Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: AmandaLouise on April 24, 2012, 21:27
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I was thinking of sowing direct under plastic cloches, is this feasible?
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id prefer sowing in toilet roll tubes them potting out with pop bottle cloches
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I have no space left to sow now. Under cloches, I mean strong plastic bottles I have saved, just trying to get out of more sowing indoors!
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i have some to sow too, is it warm/safe enough to do so now? :)
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if you want to sow direct then you really need to wait until later when the weather is better ;)
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I was thinking in a couple of weeks. What do you think? Under bottles?
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i have some to sow too, is it warm/safe enough to do so now? :)
Short answer no, long answer, definately not. ;)
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I can recommend chitting (damp kitchen roll, sealed container, airing cupboard - check daily). Then once sprouting, chuck them in the ground. Works for me. Way too early yet though up here. Won't be chitting until mid may at earliest.
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I always start mine in 3" pots, 2 seeds per pot, then plant each pair next to a cane when it's warm enough. I'll be sowing mine next weekend in my polytunnel. Last year I sowed them indoors, but got them hardening up outside as soon as they came up because they do grow very quickly.
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I always start mine in 3" pots, 2 seeds per pot, then plant each pair next to a cane when it's warm enough.
Snap. :)
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Beans, unlike sweetcorn, don't mind a bit of transplanting. I start mine off at home in deep trays - yes - cat litter trays!
They are then transplanted once the weather is OK. I'll probably be doing mine today, a little earlier probably than I normally plan, but we're going away soon and I'd like them to be underway for when we get back.
I some years back, when for some reason, I can't remember what, I was short of plants. My mother picked some up off the market. There were 24 in a 6" pot, grown on top of the compost. They grew well, so don't be afraid of cramming them in a little.
Main thing to watch out for is that you don't start runners too early and you can't put them out because of the weather. One they put runners out and start to wind around each other, it's a devil of a job to untangle them.
There's another idea I quite like - I think it's Salmo's and that's to put one plant per cane AND one seed. This helps to stretch out the production season.
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i have some to sow too, is it warm/safe enough to do so now? :)
Short answer no, long answer, definately not. ;)
this is what my better judgement was telling me!
There's another idea I quite like - I think it's Salmo's and that's to put one plant per cane AND one seed. This helps to stretch out the production season.
hhmm like this idea a lot. ;)
Edited to tidy up quote
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Oooo I too like this idea of one plant + 1 seed, excellent plan :)
I don't normally sow green beans direct after one year losing the lot to slugs, planting them out when about 4 to 5 inches tall seems to work for me.
I'm liking the plastic bottle idea, now I just need a plan to stop them blowing away...I'm on Anglesey...AKA the windiest place on earth!
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There's another idea I quite like - I think it's Salmo's and that's to put one plant per cane AND one seed. This helps to stretch out the production season.
I have done this for some years now with good results, the only problem I have with runner beans is a poor germination rate, I sow "Butler" but always loose about 30 to 40% I guess this expected as it says on the packet should provide 35 plants in average growing conditions and there were 54 seeds in the packet, anybody have similar results :unsure:.
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There's another idea I quite like - I think it's Salmo's and that's to put one plant per cane AND one seed. This helps to stretch out the production season.
*ahem*
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=55218.msg654278#msg654278
of course other people do it as well :D
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Oh OK - but I think Salmo does it as well.
Anway, I've just put 84 runners in, in deep seed cat litter trays.
Off to do the pea beans and dwarf purple French beans next, when I can feel my fingers again.
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I have done this for some years now with good results, the only problem I have with runner beans is a poor germination rate, I sow "Butler" but always loose about 30 to 40% I guess this expected as it says on the packet should provide 35 plants in average growing conditions and there were 54 seeds in the packet, anybody have similar results :unsure:.
I've always found runner bean seeds to be amongst the most reliable germinators, although storage conditions can make a big difference (including conditions in garden centres before you even buy them - plenty of glass-roofed structures round here, some of which are alternately freezing and oven-hot! :ohmy:)
If in doubt, chit first and sow carefully at the first sign of a shoot.
I use paper pots and stagger the sowings two weeks apart to try to extend the cropping season (sort of works!) - I just plant half the Munty frame with each batch, aiming for an average of 1 1/2 plants per string (just to be awkward!) :)
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Beans, unlike sweetcorn, don't mind a bit of transplanting. I start mine off at home in deep trays - yes - cat litter trays!
Do you cover the trays with cling film?
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Nope!
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Last year we had a fantastic April so I got lulled into sowing earlier than I usually do. But May arrived with Hail, near gale force winds and persistent rain which killed all my tender plants. I won't be sowing any French beans, or squashes until the 2nd week of May and I will put them on the plot the 1st week of June.
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I don't think you can have any set rules, just go by the weather. I have some runners and french beans in pots indoors and will plant out when the weather is suitable ( 5dg today ) and windy and wet, so definitely not!
I shall plant a couple of plants plus a couple of seeds - that way I have more chance if there is wind or cold damage.