clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,447
Can I start peas yet for an early crop.
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Chillies, Toms & Sweet Pepper Growing 2013
- Thread starter Muzzy
- Start date
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- #42
Definitely, i have a tray of them approx 3" tall already and some purple podded peas that I started 2 weeks ago. Again, protect them from mice.
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- #43
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clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,447
London remember, all the mice live in houses and never bloody venture out.
Can I plant directly in the the ground ? I have a raised bed I built. Currently blooming with tulips but I can work round them.
Grown peas for the last two years but never this early.
Any advice on staking them ?
.
BensGrandad
New member
Many thanks for your advice I will sow the beans tomorrow and try to bring all my plants on myself with your advice. I am quite excited about the prospect of using my greenhouse and not buying plants at rip off prices making the veg dearer.
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- #46
It depends on which peas you want to grow as some are hardier than others. Meteor will be fine, others you will have to check on the packet. As much as you think that the mice will not venture out, they do love a good pea
. sow 1 for them, 1 for the birds and 1 for you. As for staking them. You can use netting or individual canes. You can also use long canes at the end of the rows and again in the center and stretch twine every few inches in height across the rows. As long as the tendrils have something to grab it doesn't matter how you do it to be honest.
I reckon it's going to be another bad year for slugs and snails so keep them well protected until they're established too.
Good luck
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- #47
Good luck BG. I'm always happy to drop by and help if you need me to? Us GYO folk are a friendly bunch... Just give me a shout mate and keep an eye on the Facebook page too The Allotment Shed
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,447
Birds will be the problem, but not London mice.... Bloody things.
Couple of years ago I dug irrigation tanks (food tubs) into my raised beds as an experiment to grow tomatoes on.
The earth box idea but on a bigger scale. Worked really well and only had to water a couple of times a week until the foxes dug the lot up.
Anyway only got into growing stuff a few years ago. I have a very very small garden with patio, so you have to compromise and experiment.
Got some weird stuff growing out there. A tea tree plant that survived the winter. Also quite proud of my bamboo which I've just taken root cuttings from other peoples plants.
Last year I grew Indian Lemon Grass and will again go big on the Thai Basil.
Another success was the French Tarragon I got going from some I bought it in Sainsburys.
For every success more failures. Aubergines I will never bother with again for instance. Got some Indian mint which was going okay, but went mental in the rain. Looks like it's coming back - it tastes fantastic.
I'm going to build my own small greenhouse in a month or so. Well really a cupboard. Can't be south facing so will just me used to start stuff off. Could go very very wrong but will be fun.
Couple of years ago I dug irrigation tanks (food tubs) into my raised beds as an experiment to grow tomatoes on.
The earth box idea but on a bigger scale. Worked really well and only had to water a couple of times a week until the foxes dug the lot up.
Anyway only got into growing stuff a few years ago. I have a very very small garden with patio, so you have to compromise and experiment.
Got some weird stuff growing out there. A tea tree plant that survived the winter. Also quite proud of my bamboo which I've just taken root cuttings from other peoples plants.
Last year I grew Indian Lemon Grass and will again go big on the Thai Basil.
Another success was the French Tarragon I got going from some I bought it in Sainsburys.
For every success more failures. Aubergines I will never bother with again for instance. Got some Indian mint which was going okay, but went mental in the rain. Looks like it's coming back - it tastes fantastic.
I'm going to build my own small greenhouse in a month or so. Well really a cupboard. Can't be south facing so will just me used to start stuff off. Could go very very wrong but will be fun.
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- Thread starter
- #49
[MENTION=865]clapham_gull[/MENTION]
Making the most of a small space is difficult but not impossible. Try to grow fast cropping things that you like and not too many at a time. Make the most of growing fast croppers alongside slower croppers. Many salad crops are ideal to grow, say around the base of a sprout/cabbage/broccoli plant while your waiting to harvest those. If you struggle with getting enough sunshine then grow pak choi instead of cabbage. Most lettuce don't mind shade. Try growing courgettes/marrows straight out of a compost area instead of giving them any precious growing areas. It's all about garden management which is no different to any other garden, just on a smaller scale.
Making the most of a small space is difficult but not impossible. Try to grow fast cropping things that you like and not too many at a time. Make the most of growing fast croppers alongside slower croppers. Many salad crops are ideal to grow, say around the base of a sprout/cabbage/broccoli plant while your waiting to harvest those. If you struggle with getting enough sunshine then grow pak choi instead of cabbage. Most lettuce don't mind shade. Try growing courgettes/marrows straight out of a compost area instead of giving them any precious growing areas. It's all about garden management which is no different to any other garden, just on a smaller scale.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,447
@clapham_gull
Making the most of a small space is difficult but not impossible. Try to grow fast cropping things that you like and not too many at a time. Make the most of growing fast croppers alongside slower croppers. Many salad crops are ideal to grow, say around the base of a sprout/cabbage/broccoli plant while your waiting to harvest those. If you struggle with getting enough sunshine then grow pak choi instead of cabbage. Most lettuce don't mind shade. Try growing courgettes/marrows straight out of a compost area instead of giving them any precious growing areas. It's all about garden management which is no different to any other garden, just on a smaller scale.
My garden is South facing. It's just the greenhouse - so I can't really use that area to use it for serious growing.
It gets almost constant sunshine, we are very lucky. If the weather is good we have more of a problem with cooling stuff down.
Due to the warmth up here, if we get a good summer - all sorts of exotic stuff will grow on the patio.
The first year was a scorcher and I couldn't keep up with the tomatoes and chilies. The tea tree plant has survived the winter, we forgot about it. It's native to Australia but has never lost it's green sprigs since last summer.
I had hyacinth flowing, yes flowering on Christmas day ! The Italian parsley although only about an inch tall never died off. I picked a few sprigs last weekend.
I've also got Sussex Hops in a pot. Bit rubbish last year though.
No room for composting yet. We actually save our soil from the pots in big containers. Seems fine and full of worms.
Also grow lots of stuff to encourage bees. We had a bumble nest first year and thinking of doing something to encourage them to build another.
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Papa Lazarou
Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
24C in my spare room at the moment so the propagator hasn't even cut in yet.
Papa Lazarou
Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
Thermostat in the propagator will cut in if need be. Will hopefully be warmer by the time they need to be on a windowsill.
BensGrandad
New member
Just put 25 Broad beans in pots in the green house and a small tray each of summer cabbage and Leeks hope that the weather holds warm nough for them all to germinate. Must say I took the advice from here of not planting them too deep just about the same depth as their size and covered them with vermiculite rather than compost so must keep fingers crossed.
Papa Lazarou
Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
jevs
Well-known member
Tomatoes all up, chillis starting to come through now....scotch bonnets and chocolate habenero showing signs so pleased with that and sweet peppers looking good too.
Might start sowing some salad crops in the greenhouse soon.
How cold is it getting Pappa ? Heard that we might be in for a few weeks of cold
Might start sowing some salad crops in the greenhouse soon.
How cold is it getting Pappa ? Heard that we might be in for a few weeks of cold
BensGrandad
New member
Should I perhaps start some others at home just in case or put some glass over the pots in the green house to cover them.
vegster
Sanity Clause
- May 5, 2008
- 27,908
Tomatoes all up, chillis starting to come through now....scotch bonnets and chocolate habenero showing signs so pleased with that and sweet peppers looking good too.
Might start sowing some salad crops in the greenhouse soon.
How cold is it getting Pappa ? Heard that we might be in for a few weeks of cold
I like the sound of the Chocolate Habenero' s. Where did you get the seed from ? I bought some Jalapeno seed from the Chilli shop in Trafalgar St. as this years project is to grow and smoke them to make Chipolte.