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“My leeks, however,are still pencil thin after months in the ground. Going to call them spring onions and start again☹️”
How, when, did you plant them ? How big when planted,as I try to plant them out as ‘pencils’,mid July after early pots, although this year they followed on from broad beans/early peas. Picture dated 14/09/17Perry,
I have had consistant success with shallots from supermarkets. Driven by reluctance to pay , Suttons for example, prices (£4.49 for 400gm), whereas Waitrose/Morrisons/Tesco each sell ‘Brown shallots’ around 95p for 350gms. Suspecting that they may have been treated to keep unsprouted, it has been found that by dunking in a bucket of water for 24 hours, they readily grow and have produced 6-7 shallots each, larger than the parent and which keep (untreated!) year to year. This year I have some surplus home -grown which will be used as sets, hopefully they will also thrive.
Another source of inexpensive plants are the ‘living salad’ packs which supermarkets often have.
I have planted out (from Lidl), more than 70 various lettuce from a 69p pack.They (probably) have been treated with a fungicide, as they do not seem to damp -off despite being crammed into a polypack.Last year I also found Komatsuma in a similar pack, again at Lidl, which produced quickly, more than we could use.In a ideal world ,bought seed potatoes would be 100% healthy, disease free, undamaged, well stored and true to type. However, it is dependant on selection,storage,handling, integrity and freedom from human error.
Regarding your saved potatoes, if you can identify and exclude defective tubers, knowing that all your crop has survived since harvest without any problems, and that each used potato was sound when cut through,that your competance is equal to the average grower, then you are in a sound position to utilise the ‘survivors’ as ‘seed’
Unfortunately ,in my experience, paying in the region of £4 per 2 Kg does not enhance the certainty of success.Ah so its been determined, fantastic, perhaps I shall sleep better tonight!
If as described, its an annual so off with its head . No flowering, no seeding, no digging, its a past weed.Another one bites the dust.Unconditionally withdraw my suggestion in the light of new photograph!!
Do not believe that I’ve ever placed my hoe to this, so am confident its not a common ‘nasty’.
Will be pleased to learn when identified, is it in the UK. Thats certainly a rocky mixture you have- does it get better with depth?Hi Craig,
Every good wish and moral support in your venture. Hard work at first- first five years will be the worst!! Just keep it simple, and manage your inputs to fit your output. And make sure, for everything, that you definitely get paid.
CleansweepNot that good at guessing games but I would expect that to be Borago Offinalis (Borage)
See:
https://www.google.com/search?q=borage+seedling&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=BBRRxpLRVwWRBM%253A%252C1MoOU5tDkfTRLM%252C_&usg=__wanAL9QK7glhSaQJolxmdhRE5uA%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiCtNO5tuzZAhUkD8AKHXG8A1YQ9QEIUjAD#imgrc=BBRRxpLRVwWRBM:
Useful as a herb, as a pollinator attractor and I’m told , good to add to a G&T !! If you need to transplant them, use a trowel and scoop up as a root ball when not much bigger than now.I think they will still come unless rotted. Interestingly although quoted as” germinating in 8 days @ 20 deg c” in one table, it goes on to quote “172 days @6deg C” My labels would faded in that time!!
CleansweepBeth,
Think you might find something to suit you here:
http://www.growers-inc.com/flats/
I have no specific knowledge or experience of the company other than in a’ buyers guide’
Good luck, please report back
CleansweepUnless you can get another plot directly,one presumes you have paid rent already?, then why not see if you can succeed. I am sure further analysis of your location/site appraisal will provide some options. Your committee chairman may give a little supportive help; I am sure Charles &/or forum members would be pleased to see photos/Streetview/googlemap, even Ordinance survey details to assertain the options.
There would be no harm in DIGGING(!) a trench across a section to examine the soil strata and observe water table movements. If its a historic allotment, one feels the local conditions are probably caused by bad practice/neglect and could be resolved with effort.
I know how difficult it is to get an allotment, in most areas there are waiting lists, and in this Local authority, they are in deficit of provision against new builds, of some 400 plots.
I resolved by gaining an ‘odd corner’ on agricultural land from a ‘contact’.It would resist combustion whereas synthetics ‘grow’ a fire.
That mole may seem innocous but its likely to lift your planted crops, it will destroy the capillary structure causing loss of water uplift and it will EAT your little diggers (worms).
A non-lethal deterrent, simple and cheap, which worked for me, is to place an empty soft drinks bottle upside-down on a bamboo cane positioned through a tunnel. The breeze will intermittently move the bottle, causing a noise/vibration to be transmitted to disturb the mole. Works best if your plot has neighbours…..Mark, suggest you use a leaf rake(Springbok type) to spread out your composted manure. It will be quite easy to hook out the larger wooden bits, which seem to be coarse woodchippings used as cattle bedding. Some would market this material as ‘having carbon additive’at a premium rate!
Much will depend on the relative position of your plot; is it in a hollow?, at the lowest point of the allotment?; Survey the available drainage on-site. If the allotments are little used, maybe maintenance of ditches etc has been neglected.
Its been a relatively wet winter here in N E Hampshire, where are you?. Your local Environment Agency will put data for groundwater on their website. This will enable you to find the nearest borehole and follow the trends; maybe you can sink a hole in an odd corner and dip the water level to corrolate their findings.
In this area, where I’ve had three seperate plots, the winter level is high, causing difficulties in leaving carrots in the ground-they rot off 3″ down, and PS broccoli died due to roots rotting away.Typically in March, weather becomes more open and things can be planted out.
However, the gradual build -up of raised beds (second year) has reduced issues, the lower paths act as surface drainage ensuring the woodchip covering floats! The underlying London clay retains moisture for almost every season.
If it was easy, then anybody could succeeed!Its difficult to identify from a photo; its probably going to bolt(flower) as its overwintered. There would be some benefit to pot it up and then use the leafshoots as scallions before your spring onions are ready-April?
Against the possibility that its realy a shallot or clumping onion, you could plant it out.Presumably you know its source, which may determine.
If you’ve small people, they may enjoy growing it over a jamjar of water, seeing its roots and shoots develop.