Chris and Steve's Weblog - City Chickens

Sweet Pea Spencer Mixed

Chris — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:57:32 +0000

My first attempt to germinate some saved sweet pea seeds came to nothing so I bought a cheap packet from Aldi of Spencer Mixed and yesterday I sowed them in small pots, two seeds to a pot. It is quite late to start them so heres hoping for better success this time.

Spencer varieties are one of the most popular, satisfying amateur gardeners and exhibitors alike with their large, scented and colourful flowers. The strong stems may be trained as cordons on canes for high-quality blooms, or allowed to scramble freely to make a colourful screen. Plants need a cool moist root run, helped by mulching after planting, and regular watering in dry weather.

Build and Repair

Chris — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:26:35 +0000

Rob has been off work this week and though we have had other calls on our time we have still managed to get quite a few hours in on the plot.

The fruit cage has been fixed, the fruit bushes in there pruned and the strawberries tidied up ready for the new season.

The bean trench has been dug and a new frame erected. Seeds should go into individual pots in April.

The brassica tunnel is almost finished being repaired and would be finished if the drill hadn’t run out of steam at the last minute. The brassica seedlings are coming along and some have been repotted already

Rob has started to build a second brassica cage but I haven’t seen it yet as I was at home repotting about fifty seedlings of tomatoes and brassicas.

The lean to is tidy and ready to receive a few rows of lettuce, spring onions and raddish which should be harvested before the tomatoes and cucumbers are ready to go in.

The courgette bin has been repaired, extended and filled with good compost from the ‘daleks’ and the seedlings are looking good and healthy so far.

We have made a start on a raised bed for the melons which we have covered with a metal cloche which we shall cover with polythene once the plants are in.

Dahlia – Bishop of Llandaff

Chris — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:16:27 +0000

An impulse buy from Lidl today. Corms for the Dahlia Bishop of Llandaff.

For early flowering, tubers may be started off in boxes in April; use a light soil mixed with compost. Keep slightly moist, cool and free from frost. When the danger of frosts has passed, plant out the sprouted tubers. If used as a cut flower, cut the stems only when the flower has fully developed

Aubergine Violette, Mohican and Black Beauty

Chris — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:11:47 +0000

Today was the turn of the Aubergine seeds. I didn’t grow any last year and so as I had the seeds left I thought I would give them a go this year. The problem of old seeds is still there but no point throwing them away without trying to get them going.

Aubergines have a long growing season, at least five months, which is why seed is generally sown in March for planting out in May after the risk of frost has passed.

Courgette All Green Bush – Cucurbita Pepo

Chris — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:27:19 +0000

This afternoon I have sown four seeds of the Courgette All Green Bush. They are in a 7″ pot with a polythene cover and standing on the computer box for a little bottom heat.

A versatile variety that yields dark green tender fruits in abundance. Can be harvested as courgettes or left to develop into marrows. info from Johnsons Seeds

Melon Honeydew

Chris — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:25:06 +0000

I have sown six seeds of Melon Honeydew bought from The Seed Merchant on ebay. I have sown them in individual 3″ pots and covered with cling film.

“Choose a site that gets full sun and good air circulation. Make sure the spot is protected from strong winds – melons won’t perform at all if they’re cold”. This is information I found on the internet and on our plot it would seem impossible to adhere to but we can but try. I want to try and grow them in the tunnel or under a low polythene shelter yet to be built. The first hurdle is to get them to germinate and form a strong plant.

Cucumber Carmen

Chris — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:13:38 +0000

I have sown the last one of the Carmen seeds which I bought in 2008. The seeds cost about £1 each and though we had a few cucumbers from the plants that matured there were not as many as the advert promised. It was probably my fault as a new grower but disappointing nevertheless.

Second Batch of Brassicas

Chris — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 09:49:58 +0000

I have sown another tray of brassicas today with a mix of new and old seeds. Another row of Cauliflower All The Year Round; Broccoli Autumn Calabrese; Cabbage Derby Day; Cabbage Brigadier; Cabbage Greyhound and Cabbage Offenham ll. They should show in 7-10 days.

Cabbage Brigadier F1 Hybrid (Autumn/Winter). Ideal to grow a quality giant cabbage, producing heads up to 14lbs. Delicious eaten raw, with a high sugar and Vitamin C content, but also excellent when cooked, Stands well in good condition, with Fusarium resistance. Thompson & Morgan.

Cabbage Greyhound Reliable and early maturing, Greyhound produces compact plants with very few wasted outer leaves. The tasty, pointed hearts can be cropped from mid summer well into autumn. Alan Romans.

Cucumber Jack Frost

Chris — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:28:05 +0000

Four seeds of Cucumber Jack Frost have gone into a 3″ pot of seed compost today and put to join yesterdays hopefuls. The big difference if that these are newly bought seeds from The Seed Merchant on ebay. They were 99p but there were thirty healthy looking seeds in the packet.

A beautiful crisp white cucumber perfect for outdoor or greenhouse growing.Produces an abundant crop that looks really pretty on the salad plate. image and info from The Seed Merchant on ebay.

Cucumber Marketmore and Lemon

Chris — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:01:28 +0000

I have sown four each of Cucumber Marketmore and Lemon. They are previous years seeds so it will be interesting to see what results I get with germination. I have put the pots into a polythene bag and stood them on the computer box for a little heat.

Marketmore is a basic cucumber like we can buy in the supermarket but Lemon is a little different. Both are well worth growing. The Lemon is a little sweeter than most and is quite hardy so can be grown out on the plot once all threats of frost have passed.