Garden activity

Food, Nutrition and Agriculture
jennyjj01
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Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jennyjj01 »

jansman wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 11:21 am Parsnips are notoriously difficult germinators.
So I keep reading and discovering for myself. Can take a month to germinate.
How can anything so much like a dandelion be so hard to grow? :roll:
Parnip's my latest challenge and I will not be beaten.
In a months time I might be snowed under if the sown seeds don't rot and somehow manage to sprout. There's half a pack sown out there, quarter pack in a moist tub and a quarter pack in ziplock with compost. They're supposed to be happy at 18C, so the ones in the house have no excuse.
The ones in the ground might suffer if the weeds there keep up their head start.
So far, a few of the damped seeds look to have teensy tiny spikes sprouting out. less than 0.5mm, but just visible. I'm hopeful.

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/g ... from-seed/
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
GillyBee
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2020 6:46 am

Re: Garden activity

Post by GillyBee »

They germinate beautifully in August when the parsnips you failed to lift from the allotment in the spring, flower and self seed everywhere. :oops: The problem is that they don't have time to generate good sized roots when sown at that time of year. By the time we sow in spring, it is half way through it's shelf life as parsnip seed is notoriously short lived.
The best germination I have had in parsnips was from Real Seeds but their seed is always excellent quality. Other suppliers, especially the big names seem to be a lot more variable in quality and it is not easy to get them to take you seriously about germination failure.

(Although I did once win with Suttons after I emailed them photos of the chill seedlings all sown on the same day and their Prairie Fire Chilli had zero germination against the other batches showing 90%. They tried to tell me I had planted wrong but could not then explain why everyone else's seed was fine... I was most unimpressed since they had charged 50p a seed!)
jennyjj01
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Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jennyjj01 »

GillyBee wrote: Tue Apr 19, 2022 12:03 pm They germinate beautifully in August when the parsnips you failed to lift from the allotment in the spring, flower and self seed everywhere. :oops:
If the indoor ones germinate, they will be over sown among the dormant ground sown ones. If those haven't rotted, I may just get a bumper crop. Here's hoping.
And here's also hoping i don't get one eight footer.
Image
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
jansman
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jansman »

So what’s happening in your gardens? If you have one of course.

We pulled our first rhubarb today. :lol: There are salad leaves and radish in the greenhouse too. Everything is growing well now, but we have to keep a watch on frost!
This weekend I shall sow some more lettuces and transplant my chilli peppers. The fruit trees are blossoming and are promising good things! :D
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
British Red
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:45 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by British Red »

jansman wrote: Fri Apr 29, 2022 5:03 pm So what’s happening in your gardens? If you have one of course.
Absolutely flat out in the garden at the moment

First early spuds are fully earthed up - Maincrop are up, but only just

ImageFirst early potatoes by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Tomatoes are well away and setting their first trusses

ImageTomatoes by English Countrylife, on Flickr

ImageEarly tomatoes by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Garlic and shallots going well - should be lifting some in a few weeks

ImageGarlic by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Fruit is well away, the currants have all set fruit, Blackberry is in full leaf and rhubarb is massive. Pears and figs are fruiting, apples, cherries and plums in full blossom

ImageCurrant cage by English Countrylife, on Flickr

ImageFruit cage by English Countrylife, on Flickr

ImageOrchard by English Countrylife, on Flickr

ImageFigs by English Countrylife, on Flickr

The herbs are roaring away - it will be time to start drying soon

ImageGarden mint by English Countrylife, on Flickr

ImageSage and thyme by English Countrylife, on Flickr

ImageWild garlic by English Countrylife, on Flickr

The perennial veg are doing well - the Jerusalem Artichokes have taken well and the asparagus is showing really well in its second year - we will leave it this year and start harvesting next year

ImageAsparagus by English Countrylife, on Flickr

The late onions are doing well but need weeding :oops: . First and second flush Spring onions will be ready from next week.

ImageOnions by English Countrylife, on Flickr

ImageSpring onions by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Pleasingly the hens are free ranging again and our first broody has 18 eggs. We should see five or six more go broody in the next four weeks

ImageReleased chickens by English Countrylife, on Flickr

ImageBroody hen by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Still lots to do though - time to start planting out brassicas and potting on more tomatoes and chillies

ImageRed cabbage by English Countrylife, on Flickr

ImageChillies by English Countrylife, on Flickr
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Medusa
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Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:41 pm
Location: UK

Re: Garden activity

Post by Medusa »

British Red, just curious as to what the chickens are wearing and why? :)
Growing old disgracefully!
Winterprep
Posts: 87
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:55 am

Re: Garden activity

Post by Winterprep »

Excellent stuff BR we are still getting overnight frost here,hopefully things perk up soon.
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jennyjj01 »

Medusa wrote: Tue May 03, 2022 8:29 pm British Red, just curious as to what the chickens are wearing and why? :)
I thought they might be little saddles for the racing chickens.

Anyway, I'm in awe of your veges.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
British Red
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:45 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by British Red »

Medusa wrote: Tue May 03, 2022 8:29 pm British Red, just curious as to what the chickens are wearing and why? :)
They are "chicken saddles" - a welfare item for hens in an active breeding programme. When a cockerel treads (mounts) a hen repeatedly, it can cause bald spots as the feathers wear away. This in turn can lead to sunburn, loss of insulation and other welfare problems. At the first sign of feather wear we fit a saddle to prevent extensive feather damage.

Buff Orpington cockerels are BIG and ours are bigger than most. Thor ( this year's breeding cockerel) weighs well over 5 kg and he is a machine. He has access to 14 hens. When he comes out in the morning he will tread them all in 20 minutes, have something to eat , then start again. This gives us great fertility, but you have to watch the welfare issue, especially with the smaller hens like the Crested Cream Legbars ( the grey birds - they lay blue eggs which is nice)
British Red
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:45 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by British Red »

jennyjj01 wrote: Tue May 03, 2022 8:40 pm
Medusa wrote: Tue May 03, 2022 8:29 pm British Red, just curious as to what the chickens are wearing and why? :)
I thought they might be little saddles for the racing chickens.
.
Pretty much - see above :)