General Chat

Yes Fred I did cut them, but somehow I always say pick! Having them with purple sprouting and a parsnip flan

:-)

Good to Hear Lesley ,mine are doing well too ,for up here in the cold, don't forget to choose a few small ones when the time comes to take your own seeds for next year.
Pleased someone else is giving them a go as there is now a small pool in case one of us drops a clanger and needs to restock ,one to the other.
Noticed that the italian ones are doing very well too ,a plum variety ,the ones from Dolmio will not be going in until next year. :-D

I cut my first asparagus a couple of weeks ago then when it turned cold and wet the asparagus stopped growing it's only just starting to show new spears :-D

Fred 7 out of 10 tomato seeds have germinated :-D :-D :-D

Hope you don't actually PICK your spears K .i always use a proper knife ,cutting them just below the surface to prevent bugs being attracted to the broken surfaces by the smell,but a good sharp knife used with care will do too,mine are now a few days away from the first harvest as well ,yum. :-D

I do find leeks very fiddley and I lose the small ones down the hole! So I now start them off in a seed tray, with a few seeds in each module.

When they are as Badger described I plant the modules out without spliting them. When they have grown a bigger outside - about a month later - I split them and plant them out individually.

The soil is sodden here at the moment and it has been so cold, however I have decided to start the sweetcorn off inside this weekend. When it warms up outside everything tends to catch up - hopefully
:-)
On a bright note I must pick the first asparagus for tea tonight (only 4 spears)

Found the beetroot variety someone was enquiring about Puss ,was it you by any chance?.
Called Bullsblood ,a variety that produces lots of small oval shaped leaves that taste as good as the globe root it produces later in the season,used as a cut and come again ,meaning you take a few leaves off one plant and a few more off the next in line. :-).
Very useful as a garnish for many meals ,including salads while waiting for the bulbs themselves to grow ,so i will be buying a packet to try out :-D.
That is why i grow my seeds in cups Puss ,and mark each tray as to what they are e g cabbage ,the variety of.and the room needed to space them out,using plant markers ,and a pen ,much easier than the quessing game you seem to enjoy ,lol :-P.
Everything else seems to be starting to move up here despite the cold,and i feel more hopeful as to a decent season .
Fred. :-) :-D
Leeks ?,wait until they are nearly as thick as a matchstick before carefully moving them into a hollow in the soil made with a little dibber,lay the leek in carefully ,laying it into the bottom of the hole so the roots touch the bottom.give 'em a squirt of a good insect killer from Wilkinsons to keep the wireworm and grubs away ,and then trickle some water into the hole ,so it takes soil down with it to cover the roots.
Yes ,i know ,the leek will be lying against the side of the hole ,but ,as with onions planted the same way ,they will pull them selves upright within a few days,and don't forget to water them every few days until the hole fills itself up a good bit :-)

i have some leek seedlings appearing whens best to transplant.

ive burried aLL OF THE ASPAragus thing i bought id only had half in lol.

my toms are doing well

i have some dwarf sunflowers too on mybedroom window doing well

sky scraper lillies are on there way up

and the plants which are cabbage or sprouts ive singled so just waiting to see what they develop into

will take some pics x

hello fred xx

I've just been reminded of something else I want to have in my garden Linseed :-D

So I'm putting a picture as my avatar to remind me :-D

thanks Fred will go and order some now, thanks lorraine xx :-D

Order online from garden centres ,wilkinsons ,B & Q ,Home Base,all do slug pellets of both kinds Puss and if you can't find the containers make your own from old marg' tubs ,easy to do with a lino knife.
Rotten day here ,raining like hell ,and windy ,but it hasn't stopped the ducks coming for dinner again ,word must be getting round though ,there were 5 today ,not 3 like yesterday ,must get some extra bread if this keeps up. :-D :-) Fred.

Hello our fred, where from, i live in the back of beyond, although we do have a hardware shop 7 miles away, and the name please , specky googled and couldnt find.

im scared to go look at my runner beans after he salted em xx

Get the mutt friendly ones that i use Puss ,they won't harm your pet ,or mine ,and are bird friendly too,you can also buy little containers to put them in to keep birds and pets off,Fred. :-D

Fred im scared to put slug pellets incase my dogs eat them as its only a polly tunnel i have and they follow me in there xx

??????? i never heard of salting beans BEFORE you put 'em in the pot ,he he ,what was he doing ? lol.
Depends on the amount he spilt ,and how wide spread it is .if it's only in a small area ,pick it up if possible a few grammes to a couple of ounces will be okay ,just try to spread it out a little.
Use slug pellets for the soil ,not salt ,and use bird/child friendly ones,Fred.

specky is a norty boy he has tipped salt all over my runner beans soil to help me arghhhh will it kill my beans x?

THANKS FRED WAS WONDERING WHERE YOU WERE, HAVE FUN IN BLACKPOOL, ARE YOU GOIMG ON THE PEPSIE MAX XXX :-D

Put 'Em well down puss,and spread the roots well out,then sit and wait until the little deeep purple heads show through.
Don't forget mind ,no cutting for two years :-(,you will have to buy it until then :-)
Fred in sunny Blackpool ,yes ,really ,lol :-P :-D
They may take up to 8 weeks to show through mind get your stool out ,and the knitting while you wait.
Brought some horse radish root yesterday from Wilkinsons ,where i got the Asparagus roots from ,horse radish ,yum ,worth the £2 for it Fred.

Thanks K xx

This a link with a video showing how to plant asparagus which may help

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingasparagus1.shtml

I don't know then Lorraine I have only ever seen them with roots, a bit like a spider :-S