Gardening resources and tips, etc.

[herbidacious Profile]

That's a good idea, EM. Not sure I could make as many as I need though - over a hundred a year if I keep up last year's efforts. The only opaque plastic containers I buy things in that would be strong enough are milk and washing liquid and I don't get through those very quickly. Also I wonder if you can recycle little strips of plastic (in the end) as well as you can larger items. I really don't know the answer to that.

I find lolly sticks are single use only but that's ok because they rot down. (Which one of the reasons why they are single use...) My issue is ink bleeding into them and their becoming indecipherable. I suppose biro is better than permanent marker, if less easy to write with. Thick, soft pencil? Will have to experiment. Maybe some lolly sticks are better than others.

The aluminium ones look quite good... as long as you can get the marker off them. I have been using isopropanol. Not sure if that's bad. It's certainly potentially a bit dangerous!

[scullion Profile]

i have in the past used cut strips from the large plastic yoghurt pots and i save the wooden cutlery that comes with some takeaway food (and cake from the beach café during lockdown etc) for labelling, too (and ceramic ones) but for the allotment beds i'm using the cut up, surplus slats from a venetian blind that was too long. they are brilliant for row markers - and i don't have to bend down to see what's written on them.
i use both sharpies and chinagraph pencils (good on wood) for labelling.
of course you can always use the embossed, used, tomato paste tube system...

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Isopropanol is what they clean your skin with before an injection so not risky

But acetone or nail varnish remover probably more effective on felt tip ink (use a cheapo one which is less oily)

[Suffs Profile]

I use emery paper to take marker pen or whatever off old labels.

[herbidacious Profile]

I'd forgotten about chinagraph. I have a few pencils at work from the days when we went to film for the last bit before printing.

The isopropanol has lots of warnings on it. I hate the smell. OH likes it. Reminds him of his chemistry lab days. (He studied chemistry at university.) In fact he's the one who bought it.

Will experiment with all your suggestions when my current ones expire.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I think isopropanol is not good swallowed, but if vaccinators can wipe it on people all day, ok for adults to handle. I’ve probably got some somewhere.

I didn’t know you could still get Chinagraph, last time I tried to buy I couldn’t find one, but I was looking in shops not on t’internet

[Suffs Profile]

I sometimes use Chinagraph pencils on labels ((or even writing direct onto flowerpots if you sand them a bit first) if I can find them ... ... OH steals mine and hides them

[herbidacious Profile]

Writing on film with chinagraph was actually really pleasant.

I have a few seedlings up today. Some asters and poppies. The replacement chillies are dragging their heels.

I really need to go down the garden to see if peas etc in the greenhouse need watering. I don't do it very often at all...

I also have a few flowers out which I can't identify from the house. I think one might be an armeria (ballerina red). A bit early...? Mind you, tell that to the Italian anemones.

[ZeroCook Profile]

.
Loads of chinagraphs and metal plant markers on Ebay.

Only two pots of overwintered Caribe chilies made it. The others had existential crises in early January, yellowed, wilted and bit the dust. I repotted the two that survived - OH thought that the old potting soil had probably been depleted of nutrients. I hadn't wanted to feed midwinter or water too much. The survivors are doing ok but prob not the most vigourous of chilies varieties.

A lot of posters grow F1 hybrid seeds, but does anyone grow/save old variety heirloom seeds? Looking at tomatoes like Costoluto Geneovese and Fiorenti, Mamande or possibly one of the darker "black" tomatoes, possibly Carbon.

[scullion Profile]

i try not to grow f1 seeds as I'm rather fond of seed saving. yes i grow heirloom seeds. garden organics etc, some have been really interesting - i've kept currant tomato seed going from them for quite a few years now. the only time i've had good results from marmande is in a poly tunnel. i think they need less exposure to rain than outdoors in the uk.
i haven't heard of the others you mention but a friend has grown the purple ones before now - i can't say that they were an exceptional flavour but then i'd tried a few different ones of hers by then.
i have seeds for a couple of interesting (weird) tomatoes from one of the hermitage seed companies to sow soon.

[herbidacious Profile]

I have grown Indigo Rose but was underwhelmed by the flavour. Not a heritage one though. I am not a fan of Black Russian either...

re weird ones, I grew Reisetomato last year. Probably won't this year (or maybe one...) It tasted ok but was mealy. Fine for cooking. I feel I need to not go overboard on the varieties that are not blight resistant given the losses last year, although I imagine ones grown in the greenhouse could be less susceptible. (A friend of a friend bad it in his polytunnel though...)

how many tomato plants can I feasibly grow in a 10x6 greenhouse?

I very much doubt any of my chilli plants made it through the winter, as I neglected them. Maybe this year I will just keep two and really look after them.

[halfateabag Profile]

I am not sure if I will do anything 'greenhousey' this year with what is going on in our lives re Greece. We might not benefit at all if we manage to go permanently for a year.... We are booked for about 3 weeks April/May which will mean asking the lovely neighbours to water stuff.

I did buy and bring back a yam from Loosha. No, I am not going to try and grow it ! I do so lurve roast yam

[ZeroCook Profile]

i try not to grow f1 seeds as I'm rather fond of seed saving. yes i grow heirloom seeds. garden organics etc, some have been really interesting - i've kept currant tomato seed going from them for quite a few years now. the only time i've had good results from marmande is in a poly tunnel. i think they need less exposure to rain than outdoors in the uk.
i haven't heard of the others you mention but a friend has grown the purple ones before now - i can't say that they were an exceptional flavour but then i'd tried a few different ones of hers by then.
i have seeds for a couple of interesting (weird) tomatoes from one of the hermitage seed companies to sow soon.

I'm also fond of seed saving, tho have so many more than I ever plant.

Currant or cherry tomatoes sound good. i grew Punta Banda tomatoes last year and was disappointed in the flavour - nothing special and not very sweet. TBH I get better results buying plum/Roma tomatoes and letting them fully ripen out in a bowl Spanish style. I grew Marmande years ago and think they were quite good.

Looking at Indigo Rose online and quite a few online seed places and thinking how many of these F1 or weird/unusual tomatoes and veg are about appearance less about flavour ....

I like to grow things that are better DIY than bought or that you can't easily buy. Not too much point otherwise IMO.
Looking at Queensland Blue and Jarrahdale pumpkin and Sweet Meat/Crown Prince squash. And a cold climate fig tree.

[Suffs Profile]

One of the best flavoured tomatoes I’ve ever grown is Anna Russian … it’s an Ox-heart with a whispy sprawling habit so needs some space, but the flavour is delicious. I was given the seeds by a grower in Italy … he too thought they have a great flavour.
http://www.tomatodirt.com/anna-russian-tomato.html

[Badger's Mate Profile]

I thought that Indigo Rose had a slightly mushy texture when I grew them. They were obtained from a seed swap though and might not have been true.

I grow Red Alert on the plot, which has been pretty successful, although a late Spring and the blight last year reduced the crop. In a normal summer (whatever that is) they will have produced loads by the time late blight shows up. In the greenhouse there will be Brandywine and Red Cherry. Sungold and Sunbaby have also been good, as was the yellow version of Brandywine. Each year there might be a new one to try but they aren’t usually an improvement on what is currently grown - I’ve tried plenty over the past forty-odd years. My next intentional experiment will be one of the newer hybrid versions of Brandywine.

[herbidacious Profile]

Those sound nice, Suffs. Will see if I can find a reputable supplier. Probably not a good greenhouse one though, by the sound of it!

I can't remember the texture of Indigo Rose. It's possible I didn't let them ripen enough. That's the thing. You can grow things and if they don't work tend to think it's you rather than the seeds or plant.... unless you discuss it with others. Or at least I do this. I should have a little more confidence in tomatoes. though, given how long I have been growing them for, now. That said, I have more or less good places to grow them and some are not grown in an optimal location.

I seemed to end up growing too many cherry ones last year. Given that I cook with most of mine, that's maybe not optimal. I grew a couple of varieties that you are supposed to be able to leave on the plant until they begin to shrivel, and are concentrated in flavour. No such luck last year with poor weather and blight.

I need to see what I have and decide what to grow soon...

[herbidacious Profile]

Quick question (for advanced info!): when do people put tomato plants into an unheated greenhouse, generally?

[Wic Profile]

I have just had a happy hour outside using my Hori Hori for the first time. Magic. It’s great for uprooting dandelions and a big help when I attacked a patch of couch grass. It goes deeper than the trowel, so hopefully the grass will take a while to re establish.

I haven’t started any seeds yet. I nearly did a couple of weeks ago, then restrained myself. I’m going to try waiting till March, though it’s killing me to do that!

[herbidacious Profile]

Very glad you like it. Mine made much shorter work of very invasive and not very intersting geraniums. I was using it on the acanthus the other day, which has sent up about 10 new shoots after being 'got rid of' last year, to make a new small border

[PatsyMFagan Profile]

I, very naively put an acanthus in my garden a few years ago ... one plant I really regret, even more than Phlomis

Both have migrated to other parts of the garden, but at least the phlomis has shallow roots ...