Palaisglide, thank you for the info - I had not realised that spinach was so greedy. Could I sow some winter spinach now in the greenhouse?
You never know until you try, gardening is one big experiment as all gardens differ so give it a go, a bit of shelter plenty of any light going and remember to thin it as it grows, "err" if it grows. heat not needed or it will go to seed fast.
Slugs and snails were about but not too much of a problem this year. I think I must have been lucky. I did use used coffee grounds around the most vulnerable plants/seedlings. I think I read somewhere you are not supposed to use coffee grounds - sometime to do with the EU, but maybe I just dreamt this,
A friend of mine picks up the slugs with tongs and deposits them in a bucket of salty water. Not sure if I can do that but maybe if they are a real problem perhaps I will give it a try.
Ted, as an old gardener I have tried everything and the bucket of water with domestos in is the quickest then dig a hole and drop them all in. The winter garden clean up is a good way to reduce them, search them out behind old pots bits of wood and often under greenhouse staging. In spring a lamp comes in handy walk round and catch them waking up then fingers are best up and into the bucket. All the weird and wonderful cure alls are just that weird and wonderful pity they do not work so fingers it is and constant watch, they can multiply in no time if you leave them to it.
Had loads of Swiss Chard last year (welcome Pepperted) but thought I would follow M. Don's advice and grow Winter Giant Spinach - well the seeds have been in for weeks and nothing has happened; is there something about growing spinach that I ought to know as I do seem to have big problems with it.
Pepperted, re the forum,the people here seem to be very patient; I'm not a technocrat at all and seem to muddle through.
Hi Artjak
Never tried Winter Giant Spinach but did see Monty Don extolling its virtues. I have only grown Perpetual Spinach and Swiss Chard which are easy but may well try Winter Giant next year, although with only a small garden I always get a little uneasy when the word "Giant" is mentioned. Good luck.
I have not been here long. The information you can get is really good.
I used to manage with a little plastic greenhouse affair and grew hardy seeds using it. I have had a proper greenhouse for a year and love it. I am still trying to get the hang of vegetables, so that there is something all the time.
Hi Bjay
I have had a little plastic greenhouse thingy for a nunber of years and am surprised at how good they are, but got a small lean-to "proper" greenhouse the year before last. Oh how I wish I could have a full size greenhouse. I am not sure if having a tiny greenhouse is a good idea at all. I just seem to cram more and more into it and find it frustrating not to have enough room in spring for all my seedlings, but at least the plastic greenhouse gets an airing then. Apart from runner beans, salads and tomatoes, I am fairly new to veggies but I love it. Roll on spring.
Ted, as an old gardener I have tried everything and the bucket of water with domestos in is the quickest then dig a hole and drop them all in. The winter garden clean up is a good way to reduce them, search them out behind old pots bits of wood and often under greenhouse staging. In spring a lamp comes in handy walk round and catch them waking up then fingers are best up and into the bucket. All the weird and wonderful cure alls are just that weird and wonderful pity they do not work so fingers it is and constant watch, they can multiply in no time if you leave them to it.
Frank.
Thanks for the tip Frank. Bleach and water it will be from now on. I'll just have to grow up and learn to pick the blighters up and drop them in the bucket.
Posts
You never know until you try, gardening is one big experiment as all gardens differ so give it a go, a bit of shelter plenty of any light going and remember to thin it as it grows, "err" if it grows. heat not needed or it will go to seed fast.
Frank.
Slugs and snails were about but not too much of a problem this year. I think I must have been lucky. I did use used coffee grounds around the most vulnerable plants/seedlings. I think I read somewhere you are not supposed to use coffee grounds - sometime to do with the EU, but maybe I just dreamt this,
A friend of mine picks up the slugs with tongs and deposits them in a bucket of salty water. Not sure if I can do that but maybe if they are a real problem perhaps I will give it a try.
Ted, as an old gardener I have tried everything and the bucket of water with domestos in is the quickest then dig a hole and drop them all in.
The winter garden clean up is a good way to reduce them, search them out behind old pots bits of wood and often under greenhouse staging.
In spring a lamp comes in handy walk round and catch them waking up then fingers are best up and into the bucket. All the weird and wonderful cure alls are just that weird and wonderful pity they do not work so fingers it is and constant watch, they can multiply in no time if you leave them to it.
Frank.
Hi Artjak
Never tried Winter Giant Spinach but did see Monty Don extolling its virtues. I have only grown Perpetual Spinach and Swiss Chard which are easy but may well try Winter Giant next year, although with only a small garden I always get a little uneasy when the word "Giant" is mentioned. Good luck.
Hi Bjay
I have had a little plastic greenhouse thingy for a nunber of years and am surprised at how good they are, but got a small lean-to "proper" greenhouse the year before last. Oh how I wish I could have a full size greenhouse. I am not sure if having a tiny greenhouse is a good idea at all. I just seem to cram more and more into it and find it frustrating not to have enough room in spring for all my seedlings, but at least the plastic greenhouse gets an airing then. Apart from runner beans, salads and tomatoes, I am fairly new to veggies but I love it. Roll on spring.
Thanks for the tip Frank. Bleach and water it will be from now on. I'll just have to grow up and learn to pick the blighters up and drop them in the bucket.
Thanks to everyone for such a warm welcome.