[yaxley]

Three years ago, I took the time and trouble to write an article aimed at newcomers to help them avoid some of the pitfalls. You can find it in the Growing FAQ's section.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=49569.0

It's human nature to get a little frustrated when you've made the effort to help a lot of people out, but it gets overlooked. Maybe I should stop trying to help and stop helping in other ways that you don't necessarily see in public view.

On the other hand, I could continue in my own peculiar way and take comfort in the fact that my words of advice have been viewed over 7,000 times and that surely someone must have been helped along their way.

Hello DD must as you say be frustrating at times but dont stop trying to help folks on here i love reading your posts and think your a experienced and knowledable grower and if you stop posting i will have problems as i only started with a allotment last year so keep posting even if it,s just to educate me ...

[mike0001]

can i just say i have not took offence to anything that has been said

I have had alotment since october and no real growing experience

i expect to make errors and will make errors

dd seems a direct guy yes but he is helping and certainly knows his stuff for what i have read


i am not the easily offended type and appreciate some may take it the wrong way

what i have growing at the moment is chillis and peppers on the windowsill, spuds chitting about 5 broad beans in pots and some leggy tomatoes  

i want to experiment and will learn one way or another..... its fun at the end of the day


ps i will be asking dd soon for advice with lettuce and cauliflowers

hope that clears it up ... dd carry on sir your doing great  

[DD.]

Thanks yaxley.

Hope you don't mind, I've edited your post as your reply was within the quote!

[DD.]

ps i will be asking dd soon for advice with lettuce and cauliflowers

I can do lettuce and caulis - don't ask me on exotic stuff, I'm a very basic grower, although I like my heritage toms & peas!

[yaxley]

Thanks yaxley.

Hope you don't mind, I've edited your post as your reply was within the quote!

Cheers DD.    just read your post about setting up the most valuable first post to read on here to get you started on the right track  ...Keep posting ..

[Jo Loves Veg]

very useful, particularly DDs info, thanks!

Slightly confused however - I don't have a greenhouse or a cold frame so will be starting off stuff at home. The other day I did my first few pots of broadbeans, plus a couple of peppers and tomatoes. They are under the stairs in the dark.  Someone says that they should be in a light but not a warm place and that too much heat is bad. When they germinate where should I put them??

And Where should I keep my tomatoes? I plan to do most of them in a couple of weeks. I just thought I'd try and do a couple early to see what happens, though am aware this is not necessarily a good thing.

any advice gratefully received, thank you!

[mumofstig]

put them in placcy bags on the windowsill, when they come up remove the bags and put tin foil round them to reflect the light.

[richy]

Causes - lack of light - too much heat.

Avoid it by reading the seed packet and obeying the sowing & growing instructions. (Did it really say to germinate cauliflowers in a heated propagator?  )

You can try re-potting the seedlings and planting them deeper. Try aluminium foil behind the plants to reflect more light.

Yes just what i was going to say.

[casper]

I am not very good navigating through websites, I do think it must be frustrating for moderators who take time to add articles for people like me to fail to notice. I do think though this is a friendly site. I would not come on here if all the moderators were the same. I really like this site and am secretly gutted if DD doesn't answer my posts. I miss his sarcasm otherwise 

[DD.]

That last comment was a bit sarcastic! 

[casper]

No really I mean it, If your reply was sweet I would forget the answer 

[sunshineband]

That last comment was a bit sarcastic!  

Careful m'dear, I hope that wasn't a humerous retort  

All joking aside, it is nice to see how much you are appreciated for your advice, isn't it?  

[yaxley]

 
See DD you need to be cruel to be kind    As casper has said if your reply was sweet they would forget the answer ..So keep up the posting this site needs you ..

[Peas let my pumpkins grow]

My name is peas

I am a leggy seedling owner

It has been 3 weeks since I last made a sowing......



I did read DDs advice from 3 years back, and I intended to follow to the letter 

Here's we're I suspect I went wrong!

1. Extra wide turkey tinfoil was left unopened in the box next to the propagator
2.  100 seeds in one propagator might have been a tad excessive ( had to thin most into other pots ! )
3. Packet said jan-march so I waited until the 26th of January  and thought myself very patient

Luckily I have a free pack of the same from a magazine, haven't reswn yet, and also can t seem to bring my self to get rid of the first leggy lot.... Just in case they do ok!  :happy: but if they are ok I'm going to be inundated with onions at some point in the future! 

[DD.]

Did you also keep them in the warm too long?

I'm not a big fan of propagators, unless it's for plants that will ultimately need warmth.

My early sown onions were done on Boxing Day, but the only heat they were allowed was until the first few popped up. They were in a plastic bag in the house. As soon as they were through they were relegated to the frost free greenhouse.

You can ruin many types of plant by mollycoddling.