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RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

gardenplanters — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:17:44 GMT

I have managed to grow tomatoes in grow bags, although I've not been good . I shall try to keep them well-watered and feed them once they are in flower .. of compost so they don't need watering excessively, although grow bags will ... Will be interesting to see how your plants fair with your different methods.

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Tuppence — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:31:56 GMT

Hope you get your weeding done, Kath. It was drizzling when I got up at 7 a.m. but the sun is shining brightly, with a breeze. I'm itching to get my beans and other seedlings into the garden but am waiting a little longer.

Your greenhouse sounds very productive. I saw some little rosemary plants at a garden centre in Bath yesterday that would be good bonsai starters, and wish I'd got one, now. Next time!

:)

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Kath — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:18:57 GMT

Nice to see a few green shoots Penny:). Everything is trying hard in the perennial borders, but the nights are still chilly, cool breeze today as well.

Have at last got the greenhouses sorted out since my return, everything is growing 'great-guns' in there, if it doesn't rain might do some weeding in the borders this afternoon, and have a good week end:)

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Tuppence — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:03:44 GMT

I noticed the first shoots of the season in the vegetable garden today. Think they might be garlic. :)

Penny

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Tuppence — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:54:26 GMT

Just brought my chitting potatoes indoors from the cold shed and put them on the window sill of an unheated room upstairs. Hope they'll think about growing roots now. :)

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Tuppence — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:05:06 GMT

Just planted the ruby variety of Swiss Chard.

[url]http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/chard.htm[/url]

Looks as though it's a very hardy plant. I've seen it growing and it looks spectacular.

:)

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Tuppence — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 23:58:15 GMT

I had a few berries on the Oregon last year, shortly after it was planted, and I can't say I was impressed with the taste. The one the birds "planted" is much nicer. :) I bought it because it was thornless but I don't think it's going to be a success. I'll dig in some manure round it and see if that helps to get it going.

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Stymie — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:22:20 GMT

My poor back comes out in sympathy.

I've fixed your photo to be visible.

We tried the thornless blackberry. The fruit was a little larger than others but we were not impressed by the taste. On the plus side, there were not as many scratches and impalations (if thats a word)

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Tuppence — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:34:12 GMT

p.s. No "Desiree" left in the garden centre this morning so I've chosen "Pentland Crown". The label says they're a good variety for drought conditions.

Here's a photo of what I had the energy to dig this morning :)

[img]http://forums.bonsaigarden.net/Attachment159.aspx[/img]

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

jimothy — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:33:27 GMT

[quote][b]Stymie (2/15/2008)[/b][hr]I have 1500 sq. yds. of garden which gets nothing other than the goat bedding on it at any time. I restrict it to about 4" depth and am left with huge piles which I have to try to get other people to collect.
[/quote]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I would love to be in a position to collect a truck-load of the stuff, as you can't get decent manure round these parts for love nor money.

However, as that isn't an option, have you tried utilising it for a "hot-bed" to grow squashes and curcurbits? You don't have to use a frame, a simple mound should do the trick, which you then plant the young plants into at about the three-leaf stage. They should romp away....

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Tuppence — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:24:07 GMT

The fruit trees, etc., sound good to me, Stymie. The dwarf Victoria plum I planted two years ago is settling in, I think. I'm wondering when I'll get fruit on it.

I planted an Oregon, thorneless blackberry a couple of years ago but it's not done well in the clay. I do have a piece of cultivated blackberry left that birds deposited years ago. I cleared a lot of it when I tidied the vegetable patch.

A hard frost overnight but bright sunshine this morning and a day for digging, I think. I'll make a start on removing some grass, later.

Just watched a pair of bullfinches come for the water and seeds I put out earlier, such attractive birds.

:)

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Stymie — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:46:43 GMT

I have 1500 sq. yds. of garden which gets nothing other than the goat bedding on it at any time. I restrict it to about 4" depth and am left with huge piles which I have to try to get other people to collect.

This is a naturally acid soil area which was originally quite heavy clay. I can now push a spade in without standing on it. It grows good Rhododendrums and other acid loving items. Drainage at the lower end of my property could be better. I'm going to divide and transplant my Rhubarb tomorrow, which has been in the same place for donkey's years. Some of the fruit trees need pruning too. The goats will eat the bark from them and the branches will then dry out quicker for use in my solid fuel fire. Plums seem to do particularly well here and I always have a good crop of Crab Apples. Blackberries spring up unannounced all over the place because the seeds are dropped by the wild population. Apples, pear, Damson, Greengage and Blackcurrant are dotted around. Strawberries of course and that just about covers the perennials. Enough about my patch. Its not a pretty garden apart from a very narrow Japanese strip along the front of the house.

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Tuppence — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:05:32 GMT

Thanks, Stymie. :) What a pity you live so far away. A tiller would be fun! I'd certainly use some of the goats bedding. The little smallholding along the road, adjoining my friends' fields where Schuee is buried, will supply me with stable manure for only a small delivery fee. They can't get rid themselves of enough of it. I had bags delivered before Christmas and have put some on the roses and am digging in the rest.

I did originally think to use sharp sand in the soil. They have it at the garden centre but I'll look on-line to see if I can find any cheaper.

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Stymie — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:37:06 GMT

Grit sand would sound right for me Penny. Its probably cheaper too.

If you lived nearer I could lend you a tiller to turn something in.

Any animal keepers in the vicinity would probably be glad to be rid of some rotted down bedding. I know that I would.

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Tuppence — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:12:10 GMT

I like the Italian translation! :) Apparently they like a warm soil to germinate and seeds should go in during May, so a while to wait before I plant them. I don't have a greenhouse, but I could start them earlier at the nursery.

Sounds as though I've made a good choice with "Desiree".

I know nothing about asparagus peas - only that the literature states that they tast a little like asparagus!

Did some more digging today and clearing more of twigs and branches from the pile I made last year - filled a wheelie-bin. Any of the twigs and bark that had broken down I put on the vegetable patch.

I've been looking at what to add to the soil to break it down and composted bark is one option, though I comes in rather large amounts. Peat is another, but that's a bit of a "no no".

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Kath — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:58:50 GMT

I'll second that, for me Desiree are the most versatile potato, never go 'mushy' when boiled and a good 'roaster' too. Lovely done in the oven, alternate layers of potato, onions and bacon, yum yum :)

RE: Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Stymie — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:30:43 GMT

Climbing sweetness of the measure is a bit OTT even for Italian Fagioli.:P

I tend to grow 'Blue Lake' and save my own seed. I don't grow carrots these days because a sack-full is available cheaply at my animal feed merchants and we use those;)

Those spuds will at least be nice to look at. Smooth redskins sounds like a tribe of appache con artists but they eat well too with a knob of butter.

Vegetable Seeds - Carrots for Clay Soil, etc.

Tuppence — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:14:00 GMT

I've just ordered some vegetable seeds on-line.

"Paramex" carrots, suitable for clay soils
Beans - "Fagioli Rampicanti Dolcio del Metro"
and
Asparagus peas.

I've not grown any of them before so it will be interesting to see what grows well.

If I get potatoes later, I'll order "Desiree".

Penny :)