New grower from Cambridge... and what is this plant?

[IainM]

Hi everyone,
Great forum here guys, I've already had more help from here than you can possibly imagine. We bought a house last year, with a garden, and I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in. I've never grown anything before in my life, apart from when I was six and put some cress seeds in a plastic cup with some kitchen roll... anyway I've got some (too many) chilli and tomato seedlings growing healthily at the windowsill yearning for frost-free days, as well as some tomatillo and Thai basil, and I'm going to put on some corgette and squash seeds when the time is right. I've also buried some hop rhizomes and have seen the first shoots from one of them. The previous occupiers were obviously quite into their gardening, and they have a raised bed which is currently full of healthy-looking straberry plants, geranium (I think) and some weeds. However, there is one plant in there and I really have no idea what it is (image below, hairy red stem and red variegated leaf). Do any of you have any idea? I'm not sure whether to pull it up or not before I mix in some compost I got from the council.




Thanks in advance. I'm really looking forward to getting started with this new hobby.
Iain

PS) any other beginner tips will be gratefully received!

[veggiechicken]

Hi iain and welcome to the Vine.

The red stemmed, serrated leaf is Herb Robert - it spreads easily. Pull it up before the pink flowers set seed. Has a strong smell on the leaves. Part of the geranium/cranesbill family, I think!
You also have a strawberry and dandelions in your mix.

[Snoop Puss]

Hi, Iain. Welcome to the Vine. If you've got particular questions, just find the appropriate part of the forum and ask away. Loads of friendly folk here.

Edited to delete: wrong answer!

Further edited: or maybe not. I had a dwarf scented geranium with leaves very like the plant in the top picture.

[IainM]

Hi iain and welcome to the Vine.

The red stemmed, serrated leaf is Herb Robert - it spreads easily. Pull it up before the pink flowers set seed. Has a strong smell on the leaves. Part of the geranium/cranesbill family, I think!
You also have a strawberry and dandelions in your mix.

Thanks veggichicken, yes, I googled it and it looks just like that. I'll pull it up asap. I'll also take up the dandelions but the strawberries are staying put. Cheers!

[Chris11]

Welcome Iain, and good to see you've been helped by the forum.

Look forward to seeing your progress reports

[veggiechicken]

Enjoy your new garden, Iain. Sounds like you're well on the way with it already.

Feel free to ask any questions - there's usually someone who will know the answer.

[IainM]

Hi, Iain. Welcome to the Vine. If you've got particular questions, just find the appropriate part of the forum and ask away. Loads of friendly folk here.

Edited to delete: wrong answer!

Further edited: or maybe not. I had a dwarf scented geranium with leaves very like the plant in the top picture.

Cheers Snoop. Luckily I've found answers to most my questions just by searching through old threads, but I'm sure I'll get more as the weather picks up.

[IainM]

Welcome Iain, and good to see you've been helped by the forum.

Look forward to seeing your progress reports

Cheers Chris, will do. Those are some nice seeds you've got there. Which have been your favourite? For the chillis I've grown these from seed:

C. Annum/frutescence:
3x Jalapeno
3x Cherry Bomb F1
3x Padron
5x Cayenetta F1
5x Hangijao #4
1x Kitchen
4x Tabasco

C. Chinense:
2x Habanero
3x Carolina Reaper
2x 7 pot primo

C. Baccatum:
2x Aji Peruvian
3x Lemon Drop
4x Aji Amarillo

Tomatoes are Shirley (4), Sungold (4), Sugar Gloss (3), Apricot Dreams (1) and Cherry Falls (1).

Let me know later in the season if you want to do any swaps... provided I don't kill them all .

[Small pumpkin]

Welcome to the vine

Nice selection of chillies you're growing . I grow the odd one or two as well

[Bren In Pots]

Hello Iain and welcome to the vine

[Lumpy]

And a warm welcome from me as well.

[Chris11]

Cheers Chris, will do. Those are some nice seeds you've got there. Which have been your favourite? For the chillis I've grown these from seed:

C. Annum/frutescence:
3x Jalapeno
3x Cherry Bomb F1
3x Padron
5x Cayenetta F1
5x Hangijao #4
1x Kitchen
4x Tabasco

C. Chinense:
2x Habanero
3x Carolina Reaper
2x 7 pot primo

C. Baccatum:
2x Aji Peruvian
3x Lemon Drop
4x Aji Amarillo

Tomatoes are Shirley (4), Sungold (4), Sugar Gloss (3), Apricot Dreams (1) and Cherry Falls (1).

Let me know later in the season if you want to do any swaps... provided I don't kill them all .

Nice list Iain, and that's a lot of plants. Will you have room to keep them all?

I think the HJ4 are 'Space' chillies, and also known as Comets Tail. I've got some old seeds of those from a share, but don't know yet whether any of them will germinate.

Have you chosen most of those tomato varieties because you like the very sweet ones?

[Guest]

Hi and welcome to the vine

[IainM]

Nice list Iain, and that's a lot of plants. Will you have room to keep them all?

I think the HJ4 are 'Space' chillies, and also known as Comets Tail. I've got some old seeds of those from a share, but don't know yet whether any of them will germinate.

Have you chosen most of those tomato varieties because you like the very sweet ones?

Yes, the space ones. Ordered them on a whim because they looked nice.

As for space, the garden is pretty big so should be ok. I've got a large-ish raised bed and I've just gutted where the previous owners kept chickens, turned the soil (looks good, rich and airy, hopefully the chicken poop will be good for the plants). Plenty of sunny patio space too so I'll get some 20L pots too for the more vigerous varieties. I bought a couple of those cheap plastic greenhouses so I should have enough space once the weather picks up. I'd like to do some experiments, put one of each variety in the ground, in the greenhouse, and on the patio, and compare their productivities.

In the meantime I'm running out of seedling space now that they're growing in individual 6cm pots (or larger), leaves starting to overlap a bit. I've already given some away and I think I'll give away more. They're sitting in two tiers next to a south facing window. I've also added some blue and red LED strip lights to give them a little light boost, and have a fan on them. Started feeding the larger ones every week or so with tomato fertiliser, diluted to 20% strength. Tough little things they are. I lost a few to dampening off, overwatering, underwatering, and being too warm and without enough light in the heated propagator, so some got leggy, all part of the learning process. Still, most have made it, and the cherry bombs in particular have shot up and are setting their fourth set of true leaves. I've learnt so much since six weeks ago when I decided to try growing something. Its so much fun watching those little things grow!

I didn't get the tomatoes because they were sweet, but because they were part of an outdoor seed collection that I bought (this one). I've also got some Outdoor Girl seeds which I'll germinate probably in a month or so. I'll probably give away a couple of Sungolds, as I've read that they can get a bit mental.

[geepee]

Welcome aboard the Vine Ian, enjoy..!