Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Members adventures in the Vegetable Patch all year round
Post Reply
User avatar
Chris Elliott
Learner Laner
Posts: 27
Joined: 03 Mar 2013, 20:15
Gender: Male

Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by Chris Elliott »

A month or so ago I bought myself a portable greenhouse 144CM X 144CM which I thought was a good bargain on eBay but after some windy conditions the plastic cover split at the seams and I lost all my seedlings but nothing that a bit of clear exterior gaffa tape couldn't fix so I started again by sowing the old faithfuls early cabbages, lettuce and sprouting brocoli.

I've got a small garden, heavy clay soil but 've still managed to grow veggies over the years in borders, pots and growbags but this year I want to go all out with veggie and sunflower growing.

Image
Image

I've worked the soil in my borders ready for when I transplant my seedlings although the soil is still a bit claggy. I do seem to have good crops here depsite the clay soil but do have to add garden compost to improve it every year.
Image

Here are some of my seedlings that have sprouted so far, purple sprouting brocoli, red and green cabbages. Small yet will be mighty >veg4<
Image

I have sown some cauliflowers, tomatoes and peas which are yet to sprout and hopefully should be good to plant out when the last frost passes.

I will be growing the majority of my veg and flowers from seed but I couldn't resist getting some scotch bonnet plugs, banana chilli plugs and yellow cherry tomato plugs for instant satisfaction.

Image

I really want to go all out on the sunflower front this year, it's been about five years since I grew some giant ones and they were great, the birds especially loved the seeds from them, they're easy to grow and who doesn't love a sunflower so I'm going to pack them in anywhere I can squeeze them. Here is my sunflower seed collection.
Image
I've sown the Magic Roundabout variety today so should be fine in the greenhouse for the time being. >mmm<

Still to sow this year are:

Beans
courgettes -Green and Yellow
Black Russian, Black Cherry, Rainbow Beef and Orange Banana Tomatoes
Purple Cayenne Peppers
Cucamelon (A first for me)
Cucumbers

So this is the start of my 2015 grow diary, looking forward to some lovely veg. Yum! >veg1<
Scrambled
Lively Laner
Posts: 377
Joined: 27 Jun 2013, 07:47

Re: Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by Scrambled »

Hello Chris )wav(

Your seedlings are looking good - and what a great set-up you've got in your greenhouse )like(
User avatar
mrs boodles
Legendary Laner
Posts: 4652
Joined: 05 Jan 2012, 20:50
Gender: Female
Location: cotswolds

Re: Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by mrs boodles »

Hi Chris, I had a couple of those plastic greenhouses when I lived in Sussex, they were not a success there because of the wind. Will be getting another one here as where I live now is much more sheltered. I have bought a 4 tier grow house which I will use indoors to start seeds off and will probably use windowsills as well.

Hope you have a successful year with the garden, look forward to reading your diary.
User avatar
billnorfolk
Legendary Laner
Posts: 1067
Joined: 07 Jul 2011, 13:24
Gender: Male
Location: Great Yarmouth Norfolk

Re: Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by billnorfolk »

Hi chris all looks very good ,digging straw into your clay soil will help to break it up and make it drain better . I have a polly tunnel in a similar material last about 4 years seem to take the weather better than the square sided greenhouse .Be wary of any really cold frosty nights as your seedlings are very tender ,don't know where you are but on the east coast still to cold for outside yet even in greenhouse ,will be another 2or3 weeks before i start seeds in there but will get a few up and running indoors .Good luck ,looking forward to your diary.
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

Bill's Diaries.....2012 2013 2014
User avatar
Chris Elliott
Learner Laner
Posts: 27
Joined: 03 Mar 2013, 20:15
Gender: Male

Re: Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by Chris Elliott »

Hey :-D

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Mrs Boodles, yeah I think it's a matter of keep patching it up and weighing the whole thing down so it doesn't wander off, I did have to wedge my wheely bin against it yesterday so hopefully that does the trick.

Billnorfolk I'll definitely try the straw idea, when I had my chooks I use to work in the woodchip and chicken poop but I guess the straw will work better as it gets the air circulating through the soil. I'm in Gloucester which is pretty much a valley and quite sheltered and would love to start some seedlings off indoors but I have a bengal cat who is into everything yike* Hopefully they'll be ok.
User avatar
lancashire lass
Legendary Laner
Posts: 6527
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 15:17

Re: Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by lancashire lass »

Hi Chris - glad to see you starting a diary )t'

I had one of those walk in greenhouses and it last all of 3 days - not so much blowing away as I had weighted it down, but the frame just wasn't strong enough and the whole thing collapsed. The polytunnels with the 25mm galvanised steel frame are surprisingly not that expensive at the moment (be prepared for prices to shoot up in a few weeks) but I have to confess the smallest I could find was 3M x 2M. Fingers crossed we have a mild and not so wild spring LOL, and good luck with the seed sowing.
User avatar
Chris Elliott
Learner Laner
Posts: 27
Joined: 03 Mar 2013, 20:15
Gender: Male

Re: Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by Chris Elliott »

My Alicante tomatoes have finally sprouted along with a few cauliflowers but the January King Cabbages havn’t done so well but the seeds are at least five years old so maybe that’s wht they haven’t grown >veg5<

Image

These cabages and sprouting broccoli are doing well but like the January King seeds these Tomato Moneymaker seeds are out of date and haven’t grown.

Image

The All Year Round Lettuces are doing well but not sure whether to thin them out yet or wait and transplant them when they are a little bigger.

Image

These are my strawberry plants and the two little ones at the back were grown from runners at the end of summer last year, I will try this again this year and see if I can increase the amount of plants.

Image

I also sowed some more varieties of sunflower today and some giant Gaillardia seeds, not sure what to expect from these but will be interesting to find out >mmm<

Image
User avatar
Chris Elliott
Learner Laner
Posts: 27
Joined: 03 Mar 2013, 20:15
Gender: Male

Re: Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by Chris Elliott »

Today I have converted these old wine boxes into some hanging strawberry planters, just a bit of multi purpose compost and a sprinkling of dried chicken poo pellets to get them started,

e Image
Image

Image

I'm not sure if I'm a bit too early with sowing some more tomato plants but everything else is doing well so far, so I've planted some black russion, orange banana, big rainbow, black cherry and the old faithful gardeners delight tomatoes to see how well they do :-D

Image

I've started to transplant some of the 'All Year Round' lettuces as I over crowded them when sowing, hopefully I haven't shocked them too much and I'll probably just thin out the rest.

Image
User avatar
Chris Elliott
Learner Laner
Posts: 27
Joined: 03 Mar 2013, 20:15
Gender: Male

Re: Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by Chris Elliott »

I've now started to plant out some cabbages and lettuces, one row of red cabbage, one row on green cabbages and a row of lettuces. Hopefully they will be protected from the slugs and snails in their poly tunnel. :-D

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Today looks like it's set to be a nice day so I'll potter a bit more in the garden and organize where to plant the rest of my seedlings >veg4<
User avatar
Chris Elliott
Learner Laner
Posts: 27
Joined: 03 Mar 2013, 20:15
Gender: Male

Re: Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by Chris Elliott »

Lettuces and cabbages are coming on well, I've removed the poly tunnel and did have a bit of a slug problem. I've ended up using some slug pellets which says it isn't toxic to the veggies so I'm hoping its safe to use for the wildlife.
Image
Image

My Crystal lemon cucumbers, burpless tasty, yellow and green courgettes, squashes, cucmelons and one little purple cayenne pepper have all sprouted. Probably as it's been so hot in the greenhouse >veg4<
Image

Tomato and chilli plants are doing well, although it's been nice weather I'm still not convinced to plant these out yet so possibly the first week of May when the nights aren't so cold >veg5<
Image

I've got an influx of Sunflower plants at the moment, think I've over done it on these but should probably plant some more so I've got sucessional plants over the summer and autumn. Here are some of my Magic Roundabout sunflowers which have grown strong and will need to be planted out as soon as it warms up a bit >mmm<
Image

Pea plugs have been planted yesterday and the other day I planted out eight couliflowers. We've got some rain on the way here in Gloucester so although I won't be out in the garden as much, unless pottering in the greenhouse this should be good for the veggies )w(
User avatar
Chris Elliott
Learner Laner
Posts: 27
Joined: 03 Mar 2013, 20:15
Gender: Male

Re: Chris Elliott 2015 Grow Diary

Post by Chris Elliott »

The greenhouse is now getting a bit full, everything has sprouted apart from the pumpkins but they are old seeds so I think I better buy some new ones.

I removed a shed load of slugs and snails from the greenhouse this morning, haven't done a major de-slug in a couple of weeks and have lost a couple of sunflowers.

Usually I just grow veg in the spring and summer months but this year I'm going to try growing some winter veg too, I've planted some winter savoy cabbages and Leeks which I've never grown before.

Here's a little snippet of my working greenhouse below :-D

http://vid1221.photobucket.com/albums/d ... spflpt.mp4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Post Reply