Lunar Planting - what have you grown today?

[marchogaeth]

Crikey March I don't know...maybe AP above ^^^ can guide. All my trays are inside as they form part of my traditional Boxing Day decorations that stay up with a bit of shuffling through to Spring. It's tomato time soon too
I do out my alliums out into my greenhouse once through and up a bit, but they are in double walled constructions.

I am so pleased with my leek crop and they taste fantastic. If I germinate some seeds in margarine tubs in the house I could bury those in the tunnel beds and then keep them under fleece when it gets cold, maybe.

I need to find the links to Zazz's posts and blog pages about keeping tomatoes and chillies outside from early in the year. I think the October frosts might have done serious damage to my overwintering chillies as they caught the ends of the trimmed stalks and made them rot quite a lot before I tyrimmed them again. I really want an early crop of tomatoes this year having only just eaten the last of the 2012 ones that ripened off in the cupboard.

As it's roots (and transplanting) I think I will give up waiting for the garden to be dry enough to plant out my field beans and stick them in a gap in the tunnel. I didn't want broad beans in there again as they were in the way when I wanted to get going last spring but I don't want to waste them either.

Thank V I feel quite inspired. ( I had convinced myself I wasn't going to start too early this year as I find it so hard keeping things going in the house after germination.)

[Aberdeenplotter]

whoops missed the point didn't I? I have a heated bench in my shed with artificial lights. Sow with bottom heat of 18ºc/65ºf. Once germinated try to maintain a minimum of 55ºf. leeks are very hardy and once established shouldn't be troubled by frost

[marchogaeth]

whoops missed the point didn't I? I have a heated bench in my shed with artificial lights. Sow with bottom heat of 18ºc/65ºf. Once germinated try to maintain a minimum of 55ºf. leeks are very hardy and once established shouldn't be troubled by frost

So I can germinate with no problems, can probably do 13°C (see what I did there) for a couple of weeks in the house before they get too leggy. Will that count as established?!

[VirginVegGrower]

Thanks AP

March - I'm raring to get going too. It's the early bush toms that Zazzy starts in Dec/Jan. all others wait until Feb. I pot mine on and keep in the house. Ask her, she saw them last year and was gobsmacked

[Aberdeenplotter]

So I can germinate with no problems, can probably do 13°C (see what I did there) for a couple of weeks in the house before they get too leggy. Will that count as established?!

nnnooooh absolutely not. if you are moving them to colder conditions, you will have to gradually harden them off first of all.

Leeks and onions will both germinate at temperatures lower than the optimum of 18ºC/65ºf. It may take longer and the germination rate may be substantially less.

not sure what you did there. What did you do?

[marchogaeth]

As I posted it it does sound a bit brutal! I think I can do the hardening off round the house windows before moving to the polytunnel under fleece. I know I keep saying it but it's light levels in the house that are my problem.

I'll call it an experiment and then it won't matter if it goes wrong! Thanks for the advice, I'll keep you posted.

not sure what you did there. What did you do?

F to C for growing temp. (probably not worth pointing out really!)

[Aberdeenplotter]

F to C for growing temp. (probably not worth pointing out really!)

Ah lolol, I wish you hadn't I read and read through the thread trying to make sense of it and just got it. I can bereally thick sometimes . Did you do the conversion longhand or use an online convertor?

I can do it using the formula - original temperature minust 32 divide by 9 times 5. I always try it with 212ºf (boiling point of water) which should and does convert to 100ºC but somehow always find it more difficult calculating from celcius to farenheit

[marchogaeth]

The convertor - I always have to work out which way to do it otherwise! C to F is always harder for some reason.

[Sylvan]

I find it harder converting from fahrenheit to celsius 'cos I remember the formula as 9C/5 + 32 and always have to rearrange it to do it t'other way :-/

I'm sure this question has probably already been answered somewhere but would you sow asparagus on a leaf day, or on a root day because you're trying to build up the roots for the first year?

[VirginVegGrower]

I find it harder converting from fahrenheit to celsius 'cos I remember the formula as 9C/5 + 32 and always have to rearrange it to do it t'other way :-/

I'm sure this question has probably already been answered somewhere but would you sow asparagus on a leaf day, or on a root day because you're trying to build up the roots for the first year?

Moon Phase Planting of Asparagus
Synodic - New Moon to first Qtr
Biodynamic - Asparagus should be planted when the moon is in one of the following Zodiac Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

[VirginVegGrower]

30/12/12Leaf Cancer Waning gibbous

Synodic:
Now is a good time to sow root vegetables, berries, bulbs, onions, biennials, and perennials.

Biodynamic:
Moon in Cancer: This is a Water sign. It is a good time to sow Leaf plants.

Sidereal:
Moon in Cancer: This is a good time for germination

[Sylvan]

Thanks VVG. I shall wait till the moon enters Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces between the new moon and the first quarter then, just to be sure

[VirginVegGrower]

Today's Moon Information
Date: 31 December 2012
Leaf Cancer Waning gibbous

Synodic:
Now is a good time to sow root vegetables, berries, bulbs, onions, biennials, and perennials.

Biodynamic:
Moon in Cancer: This is a Water sign. It is a good time to sow Leaf plants.

Sidereal:
Moon in Cancer: This is a good time for germination

[VirginVegGrower]

So I did and now I have a tray each of Precoce de Louviers Cabbage and Greyhound Cabbage in my living room window, as well as Christmas lights...oh well

I also sowed a mixed leaf tray for the kitchen window as a cut and come again...

[Aberdeenplotter]

Today's Moon Information
Date: 31 December 2012
Leaf Cancer Waning gibbous

Synodic:
Now is a good time to sow root vegetables, berries, bulbs, onions, biennials, and perennials.

Biodynamic:
Moon in Cancer: This is a Water sign. It is a good time to sow Leaf plants.

Sidereal:
Moon in Cancer: This is a good time for germination

Whooosh, clean over my head. I've tried googling to see if I can make sense of it but I must just be thick