2019 begins

Polytunnels, cold frames, greenhouses, propagators & more. How to get the best out of yours...

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tigerburnie
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My first new plant for the year, an Onion seed sprouting a loop already in the propagator in the conservatory, nothing happening in the deep freezer(that's the greenhouse just now) yet.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
Westi
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My new propagator arrived today so I'll be sowing as soon as I get fresh compost. I have my sets in at lottie & all doing well, but I'm going to grow some white onions from seed. The white ones from sets are disappointing as always small & even beat the red ones to try to flower.

I'm thinking I probably didn't need the large size propagator I got - it is huge! Fits the space(just), but I should have measured rather than spending to the amount of Xmas money I received. It looks good though & the lights have the red, blue & green waves which I didn't realise. I'm sure I will fill it though as you do when you can!
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Pa Snip
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Whilst in Wyevale Garden Centre the other day I noticed a Stewart single seed tray size electric propagator on special offer at 20% off. making it £29 and some pence.


Same thing in B & Q >>>>>>>>>>>>> £15 standard price !!!!!

I have been remiss with my intention of getting onion seed in on Boxing day, it still hasn't happened, despite putting on numerous layers of clothes my upper body feels frozen if I venture outdoors so not been near greenhouse to sow them

Overwintering setts, shallots and garlic are looking good though

Leeks standing well, although one lot need lifting or they will be buried under a planned, soon to be delivered, lorry load of manure

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
tigerburnie
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A few more Onions showing loops, days are still very short up here and I don't use grow lights.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
robo
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All my autumn onions are doing well most are around six inches high the garlic is not far behind my rhubarb is sprouting away I've already got a few nice long shoots ,tomorrow we are away for a long weekend in aberdaron bought as a Christmas present by our daughters for my wife and myself they are doing it before my wife takes a turn for the worse I keep saying to them they are jumping the gun but who am I
tigerburnie
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6 going strong and one just showing, will need to sow some more seeds, only one seed per station, these are Mammoth Reds that I have not grown before, though I have grown the white ones up to 5lbs in weight before.
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tigerburnie
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That's the Onions potted on and out of the propagator and the Leeks are now in, not quite proper gardening, but a start.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
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Just planted out a few double snowdrops I'd recently ordered. Also dug up a few stray naturalising crocus which have spread from the soil around a magnolia bush into the lawn where they would soon be chopped off by the mower, so have relocated them into a flower border. One clump had the tiniest little new bulbs growingat the root base, so unsure how quickly they will turn into mature bulbs which flower but at least they now have a better chance of surviving .

Of course I always forget the locations where I pop these items in so every spring arrives with a rather pleasant surprise with bulbs I've previously forgotten about. .
Monika
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Tigerburnie, quick question: what do you do with an onion about 5lb in weight? Unless you are cooking a big stew for a party or a big family or making, say, chutney, how can you use such a big onion?
When I used to grow our onions from seed (mainly Rijnsburger Balstora because they kept well), I always grew them in bunches so that I would get little, medium and a few big ones, to suit the cooking requirements, but I don't think I ever produced some real whoppers. Or do you exhibit them?

I sowed the sweet peppers today (Long Red Marconi, a 2018 KG freebie), leek Musselburgh (KG freebie) and a pot of night-scented stock, the last two in the greenhouse.
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Primrose
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Monika - I had a very good crop of the freebie Long Red Marconi peppers I grew last year in pots outdoors. Mine have just germinated in the airing cupboard. A pot I sowed nearly a month ago from quite old seed unusually failed to germinate. I usually find these seeds keep for several years. Strangely a pot of even older Hungarian Wax chilli seeds which I sowed on the same date have just started to germinate so maybe the "oldies" will be late arrivals.
tigerburnie
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Monika wrote:Tigerburnie, quick question: what do you do with an onion about 5lb in weight? Unless you are cooking a big stew for a party or a big family or making, say, chutney, how can you use such a big onion?
When I used to grow our onions from seed (mainly Rijnsburger Balstora because they kept well), I always grew them in bunches so that I would get little, medium and a few big ones, to suit the cooking requirements, but I don't think I ever produced some real whoppers. Or do you exhibit them?

I last grew these Onions a while back, the best way to keep them is to slice or dice and pop in the freezer and use as and when. In the summer I eat quite a lot of onion raw, either in a coleslaw or sliced with fresh picked tomato in home made bread, no cheese, just a twist of pepper.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
Monika
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Thank you, tigerburnie. That explains it!
tigerburnie
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The Leeks are now out of the propagator and the chillies are now sown, Hungarian Hot Wax and De Cayenne, easier to grow than a lot of the varieties, but we like the taste and the heat is not too fierce.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
tigerburnie
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Pot Leeks potted on into yoghurt pots, no sign of life from the chilies yet, need to start my celery soon then tomatoes, still a bit too chilly in the greenhouse, down to 5 degrees at night still.
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Stephen
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Your systems are very impressive, Tiger. My spaces ars rather small snd rather dark for the prep you are doing. The seedlings always look terribly straggly.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
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