This sounds awfully similar to me! I stock up every year on loads of vegetable seeds because I always manage to find great sales, so I end up with about 4 packets of each variety! at the moment I have too many beetroot seeds to even know what to do with!
The first time I grew brassicas was a couple of years ago now, I have never seen cauliflower as big as the ones I grew that year. I tried them again last year expecting similar results, but like you say, mine were also just tiny and did not develop big heads. I've never grown a marrow before but I'm a sucker for pumpkins, I grow pumpkins every year, I try out different varieties all the time and have fairly good success, I just need a bigger garden! I've just started buying my seeds in preparation for this year, I plan to throw away all of my older seeds as I just have tins full of seeds that ill undoubtedly not use! Fingers crossed for this year!
I was in Wilko too at the end of last season. All seeds marked down to 10p a packet. Some "sow by 2017" so hoovered up tons of them. I've already given lots away.
I've also harvested hundreds of seeds of canna warscewiczii. Almost 100% germination so no idea why I've collected so many.
aym, canna warscewiczii comes very easily from seed , but the corms are said not to overwinter well. ( I'm giving them a bash ) so tends to be grown fresh each year.
I never can grow beans very well because they end up too tough as I leave them for just a little too long! I still have my pumpkins in my room that I grew last year, they're amazing for storing, I harvested them in September last year and they are still perfectly healthy and will go on easily for another 4-5 months, I'm planning on making soups from them as I am not very keen on pumpkin pie! I have packets of seeds that are well over 5 years old now, so I will throw those away but will be mindful as I know that some seeds can stay viable for many years!
concerning the aphids, Im sure you've probably heard of using a soap and water solution to kill them, have you tried this and does it work? I have never tried this personally so it would be interesting to hear if you've tried this method and if it was successful!
Pumpkins can easily keep for a year under the right conditions! which is what makes them great to grow as they can feed you all winter no trouble at all! yes ive heard garlic water works too but still ive not tried any of the methods, once I see an aphid infestation I just give up all hope and let them do what they want, im not a lover of runner beans anyway so its not too much of a loss. I just grew them because I had the seeds haha. Ive grown garlic a couple of times, that reminds me, I do actually need to dig up my garlic still from last year! ive never been too successful with it, the biggest one ive grown grew in my compost bin, I didn't even plant it there. I grew onions 2 years ago, I believe they like similar sun and temp as garlic, my onions grew amazingly but I couldn't keep them preserved and they rotted which is a shame!
Wow id love to grow melons! I do love cantaloupes so I should definitely try them! were they easy to grow? I assume they're quite similar to pumpkins!
Ah nice, I haven't really had a chance to get into the garden yet to do the spring tidy up! I love in the south east also, just east of London. I don't feel young at all haha. i have a greenhouse so i should be able to grow melons in there maybe? it gets sun about 70% of the day so that should be plenty right? Have you tried growing sweet potatoes at all? as i am interested in growing them this year too! I have heard some people add crazy ingredients to their soil! i mostly use chicken manure, rabbit manure and my own compost to improve my soil, this has seemed to work pretty well so far! I also used volcanic ash for a while, i just saw it in B&Q and it sounded amazing but i have to say, i couldn't see a difference between using volcanic ash and using just plain old compost.
Oh i know the stuff you mean, those little ball looking things? theyre very good for retaining water, and theyre used a lot in hydroponics! I live in Romford, Heard of it? you can PM me if you like , I love being able to talk to people about gardening, its such a great hobby of mine, and i really love talking to other people that can just appreciate the simple things in life, even though gardening is far from simple at the best of times! My granddad grew grape vines in his greenhouse for a long time when i was growing up, the key to get larger grapes is to thin the bunch, pick out loads so that the others have space to grow bigger. I don't know much more about them other than that im afraid. and obviously choosing a desert variety as they are sweeter
Posts
The first time I grew brassicas was a couple of years ago now, I have never seen cauliflower as big as the ones I grew that year. I tried them again last year expecting similar results, but like you say, mine were also just tiny and did not develop big heads. I've never grown a marrow before but I'm a sucker for pumpkins, I grow pumpkins every year, I try out different varieties all the time and have fairly good success, I just need a bigger garden! I've just started buying my seeds in preparation for this year, I plan to throw away all of my older seeds as I just have tins full of seeds that ill undoubtedly not use! Fingers crossed for this year!
I was in Wilko too at the end of last season. All seeds marked down to 10p a packet. Some "sow by 2017" so hoovered up tons of them. I've already given lots away.
I've also harvested hundreds of seeds of canna warscewiczii. Almost 100% germination so no idea why I've collected so many.
Jerry, there's a seed swap thread . I'm sure someone would love to have some of your old seeds , maybe send you something you'd like too.
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/talkback/seed-and-plant-swap-2016/895135.html
aym, canna warscewiczii comes very easily from seed , but the corms are said not to overwinter well. ( I'm giving them a bash ) so tends to be grown fresh each year.
I never can grow beans very well because they end up too tough as I leave them for just a little too long! I still have my pumpkins in my room that I grew last year, they're amazing for storing, I harvested them in September last year and they are still perfectly healthy and will go on easily for another 4-5 months, I'm planning on making soups from them as I am not very keen on pumpkin pie! I have packets of seeds that are well over 5 years old now, so I will throw those away but will be mindful as I know that some seeds can stay viable for many years!
concerning the aphids, Im sure you've probably heard of using a soap and water solution to kill them, have you tried this and does it work? I have never tried this personally so it would be interesting to hear if you've tried this method and if it was successful!
Pumpkins can easily keep for a year under the right conditions! which is what makes them great to grow as they can feed you all winter no trouble at all! yes ive heard garlic water works too but still ive not tried any of the methods, once I see an aphid infestation I just give up all hope and let them do what they want, im not a lover of runner beans anyway so its not too much of a loss. I just grew them because I had the seeds haha. Ive grown garlic a couple of times, that reminds me, I do actually need to dig up my garlic still from last year! ive never been too successful with it, the biggest one ive grown grew in my compost bin, I didn't even plant it there. I grew onions 2 years ago, I believe they like similar sun and temp as garlic, my onions grew amazingly but I couldn't keep them preserved and they rotted which is a shame!
Wow id love to grow melons! I do love cantaloupes so I should definitely try them! were they easy to grow? I assume they're quite similar to pumpkins!
Ah nice, I haven't really had a chance to get into the garden yet to do the spring tidy up! I love in the south east also, just east of London. I don't feel young at all haha. i have a greenhouse so i should be able to grow melons in there maybe? it gets sun about 70% of the day so that should be plenty right? Have you tried growing sweet potatoes at all? as i am interested in growing them this year too! I have heard some people add crazy ingredients to their soil! i mostly use chicken manure, rabbit manure and my own compost to improve my soil, this has seemed to work pretty well so far! I also used volcanic ash for a while, i just saw it in B&Q and it sounded amazing but i have to say, i couldn't see a difference between using volcanic ash and using just plain old compost.
Oh i know the stuff you mean, those little ball looking things? theyre very good for retaining water, and theyre used a lot in hydroponics! I live in Romford, Heard of it? you can PM me if you like
, I love being able to talk to people about gardening, its such a great hobby of mine, and i really love talking to other people that can just appreciate the simple things in life, even though gardening is far from simple at the best of times! My granddad grew grape vines in his greenhouse for a long time when i was growing up, the key to get larger grapes is to thin the bunch, pick out loads so that the others have space to grow bigger. I don't know much more about them other than that im afraid. and obviously choosing a desert variety as they are sweeter