Learning to grow food

[Bandidoz]

Looking for Rob Hopkins blog now.

You'll find it here:
http://www.transitionculture.org/

[Blue Peter]

Looking for Rob Hopkins blog now.

You'll find it here:
http://www.transitionculture.org/

It's the Party's not over one of Tues 21st March,


Peter.

[AllanH]

It's about now that you should be hardening off the seedlings. Buy yourself one of these mini greenhouses:

http://www.twowests.co.uk/TwoWestsSite/ ... /PGMPG.htm

Check out Morrisons, I saw one there for ?19.99. A wee bit cheaper than on the site, especially once you include postage. I'm not gettingone though, I saw an old metal frame set of shelves on some wasteground recently so I'm going to drag it back & rig it up with some plastic sheeting I have. Then I'll finally be able to clear some of the plants & seedlings off my windowsill without worrying about the cold killing them.

Anyone tried growing onions from seed? I've planted about 4 seeds in each of 12 segments of a tray & put them in the propagator to germinate. A lot germinated but about half of them got all wispy afterwards & just sort of withered & died, I think it might've been too much humidity but I'm not sure, anyone have any ideas? I've planted another trayfull & don't want the same problem to strick again. Next year I think I'll go with sets though, seems much easier.

I've started trying to germinate peppers too & the potatoes are ready to go in the ground this or next wekend depending on the weather but I'm leaving it till the end of March to try germinating tomatoes & everything else is just getting sown directly in the ground when its warm enough outside.

I want to get some natural wildflowers going around my little network of two ponds, found a good source for seeds:-

http://www.naturescape.co.uk/acatalog/v ... _only.html

I'm trying to get a bit of biodiversity going in my small garden as well as just food plants. Helps to keep the pests down, apparently, and makes for a generally pleasant environment.

Looks like a good site, certainly cheap enough. I'd ordered a few things from Www.Chilternseeds.co.uk which is a bit pricier but I'm going more for plants that I can use in some way (Tobacco - as an insecticide, St Johns Wort, etc) than purely to encourage biodiversity (my neighbours cats scare off most of that), though I am hoping to attract some bees.

AllanH

[son of ballard]

A few people have mentioned saving seeds from their vegetables and fruit for next year.

The main issue to be aware of is that certain plants may be hybrids and will give inferior seedlings. It is in the seed 'manufacturers' interests that you buy new seed each year. I know it's not expensive but if we are to aim for a more sustainable future we obviously want plants that you can collect viable seeds from.

There are two closely linked organisations in the UK that specialise in organic seeds and seeds from non hybrid plants that will allow you to save seed. They also offer a seed swapping facility.

They are called the Henry Double Day Research Association (HDRA) and the Heritage Seed Library (HSL). Go to:

• http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/ HDRA.
  
  http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl/index.php HSL.
  
  A further site giving good advice on saving seed is http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/saveseed.html.

Finally, I would really recommend the HDRA book called the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (ISBN 0751333816). You'll never need to buy another gardening book again (apart from the Hessayon ones that is).

[extractorfan]

Thanks for the point about hardening off seedlings son of ballard, have been doing just that.

All my seedlings are doing well apart from tomatoes which I think I put out too early, there is ONE normal looking one and 3 really deformed looking ones, none of the others came up. I've got some more though so will be ok.

planting early potatoes tomorrow/sunday, will put the mains in over easter weekend. Got a mini poly tunnel just in case the cold returns.

My shed is up, made of pallets and the composter is composting, spring is cool.