Seed Ordering Day

Last year I subscribed to Grow Your Own magazine

Each month a glossy magazine arrives (in a plastic bag) with about 6 packets of seeds, usually Thompson and Morgan.  These have introduced me to varieties I haven’t tried before, eg Little Gem lettuce which turned out to be fabulous crunchy lettuces which I picked and picked (and ate).  The celariac didn’t germinate sadly. Or perhaps it did and the slugs ate them.

Each year when I buy seeds I quickly leaf through the packets of what I’ve got then order.  Every year I end up with duplicates of several vegetable seeds and gaps.  Time to be more organised.  I found a shoebox upstairs and cut out some  dividers from old cardboard folders.  Then went through each seed packet putting them all in alphabetical order.  What did I find?  Many many carrot seeds packets – mostly freebies from the magazine, unsown.  I have huge difficulties in achieving anything like a good germination rate. Why?  I’m not sure. Some years, as if by the hand of fate, there’s a dry spell and the delicate seedlings perish.  Or (more likely) the slugs!  They hang out under the wall and amongst the honeysuckle and fern stems, scuttling across the garden at night for a feast of juicy seedlings.  You may wonder why I don’t take action but I do!  I’ve tried organic pellets but quite often there’s more success with little pots of beer.

Cataloguing job done though and seed order made.  This year I’m buying organic seeds after reading David Goulson’s The Garden Jungle . Quite  worrying read on the subject of pesticides and fungicides inherent now in non organic seeds.  I’m buying them from Tamar Organics based in Cornwall this year, in an effort to find a smaller company. Impressive range and easy, clear ordering.

 

January experiment. Broad beans

Found last years seeds – dreadnought.  Collected toilet roll holders, squeezed these into an old ice cream carton and filled with last year’s tomato compost (so hopefully not too rich for germination).  Also tried small pots to compare. In greenhouse.

Unsure whether or not to try and sow some outside as a comparison/experiment. I could sow them underneath the cardboard I’ve laid down on some of the beds and covered with leaves.

The crimson flowered broad beans were especially nice last year. Will try them again.

2020 plans and progress

2019. what worked well and what didn’t?

The kale lasted well into the late spring, oak leaved nice raw, curly good in stir fries. Yet growing on another crop didn’t prove so successful. I think slug damage was the main problem, coupled with some extended dry periods. I must get on top of the slug problem. They crawl out from the wall at night in crowds, slurping and munching their way along the delicate but obviously tasty seedlings.

Beetroot did well. The cylindrical ones especially. They grew well and the mixed variety had some supersweet yellow and white specimens.

Beans – I prefer the French varieties – blue lake being one that seems to grow well here. I tried a new variety called ‘mile long’ but they germinated erratically and grew spindly. No beans appeared – I lie. Some pathetic sticks that quickly shrivelled and died.

Raspberries. I bought some new canes, Glen Ample.  Ample they truly were. I think (reading in the Grow Your Own Magazine)  they are the long cane variety since we had a fair crop last year. Unexpectedly and yes, they really were ample in size.  As expected they threw up some good canes last year so this year there should be a good crop. they need staking up properly.

Leeks. These did very well, in part due to the ‘guano’ placed around them from the barn floor.