Forum home› Talkback
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Talkback: Sowing salad crops

Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
in Talkback
There are several very intersting books on the subject of moon-planting or lunar gardening, it is soemthing wholeheartedly done by authors such as Nick Kollerstrom, but of course as the dates v phases cary each year you need to buy the book annually. It is certainly worth a try and many swear by it.
«1

Posts

  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I am a manager of supported housing for people with mental health issues and we would like to start a vege patch out the back of the property. We really do not know where to start e.g. what veges do we plant at what times of the year? The garden will be ready to sow this week, and we would like to get the seeds/seedlings within the next week or so. The service users are very much looking forward to getting involved, but we need a starting poit. Hope you can help?
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Things to plant now are broad beans and peas (but not mangetout yet). Also beetroot, parsnip and early carrot varieties can go in now. Shallots, onions sets and garlic can go in now (last chance now for garlic as normally they go in in the spring). Dig a trench and fill it with newspaper torn up, and veg peelings and then cover over ready for runner bean plants to be planted when the frost has gone (end of may roughly depending on where you are in the country) another one for after the frost but easy is courgette plants, big seed, easy to grow lots of veg.

    Tomatoes need sowing now indoors ready for later and salad crops easy for a bit later. If you want easy fruit then think of strawberries and rhubarb? Hope this helps but I am sure someone else will give you some ideas as well...

  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I would highly recommend growing oriental vegetables. They are all 'cut and come again', and the flavour is good.

    I grow mine in potato bags next to the wall of the house, which I assume provides some degree of protection. Even so they are still growing and cropping well, and despite the freezing temperatures of a couple of weeks ago they look better than ever.

    Has anyone tried shungiku, otherwise known as spring chrysanthemum? I think it has a fantastic flavour and it is my favourite salad leaf. It seems to grow whatever the weather, summer or winter. I have been told by someone else that it is a bit like marmite, you either love it or hate it!

  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    This may appear to be a silly question but I do not know the answer. Are red / green and yellow peppers from different seed stock and can I use the lovely big seeds from a supermarket bought sweet pepper to sow.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    scarbrovegy the different colours are the different stages of ripening and yes you can sow the supermarket seeds as long as you dry them out first naturally tho not in an oven or anything similar.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Hi scarbrovegy. Someone told me that the only question that's silly is the one you don't ask!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    This is a plea for knowledge. I know you can eat beet tops and they are lovely steamed. But are there other leaf tops that are edible, e.g. radish tops, swede, turnips, etc? I hate to waste things but also worry in case they are poisonous like rhubarb leaves!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I have runner beans started in green house now transferred to the garden with canes for support, they are about 3ft tall but the bottom leaves are drying out and withering, what do you think the problem is.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Jayne, you can eat the tops of swedes & turnips,the leaves of sprouting broccoli & many other green things often thrown away. Haven't tried radish tops, but I use wild garlic leaves & flowers (ramsons) & wild garlic mustard (Jack-by-the-hedge). Hope that helps.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    HELP!! I have a garden, 50% of which is waterlogged due to a leak from my neighbours above ground swimming pool. The ground has been waterlogged for some weeks but I only realised yesterday that it was from the pool when I managed to get to the wettest part of the garden and found it reeked of chemicals, (? Chlorine).

    My neighbour has put a bucket under the leak, but I think the damage may well have been done. I'm really worried that any of my produce that actually survives will not be safe to eat. I'd also like someone with a bit of knowhow to tell me what long term effect swimming pool water chemicals are likely to have on my top soil. I have a 23ft palm at the end of the garden and all the leaves are turning yellow and dropping off. Some of my herbs also died but I threw them out before I realised what the problem was.

    As a pensioner I am worried that the cure is going to be costly. If nothing else it seems I might not be able to use the produce that I've grown this year, or plant out the seedlings which are ready to go in and were to make up my later crops, so I'm facing a financial loss there.

    Would greatly appreciate anyones advice.
Sign In or Register to comment.