Greenhouse staging

[Weavie]

Hi Jools,
Def want to try sweetcorn. Did you ever start beetroot off in the gh? I've read so much I've confused myself as to whether it works. I'm especially excited about early spuds in bags. I haven't bought any staging yet as saving up. Homebase have 10% off day early Dec so I might get some -just for one side. Want to grow plum toms for sauces. Want to grow sooo much! Put strawberry plants in to over winter and they're beginning to flower as it's so mild. Took them back out again and now greenhouse is bare! Have japanese onion sets. garlic and oregon sugar peas under fleece. December is going to be a long month.
It's great that you'll have everything in place soon. will you be growing cue's pepper & aubergines etc?

[jools]

Hi Weavie
I'll be growing cucumbers and toms. I have always had success with those in the past but I am going to be trying different types of toms (including yellow ones) and I want to try to freeze them to use in Spag bol etc. Will also be trying aubergines (just had one fruit last year - but very tasty!) and peppers (completely useless last year). I'm also getting some strawberry plants for the greenhouse.
I may put my fig tree in a pot in the greenhouse over winter as it hasn't done very well over the last couple of years and this greenhouse is big enough to get it in.
Greenhouse came today but I am saving up for the staging too. I may just use the vast space to dance a jig in when it goes up on Monday.
DH and the kids think I'm losing a screw!

[Weavie]

Hi Jools,
You and me both. I wondered into my near empty gh yesterday just to be in there. How sad is that?
I'm just about to look for some plum tom seeds on the Italian seed co site. It's been reccommended on another thread on the vine. Want toms good for freezing too. Last year had so many (not plums) was able to freeze in 16oz packs (equiv to a can) and stack them up in freezer. We are still enjoying them. I only had one pepper on plant last year (windowsill).
I've asked for a passata machine for Xmas as it skins and de-seeds toms. Also found out about that on vine - it's great reading all this fanstastic advice. You never know, one day I might even be able to give some: We live in hope!

[jools]

Hi Weavie
The passata machine looks interesting. I thought I would stick mine through the juicer! Probably would waste a lot.

Have you got a bed in your greenhouse (no not that type - I'm really into all this but not THAT into it!). I had one in my last greenhouse but then read that it was best not to have one because the soil gets infected. Now I have laid slabs for the new one and I'm not sure I did the right thing. I'll have to grown everything in pots.

And I have never had heating before so that should be interesting.

I'm also going to grow lots of flowers. I have offered to grow seedlings etc for fund raising for my eldest son's school.....so it's all got to work, hasn't it!

[Weavie]

Hi Jools,
No beds, just concrete. I was worried about the soil too!
I will be growing lots of flowers too. What I know about growing them you could write on the back of a postage stamp. I've promised my children that there will be lots of different flowers. No harm in planting a few lettuces in between! Last year we had a competition on whose tomato plant got the first red tom and my 8 year old son won even though he did very litle and my daughter (11) nutured hers. My winter hobby is card making so I've also been fund raising for their school!
I'm really looking forward to propagating plants in the greenhouse (once I've learnt how). We live very near to Wisley RHS and they run some great courses so will be booking on one or two to learn all about fruit trees and soft fruit. I've ordered several trees from Browns so it would be useful to know how to prune them etc. Are you growing any fruit?

[jools]

Hi Weavie
Yes, I already have a fantastic sweet cherry tree. It is always completely loaded so I keep everyone in cherries - before the birds take them. I also have a blackcurrant bush and a thornless blackberry which also fruit very well. The berries from both bushes were huge last year & I still have a freezer full. I have a plum tree, which used to fruit well but is looking very sorry for itself of late, and a pear tree which fruits well but I can never sort out when I need to pick them and how to store them! I also have a fig in a pot, which is a bit hit and miss and the fruit isn't very big. We have just cut down an apple tree as it was int he way and the fruit was tasteless. Just trying to figure out where I can put another type of apple tree....
I really want to plant raspberries, blueberries and strawberries this year and something to go up a wall - either a grape vine or kiwi fruit. And son no. 2 wants to try to grow a melon in the greenhouse - doubt that we shall succeed but we'll have a go.

Gosh - didn't realise I was so much of a fruit grower!

I'm not too far away from Wisley - in Staines. A friend and I had been thinking about attending a course or two there next year (when both our sets of twins will be at full time school).

Perhaps we can swop some seedlings/cuttings etc in due course.

Are you thinking of having a go at squash?

[Alice]

Squash



Hello Jools, Hello Weavie, great to see your enthusiam. Hope your greenhouse does magic for you. I grew some squash this year and very excellent they were. See the pic.

I grew poatatoes in buckets which were wonderful. They were never in the greenhouse. I kept a note of the dates I planted things so I could learn from it for this year.
I posted pics of some of my sucesses at the time, but if you're interested I can repost them. Good luck with all your plans.

[Weavie]

Hi Alice & Jools,
Now you're talking my language Alice. I am going to be growing squashes and pumpkins for the first time next year. I'm completely intrigued by them. I read Sarah Ravens book and she is very keen. She shows them growing on willow wigwams and they look terrific. Which one's do you reccommend? Also what was the earliest that you planted your spuds in a bucket?
Jools - I worked in Kingston for years so know of Staines as it's next door. Which courses were you thinking of doing? It would be great if we could do cutting swapping etc. I planted two blueberry bushes in pots this year. Actually they're no more than a twig! Other than that I have a bare canvas as garden has just been landscaped. Did have onions growing but they've flopped! I've just posted a new thread to try and get some advice. I was so proud of myself getting them all planted at the right time etc. I feel like a complete failure. I obviously don't know my onions!

[jools]

Hi Alice & Weavie
I had lots of failures too last year but I think that's part of the whole experience - at least I hope it is. I hadn't really looked into what courses to do. I really love flowers (Weavie, you said that you make cards in the winter - must be a Libran thing as I paint, if I get the chance), but I also like the idea of growing food to put on the table. I would just like to get my hands dirty with people who know what they are doing. The idea of a correspondence course doesn't do it for me at all. My friend feels the same. We are both probably escaping into the garden from the kids!! Do you know of any good courses coming up?

I intend to have a go at butternut squash - already have the seeds - but also pink banana, which is a smallish type of squash which you can grow up a wigwam. I'm sure this was advertised in GYO but I can't remember off the top of my head where it is from. I haven't ordered the seeds yet.

Alice, your squash look great. Was this your first year? If so, its pretty awsome! Would love to see some of your other successes. I think its a great idea to keep some sort of record as to what to plant and when to plant and what the result was. Unfortunately, getting the kids up, making sure they have pants on and remembering which school each of them go to is likely to take priority

[Weavie]

Oh Jools you must be really busy with young twins! Know what you mean about pants. My daughter actually wore a pair of her brothers pants the other morning as she couldn't find hers. Looking on the bathroom rad was obviously too technical!

There will be some good courses coming up if the list is anything like last years. I'm going to go to the RHS website and have a look. They also run courses at Losely which is not far. Guess what? It seems there was nothing wrong with my onions. Nick the grief and Snadger have both advised me that the softening is natural when the plant puts down it's roots and the floppiness was probably the rain. They would have left the onions just where they were (I dug them all up and binned them) not that I'm implusive or anything!! I can't believe it!

Squashes are exciting aren't they. I've got butternut seeds in the fridge. T & M were selling seeds half price a couple of months back so I sent off for loads and have them in the fridge.
Just hope they're Ok when it finally comes to sowing time.

Yes, I really enjoy my cardmaking. I attend courses at a local craft barn, I especially enjoy parchment work although it's very time consuming. It keeps me sane in the winter! By the way do you know of anywhere that sells willow for making wigwams?

[jools]

Hi Weavie
I'll have a look at the RHS website too.
I have bought some butternut squash seeds. Eeehm....why have you go them in the fridge? I think I saw somewhere that you should keep all seeds in the fridge but is it something special with squash seeds?
Sorry, don't know where to buy willow but I did read somewhere that you need a very very strong structure to grown squash if you are training it upwards. I'm going to do that because otherwise it takes up a lot of space and the fruits can go mouldy on the ground. So I understand from reading on this site!
I'm afraid it is impossible for me to stay sane during the winter. I am already clawing up the walls. I'm hoping the greenhouse will help......

[Weavie]

Hi Jools,
Nothing special with squash seeds, I should have said ALL of my seeds are in the fridge.
I'll be taking a wonder up to Wisley soon, if anywhere has willow, it'll be them and I'll let you know. I've also read that the fruits go mouldy. I went to Homebase today and the g/h staging was £84.99 so I didn't get it. I'll look on ebay. Have you seen any anywhere?
Re-planted onions today in pouring rain. At least we're nearly one day through Dec. Jan will be here soon and we can chit some spuds! Rushed out this pm to get advent calenders!(neglectful mother). Ooops time for school p/up! Byeee

[jools]

Hi Weavie
My greenhouse is over 10ft long so I don't think I can get staging for that price unless I make my own! There are some offers on e-bay which might be worth looking at. I have looked at Two Wests & Elliott, which has all sorts of options and also something Horticultural (sorry can't find brochure at the moment) which I think worked out a little cheaper. I want the green two shelf variety which is more expensive than plain aluminium but I'll save up for it.
The greenhouse is going up before my eyes...I'm so excited. Thank goodness it is lovely weather out there. If it can just hold out for another few hours....

I'm afraid I have been a totally neglectful mother. I haven't bought advent calendars this year. Its bad enough getting them all out to school in a morning without them arguing over who opens the window, gets the chocolate etc.!

Jools

[nick the grief]

Hi Jools,
Nothing special with squash seeds, I should have said ALL of my seeds are in the fridge.
I'll be taking a wonder up to Wisley soon, if anywhere has willow, it'll be them and I'll let you know. I've also read that the fruits go mouldy. I went to Homebase today and the g/h staging was £84.99 so I didn't get it. I'll look on ebay. Have you seen any anywhere?
Re-planted onions today in pouring rain. At least we're nearly one day through Dec. Jan will be here soon and we can chit some spuds! Rushed out this pm to get advent calenders!(neglectful mother). Ooops time for school p/up! Byeee

Hi Weavie
My greenhouse is over 10ft long so I don't think I can get staging for that price unless I make my own! There are some offers on e-bay which might be worth looking at. I have looked at Two Wests & Elliott, which has all sorts of options and also something Horticultural (sorry can't find brochure at the moment) which I think worked out a little cheaper. I want the green two shelf variety which is more expensive than plain aluminium but I'll save up for it.
The greenhouse is going up before my eyes...I'm so excited. Thank goodness it is lovely weather out there. If it can just hold out for another few hours....

I'm afraid I have been a totally neglectful mother. I haven't bought advent calendars this year. Its bad enough getting them all out to school in a morning without them arguing over who opens the window, gets the chocolate etc.!

Jools

Build your own out of roofing laths from the timber merchant. I made my original staging to go on three sides of my old 8x6 for the price 1 side of commercial staging.

It's really easy.

[Alice]

Hello Jools, I haven't forgotten about posting pics, but I don't have them in my lap top. I've been very busy, but I will post them tomorrow from my desk top. Spuds in bucks etc.