Well now, I really do have to buckle down from now on in and make full use of every spare moment. My peppers popped through the compost today and in the next few days I will be sowing brussels, cabbages, aubergines and celery indoors. The sand in my parsnips drums has now settled with no further sinkage, so I took the opportunity to drench it with some Jet 5 at a rate of 45ml to 5 litres. Hopefully that has scorched the crap out of any remaining canker spores or carrot fly larvae that might have overwintered. I'll try and get my mixes done in the next week for boreholing next weekend, although my involvement with the NVS stand at The Edible Garden Show might mean that goes back another week.
I really can't praise my friend Helen enough for the superb onions she's grown for me and as Dan is quite rightly intimating, I hope I can do them full justice from now on. They are already as big as anything I would have had growing in the beds in May so I'm off to a flyer with them. Unfortunately my growlight has gone on the blink so they're currently residing in my conservatory but as this weekend sees equilibrium with 12 hours of equal daylight/darkness I'd have been switching the light off anyway.
My conservatory is also home to my Pendle Improved leeks and several trays of Vento onion seedlings.
These are on a par, if not better than any leeks i've produced in the past so i'm more than happy with how they're ticking along, but once again Helen put me to shame as I simply could not believe the size of her leeks which must be at least an inch diameter and 11" to the button. Derek Aldred is going to have some serious competition at Southern Branch this season. And thanks for the tea and cake Helen!
I've also done something I've not bothered with in the past, although it does make a whole lot of sense. I've heard one or two other growers talking about germination tests so I've done one with a few long beetroot seeds from a batch I had left over from last season supplied by a scottish friend. As I grew my best long beet last season I wanted to see if the same seed was viable and i'm happy to report a small pot of seed has germinated, although I won't be starting the boreholes off until early May with Malvern in mind hopefully. I've got two drums prepared already, and hope to get another four set up before then, each with 5 roots in. You can do a germination test with old batches of carrot and parsnip seed also. It certainly saves wondering whether they're ever going to germinate after sowing proper.
12 comments:
seeing your leeks and sues on the nvs website has got me panicing now mine are half the height and width. And I thought i was doing well!
Plenty of growing time yet Matthew, no need to panic. Just keep them ticking along, growing steadily.
Simon, i'm a bit curious about the item 2nd from the right on the window sill. Was it purchased from Anne Summers???
Very funny Si- i clicked on your blog looking for an intelectual view on exhibtion veg from an expert but instead i found a middle-aged, almost bald not to mention ugly bloke with more hair on his chin than on his head! And as for 'expert' Ha! Lol
Simon, sorry to bother you, couple of questions. If the root of a chitted parsnip has started to curl back on itself, should I sling it or just plant it so the root points down? Roughly how many weeks from sowing to showing long beet, and any ideas on a mix? Carrots under glass, any advice on starting or stopping watering to avoid splitting when harvesting? Thanks again for any help, Rob Hawkes Solihull.
Marcus
That was sculpted for me and is an exact replica of my own meat and two veg.
Rob
You need to get the seed in as quick as you can before it gets too long, preferably 3-4mm or so. I have placed longer roots before, up to 8mm but i'm always a bit worried about doing that and as you say you do indeed have to put them in so the root is pointing downwards. I do it very, very carefully with tweezers.
I think long beet take 16-20 weeks from sowing to harvest depending on conditions.
I grew some stumps in pipes in the greenhouse last year and I watered them once a week if I thought about it. Some were quite rough and very long, so I would water every couple of days, maybe once a day in very hot weather.
Adam
Go fuck yerself!
I should add- anyone reading this- Si and myself are only having a laugh. We are mates really who both respect each others exhibits and theyway they are grown. I'll go and f*ck myself now...
We dont get 12 hours of daylight till 18th March have you moved to somewhere nearer the sun ?
According to my diary it's this weekend. Don't forget ....the sun also shines out of my arse!
That wont help your onions as your arse is too near the floor
check your diary it is wrong
You really think plants give a fuck about a few days?
I'd just leave them in your airing cupboard.
At least they'll have a bit of warmth before you kill 'em.
Your Diary must be following the Loughborough Gay Astrology Timetable.
March 10-11 : Apparently a Red Dwarf is supposed to rise in Uranus.
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