Kitchen Garden Forum

"Stephen, when you get your manure for the raised beds, do watch out that it hasn't been contaminated with aminopyralid or other selective hormone weedkiller. As pointed out in the current KG magazine, it has been rearing its ugly head again and would be so disappointing for your budding gardeners if it spoilt the growing plans."

Thanks for the reminder Monika, I thought this threat was past. I will ask.

"Garlic Mersley Wight and shallots Jermor are planted, currently in individual cells in the unheated greenhouse from which they will go into the ground in spring."

Hi Monika, is this the best approach? Are you growing from seed?

Stephen, no, I grow them from sets/cloves. I like the beds clear of things during the winter to dig them, manure them and cover them with black plastic, so the garlic and shallots get in the way. They always stay quite happily in their individual cells in he unheated greenhouse, occasionally freezing solid, and when the beds are ready in spring (March/April?), they are planted out and off they shoot.

I live in anticipation that this endless rain will end! Rained except for about 1hr today & still coming down; tomorrow's weather looks even worse & likely to be heavier rain, but wind will be lighter at least! As it stands Sunday may be a little kinder so I can catch up at lottie a bit & nag Mr Westi to get on the phone & order my cow manure & get it delivered to take advantage of a few better days at the end of the week to get it down & not have brown water running out under the tarp onto the parking spot & wasted.

Monika, I think I'll plant my garlic in cells this year too, as I am now growing at home, and I don't have the veg patch available yet, they will be going in a tin bath in the spring. I have a cold greenhouse, so they should be ok in there.

Still waiting for the deluge to cease. The council have given us daffodil bulbs to plant in the green verges locally, to cheer us up in the springtime, but it's a bit grim outside today. Hopefully it will ease up tomorrow. Just hope the local neighborhood watch doesn't mistakenly report me to the fuzz for vandalising the verges.

Hopefully it will dry up for your planting tomorrow Diane. At least the moist soil should make the planting a little easier. Our village has various community planted daffodils around in various locations and it really does lift the spirits of so many people to see them every spring, so well done for your efforts. I organised a Snowdrop memorial planting campaign in a small area of our local park in March so can't wait to see them peeping through in Spring after the dreary days of winter.

That should look lovely in the Spring, Diane.... still plenty of time left for planting the bulbs.

The allotments are looking very wet now and over the last week, late blight has set in...that's the latest I have seen it rear it's ugly head!

I am escaping this wet and dreary weather and catching a big silver bird to Oludeniz in Turkey for two weeks.Might try Paragliding!!

Hi Monika
Thank you. I admit that the outdoor space can be horribly damp and I worry about things rotting. Also, this year I want to dig and prepare a new asparagus bed, so space will be at a premium.
To get enough planting space, I'll have to enlist some spare pots then I should have enough.

Sweet Peas. Been growing them for some 25yrs now, not for show, just for cutting. My method for starting them of is as follows. 2 or 3 chinese take-away plastic containers, line with one layer of kitchen paper, damp with water, place seeds into container, loosly fit lid, place on the floor of the airing cuboard. Now the inportant bid. LOOk at them every day, some sprout in about three days. Every day remove that show signs of sprouting, [small white shoot ] and place in potting soil in cold greenhouse. Do this veryday untill most have shoots. You will find some never shoot, I tend to dump them. Best of luck. shallotman

Thanks Shallot Man, I shall give that a go. I always struggle to get sweet peas to germinate, I manage about 1 in 10, which is hopeless.

And still it rains! I have bought a waterproof boiler suit thing (prime sale, free delivery & £23). My cheapie waterproof jacket just drips down my jeans into my shoes & the hood blows off. If things go to plan then I just may have got rid of the rain for a bit with this purchase - just waiting for the phone weather to clock onto the fact I have the gear & show a little yellow sun! To date it is not changing, so I may have to get confused as a blue blob or plumber to get the jobs done down at lottie. Unfortunately there will be no burning of the prunings for a bit as I think I may have inadvertently donated the tarp cover to the farmer behind. It has gone from off the pile not to be seen on my or the neighbours plots!

Watch for another plot holder in a tarp coloured boiler suit!

Virtually non stop rain again today. Wondering at what point worms in the soil actually drown?