The 'Grow Your Own' Thread

alanjay

That's for show veg - they are pretty easy to grow just take forever!

corriebee1

Leeks have an astonishing germination success rate. Chuck 50 seeds in a pot with some compost and you'll get 45'ish young leeks. Once they're about the thickness of a pencil (hopefully by mid Summer if possible) get them in the ground.

Use a dibber or a bit of a broom handle to create a hole about 6" deep and an inch in diameter, throw in the leek and then just gently water it. You don't need to cover them with soil or compost or anything like that. I use old toilet rolls around them, as it keeps them from getting squeezed by soil falling in but providing your soils not too hard, you don't have to. You want to get em quite deep as it's the good white flesh that comes from the bit in the soil. I've got about 60 in the ground at the moment, and they'll go to seed in the next few weeks, so it's leeks aplenty for the next wee while!

FoldingJoe

Wrath Rob wrote:

FoldingJoe wrote:

Bizzarely, and I heard that this was the case on a R4 prog sometime last year, our plum tree only fruits every other year.

Victoria plums? Sounds about right, though if you strip some of the crop well before its ripe you'll help promote a better crop in the lean years. Our plum tree is fantastic, there's nothing quite like the sight of a big bunch of fresh purple plums ripe for the eating.

No double entendres please, its too easy

No, they're mine!!

Yes, it is a Victoria plum tree, so will try what you suggested this year.

team47b

msmancunia wrote:

anyone had any luck growing leeks? I've never done it but I love them (I only attempt to grow things I like!) but everytime I go past an allotment and see all those leeks poking out of bits of drainpipe it puts me off as a bit of a faff. Do you need to do that or is that just for those guys that show veg?

buy some small leeks with roots on from the greengrocer emporium, plant in holes in ground, leave them to carry on growing, pick and eat some when large, leave some to go to seed, collect seeds, leave leeks in ground and next year they will sprout a family of leeks from the base of the original, when pencil size dig up and separate and transplant using corriebee1's planting method

Easy gardening

team47b

TGOTB wrote:

team47b wrote:

planted ten each of these seeds as earlies so far this year:

tomato seeds up
courgette seeds up, transplanted to bigger pots
Aubergine seeds up
peppers up

globe artichokes (Perennial) about a metre high
Chillies scotch bonnet (Perennial)
Sweet potatoes (Perennial)
Everlasting cabbage, just gets taller as you pick lower leaves will need steps soon!

garlic and leeks are growing themselves, just leave them in.

For a moment you had me worried that I'd somehow left all my planting too late, then I saw your location!

Anyone had any success growing sweet potatoes in a UK (London) climate?

currently 14-18c (that's min to max)

sweet potatoes 'need' about 21-26c for 12 to 16 weeks, probably get away with it in full sun or planted in black bags/tyres to improve heat. It's only a frost that will kill them off.