This year's new trial!

A place to chat about anything you like, including non-gardening related subjects. Just keep it clean, please!

Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter, Chief Spud

Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5909
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 672 times
Been thanked: 238 times

Every year I try to grow something different & by co-incidence found sesame seeds scrolling through a seed site & thought I'll try them. The packet gave sowing times etc & made a point of how difficult they are to germinate. Now I got them to germinate easily & looking OK but then decided to research for advice on potting on.

What I found is they grow huge - over 6' tall & need supporting big time as multi-branched & they flower prolifically; (pretty flower actually), but each flower then leaves a pod which can have up to 600 seeds in it. I do use sesame seeds a fair bit but only a sprinkle and I was enthusiastic in sowing a few more - (read loads when you factor in the size of the seeds) so more than intended due to the germination warning. In my mind I thought they would be like Amaranth maybe for how you get the seed & little plants & like chick peas or soya beans giving little reward. You also have to catch the pods with just a small slit otherwise they open quickly & self sow really badly.

I will pot on more than needed but will sacrifice quite a lot along the way & maybe just grow on a couple of plants just because I can, which if successful will probably give me a lifetime supply! Also chickpeas again which maybe small & not prolific but taste fab fresh from the pod & I will give peanuts another go as well as I got a fair crop a few years ago, but they rotted before they dried properly!

Anyone trying anything different this year?
Westi
User avatar
Primrose
KG Regular
Posts: 8054
Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:50 pm
Location: Bucks.
Has thanked: 37 times
Been thanked: 281 times

Am probably going to have to rein back on my growing this year unless i get help from Mr Primrose but do see in the press that growing your own loofas are all the rage! Will probably be unadventurous and stick to old favourites to use up a massive backlog of stored seeds

If I can find some seeds in my local garden centre I may have a second attempt at growing Cape gooseberries (physillis). Some self sown overwintered plants did very well in a south facing border border but I repeated the process the following autumn/winter and lost the lot !
.
Stephen
KG Regular
Posts: 1869
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:03 pm
Location: Butts Meadow, Berkhamsted
Been thanked: 2 times

My experiment this year is salsify. I'm a little sceptical but now have the space to experiment.
Crops which are uncommon will be uncommon for a reason.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5909
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 672 times
Been thanked: 238 times

Too true Stephen! Our weather is so fickle & unpredictable but if you are lucky enough to have a bit of space can be considered a bit of fun with the hope of maybe success! I know the chances are very likely extremely low, so they aren't the focus & always last on the list for a drink or TLC. Maybe why success is limited; but would rather have a nice tomato plant than some sesame seeds!
Westi
User avatar
snooky
KG Regular
Posts: 999
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 5:03 pm
Location: Farnborough
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 34 times

Might try "Mini Sweetcorn".Never grown it and there is a variety called"Minipop" so if I can find it then it will be this years experiment.
Regards snooky

---------------------------------
A balanced diet is a beer in both hands!
WARNING.!!... The above post may contain an opinion
User avatar
retropants
KG Regular
Posts: 2055
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:38 pm
Location: Middlesex
Has thanked: 106 times
Been thanked: 108 times

I'm trying kalettes this year. My DH likes sprouts, but not kale, and I don't like sprouts, hopefully they'll be tasty enough for us both!
User avatar
Shallot Man
KG Regular
Posts: 2653
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:51 am
Location: Basildon. Essex
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 30 times

retropants wrote:I'm trying kalettes this year. My DH likes sprouts, but not kale, and I don't like sprouts, hopefully they'll be tasty enough for us both!


Seem to recall a spout that started as a sprout, then opened out like a small cabbage, but loose leaves.
Monika
KG Regular
Posts: 4546
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 8:13 pm
Location: Yorkshire Dales

retropants, we love kalettes (or flower sprouts as they are also known). Their taste is not like sprouts or kale, much more like savoy cabbage. The beauty is that you can pick just as many as you need, rather than having a large cabbage to feed a crowd when there are only two of you! Unfortunately, they are rather tall and need staking and as we now grow our brassicas under a large netting tunnel to keep away cabbage whites and wood pigeons, we can't grow them any more.
User avatar
Primrose
KG Regular
Posts: 8054
Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:50 pm
Location: Bucks.
Has thanked: 37 times
Been thanked: 281 times

The kalettes would have suited us fine but for the same reason as aminikaMonika we have to rule them out.
I know there are various manufacturers of adjustable fleece covered protective frames iut there but sadly nobody yet seems to have come up wi a really cheap and flexible protective mechanism which ticks all the boxes for various different types of growing location.
I,ve found the home made protection we,ve put in place previously very difficult to work around as you have to accommodate weeding, continually adjusting to growing heights, etc.
In the past I,ve occasionally camaflaged the odd kale plant or two in a border of perennial flowers to hide it from the attention of wood pigeons but this isn't really a very practical solution.
Monika
KG Regular
Posts: 4546
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 8:13 pm
Location: Yorkshire Dales

It may not be suitable for your site, Primrose, but the 'grower frame' from DT Brown with a micro mesh cover is 1m x 3m x 1m, the supports made of steel and easy to access (two large zipped openings) and can be used year after year in different places. We have used ours for five years now, first on the allotment and now at home. Very sturdy too, even on a windy site.
User avatar
retropants
KG Regular
Posts: 2055
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:38 pm
Location: Middlesex
Has thanked: 106 times
Been thanked: 108 times

Primrose, I popped a couple of PSB in the flower bed last year, and they did OK, not amazing, because I didn't coddle them, but the pigeons didn't notice them there.
User avatar
Primrose
KG Regular
Posts: 8054
Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:50 pm
Location: Bucks.
Has thanked: 37 times
Been thanked: 281 times

Thanks Monika and Retropants. If I had lots more growing time left in me to make it worthwhile buying the protective frame I would but as now I'm relying on my non-gardening husband for help so need to keep things simple and uncomplicated. Retropants. I do find the camouflage system works quite well as a distraction for cabbage whites and wood pigeons.
Most of the neighbours' gardens round here seem to be just mostly lawns and shrubs so I suspect ours ends up being more of a congregational attraction unfortunately.
User avatar
Kayburton
KG Regular
Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:47 am

I want to try planting cumin and sweet potatoes this year. Last year I already grew sweet potatoes, but there were only a couple of bushes, and this year I want to adapt one bed for it.
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5909
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 672 times
Been thanked: 238 times

OK! I think they got it wrong with Sesame being a problem with germination - they germinate fine but then they start fading & dying. No sign of disease or anything that I can see, perky in the morning & just plain dead by afternoon. So from my mega over sow I am now limping just 3 along which look perky but then the others did as well. I certainly won't need more than this number so will be about perfect if they survive. Maybe they will continue to be a challenge for a few years & the chickpeas & peanuts will be happier this year - time will tell!

Kay, there is a sweet potato thread on Ask the Team - there is a pro grower on there who is more than happy to share his hints & tips. I'm doing the avocado toothpick thing with mine, good root growth but no slips yet - but had one early fail with one of my own that had slips but it just rotted as I tried the whole mother sweet potato in a tray of compost.
Westi
User avatar
Kayburton
KG Regular
Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:47 am

Westi wrote:Kay, there is a sweet potato thread on Ask the Team - there is a pro grower on there who is more than happy to share his hints & tips. I'm doing the avocado toothpick thing with mine, good root growth but no slips yet - but had one early fail with one of my own that had slips but it just rotted as I tried the whole mother sweet potato in a tray of compost.


Thanks for the recommendations! I will definitely contact you, because I am interested in the successful experience of growing such interesting crops as sweet potatoes in the area where I live.
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic