I think by the end of Feb the shops/markets here will have Lettuce & Tom plants in, this year I'm just going for the small sweet Toms. My neighbour keeps me supplied in Lettuce, I have some beans to plant from last years runners and I might plant some spuds in big containers they were a big success seeing as I got them free. Our local Farmers shop had them outside with a sign help yourself as they had 'bolted' a bit, just chucked them in a huge pot and later on in the summer we had lovely spuds for a good couple of weeks.
We managed to cut the lawn and field last week it's a great pick me up to go out and seeing it all neat.
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We've just spent an hour working out what veggies we're going to grow this year, based on what we eat the most, what we've found easiest to grow, and what I can process and store well for future use during the winter. Will also try a couple of new things....e.g. we always grow butternut squash, want to give acorn squash and pumpkin a go this year too.
We currently have leeks, red and white onions growing, some of the leeks are ready now. The rest, and the onions, should be ready in the spring.
We're not attempting aubergines, peppers, parsnips, swede, caulis or cabbage this year. The only potatoes we're going to do are first early salad ones.....maincrops just get eaten to death by slugs and eelworm. Plus we're not eating maincrop spuds now anyway....too much starch.
So this is what we're growing:-
Roots - new potatoes, Chantenay carrots.
Brassicas - PSB, sprouts
Salad - Radishes, spring onions, salad leaves
Others - Red/white onions, leeks, peas, yellow waxpod and dwarf French beans, yellow & green courgettes,
butternut/acorn squashes, pumpkin
Polytunnel - Beef/salad/orange cherry toms, ridge cucumbers
Done the planting plan as well. My head is spinning now
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
You are so organised, Sue! We have a large biscuit tin full of seeds ready and also some early potatoes chitting prior to planting in potato bags. I would like to clear all my borders around the lawn and plant shrubs instead of perennials. The rabbits don't seem to touch them as much. I would then like to dig out all the shrubs in the large raised bed in front of the house and use this for the plants the rabbits love to eat. The pesky critters can't get up on the raised bed. However, I don't have the strength for all the manual labour involved. I know if our son lived nearer he would help me and it's too much for OH to do on top of his veg garden. So I'll just plod on growing flowers that the rabbits don't touch.
I have to be organised Iris, as husband is COMPLETELY disorganised - I blame it on his dyslexia, his mind is a total muddle most of the time, bless him
E.g. he's got seeds saved from last year.....all well and good, except that some of them have no labels in them, and obviously he cannot remember this far on what they are
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
I will probably do too many tomatoes and chillis as usual, I plant enough seeds in case some don't sprout and then once they do, I can't bear to throw any away, so prick them all out.
going for baby cucumbers too, I love them and they aren't seen that often in the shops.
will do courgettes/marrows in the veg plot, sweetcorn if I get it planted early enough this year, yellow wax beans, borlotti, French beans and this year am doing runner beans at Mikes request, not keen on them myself, but will give it a go, might not bother with broad beans this year.
Wasnt bothering with onions, but Ita asked me to plant some for her, so have a small bag of sets and may end up putting a few in.
a few experiments will no doubt also be sown. Disappointed with the size of my beetroot this year, s not going to do them again, but will sprout the seeds for salad instead.
Between the raised beds, my polytunnel and my bed in the community tunnel. i shall be attempting to grow tomatoes, baby cucumber, aubergines, peppers, chillis, sweet corn, peas, different types of beans, pak choi, lettuce leaves, courgettes, carrots, potatoes pumpkins, squashes, onions, shallots, garlic, spinach and strawberries. Think that is the list!!!
It is all a bit experimental in my tunnel this year. Have already planted quite a few seeds and have broad beans, peas, onions and shallots well up in large pots.
Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
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