don't think they will do a good job as they seem to of just flopped over, but I suppose we will see how they go. I have put some fleece over the top to protect them. I have some lettuce, onions, and peas in modules that I'm thinking of planting out, just don't really know when. I walked past someone elses plot and I think they have sown straight into the ground, which made me think should I just go and seed directly and just beware of any frost and protect when needed....which lead me to ask the question, What is everyone else doing when it comes to planting? are you sowing directly into the ground etc?? would be good to hear, and take some pointers. I'm a complete amateur, and I'm in the south of the Uk so I understand everyone has different weather but would be interesting to hear.
Thanks
-
Prepare to get lots of different answers! :lol: :lol:
It's still very early in the season so no rush.
I have a token tray of onions (from seed) and some tenders under grow lights in our utility. Chillies, peppers and aubergines which will go into my new polytunnel so still a bit of an experiment in terms of timings but these do need a long growing season.
I do a very small early sowing of tomatoes that I mollycoddle but my proper sowing for these is at the end of this month for outdoor ones.
I sow mainly in modules and do very little direct sowing as that works better for me. The plants have a head start over the weeds once they get planted out and I have enough outdoor space at home to do this. I also find this an easier way to carry out successional sowing.
My real sowing season starts towards the end of this month and picks up through April into May.
If you look at the Gardeners' diary section you can get an idea what people are sowing and when. Take a note of their location as the sunny south is normally a couple of weeks ahead of us in the Midlands.
-
I’ve just planted out some lettuce and pointed cabbage under cloches, won’t be sowing much until April outside unless it warms up a fair bit. Just thinking about planting some early spuds in containers.
-
I'm in county Durham so a bit colder than down south as yet I've planted nothing outside. I find i now start more seeds in modules or trays and pots and plant out later when the hard frosts are behind us. Even then anything delicate goes under fleece. I find i get less pest damage and weed competition this way.
All of what I have sown is either in the heated greenhouse or polly tunnel nice and snug :)
-
In Glasgow - Tomato and peppers on the kitchen window sill and the garlic that I planted at the plot in November is growing slowly. Too cold to plant anything else for me at the moment. I do have potato tubers, onion and shallot sets and loads of seeds sitting waiting to go in but it will be the end of this month, start of April before I plant anything else.
-
I sowed carrots in the greenhouse about a month ago and I have first early potatoes in bags in there planted about two weeks ago. The carrot seedlings have now emerged, and I will make a second sowing this coming weekend.
I have sown leeks and some brassicas in module trays indoors. Some of those brassicas have grown quite fast, and they are almost ready to be potted on.
-
yeah that was my issue they are growing too quickly which makes me feel like i should plant them out.
-
Tomatoes and peppers recently sowed in the heated propagator.
Some onion seedlings (were sown earlier in the year) are on the table in front to the window, as I have no sills.
Yesterday I sowed a few Hispi cabbage seeds, hopefully for an early crop, also on the table.
Must remember to put together the wire shelves that go in the greenhouse, ready for when it gets a bit warmer, and the seedlings can go outside during the day ....
-
Direct-sown outdoors, late fall to winter, and over-wintered: Brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes, spinach, romaine lettuce, bibb lettuce. Peas (snow peas, sugar snap peas) are chitted before planting in the ground, but some fill-in sugar snaps were planted indoors, and now are growing outside. Scallions were planted just a couple weeks ago outdoors, and are now sprouting.
Tomatoes (Roma, Better Boy, Gardener's Delight), Jalapeno and eggplant (aubergines) are planted indoors, and won't go in the ground outdoors until April or May.
My conditions may differ from yours, I live in hardiness zone 8.
-
Onions on plot, garlic went in December, pots chitting at home where I’ll sow toms, chillies, peppers and cucumber over the next week. Still getting frost here, so I’ll wait.
-
Direct-sown outdoors, late fall to winter, and over-wintered: Brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes, spinach, romaine lettuce, bibb lettuce. Peas (snow peas, sugar snap peas) are chitted before planting in the ground, but some fill-in sugar snaps were planted indoors, and now are growing outside. Scallions were planted just a couple weeks ago outdoors, and are now sprouting.
Tomatoes (Roma, Better Boy, Gardener's Delight), Jalape񯳬 and eggplant (aubergines) are planted indoors, and won't go in the ground outdoors until April or May.
I'm guessing in Georgia, you could grow UK veg all year round, although you might be vulnerable to occasional freezing conditions when Arctic air moves south, like what happened recently in Texas. Looking at a climate table for Atlanta, the January average high (the coolest month) is about equivalent to April in London. Summer average high is equivalent to a heatwave in southern England.
-
These lettuce in my photo have been growing in my cold greenhouse in soil blocks which I'm using for the first time, did lettuce just to see if it worked ok. They are about 4 weeks old, but not sure if I can plant them out this size or wait longer, any advice please....wait or plant out?. I'm succession sowing as I had too many at once last year!
-
bobbyt, I would plant those out :)
-
Direct-sown outdoors, late fall to winter, and over-wintered: Brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes, spinach, romaine lettuce, bibb lettuce. Peas (snow peas, sugar snap peas) are chitted before planting in the ground, but some fill-in sugar snaps were planted indoors, and now are growing outside. Scallions were planted just a couple weeks ago outdoors, and are now sprouting.
Tomatoes (Roma, Better Boy, Gardener's Delight), Jalape񯳬 and eggplant (aubergines) are planted indoors, and won't go in the ground outdoors until April or May.
I'm guessing in Georgia, you could grow UK veg all year round, although you might be vulnerable to occasional freezing conditions when Arctic air moves south, like what happened recently in Texas. Looking at a climate table for Atlanta, the January average high (the coolest month) is about equivalent to April in London. Summer average high is equivalent to a heatwave in southern England.
For average conditions, you are quite right! But, we are also subjected to big swings in temperature, and especially in winter and spring, unpredictable freezes and snow. Historically, many of our memorable snow storms have come in March. Like Texas, we get those big polar vortex style cold storms. I remember a minus 14 C cold front going through Atlanta in winter in the late 1980s or early 1990s. We also had a spring cold snap (5 years ago maybe?) that killed all the new spring leaves on our deciduous trees (late March or April).
So, I plant, hoping that the weather is no worse than usual most years. Sometimes stuff dies, and I need to re-plant. This year, so far, so good.
Here's hoping the weather treats you kindly this year!
-
we do much the same as Potty Plotty Lotty mainly all our veg seeds are started of in the greenhouse or bench grown before planting out in the allotment we have just started sowings and there's a plenty more sowings to come
seeds sown to date cabbage cauliflower broad beans spring onions lettuce tomatoes haven't started on the flower seed yet
-
we do much the same as Potty Plotty Lotty mainly all our veg seeds are started of in the greenhouse or bench grown before planting out in the allotment we have just started sowings and there's a plenty more sowings to come
seeds sown to date cabbage cauliflower broad beans spring onions lettuce tomatoes haven't started on the flower seed yet
Hi Rowlandwells, have you sown all those in a cold greenhouse from scratch. I am planting similar crops this year, and was wondering whether I should be doing that now. I have a heat mat and a heated propagator in the greenhouse, no room indoors to start from scratch.
-
I think as my lettuce has started getting a little leggy i think i will plant them out and cover them with fleece in case of frost. My onions are going well. I think I will plant some leeks in module trays and maybe go straight into the ground later this month with Red onion and carrots.....but I'm a beginner so take my info with a pinch of salt.
-
I think as my lettuce has started getting a little leggy i think i will plant them out and cover them with fleece in case of frost. My onions are going well. I think I will plant some leeks in module trays and maybe go straight into the ground later this month with Red onion and carrots.....but I'm a beginner so take my info with a pinch of salt.
Tommy, I think you will find most lettuce will tolerate frost quite well. Mine have done so, down to -6°C this winter (Romaine and Bibb types, no protection at all). [Sorry, edited, it was -6 C, rather than -8 C. Made a mistake in converting from F to C!]
-
Up to the allotment this afternoon and will start preparing some seed beds for spring onions, beetroot, carrots, spinach and mixed lettuce. Worth a punt given the fairly mild forecast. Will leav parsnips until the ground is a bit warmer as they were great last year with a mid April sowing.
-
Carrots, onion sets, and lettuce in raised beds with protection by polycarbonate sheets. First early spuds under plastic sheeting.
-
do you think i can plant out my red onion sets now then?
-
do you think i can plant out my red onion sets now then?
Will be planting my red and white onion sets in the next few days, I think they are quite hardy, just need to cover initially as protection from pigeons, mice etc until they establish. Always worked ok for me.
-
Wait with the red onion sets. They are more prone to bolt if planted now.
-
I tend to agree - our red onion sets usually suggest not to plant until mid April.
-
Wait with the red onion sets. They are more prone to bolt if planted now.
I read somewhere that most onion sets are heat treated these days, so are a lot less prone to bolting. Of course, you should follow advice on the pack if there is any :)
-
nothing except 8 egg plant seeds on the window sill. :) Will start everything else in mid April.
-
I think I've planted a bit of everything but beans and curcurbits, mostly on windowsills or in coldframes. Starting early is a good test of old seed viability even if I have to discard a few due to frost/leggyness.
-
Tomatoes, parsley, basil and sweet peas on windowsill.
Swift and Charlottes went in today.
Also planted aubergine seeds on windowsill and I think 3 have come up but as it’s the 1st time I’ve done the. I’m not positive on I.D-ing them!
-
Summer cabbage, PSB, Stem broccoli, Sprouts and tomato seeds all planted in soil blocks in cold greenhouse using a heat mat at night until they germinate. Cabbage and broccoli germinated in 4 days :) . Red and white onion sets planted down allotment, also some lettuce I'd started in the GH. Also dug trenches for my spuds, probably plant those on the weekend.
-
1st and 2nd early potatoes now planted, mains going in either sometime this coming week or after Easter. Carrot seed tapes laid down although as carrot seeds hardly ever seem to produce seedlings on my plot, I'm probably wasting my time and money there.
-
1st and 2nd early potatoes now planted, mains going in either sometime this coming week or after Easter. Carrot seed tapes laid down although as carrot seeds hardly ever seem to produce seedlings on my plot, I'm probably wasting my time and money there.
I know that feeling - the only way I can grow them is in 2 tubs (a blue barrel cut in half) of sieved soil and bought compost mix.
-
I have put in my peas, red onions and first earlies last week. I will sort adding my rasied beds and add some compost then plant some leeks and lettuce in there........I frankly have no idea :D The weather is good this week, but being UK I suspect it will snow next week hahah
-
1st and 2nd early potatoes now planted, mains going in either sometime this coming week or after Easter. Carrot seed tapes laid down although as carrot seeds hardly ever seem to produce seedlings on my plot, I'm probably wasting my time and money there.
I know that feeling - the only way I can grow them is in 2 tubs (a blue barrel cut in half) of sieved soil and bought compost mix.
Not much success last year with carrots, so trying something different - dug a trench about 30cm wide and 20 deep and filled with a mixture of multi purpose compost and sand 50/50, hoping they'll grow better in there than my sticky clay soil. Nothing to lose really, so giving it a go. Hoping to do parsnips the same.
-
1st and 2nd early potatoes now planted, mains going in either sometime this coming week or after Easter. Carrot seed tapes laid down although as carrot seeds hardly ever seem to produce seedlings on my plot, I'm probably wasting my time and money there.
I know that feeling - the only way I can grow them is in 2 tubs (a blue barrel cut in half) of sieved soil and bought compost mix.
Not much success last year with carrots, so trying something different - dug a trench about 30cm wide and 20 deep and filled with a mixture of multi purpose compost and sand 50/50, hoping they'll grow better in there than my sticky clay soil. Nothing to lose really, so giving it a go. Hoping to do parsnips the same.
I started carrots in the raised bed in my greenhouse back in February and they are growing fine. It worked well last year. I am guessing with the heavy clay on my plot I might have to resort to digging a trench and creating a micro-bed of light soil/compost/sand mixture to grow carrots. It just seems like a lot of effort and doeesn't really fit with my aim to minimise digging. I wonder how the no-diggers on clay soil manage to grow carrots.
-
I have put in my peas, red onions and first earlies last week. I will sort adding my rasied beds and add some compost then plant some leeks and lettuce in there........I frankly have no idea :D The weather is good this week, but being UK I suspect it will snow next week hahah
You've been reading the long-range forecast, haven't you? :lol:
-
Just threw in half a dozen first earlies left over from planting in tubs. They were from tubers that I had cut in half and were starting to shrivel so I thought I may as well plant them. May pop a cloche over them to give them more of a chance.
-
Just put in the maincrop potatoes, that's all the potatoes planted now. They shouldn't come to harm when we go through another spell of January next week.
-
Garlic went in December, onions and potatoes now in both early and main crop. Nothing else yet, we had frost this morning and the next few days are cold. Greenhouse being built this week, so I’ll start sowing then.