Wonderings

[Bill HH]

I have a load of little irritating things nagging me, none of them worth putting in a thread so i have bunched them together. hope someone can help.

My garlic, I have some containers in the poly tunnel that are doing well, they have straight shoots maybe 4 inches long but a few of them are not doing well, they are twisted and slightly yellow, what could be causing that? I still have some spare sets so should I replace them or leave them.


Carrots, what happens to carrots if i plant them in fertilised soil?

I have some brassicas outside 4 inch cauliflower and cabage, they have been stripped bare by tiny caterpillars, will the caterpillars die with the frost and the plants then recover or should I compost the lot.

Will my "blow away" poly tunnel, blow away this weekend? Im thinking of camping out in it so i can hold it down when the storm hits. years ago we had wooden poultry houses blown 3 fields away leaving the poor chickens huddled on the base unharmed but bemused.

Chard, I have some lovely swiss chard, but what can i do with it? never eaten it before.

Dhalias, can i cover them with compost and leave them or must I lift and store the tubers, we have very mild winters here.

Im done.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Garlic - I'd ditch the dodgy ones if you have others to replace them.
Carrots - the lore has always been that rich beds make carrots fork - but I think I read that the thoughts on this were changing. I'd do it (cover in fleece/environmesh though to stop the carrot fly.
Brassicas - surprisingly able to recover from setbacks, I'd leave those to see if they come back
Blowaway - can you anchor it to anything nearby with rope, or peg it down?
Chard - small leaves, stir fry or steam. Large leaves, cut the stems off and boil/steam for longer than the leaf bits. I'm not keen - just tastes 'green' to me.
Dahlias - I'd be worried that they'd rot if left in cold wet soil, but I'm no expert there.

[Martin H]

What Hazel said.

With Dahlias, I seem to have about a 50% success rate if I leave them in the ground. They don't mind a bit of wet as long as it doesn't get waterlogged, but you have to keep an eagle eye open for slugs especially in spring when they start growing.

Lifting and storing I manage over 80% success, so I try and lift 2 of each kind, box them up in old compost and leave in the shed till March.

[Dorothy rouse]

I'll only comment on Chard, use it fairly young, wash, chop, cook like spinach, steam or boil for very few minutes, add butter, salt pepper. If you let it grow too long gets bit tough n stringy.

[kathyd]

Don't get me started on caterpillars!! I was still finding them in the polytunnel on Xmas day last year! I just put my tiny brassicas into the tunnel a few days ago, mainly cos it's the only space I've cleared properly yet and I needed to plant them out, and 2 days later I found more tiny caterpillars on them, even under netting! I must have taken eggs or titchy ones inside when I transplanted.. *sigh*. But most brassicas seem to recover - not sure about cabbages and things though, which are supposed to grow a single heart?

[PyreneesPlot]

Chard goes well with dairy, too. Stalks and leaves make a good gratin or rich creamy cheesy tart. Good cold weather food!

[Bill HH]

Thank you for tolerating my silly questions, the garlic is the one that is interesting me, the outside ones are fine, the container I have put in my poly tunnel is the problem, I have them in a large old plastic crate with a mesh bottom so its well drained, they are planted in potting compost. There are only 8 planted, 3 have curled up and gone slightly yellow 5 are growing well. This morning one of the good ones is curling up. I am not so interested in getting garlic as knowing why some would do this when others dont given exactly the same conditions. I have given them a good talking to.

[Bren In Pots]

Chard, I have some lovely swiss chard, but what can i do with it? never eaten it before.

.

Bill have a read at this thread there's a fair few chard recipes :-

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ard_66899.html

If I only have to grow one leaf veg it would be chard.

[SarzWix]

Check the roots on your garlic, make sure it isn't something like vine weevil grubs munching at them... If the roots appear okay, plant your fresh cloves into different compost to make sure it isn't that, and keep an eye on the temperature if they're under cover; they're a cold weather crop really. If they're still failing, take photographs and send to the supplier for a refund.

[kathyd]

Are all your outdoor and indoor garlic in the same compost Bill, or are the outdoor ones in a bed? If they're in a bed, maybe you could try using the same soil in the indoor pots with some of your spare cloves, and see how they do?

[marchogaeth]

When you say the garlic is in compost, is that purchased or home made? No chance of the dreaded Forefront in little pockets is there?

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ight=Forefront

[Bill HH]

When you say the garlic is in compost, is that purchased or home made? No chance of the dreaded Forefront in little pockets is there?

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ight=Forefront

They are in bought compost, but they do look like they have been sprayed with something, I have exposed one and it appears to be a very healthy bulb, no longer clove shaped but going round. My outdoor ones are also in compost, they are not so advanced despite being planted at the same time, but they are not twisted and crippled either. I will leave them and see what happens, also start my spares off in another container.

[Veggielot]

[QUOTE=Bill HH;1178023]Thank you for tolerating my silly questions/QUOTE]

I don't think there is such a thing as a silly question. Feel free to ask away.

[TrialAndError]

"Will my "blow away" poly tunnel, blow away this weekend? Im thinking of camping out in it so i can hold it down when the storm hits"

Just like Michael Fish I can reassure you that the winds will not be strong enough to blow away your "blowaway". Ha!

[Bill HH]

"Will my "blow away" poly tunnel, blow away this weekend? Im thinking of camping out in it so i can hold it down when the storm hits"

Just like Michael Fish I can reassure you that the winds will not be strong enough to blow away your "blowaway". Ha!

Why does that offer me such little comfort!!!

I have it screwed to the patio slabs, strips of wood over the overhanging flap which are also screwed down, and today I fitted the supplied guide ropes drilling a hole in the slabs for the pegs. i can do no more. i also siliconed all the panels in my green house yesterday. I can hear the wind howling outside right now.