Jumiclads SFG - Well here goes - with updates

Well here are the pictures I promised you.


First here are the two new GardenSkill 10" - 4'x4' raised beds from www.earthbox.co.uk which I set up this afternoon. It took me about 20 minutes to get each ready. I have planted the first 5 squares with Radish, Parsnip, Carrot, Beetroot and root parsley.


Then I made up 11 potato bags in which I planted 4 seed potatoes in each and 2 bags with Oca's in.


This is the new greenhouse we made up over the past few weeks. Had to do a few alterations as it is a lean-to and I had nothing to lean it against. It has worked out better though because I will be able to put some high trellises up against the back wall to grow melons etc. up. I have re-sown the seed trays with all my seeds as I did with the growlight centre. These should be up in a few days. I have also put a raised bed frame in the greenhouse ready for when I plant inside.

OOOOOOOOO AAAAAHHHHHHH, as my kids say SWEET.

Gwynn

Old Hippie wrote:

Gwynn

+1

I don't know about the rest of you, but I had no idea what an Oca is.

OCA

The following is a snip from wiki

Oca can be boiled, baked or fried. In the Andes it is used in stews and soups, served like potatoes or can be served as a sweet. Oca is eaten raw in Mexico with salt, lemon, and hot pepper

The stem tubers of oca form in the ground in the autumn. These are commonly boiled before eating although they can also be eaten raw. The leaves and young shoots can be eaten as a green vegetable. Introduced to Europe in 1830 as a competitor to the potato and to New Zealand as early as 1860, it has become popular in that country under the name New Zealand yam and is now a common table vegetable. It is also widely known in the Polynesian islands of the South Pacific under the name yam

What type of bags did you use for your potatoes and Oca?
Ha-v-v

They are a thick black polythene with good drainage holes in the bottom. They hold about 40 litres of compost.

Where did you get them? Are they for sale at garden centres?

Gwynn

Hi Gwynn, I got them on ebay UK, this is the Link

He only ships to the UK on the listing but you could always ask them for a quote to ship to you.

Also now you know what they are you may be able to find them nearer to you.

Here is a source in the US

homeharvest.com/containergardenpotsplastic

What a start!!!

I put all my seeds in the seed trays with covers on and left them to germinate which they did within a couple of days. I never knew I was supposed to take the covers off as soon as they germinate so guess what, damping off killed nearly all of them. The ones that survived are doing reasonably well but are not going to be used unless they look right. I think I will have enough to fill the greenhouse and a few for the raised beds. I think I have got the hang of watering without flooding them so they don't dry out too quick as well. Phew what a challenge that is.

I have now got 3 - 8x4 raised beds with one planted and the other 2 waiting for plants or next round of seeds. I put 30mm copper tape all round to prevent the slugs which seemed a good idea at the time until I happened across a Youtube video showing a lady watching a slug casually slither across the tape.

23 bags of potatoes planted, 1st & 2nd earlies and main crop. Along with the 2 Oca's I told you I had planted already.

When I get something that is worth looking at I will post some pics for you all to see.

I suppose the next seeds to sow will be my 2 squares of Nantes Carrots on the 15th.

Oh and one of the Bearded Collies thought it was great fun jumping in and running round one of the beds. Good job it was one of the empty ones or we would have had a good mix up of seeds.

More to follow in a few days, fingers crossed.

Well, this week has been better. Quite a few of the seeds in the greenhouse damaged by damping off have survived and are making good progress.

Remembering that all rows should be full with the same seedlings in this tray. Starting on the top row, vine tomatoes, bush tomatoes, basil, spring onions and pole beans. I have replanted the empty cells in all trays and they should start showing themselves soon.

First 2 rows should be full of lettuce and the rest are strawberries that all perished.

First 2 rows should be brassicas, then a row of pole beans, a row of parsley and then 2 cucumber plant. You can see the damage to the leaves on the 2 cucumber but they seem ok now the new leaves are coming.

In this tray the large leaves are from the top, Cantaloupe melon, water melon and zucchini. The rest of the cells are onion and leeks. Lost a few in this tray but the rest seem fine now.

On a high note the potatoes are doing great soon be time to top the bags up a bit.
Then, down again. In the raised beds most of the brassica family of plants have been rubbish, I have put this down to the soil conditioner having too much wood in it, robbing the nitrogen, and I told the company (Scott) who make miracle grow and they said it was but it was my fault for not following the instructions on the bag and putting too much in. Not so I told them I actually put less, not had a reply to that one though. Decided to leave well alone though as they are starting to pick up now. As you can see from the pics, the radishes did not do very well and the spring cabbage are still a bit yellow, but the broccoli has darkened off and are looking good.




And lastly I thought I would just throw in a new pic showing the rest of the raised beds now they are up and running.


How does that saying go "Things can only get better"

This may be a slower start than you had hoped, but it is growing!

The potato bags are looking good. The outside beds look good too.

Here's to things getting better and soon

Mick, that is absolutely amazing!! My goodness, Man, you have done a fabulous job. I went back to your first couple of posts and looked at the first photos you posted of what the yard looked like before you started and what is like now. The difference is is incredible.

Even though you are hitting a few snags with the planting that will come soon enough. In the meantime you can be so very proud of what you achieved.

I love the green of your boxes with the stained fence and grids. Looks gorgeous. That is the colour/paint consultant coming out in me. LOL!

Gwynn

Would you believe it. I went down the garden this morning and something had walked all over my beds and left great big animal footprints. I can only think it must have been a fox.

It had dug a hole right where I had planted my Nantes carrots and deposited something in the hole and buried it. So, I got my shovel and started digging and get what I found? 2 Iced Buns, yes you read right, I didn't believe what I was seeing. I had to laugh.

Needless to say I think the carrots will be growing in different places now when I can find out where I will let you know.

Hi everyone, It has been a while since I posted an update. Mainly because things were not going as planned. I finally got the garden finished and planted a few beds with seeds. I planted a whole bed of brassicas and one of maize. Not one seed came up. Who knows why, not me. So I bought some new maize seeds and tried again, this time I planted in a tray and they germinated in a couple of days and are new about 2 inches high. As for the brassicas I re sown them in another bed of 3rd June and they are up already.

Here are my latest pictures of the garden cos I know how you all love pictures.

Potatoes in the foreground are doing great. I dug down a bit and found one around 2 inches long. They should be ready to start harvesting in around 3 weeks I think


The 5 new beds which have been double dug and strung up in squares and started planting.

This bed had the brassicas in which were not growing compared to the ones below so I moved them today into the end on the first new bed.






Radishes just poking their first leaves up after 3 days in the new bed.





Peas, radish, lettuce and beetroot. Also my Nantes carrots which somehow survived after a fox dug them up to bury an iced bun.


Lettuce and radish growing in the new beds.


This bed has an assortment of root vegetables and bush beans across the back, but not very pleased with their progress.

Pole beans look a bit sorry, here's hoping they will pick up soon.


Tomato plants with their first flowers on. I can't believe how many flower buds there are on the vine plant trusses. There must be over 200 on each, no kidding.


These are the melons and cucumber plants which are doing well but only seem to have female flowers on.


A Zuccini which I planted in the greenhouse which I wish I had planted outside now. Never mind.


This sowing of maize is doing better than the first one and I will get them in the beds over the next couple of weeks and pray for good weather to help them on their way.


These are a few strawberry plants I have grown from seed which will be planted into the empty bed above. There are 3 different types, red, yellow and white.

WOW! Look at all that stuff...I love it! Good job, keep taking photos to update us, OK? Ya know we all love photos!!

I really enjoyed reading this thread today right from the begining. Such a lot of hard work you have put into it, you deserve much success.

From reading your comments you have also learned a lot. Look forward to to following your progress.

I am pleased you are enjoying my thread. I will try to put more photos on next week when the new bed is showing its goods.

jumiclads wrote:I am pleased you are enjoying my thread. I will try to put more photos on next week when the new bed is showing its goods.

Make that in a couple of weeks. They don't grow that quick.

Your beds and greenhouse are beautiful! Great job!
GG

Hi everyone, long time no speak. I had a fairly successful year with the garden and produced quite a lot of good vegetables. I produced thousands of tomatoes, lettuce was the best I have ever tasted. I couldn't believe how fresh and tasty it was. Most of the cabbages and Brussels were eaten by critters but hey I am not too keen on them anyway. I mostly produced good crops of Toms, Lettuce, Beetroot, french beans and radishes. Most of the other crops I grew failed miserably but it makes it more of a challenge this year.

That's the end of this topic. I will start a new one as soon as I get started this year on the garden.

Everything is changing so keep watching.

Thanks for the update, Mick. We always like to know how things turn out.

You have made a good start and I am sure it will be even better this year.