Did any of you read Sarah Raven's article in the Telegraph last week I think it was...She has given up on seed trays and is growing most of her seeds in sections of plastic guttering
I have tried it successfully with peas but after reading the article I will have to go skip raiding for surplus guttering
Planting in guttering
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Jenny Green
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Doesn't the compost fall out of the ends? And there's no drainage. (Formerly known as 'Organic Freak')
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Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
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Compo
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When the roots start to spread it keeps the compost together, the water runs out of the open ends, but you can drill /holes and use bits of timber or guttering ends to block the holes. When you slide the little pea seadlings into the ground and Mr Mouse / Rat / Vole have been unable to get to them it is quite satisfying, to see a full row in place. I have used the guttering for Carrots and might try it for parsnips too this year.
Compo.
Compo.
If I am not on the plot, I am not happy.........
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Jenny Green
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I've tried it with peas and could never manage to slide out the contents at all. It would just all break up. I think this method's not for me. I grow my peas in modules.
(Formerly known as 'Organic Freak')
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
Hi Jenny,
The secret is not to produce in long lengths of gutter, probably 3ft being the best, and you cut a profile to the inside of the guttering from a stiff material(mine is actually slate) and you do not push the contents out you lay the gutter down where you need the plants hold the profile in place give the guttering a couple of knocks and then pull the guttering backwards leaving the plants in situ.
Having said that I no longer use guttering I sow in 7cm square pots in 5's. To try and explain;
5 seeds planted as domino 5. Fetch out your intended planting area place the first one square to the trench and the next one a 90 degrees like a diamond.
Alternate them down the row podge the soil into any gaps. These gaps give you room to insert your pea sticks. Sounds very complicated but in practice it is a doddle. It means that I can sow the Peas in my prop tunnel on the bench in trays of 30 pots. They are easy to tend and they have greater depth of compost to grow in and the pots allow good drainage.
It works out at about 20 Peas to the foot run down the row.
There is nothing like home grown Peas. I grow in 90ft rows and have grand freezing sessions and store in square containers which makes for efficient use of the freezer. Peas are the only vegetable I freeze everything else is stored using more traditional methods.
JB.
The secret is not to produce in long lengths of gutter, probably 3ft being the best, and you cut a profile to the inside of the guttering from a stiff material(mine is actually slate) and you do not push the contents out you lay the gutter down where you need the plants hold the profile in place give the guttering a couple of knocks and then pull the guttering backwards leaving the plants in situ.
Having said that I no longer use guttering I sow in 7cm square pots in 5's. To try and explain;
5 seeds planted as domino 5. Fetch out your intended planting area place the first one square to the trench and the next one a 90 degrees like a diamond.
Alternate them down the row podge the soil into any gaps. These gaps give you room to insert your pea sticks. Sounds very complicated but in practice it is a doddle. It means that I can sow the Peas in my prop tunnel on the bench in trays of 30 pots. They are easy to tend and they have greater depth of compost to grow in and the pots allow good drainage.
It works out at about 20 Peas to the foot run down the row.
There is nothing like home grown Peas. I grow in 90ft rows and have grand freezing sessions and store in square containers which makes for efficient use of the freezer. Peas are the only vegetable I freeze everything else is stored using more traditional methods.
JB.
No need to blanche peas Alison. Just shell and freeze. They will keep for at least a year or more.
Same goes for Broad Beans to.
Beryl
Same goes for Broad Beans to.
Beryl
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Jenny Green
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Thanks for your detailed explanation Johnboy. Whenever I've heard this method described before, people seem to be talking about sliding the peas out lengthways, something I've never managed to do without disasters. Your way sounds more likely to succeed.
I sow in 15 per tray modules, two to a module. When they're about 2/3 inches high I put in my chicken wire and bamboo support, then plant the peas along the edge of it, just trowelling them in.
I agree homegrown peas are indipensable. Ours never make it to the freezer though. In fact, they rarely make it through the back door!
I sow in 15 per tray modules, two to a module. When they're about 2/3 inches high I put in my chicken wire and bamboo support, then plant the peas along the edge of it, just trowelling them in.
I agree homegrown peas are indipensable. Ours never make it to the freezer though. In fact, they rarely make it through the back door!
(Formerly known as 'Organic Freak')
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
Like Jenny I could never get the whole lot to slide out successfully (I even tried to use WD40 before filling the gutter with soil) and I now use rootrainers for broad beans, but for peas I just mix the peas with potting compost, leave them in a large flower pot, wait until they are just sprouting (both roots and shoots, takes about three days) and then tip the whole lot slowly and carefully along the seed drill, together with the potting compost, then cover with soil. Somehow, once the seeds have sprouted, the mice seem to lose interest in them. No doubt we lose some peas every year but nothing like when sowing them directly into the ground.
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Compo
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Alison
A profile is something cut out to the same shape as the gutter i.e. a C or U shaped piece of wood or plastic that fits into the end of the gutter to stop the compost from sliding out.
Compo
A profile is something cut out to the same shape as the gutter i.e. a C or U shaped piece of wood or plastic that fits into the end of the gutter to stop the compost from sliding out.
Compo
If I am not on the plot, I am not happy.........
Hi Alison,
As Compo says a profile is as piece of material cut to fit the internal curve of the guttering however what I am talking about is not an aid to keep the soil from falling out of the gutter ends but an aid to get it to move out of the gutter by holding the profile stationary and moving the guttering rearwards.
To keep the soil in the guttering I used the proper stop ends with the seals removed to allow for drainage. Without the seals they leak beautifully.
I DO blanche prior to freezing. I steam the peas until they turn a very bright green then run under cold water and finally plunge the container into a bucket of ice/iced water allow to drain then freeze. I have tried the non blanching method but in my opinion the peas lose their taste during storage.
I know that it is a chore but I truly feel that it is very worthwhile.
JB.
As Compo says a profile is as piece of material cut to fit the internal curve of the guttering however what I am talking about is not an aid to keep the soil from falling out of the gutter ends but an aid to get it to move out of the gutter by holding the profile stationary and moving the guttering rearwards.
To keep the soil in the guttering I used the proper stop ends with the seals removed to allow for drainage. Without the seals they leak beautifully.
I DO blanche prior to freezing. I steam the peas until they turn a very bright green then run under cold water and finally plunge the container into a bucket of ice/iced water allow to drain then freeze. I have tried the non blanching method but in my opinion the peas lose their taste during storage.
I know that it is a chore but I truly feel that it is very worthwhile.
JB.
I too tried guttering last season with some success. I salvaged straight sided guttering from a building site and cut into lengths that fit in a salvaged bread tray. To hold the ends I cut a plastic milk bottle into 'L' shaped ends, that is I had a 'profile' end and a flap that sat under the compost. To slide out I used a salvaged barbeque blade ( for flipping over burgers) that was just a little narrower than the profile of the guttering to slide about 6 inches at a time. The blade also was used to remove the channel of soil for the compost and peas to slide into. I intend to try it again this year now that I have ironed out the routine and timings.
WigBag
Thanks for the information folks...
I have today secured some redundant guttering and as we have been promised some wet weather this weekend (yet again) I fully intend to get a good deal of seed planting done.
I was hoping for some dry weather this week as I have some green manure I want to dig in..hey ho
I have today secured some redundant guttering and as we have been promised some wet weather this weekend (yet again) I fully intend to get a good deal of seed planting done.
I was hoping for some dry weather this week as I have some green manure I want to dig in..hey ho
I am in my own little world, ...it's OK, ...they know me there!
I have got a large tray, was part of a rabbit cage that neatly holds 4 75cm lengths of square gutter, so i'm giving it a go this year, the compost doesn't fall out the ends as they are sunk into the tray and i drilled holes in the bottom. It would work on a smaller scale with a cat litter tray i imagine you would get three lengths of about 60 cm. a lot cheaper than the new gadget rootrainers are selling that holds two short lengths of 'gutter'
Mandy
Mandy