Alternative root trainers

[NannyGreen]

The experiment is under way Snoop Puss I am starting with Tesco tubes and Waitrose tubes and will be getting newspaper at the end of the week. Your reassurance about coloured ink means my daughter can save any and all broadsheet or tabloid.

The rows make any weeding easier too don't they? I pack mine in, however. and cross my fingers, although I find an afternoon hand weeding to be quite relaxing. Also the nasturtiums are supposed to minimise the black fly on the beans, shame the aphids don't always take the time to read the appropriate books

[Snoop Puss]

I'm hopeless at weeding peas. Always seem to snag a few of the plants too. And I keep thinking about growing nasturtiums as companion plants, but then I wonder am I not really creating a reservoir of pests...

Anyway, good luck with the experiment.

[NannyGreen]

Thank you Snoop Puss for the luck, it may be necessary in the circumstances As for encouraging pests, well, they come whatever I do and the birds help out as well. I sight a couple of feeders nearby and they have a bit of a go while they are queuing for the good stuff! Mind you, it does mean I lose a few peas as well - blasted pigeons.

[ameno]

I'm hopeless at weeding peas. Always seem to snag a few of the plants too.

Same here. That's why I usually just don't bother to weed them.

[NannyGreen]

Update on the "Can I grow peas in cardboard tubes?" experiment. Not sure but I think you have all been sending positive vibes towards my peas because it has worked! The cardboard tubes are a week ahead of the newspaper (supply issues delayed the start) but all looking good - so happy

Been trying to post this update for a couple of days but kept being kicked off the web site, then it disappeared completely, have there been problems? Anyway, here now so first picture follows.

[Snoop Puss]

There were problems a few days back, yes. All OK now though by the look of things.

Very neat-looking pots there, too. Fingers crossed for a good harvest.

[NannyGreen]

Thank you Snoop Puss I am putting my success down to all the encouragement I have received from you lovely people, not grateful enough to share my harvest though I'm afraid Onwards and upwards, need to make lots more newspaper pots and finish the rest of the cardboard tubes, hoping to end up with the above X 4 by end April.

Flushed with this recent success I'm thinking I might start a few parsnips off in newspaper as well. Weather has been so awful I've been stuck indoors and I can't seem to stop sowing seeds.

I guessed there must be a problem with the site but not sure it is sorted as I have been chucked off a couple of times today as well.

[Snoop Puss]

Good luck with the pots for parsnips. I haven't grown parsnips for a couple of years now, but I used to make the pots quite a bit longer than for my other plants, lighter fluid can kind of length. You have to really watch them because they're out the bottom almost before you can see any green! I grow (going to grow some again this year) Guernsey, a half-length parsnip, and don't really mind a bit of wonkiness at the end of the root. Better than them not germinating!

[NannyGreen]

Thank you for your good wishes Snoop Puss and for the heads up, hadn't thought that through what with the long roots and all. I have grown them in an old recycle box until a couple of years ago, When the council switched to wheelie bins I had two plastic crates spare and used them for carrots and parsnips but they have all but disintegrated after 10 years use so I need to find another option as I grow Tender and True and they do get quite big.

Maybe I need to go back to the drawing board on that one, if the weather doesn't improve soon I won't be able to move indoors

[NannyGreen]

Update on my experiment - I have just transferred 24 pea plants in cardboard tubes and 15 in newspaper tubes to the greenhouse. Hooray!

Now I have a bit more room indoors in the propagators I can start on the next lot of seeds. Parsnips have been sown in paper tubes, crossing my fingers.

Thank you all for help, info and encouragement