Gardening Resources & Tips

[herbidacious]

Even though it's really expensive, if I had not just bought a new camera I would be tempted but this:

https://www.greenhousesensation.co.uk/p ... ht-garden/


One could DIY it in principle and I have looked into this over the years but not sure I have the skills or patience. I had a hifi trolley that looked very like that in the '90s (from Argos)! The main issue is finding a way to suspend the lights away to lower and raise the them, as you can on this.

It would be useful for tomatoes in the early stages when the (one and only) windowsill is too cold at night - so that I don't have to do a nightly transfer to a warmer spot - and before it's warm enough to put them in the lean to. But I will not be tempted!

[scullion]

hmm, yes - very tempting...

[herbidacious]

The lights alone would probably cost a lot. Having just one plug for all the lights would be an advantage.

It's odd that no one seems to make stands for lights that enables you to suspect them. I did find some suction things that allows you put them on the lid of a propagator, last year, but you don't necessarily want to leave a lid on. I bought a massive propagator (waste of money. I stupidly forgot to dimensions and there is only one, not very good place, I can put it.) which has side extensions to raise the height, sort of brackets that you can rest lights on without a lid but they are badly designed, attached with suction cups that won't stay stuck.

If I bought this, I am not sure where I'd put it. It's quite big. I am sure I would find room but it would be awkward wherever it went... basically in the very small spare bedroom in front of the bed, as not spare wall space...
But get behind thee Satan, and all that

[Uschi]

At that price I would go for a handsome shelf with metal grid on the sides and then suspend the lamps from there.

[herbidacious]

Undoubtedly you could make your own. It probably wouldn't look as neat, but equally might be a fun project if you are half decent at DIY and have the time. (I am the person who is useless at doing things with their hands...)

I can't exactly work out how it works. I'd be looking for a video review before committing to it.

Lights usually have to be suspended from above or rested on top of something (using something that keeps them out of direct contact with that something.) so it might be tricky to do this from the side, if that's what you meant by the grills, Uschi. But I see they now sell these
https://www.greenhousesensation.co.uk/p ... row-light/

I guess you could hook them over something, if you can find something that will fit firmly in a grill but which can easily be moved. This might be easier said than done. These are very long though.

Otherwise I'd say you would need two of these for each shelf.

https://www.greenhousesensation.co.uk/p ... t-fixture/

But you can of course just put plants in pots in trays on on top of something - I use upturned seed trays in my massive propagator).

You can be daisy chain tube lights, but not sure if you could connect 8 of them together, so you might end up with lots of plugs.

The wheels are a nice touch.

At the moment I have, in the lean to, two lights suspended from wires that are attached to shelf brackets that can be moved up and down (very awkward but ok to do - they are this type https://tradefit.uk/products/twin-slot- ... stem-white) Not perfect as the lights aren't long enough. (MIght add a couple of short ones this year.) The lean to is glass roofed but in between two houses so this is to boost light rather than provide all of it. It's cold in there though so no good for tomatoes until late May or so.

I am actually tempted by the lights I put a linked to above, now... but they are a bit too long for my lean to set up. Really good price though.

[herbidacious]

I am thinking about digging out my massive propagator now...! But I'd need new lights for it as the ones it came with are in the lean to.

[Uschi]

It depends on the lamp and whether it can easily be fastened to a rod, a clamp or whatever. If not, then it is difficult, but if yes, you will just have to think of how to integrate it with a shelf on wheels.

[herbidacious]

I am not sure what to do about my broad beans. They are mostly looking very unhappy - droopy (although we did have a frost this morning...) but also full of holes. What would cause that at this time of year?

Not sure whether to replace (pricey if I buy plants at this point) or abandon. They are occupying a whole raised bed which I would like to grow peas in, so they need to be done and dusted by pea planting time. (Which would just about have happened if these had thrived.)

[scullion]

hmm, i would have said flea beetle or the like but its possibly a bit early for that.
you could always give the plants a little support if they're that tall and floppy. i find they often have a bit of a lie down when they get taller anyway.
or you could inter-sow with seed in order to make sure you get a crop if the others fail.
are they sending out new shoots from the bottom? the ones i sowed outside last october are about six or so inches high with more shoots from the base. quite compact little plants at the moment but they'll (hopefully) get to a point when they need a bit of support against the wind.

[Suffs]

I agree Scully … I have found canes and twine around them is helpful if broad beans get leggy.
As for the holes, it does sound like flea beetle … I’d not be too concerned. Broad bean plants often look very unpromising at this time of year but when the weather warms up they thicken up and become sturdier and do well.

[herbidacious]

They are each supported on a cane with twine. Either tied in and/or in a kind cat’s cradle affair (which works well if they are not floppy!) Will have another look next I can. They may have flopped because of the frost.
I looked into buying new plants on line and nothing will arrive until May anyway so will just leave and see. I think that’s too late if I want to grow peas there.

In the past I have always sown from seed in late autumn and planted out in spring so this is new to me.

[scullion]

i sow them straight in the ground in october rather than sowing then planting out, they don't need mollycoddling, they're hardy.

yes, flea beetle only really do cosmetic damage to the leaves they won't damage the beans.

[Suffs]

i sow them straight in the ground in october rather than sowing then planting out, they don't need mollycoddling, they're hardy.

I do exactly the same. They survived weeks under 2’ of snow during the Beast from the East and cropped well.

If they’re sown and grown indoors they’re bound to be more tender when planting out than the ones down outside.

[herbidacious]

I wasn’t going to grow them at all this year but saw them on offer -very cheap - in November.
I don’t really have room for them as I am growing onions - I only have three smallish beds. No 3 is devoted to French beans and borlotti.

[Badger's Mate]

If I sow broad beans directly into the ground they become mouse food. There’s nothing wrong with feeding mice but they don’t always share…

[scullion]

fortunately, they don't seem to attack the broad beans, not much does, but i think they might have had a go at a couple of the onion sets i planted (though, again, maybe they had been pulled up by a bird).
i suppose you've tried soaking them in paraffin?

[Badger's Mate]

i suppose you've tried soaking them in paraffin?

No, I’ve never managed to catch them…

On the subject of birds, the jackdaws over the plot are very helpful, as they test that any transplanted seedlings are firmed in properly. They also take labels out to check that the crop has been identified correctly. Unfortunately they don’t see it as their job to replace either.

[herbidacious]

oh dear...

i have put net cages over both my onions, new rhubarb (where is that? No signs... ) and broad beans - primarily to keep cats and foxes off them. I suppose that's not very practical if you have a bigger plot.

[scullion]

No, I’ve never managed to catch them…

hahahaha

[herbidacious]

Was just looking through last year's photos and realized that either things were a bit early last year or a bit behind this year. This time last year I had paperwhites flowering on the 12th and yellow daffodils and crocuses on the 24th and my ornamental plum in full bloom on the 27th. of Feb.

T took me to a garden centre today. I bought quite a few plants and only didn't buy more because my basket was too small. Good time to get things I guess as you can still get small and thus cheaper version of certain things.

While fetching a gravel tray to transport them from the car I discovered a lot of baby slugs...

I now have some seed compost and might start sowing hardy annuals in the coming week (start off indoors then put in the unheated lean to, then under cover inside the greenhouse. I have some tidying up to do first...)