Help!!!

[mrskp]

i plant, one for me, one for the OH, 6 for the critters.

[heebiejeebie]

I figure most plants are quite forgiving - otherwise nobody would be growing them. Local conditions do matter. I have a dry warm microclimate here with heavy clay soil so what I plant and when is very different from my dad (300 miles further north, colder, later spring and earlier autumn, with a high rainfall and loamy topsoil that would make most gardeners salivate).

I'm spending my first couple of years just trying things out. I'll repeat whatever works and dig up whatever doesn't.

[daisychook]

Hi sickntired, I am new to all this, hence all my posts with daft questions. I put my potatoes in ages ago, looked on the forum and decided I had done it all wrong, but now have three tubs of wild potato foliage!!! need to go and get compost to earth up me tubs!!! Its all a bit of a lottery when you are new (I have decided!!) but theres loads of good advice on here, I have found already. I am incredibly impatient. If I plant something today, I would like results tomorrow, I now realise it isnt like that!!!! My potato success is somewhat shadowed with my fuschia disaster - put plugs in my greenhouse (plastic 4 rack from B&Q) and managed to slow roast them on a sunny day last week. Never mind eh... all good fun..!!!! I have all my veg in tubs as I have a small garden, (and 4 chickens - one of which has been nibbling my onion tops this morning grrr! - last year I planted onion seeds around May time and couldnt really understand why I only had spring onions!! doh!!)
So you can now see you probably have more idea than me!!!

[TPeers]

Planted my asparagus two weeks ago - as per the instructions about roots lower than crown and 6" down - nothing showing yet. However two days after planting saw a thread that seemed to say should have left the crowns on the surface and waited for growth before burying!

Now I have no idea what to do except wait!

I know exactly how you feel - and I've been growing my own veg for thick end if 15 years!

It'll all come out in the wash!

Terry

[sickntired]

I went down to the allotment today and, wonder of wonders, I have potato growth!!! I was so happy I danced a jig! My lettuces,onions and peas are growing and everything is all right with the world. No asparagus tho
Thanks to everyone who gave me advice, you're all stars. I feel so much more confident now.
Now..........sweetcorn!!!?

[Nicos]

Oh boy!!!...wait a while!!!!!
I've only just planted my sweetcorn today, and will crop my first asparagus tomorrow morning!!
you are clearly doing well...

[Paulottie]

It's the right time for planting asparagus. As long as the crowns didn't dry out or it's not 2' down it will be up. Just don't be tempted to pick it!

Re. peas etc. There hasn't been much frost (but pehaps some protection at hand in case would be shrewd)

Have faith! plants want to grow.

[rustylady]

Veggieginger and sickntired, if you go to your user profile and amend it to show your location (only needs to be approximate, not your actual address) anyone reading your posts will be able to tell whereabouts in the country you are and this will help when answering questions as to crop and sowing timings.

[TheOtherHalf]

Sweetcorn? Go for it! Very easy plant, in my experience... Just need to plant enough of them in a square (or rectangle - the plants aren't too good at basic geometry!) so that they cross-pollenate, or you get naff all crop! Also, water them till you are knackered, and then add more - oh, and don't forget to water them well. They do like a lot of water, too. Oh, and did I mention that they need plenty of watering?

A bit like runner beans, really...

When it comes to picking them (jumping the gun a bit, I know, but hey...), look for cobs with dark chocolate brown tassles; peel back the outer leaves to reveal the golden yellow corn (you hope!), and puncture one corn with a thumb nail - the juice should be milky if the corn is ripe. Then break off the cob, and run back to the house, stripping the leaves off as you go, and plunge it into the pot of boiling water you prepared earlier (shades of Blue Peter). This will be the best sweetcorn you ever tasted... The sugars in the corn apparently start to break down as soon as you pick it. The supermarket ones are nothing but starch by the time we get them.

Oh, and don't forget to water your sweetcorn!

[Headfry]

TOH, loved reading your post, made my morning!
thanks

[mandyballantyne]

Hi The other half,

On the sweetcorn watering, would that be once a fortnight?

Mandy

[Paulottie]

I have potato growth!!! I was so happy I danced a jig! My lettuces,onions and peas are growing and everything is all right with the world. No asparagus tho
Now..........sweetcorn!!!?

Oh ye of little faith, I'm really glad your spuds are up , but watch the forecast like a hawk and get hold of some fleece or plastic incase you need cover them up (or...believe it or not,you can bury them again...EEEK!) cos we may well be in for a frost yet.

Some like it hot S'n'T....and sweetcorn is one of 'em. Best to start them at home in 3" pots,paper cups or similar at this time of year. Only sow one per pot as they hate root distubance when planting. You could try plasticbottle cloches (11/2L water botts with bottom cut out.) You can even invert them afterwards to facilitate all this watering and I'd definately consider mulching them.(grasscclippings will do)

Just how deep are these sparrow's grass crowns? i'm sure they will follow soon but then again, if we get a frost you might be glad that they were still underground.

[Dobby]

the main thing is dont panik if the frost gets them replant somemore this is our first year aswell its tril and ero just learn from your mistakes for next year that what we are doing

[Wendy]

Hey me too - ive had some great successes and great disaters so far and learning all the time - but most valuable lesson has been patience, i need more of it so i dont plant everything at once!!!!!

[Dobby]

yea I know whot you meen itchy fingers