Big Plans - 2013!

[Newton]

If its smaller than the container.....yes! But if you plan on growing one.........well that's different.......might be too small to supply sufficient nutrition. But if you can spare a seed or two and the effort......watering will be needed twice a day or more.....why not give it a go.........good luck!

[GrimChili]

Hey everyone thanks for all the replies. - In relation to my squash and pumpkin enquiries I managed to get a couple big builders sacks from work as they were re-graveling the carpark so I my chance and grabbed them! There beasts! Gonna be some serious expenditure to fill them with soil but I think they could be perfect for growing some nice big squash and pumpkin plants! Perhaps even multiple plants per sack, they are pretty darn big!

On another note, I've been getting pretty stressed with leggy seedlings as of late I must say! I have a nice little propogator tent with a 2ft 2 tube T5 but I'm not convinced its helping because alot of my chillies are different heights etc so makes it hard to get the light close enough...

Can anyone give me their opinion on how these plants look? I'm just dreading the fact that I've gotta keep them in for at least another 2 months if not longer... Poor buggers...



How's everyone elses garden start going? Anyone else East Anglia/Essex Way? We had loads of bloody sow!! ARGGHHH!!!

Cheers
GrimChili

[Nes]

They look pretty good to me. My tomato plants are a bit leggier than yours, but I'll pot them on deep, and they'll grow more roots from the buried stem. As for my chillies, they've only got seed leaves at the moment!

[GrimChili]

Hey Nes,

Thanks for your quick response, set my mind at ease a little, I have done a small amount of veg gardening for the last 3 years but I gotta say this time sorta stresses me out, especially with the weather we're having, I'm only in a small rented house and I'm running out of windows sill space quick and tbh I don't like how leggy they get on small sunnyish window sills! I wish I had loads of space but hey ho...

Anyone else? Any tips on stopping plants getting too leggy?

Cheers

GrimChili

[Two_Sheds]

Any tips on stopping plants getting too leggy?

Give them less heat, more light. Or sow later in the season (after the clocks go fwd, say) when there are longer days and more natural light

[Dotty Sarah]

Hi GrimChili, welcome to the vine, just want to reassure you that you are far from the only person who is stressed out and running behind this year because of the weather! I think the general consensus on here recently has been to wait a bit longer before planting too much as we just can't be sure how much longer this weather will continue I planted a load of tomatoes early and they've all succumbed to damping off so got to start again. Good luck with your plans.

[Samurailord]

Hi GrimChili

Yes, I too am stressed out with the weather and just waiting until I can get on with sowing all the thousands of seeds I have gathered together over the winter.

I sowed up 14 types of tomato yesterday (but only 2 of each variety) but as I don't have a grow light they have gone on my bedroom windowsill until I can get a polytunnel up on the plot.

I will be following them with 9 varieties of chilli this weekend (from mild Anaheim to fiery hot Scotch Bonnet Yellow and Habaneros).

I already have some broad beans which are almost ready to be planted out, and I did have some leeks but most have gone down with damping off so I may sow a second batch this weekend as well.

Andy

[GrimChili]

Hey guys thanks for all the response! Glad I'm not the only one!

Give them less heat, more light. Or sow later in the season (after the clocks go fwd, say) when there are longer days and more natural light

Already know that one mate, its doing it thats the hard bit! I hadn't thought about the extra hour when the clocks go back! Good Shout! What have you started so far Two_Sheds?

Hi GrimChili, welcome to the vine, just want to reassure you that you are far from the only person who is stressed out and running behind this year because of the weather! I think the general consensus on here recently has been to wait a bit longer before planting too much as we just can't be sure how much longer this weather will continue I planted a load of tomatoes early and they've all succumbed to damping off so got to start again. Good luck with your plans.

Thanks for that reassurance Sarah, I wouldn't actually say I'm running too behind almost the opposite, bloomin chillis! I know they need the long season but I actually kind of resent them at the moment lol! Bah! I spose its not their fault, its the weathers! Do you remember last year, the weather this time of year was ridiculously warm!

Hi GrimChili

Yes, I too am stressed out with the weather and just waiting until I can get on with sowing all the thousands of seeds I have gathered together over the winter.

I sowed up 14 types of tomato yesterday (but only 2 of each variety) but as I don't have a grow light they have gone on my bedroom windowsill until I can get a polytunnel up on the plot.

I will be following them with 9 varieties of chilli this weekend (from mild Anaheim to fiery hot Scotch Bonnet Yellow and Habaneros).

I already have some broad beans which are almost ready to be planted out, and I did have some leeks but most have gone down with damping off so I may sow a second batch this weekend as well.

Andy

Sounds good Samurai Lord, I too have a similar amount of Tom's planted (2 of each again). As for the chillies I'm stressing about nothing really most look ok, some bit leggy is all but hey ho! Fortunately I did a mid feb sowing and a mid march sowing which are coming up nicely now as well so I can always rely on them if the earlier ones go bad! Have about 25-30 varieties 2 of each! Every year I say next year just take it easy and don;t grow so many... haha!

I can't wait to start my pumpkins and squash (my 'this years' vegetable gardening craze), this will be my first year growing them but I've collected loads of seeds over winter! My garden is going to be over-run for sure! Can't wait!

Thanks again guys, Lets hope the weather sorts itself out!

GrimChili

[Potstubsdustbins]

You don't get an extra hour of day light when the clocks go forward. What 2Sheds was refering to I think was it would be a better time of year to plant as the days are longer than when you first planted.

As to your plants at this time, if the weather improves you may get away with potting on very deep. Take off the seed leaves and plant up to the next set of true leaves. Keep them on the dry side of moist whilst they settle and you should get some nice plants.

If your toms fail you could put them through the 'milk bottle'. Cut the leader off just above the first set of true leaves leaving on the rest of the leaves and put them in a milk bottle full of water. Keep the water level topped up on a daily basis. After about a week you will see the new root system start to form, give them another few days to let the roots grow and pot on.

Potty

[GrimChili]

You don't get an extra hour of day light when the clocks go forward. What 2Sheds was refering to I think was it would be a better time of year to plant as the days are longer than when you first planted.

As to your plants at this time, if the weather improves you may get away with potting on very deep. Take off the seed leaves and plant up to the next set of true leaves. Keep them on the dry side of moist whilst they settle and you should get some nice plants.

If your toms fail you could put them through the 'milk bottle'. Cut the leader off just above the first set of true leaves leaving on the rest of the leaves and put them in a milk bottle full of water. Keep the water level topped up on a daily basis. After about a week you will see the new root system start to form, give them another few days to let the roots grow and pot on.

Potty

Thanks for the respose Potstubsdustbins!

My plants are actually look ok I've decided, glad I started them early.

What to do this weekend? Tempting to start thinking about sowing some more stuff... Squash, Cucs, etc...

What you guys think? Without wanting to jinx it the weather seems to be perking up abit!

Cheers

GrimChili

[GrimChili]

Afternoon all!

I could be wrong (but I don't think I am), I do believe I have my first flower bud of the year on one of my freshly sown chillies (mid feb).

What do you reckon?

[GrimChili]

Hello all!

How's everyones garden going?

Quick question, will Basil react badly if I pot it deeply when I pot up (as you would with Chillies)?

Cheers!

[SarzWix]

Hi GC, I've moved your question to its own thread, because more people will see it and you'll get more opinions that way