Vegetable Growing 2024

Perhaps I need to get out more, only seen 1 Bumble here on the Solent but did see a Brimstone battling against the Force 5 Southwesterly yesterday. Glad you are more ambient, for whenever I have been to Norfolk its been 'plus one more sweater' !

 

The garden , in Lincolnshire, is still trying to dry out but this weekend there was bumblebee activity and the odd butterfly as it was sunny.
The raised beds are prepared and covered, and the tomato ,cucumber, and spring onion seeds have been started.

 

Just been hanging more washing out in the sun ... it's gorgeous out there today (a change from yesterday's drizzle) ... there are bumbles and solitary bees busy on the brunnera and the Golden Flowering Current ... here's hoping they're finding the beans and are still about when the pear blossom is out.

 

It was a gorgeous day here too in Sw France @Dovefromabove and my washing dried too.

I sowed broad beans and sugar snap peas yesterday in pots in the big barn. I don't have a GH here yet. The barn has open sides so is light but not frost free. The vegetable garden is very wet and sticky and my pea and bean seeds were eaten by mice or voles last year.

I haven't yet bought onion sets or seed potatoes. We came back from the UK last week.

 

Hello all! New member and a novice Gardener here.

I had some left over Lettuce Lobjoits Cos seeds from last year, which I thought had gone bad given I had just left them in a half open package on the bookshelf for a whole year.

In the spirit of being frugal I still sowed them but now I don’t quite know what to do. They’ve all sprouted! Too much of a good thing as they are much too dense. How should I save the majority of them from strangling each other?

Second question, do I need to buy a grow light given it is still March?

Thanks!

 

@Appleblossom I’ve never used a grow light in my long gardening life. Unless you’re growing something very unusual or very early in the season (when you’d probably need a heated greenhouse to bring them on) I really can’t see any need. Particularly if you’re still beginning.

 

I've never used one either in the 50 years I've been gardening.

 

I've bought that lettuce for this year, as it's supposed to germinate at much cooler temps. So far so good, but they're slow to grow on, so it may not make a huge difference.
I would just let them grow on in as light a spot as possible, turning them regularly, and if you have a cold frame or greenhouse, they might be ok to go out there depending on where you are. Once they're a bit bigger, you can just pot them into something bigger, in clumps rather than pricked out, and use them as a cut and come again crop.
Mine are a little bit further on, and I even put them outside for a short while on the days that aren't rough and cold.

 

I'm coming to the conclusion fast that Mother Nature does know a lot more than any writing on a seed packet. Think how Mother Nature would propagate seeds.

My thoughts for what it's worth, why force seedlings? We've gone down a 'rabbit hole' imo, stuff is being invented that we don't really need but some commercial company or retailer has convinced us life, or seedlings, will be better if we spend a bit of money on them.

Why force nature. Seedlings are taking their time to grow under cold conditions, they're in fact building strong roots and stems that will sustain them. In natural conditions seeds will germinate when it's right for them to do so.

BTW I've only just come to this conclusion, it's taken me a while and a lot of disasters and money spent.

I can't be sure, but after last year's disaster where most of my seedlings that were germinated in the warmth (and soft), were attacked by slugs. This year I've been cold/natural germinating seeds and I've not seen one slug nibbled plant.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome

So grow light is to deliberately extend the growing season of tomatoes given they are native to warmer continents. But salads seedlings ought to be kept outdoors to sync with the rhythm of the weather.

I am in Nottingham by the way

 

Mentioning season extenders reminds me that I have this conundrum every year. Which plants will tolerate the greenhouse if the outside temps hover around freezing? I'm thinking of at night when thermometer drops like a rock. I've been told over and over that onions tolerate cold so that must be true. But cole crops. They like the cold at the end of their fruiting cycle so can they tolerate a bit of a chill at the beginning?

Anyone have experience with this to share please?

 

As ever @Canadian Lori, it depends on the temperature in the greenhouse, not outside.

By cole do you mean cabbage family? They are usually very hardy but it differs between varieties and I'm not sure a lot of the ones we grow would cope with a Canadian winter.

Here in the Vendée, -8C is about as cold as it gets and it only ever lasts a few days so it's fine for me to shelter my citrus pots, fuchsias and cannas in the unheated polytunnel but any chillies will die. It's fine to direct sow broad beans in October/November and plant garlic and shallots in December.

On the other hand, it's been so unusually dull, grey and wet since mid October I haven't sown a single seed as they would just get etiolated and become weak and spindly. i'm holding on till next week as we have a few dry days forecast so I can empty and clean my polytunnel and sow some tomatoes and chillies on heat mats indoors.

 

Thanks @Obelix-Vendée. I am thinking of when the nights are hovering just above the freezing mark - for me that might not be for another 2-3 weeks. I'm just chocker block with seedlings in here and am wanting to put some out there and overnight too! Ever hopeful Lori...

Edited: I forgot to add that I'm thinking of broccoli and brussels sprouts