Will you have a look at my veggie bed please?

[Looby-Blu]

Just a tad confused with the photo. The date shows either July 4 or April 7, 2006. Also, you mention seedlings; carrots and parsnips. How big is this bed?

No need to be confused. I just haven't set the date on my camera! It was taken this morning!

Seedlings are Squash, Corn, Cucumber and Tomaotoes and green beans later.

Carrots are seeds that I had hoped to plant straight in and parsnips I would like to germinate on kitchen roll and the I was going to plant those straight in too.

How big is the bed? 100cm x 120 cm - there or thereabouts. I have three of them so far, with the option of more.

Does that clear things up?

[Snadger]

.................................

How big is the bed? 100cm x 120 cm - there or thereabouts. I have three of them so far, with the option of more.

Does that clear things up?

The raised beds are great. The squash and cucumber can be planted in a pocket of compost approximately one foot square in the middle. This will allow them to establish well and the surrounding clay loam will help hold moisture.
The corn and beans would probably be ok planted into the clay compost mix as plantlets . The carrots and parsnips could be grown by sticking a spade full depth into the soil and levering back and forth to form a groove 3 inches wide at the top and tapering to nothing at a spades depth. Fill this groove with potting compost mixed with sand (any sand will do for this) and sow your parsnips and carrots direct into it.

Hows that.....wallah!

[RedThorn]

Nice Idea for the carrots and parsnips there Snagder! Will have to remember that 1

[selfraising]

Nice Idea for the carrots and parsnips there Snagder! Will have to remember that 1

I like that idea too, thanks Snadger

[Looby-Blu]

The raised beds are great. The squash and cucumber can be planted in a pocket of compost approximately one foot square in the middle. This will allow them to establish well and the surrounding clay loam will help hold moisture.
The corn and beans would probably be ok planted into the clay compost mix as plantlets . The carrots and parsnips could be grown by sticking a spade full depth into the soil and levering back and forth to form a groove 3 inches wide at the top and tapering to nothing at a spades depth. Fill this groove with potting compost mixed with sand (any sand will do for this) and sow your parsnips and carrots direct into it.

Hows that.....wallah!

You are an ANGEL!! Thankyou SO much - just printing this off

[Spiderling]

Snadgers' idea with carrots and parsnips works a treat! We garden on clay soil and using this method we've had brilliant parsnips and pretty good carrots for the last four years. I also like to grow carrots in buckets of multi purpose compost....it seems to defy the carrot root fly as well as produce lovely straight, tasty carrots! Cheers.

[Looby-Blu]

Any better now??

[Looby-Blu]

No? I'll get my coat.............

[Creemteez]

Put your coat back on it's peg! The soil does look a tad better, but, hey, what does it matter when Snadge has already explained how to get round your soil probs? The main thing is to have a go, and if things aren't that brill this year, bung on tons of muck in the autumn, and I guarentee, next year you'll be offering reassurance to other Newbies who'll have exactly the same soil as you do now!
Go on, get your trowel wiggling!

[Looby-Blu]

Put your coat back on it's peg! The soil does look a tad better, but, hey, what does it matter when Snadge has already explained how to get round your soil probs? The main thing is to have a go, and if things aren't that brill this year, bung on tons of muck in the autumn, and I guarentee, next year you'll be offering reassurance to other Newbies who'll have exactly the same soil as you do now!
Go on, get your trowel wiggling!

Thanks - thats true. I've got my bag of potting compost all ready, so i'm definately going with Snadge's idea.

I'm going to ask a REEEEEAAAAAALLLLY stupid question now.... Carrots.... does 1 seed make 1 carrot, or a bunch of carrots?? (*hides face in utter shame)

[Jenegade]

1 carrot seed = one carrot, would be great if they were like beetroots, but unfortunately not!