Start of the new year

tombar
tombar Forum Participant Posts: 408
edited December 2015 in General Chat #1

I always view between Christmas and New Year as my start to the following 12 months harvesting.  I have planted a full tray each of large white and large red onions, which means if they all make it I will have a total of 80 onions.  January is even busier
with planting tomatoes, flowers and other bits and bobsHappy

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  • taffyY
    taffyY Forum Participant Posts: 326
    edited December 2015 #2

    Do you plant the Summer Bedding plants as early as January tombar?

  • redface
    redface Forum Participant Posts: 1,701
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    edited December 2015 #3

    I've got one potato, which I am chitting, in the hope that one day next year, having planted it in a pot, we will get one free meals worth of spuds.

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,670 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #4

    We used to grow plants to sell for charity before I retired in 2007.  Our peak was 20,000 bedding plants, perennials and veggies, but the average was about 12.000.

    For OH it was virtually a full time "job" from January to June, impossible to go away in that period.

    Planting started early January and continued till April, with potting on as required.  Some bedding is very slow growing compared to most.

  • taffyY
    taffyY Forum Participant Posts: 326
    edited December 2015 #5

    We used to grow plants to sell for charity before I retired in 2007.  Our peak was 20,000 bedding plants, perennials and veggies, but the average was about 12.000.

    For OH it was virtually a full time "job" from January to June, impossible to go away in that period.

    Planting started early January and continued till April, with potting on as required.  Some bedding is very slow growing compared to most.

    So, did you start the seeds off in a heated greenhouse?

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,670 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #6

    We started them inside in a heated propagator or on heated shelves where appropriate, then they went under a special growing lamp.

    When there were too many trays for that, they went out to the greenhouse on  heated benches covered with fleece during the night.

    When there were too many trays for the 4 benches, then the greenhouse electric fan heater had to be turned on.

    Trays not on heated benches had clear plastic lids in place overnight.

    We planted in "cells", usually 50 cells per tray, so no pricking out.   Seedlings stayed in the cells until they were ready to pot on into 3" pots or bedding packs.

    It was quite an operation!!

  • taffyY
    taffyY Forum Participant Posts: 326
    edited December 2015 #7

    Phew!!...Think I'll visit the garden centre instead!  Laughing

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,670 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #8

    Mmmm, incompatible with long trips in the van, so we gave it up (after 15 years) when I retired.

    We had 2 greenhouses, one has now gone to a local NTS property, the other we will keep in case DD decides she wants it.

    She is keen, has a "postage stamp" garden, so we have got her a wall mounted mini greenhouse meantime.  She is growing tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, strawberries, raspberries, salad stuff and herbs, not all in her greenhouse, with varying
    degrees of success.

  • tombar
    tombar Forum Participant Posts: 408
    edited December 2015 #9

    I start my plants off in the conservatory, and yes, the season is usually January to April for starting, and by end of April/beginning of May, everything has been planted outHappy. 
    But Redface, why one potato, isn't worth the bother, get 2kg of spuds, chit them and then plant them - well worth the effort thenWink

  • redface
    redface Forum Participant Posts: 1,701
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    edited December 2015 #10

    To think that in the old days we relied on an allotment!

  • redface
    redface Forum Participant Posts: 1,701
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    edited December 2015 #11

    Sorry Tombar but 2 kg of chitted spuds won't fit in a plant pot.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #12

    Havent even thought what to plant yet, got some bulbs that should have been in ages ago too. Just been enjoying watching the birds on the feeders - easier to see with no leaves on the trees

  • Grumblewagon
    Grumblewagon Forum Participant Posts: 246
    edited January 2016 #13

    Not planting earlies, so a bit soon for us.  It's more a case of browsing the seed catalogues.

    Our friends up the road with the market garden have started sowing in their heated greenhouse.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #14

    After the weather we've had aquatic plants are about the only thing we could grow just nowLaughing

  • Kerry Watkins
    Kerry Watkins Forum Participant Posts: 325
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    edited January 2016 #15

    Allotment completely saturated. Dare not go on it until it had dried out somewhat!

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #16

    Our broadbeans in the greenhouse have grown too quickly in the mild weather so they're all long and lanky.Frown

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