My first potatoes planted at the beginning of May are now about 8" high in the polybags filled with sieved peat. I'll need to put canes around the bags soon and tie strings across and around to support the foliage before it gets too tall. The canes placed over the pots in the pic are to stop cats digging in the peat.......soddin buggers!
Before the foliage gets too long I'll also just have to top up the bags with more sieved peat to give the optimum growing area for the tubers to swell into. Then it's just a matter of making sure they get plenty of water.
3 comments:
Hi Simon
you really have been busy. I envy you but alas I always plan to much and find time is against me!
Question: I have been having a lot of trouble germinating Parsnips on the prepared bed. They were put in on the 30 April and nothing has come through. Shall I start again and is there still time to sow and what variety would be best?
I have moved my website addressfrom debbie's allotment corner to the blue gate allotment http://debbie-thebluegateallotment.blogspot.com/
Hi again Debbie,
Thanks for the link change info....I'll put it on my blog.
As for your parsnips you should have seen them by now......even allowing for the fact that parsnips are notoriously slow to germinate. May was a bit cold and wet so perhaps that didn't help?
It is a bit late now for trying again so next year why not do what I do......it is a bit fiddly but does work. Put your seed on some kitchen towel in a tupperware container somewhere warm indoors. Keep the kitchen towel moist at all times. As soon as you see the tiny white root radicle bursting through the seed casing then transplant them (I use tweezers) to your prepared station/seed drill and cover with some fine compost. Keep this wet and you should seed the leaves poking through within a couple of weeks. It's not too bad for me as I grow them in drums 4' off the ground but gets more back-breaking when you grow in the ground. Depends how much you like parsnips I guess!
Also, I noticed from your blog that you lost your carrot seedlings and someone told you it could have been birds. In my opinion it's more likely to have been slugs and snails. They love young carrots so I always scatter a few pellets over my carrot beds after I've sown them and again when they're through.
Hope your health is ok now.
Take care
Simon
Hi Simon
thanks for your advice I have made a note for the Parsnip seeds next year and you could be right we have had a lot of slugs on the plot this year so I came across some excellent organic pellets today and will give them a try.
I'm going to seed Autumn King so fingers crossed ( watch this space!)
I wish you all the best with any showing you will be doing this year and I look forward to your future posts as you pass on lots of tips.
Many Many thanks
Debbie
The Blue Gate Allotment
Post a Comment