Hobbit Allotment!

[VirginVegGrower]

P**nland have roses and things. So will spend some of the Santa money on them

Seed catalogue arrived, so I can look for tatos as well as spring garlic and onions as the over wintering ones are as good as dead.

Poundland had Maris Peer tubers at 8 for a £1.

[horticultural_hobbit]

They do, I saw those. Alas, waterlogged clay at the moment. Have ordered a load of stuff for spring.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Growing Indian food

Mama H occasionally grumbles that I don't grow enough Indian food. Of course, things like courgettes, beans are fine. They 'become' Indian. I can sow fenugreek, various shades of spinach. Beyond that, I've no idea, and could do with some advice.

The plot gets wet, it's also windy.

Marrows, count. They too become Indian. Dudhi would count, but I don't think the climates going to help. Okra, I have the seeds. Last year they died a death on a window sill, and I don't have a proper greenhouse

Herbs, well, coriander, I can deal with. That's plausible.

Any suggestions and advice, all welcome ^_^

[Two_Sheds]

Chick peas? They're easy

[horticultural_hobbit]

Hobbit and challenging plot easy?

Black, white and the ones in the Indian grocers?

Would need quite a few!

[snohare]

I don't know diddly squat about Asian veg, so I'll not say much, but wasn't there a thread here that talked about how chickpeas need too much heat to grow to crop in the UK ? Or am I misremembering ?

[horticultural_hobbit]

Uncle Sno, where you been?! Been thinking of you, my sweet.

Earth calling, Aunty two_sheds. What was the over view with Hungarian grazing rye? Was thinkin' of broad cast sowing in places. Also have red and white clover, as well as fenugreek.

[snohare]

I've been in hibernation Hoblet. Went from one pill every other day to two different ones every day...took me a while to work out why my default setting was horizontal !
Hadn't thought about it, but some green manure - particularly phacelia - might not go amiss on my plot. (My new plot-to-be, that is.) I want to grow tatties there. Only problem is, I haven't looked at the ground yet, and it is currently covered by snow, with more falling all the time ! I was just too late to get there with a tarp to cover it over and protect it from all this cold that is forecast...
So, does anyone fancy a wee Grapefest in the HH neck of the woods come springtime...?

[horticultural_hobbit]

Have rather missed you, uncle sno.

I have some poo, for the plot; that is going into the raised beds. Raised beds that at the moment, are part filled with leaf mold and green waste. The beds that are 1m x 1m are reasonably full, and would need to be topped up really with poo and compost. the 2m x1m ones, however, are less full. On the side, I have four builders bags of leaf mold. I am tempted to tip this into the beds. All in all, what I am hypothesising, is filling the bed in layers. Need to get some more poo, and look into the compost to put into it. I feel I have made a rod for my own back with the raised beds in that respect, even if they will be useful.

That leaves the flat bit of the plots. Some, but not all of my garlic has taken off. I counted 100-ish green sprouts, these could be garlic, onion and shallots. I don't label things, not clever,I know, but it doesn't bother me as much as it should. That means 90 % of the onions sunk, have said goodnight Vienna. All because of that dastardly deluge :: can you tell how angry, I am yet ? ::

There are two, two sprouting over wintering aqua dulce broadbeans. (The carnage, is documented in the blog)

I am awaiting tatos, spring garlic and onions. There are shallots in dad's shed; I over purchased. The universe was trying to tell me something then. I can start again, in that respect. Will try and start of beans and things in paper pots. Would like to sow some fenugreek, spinach and chard for Mama H in the raised beds.

A spring grapefest in my neck of the woods would be lovely. I will pop that on the chatback thread soon

[VirginVegGrower]

Uncle Sno, where you been?! Been thinking of you, my sweet.

Earth calling, Aunty two_sheds. What was the over view with Hungarian grazing rye? Was thinkin' of broad cast sowing in places. Also have red and white clover, as well as fenugreek.

Bit late for your rye HH. Have you got a starb@@ks near to you? I think I'd be popping in for their free coffee grinds. Great for your compost heap, clay soil and as a rose feed. Just be cautious with your quantity of spread.

[VirginVegGrower]

Have rather missed you, uncle sno.

I have some poo, for the plot; that is going into the raised beds. Raised beds that at the moment, are part filled with leaf mold and green waste. The beds that are 1m x 1m are reasonably full, and would need to be topped up really with poo and compost. the 2m x1m ones, however, are less full. On the side, I have four builders bags of leaf mold. I am tempted to tip this into the beds. All in all, what I am hypothesising, is filling the bed in layers. Need to get some more poo, and look into the compost to put into it. I feel I have made a rod for my own back with the raised beds in that respect, even if they will be useful.

That leaves the flat bit of the plots. Some, but not all of my garlic has taken off. I counted 100-ish green sprouts, these could be garlic, onion and shallots. I don't label things, not clever,I know, but it doesn't bother me as much as it should. That means 90 % of the onions sunk, have said goodnight Vienna. All because of that dastardly deluge :: can you tell how angry, I am yet ? ::

There are two, two sprouting over wintering aqua dulce broadbeans. (The carnage, is documented in the blog)

I am awaiting tatos, spring garlic and onions. There are shallots in dad's shed; I over purchased. The universe was trying to tell me something then. I can start again, in that respect. Will try and start of beans and things in paper pots. Would like to sow some fenugreek, spinach and chard for Mama H in the raised beds.

A spring grapefest in my neck of the woods would be lovely. I will pop that on the chatback thread soon

I've just sown three chard seeds per pot into three pots, to make a chard area for the chooks green feed. Can't stand it myself, but they love it.

[horticultural_hobbit]

I do like your thinking, aunty VVG. Don't have a starthing, but do have a costas.

Chard, is amazing in onion bhajis! lot like deep fried sea weed.

[VirginVegGrower]

I do like your thinking, aunty VVG. Don't have a starthing, but do have a costas.

Chard, is amazing in onion bhajis! lot like deep fried sea weed.

I would go in and ask them to start saving you some. We asked our Costa and they obliged - we did give them a plastic tub. But in the other one, it's packaged back up and dumped in a bin marked "FREE". We very often clear the bin if we find one on our travels!
Nobody liked the chard, hence it's grown for chooks.

[snohare]

Chard, is amazing in onion bhajis! lot like deep fried sea weed

The mind boggles...just how does one fry seaweed, deep down ? By volcanic vent ?

I am thinking of hugelkultur for the new plot. It's in a field, with no trees nearby - no respite from the (hopefully) blazing sun...but this is the year (if transport materielises) that I finally have enough compost etc from builder's bags to fill raised beds.
As for buying tatties, don't make me laugh. I have some Edzell Blues saved, but nowhere to store larger packs, that they won't either risk getting too warm or frozen. I am aiming to save my money until spring shows signs of appearing...
I do like chard..alas, so may the chooks in the area adjacent to my ground. Haven't seen the fencing etc, don't know if there is a way to keep them out other than tiresome caging.
You never know Hobbit, your onions may yet appear. Mine certainly surprised me last year.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Reckon I could germinate cauliflowers on a window sill, don't really fancy putting them into the heated prop.