January Jobs?

[Westi]

Welcome to the forum chuukafu! Nice to see a new post & some practical advise! It will certainly appeal to some of our growers who have moved to home gardening from plot gardening, especially the lasagna gardening.

[Myrkk]

I’ve searched the internet lots for inspiration. Still undecided on how to change the garden.

The nice neighbour cheerily told me my hanging baskets were a disgrace yesterday and I am letting the side down lol. So, never having done a hanging basket in my life I’m now googling how best to do one of those. Downside being too many options and I want to do too many of them.

Ditched the mushroom infected soil and cleaned all the pots. New compost and planted garlic which is rip-roaring away in the conservatory, leeks, aubergine, cauliflower and tomatoes still to make an appearance.

Been gifted a dragon tree which is looking sorry for itself and no idea how to look after it so that is my next aside project.

[Westi]

Hi Myrkk,

Hanging baskets are a great way to go to release more space & you can grow veg as well as flowers in them, Tumbling Toms, salads & salad leafs, & a lot more & they can hang on multi stands, against garden fences as well as hanging from the eaves. Could be interesting to see your neighbours reaction to that!

I am prepped & ready to go & will be starting things off in the propagator tomorrow; it was yesterday's job but I took the potting compost down to the plot instead of the general purpose so retrieved that today. The garlic is in as was beginning to sprout as are the onions from seed I got from the French farmer. I have a back up pot of onion seedlings for filling gaps, but I weeded those beds today & no losses, but some have not grown much. I also have some elephant garlic up which were left in accidentally when I dug up last years & popped up a couple of months ago. I haven't actually decided on tomato varieties to sow tomorrow except for the beefsteaks so will waste some time for sure being indecisive! Aubergines & Chilli's ditto but not so many seeds of them.

[oldherbaceous]

One thing with hanging baskets…use the best quality compost, and still add a handful of chicken manure pellets, or FBB to the compost!
Also a plastic saucer, or a shallow container, in the bottom of the basket, will help to stop the compost from drying out so quickly.

Regarding the seeds, it’s still very early in the year…..

[Primrose]

My only issue with hanging baskets is the amount of watering they need in a hot dry summer. I belatedly disovered water absorption crystals which might have helped a little but discovered when gardening time is in short supply, these containers are too labour intensive.

[Myrkk]

Great advice there re. Hanging baskets. Although I live in a tiny village, it is on the main arterial road from Scotland to England so we get a lot of traffic, my car is permanently filthy, so not sure about eating veg out of a hanging basket, though might try just to see the look on the neighbours faces. The front of the house is south facing so they will get plenty of sun.

I know OH, and in Scotland I think it is way way too early. However, the packets said sow in January to make the most of the sunlight, so I have. I might have to re sow again in February. I do have a propagator I was given for Christmas with lights but no heat so might try and set up some hybrid where some seeds are given heat, some none, some a mix of heat and supplemental light. See which does best.

[Myrkk]

. I haven't actually decided on tomato varieties to sow tomorrow except for the beefsteaks so will waste some time for sure being indecisive! Aubergines & Chilli's ditto but not so many seeds of them.

I have only planted one type of tom too a small tumbling variety, can’t decide on the standard or beefsteak variety thanks to the seed swap which gave me way more choice than I ever could have imagined, thanks Colin!. I think I have quite a lot of chillies, will check, if I do I’m happy to send some to you Westi.

You’ve got me thinking of planting some veg out the front for people to help themselves to… but again, traffic.

[Westi]

I surprised myself & was decisive. I think it was easier as I had a mega seed clear out. I am just using the little heated propagator this year but I have a light for it. They are sown early but on a sunny desk as well as the light & they won't be taken down to the tunnel until potted on a couple of times & if the temp fluctuations are not too extreme in there.

I have my no heat Chilli seeds, Aji Peruvian. I have a friend who always gives me seeds she finds online, most I've never heard off, but had these before & another pack in this years little parcel. It is technically not all no heat, there are rouge ones but don't blow your head off.

[Myrkk]

LOL, I like a little heat but my hubbie has poor taste and if he’s cooking it’s pot luck as to whether you have a tongue at the end of eating.