CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Growing food for beginners, advice sought

(103 posts)
  • Started 4 years ago by chdot
  • Latest reply from chdot
  • This topic is not resolved

No tags yet.


  1. SRD
    Moderator

    dumb question: what do you guys use to grow spring onions? in canada we grow spring onions from little bags of dried bulbs that you can buy everywhere. but here i just see seeds for big onions. i don't want big ones.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  2. SRD
    Moderator

    part II:

    have been growing micro greens under UV light (was brexit prepping a little), but planning to plant some containers.

    plan is peas, lettuce, spinach, chard, maybe broad beans and potatoes if i have enough room.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  3. wingpig
    Member

    Plant the bottom bit of existing spring onions (if they have enough root - wee veg shop probably better than supermarket) and then split it up into clumps? The kids have been folding up the ends of bogroll tubes as wee planter things for these and other small domestic floodplants.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  4. sallyhinch
    Member

    I grow my spring onions from seed, they're ready in about 2 months or so. Unfortunately most of the seed companies have shut down operations due to too much demand (capitalism, eh?) but they may re-open again once they've got themselves sorted. You can keep sowing throughout the summer.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  5. SRD
    Moderator

    Thanks sally. I do have seed. and soil, but the planter things I ordered haven't showed up yet (don't quite dare dig up communal back green to grow veg...yet). Maybe i'll plant some pots this afternoon anyway.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  6. gembo
    Member

    @srd you can dig up the communal back green to grow veg of course yo can you just have to share the bounty equally between all properties.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    “share the bounty equally between all properties”

    That’s the cost of roof repairs...

    Title deeds probably say ONLY for drying clothes.

    Might explicitly prohibit tallow boiling (and a few other things).

    I suspect if you knock on all the doors (and stand back) you’ll find the neighbours won’t object, and there may be another who wants to do the same but was afraid to ask!

    Posted 4 years ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    Or you could just plant edible flowers.

    Nasturtiums do well just about anywhere.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  9. SRD
    Moderator

    several households also use it as a drying green, and the beds would get the in the way. the best sun is up near the building, where there's paving. so I will cover paving with grow bags for veg and out some (more) fruit plants and herbs in the existing border.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  10. gembo
    Member

    @SRD nice nudge

    Posted 4 years ago #
  11. the canuck
    Member

    In my last house, the property included a parking space in a paved lot. According to the title deed, we had the right to graze sheep in our space.

    I'm slightly disheartened with gardening; I'm much more organised this year, and stuff I did last year is showing growth/improvement--but I can't get most of my seeds to germinate. Last year I drowned the seeds in cold soil, but despite paying attention to water and temperature this year, only about 30% of what i plant germinates, and quite a lot of that is refusing to actually live. i am facing a prospect of nothing but broad beans, yellow courgette, and Kuri pumpkins.

    Do you have to shell the sunflower seeds before planting?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  12. sallyhinch
    Member

    I never plant any seeds straight into the ground - they almost never come up. Into modules (or toilet roll inners) in compost on a windowsill, and then into the ground when they're emerged. The only exception are parsnips which get chitted on damp kitchen roll until a tiny root shoot emerges and then they go into the ground direct. Cut up old drinks bottles as little cloches over your new seedlings once they're in the ground and drown the slugs in beer traps before they can chomp everything.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  13. chdot
    Admin

    “I can't get most of my seeds to germinate”

    Yeah, this year I’m having a very low germination rate with various things (some I’ve never tried before, but fresh bought seed).

    Also, some tomato seeds planted indoors have taken two months to emerge.

    Meanwhile almost every apple pip I’ve put in some compost has sprouted and shot up!

    Something’s going on...

    Posted 4 years ago #
  14. the canuck
    Member

    so far, only a few potatoes have gone directly into the soil.
    and last year's garlic, which I had too much of and so it's all over the garden, only none of it has developed a flowerhead so i'm never sure if it's garlic or a flower bulb, and i'm not picking any yet anyway, because i lost my sense of smell last week and i refuse to waste good homegrown garlic on the other resident, who just eats so quickly he barely tastes things.

    everything else is in cells, started indoors and then moved outside after sprouting, to get better light.
    also discovered this morning that yesterday, i opened up the outdoor plastic cold frame because it was so hot in there, and forgot to close it overnight.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  15. sallyhinch
    Member

    Ah, not sure what the problem is then - except for the iron law of seedlings, which is that they only emerge the day after you've given up on them doing so (the iron law of peas is that they will climb up anything except the supports you have lovingly supplied for them).

    Posted 4 years ago #
  16. the canuck
    Member

    if my peas sprout, i swear, i'll forgive everything!!
    i even have nasturnium refusing to germinate, and last year i was covered in it.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  17. chdot
    Admin

    Peas and nasturtiums fine here!

    (Started indoors)

    Posted 4 years ago #
  18. gembo
    Member

    Noticed some asparagus appearing that i thought had died. That is two years though before nom nom

    Posted 4 years ago #
  19. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    two years though before nom nom

    I have planted a Scots Pine tree in a pot. Gonna save up the seeds for a few years and make a batch of McPesto if the Lord spares me.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  20. gembo
    Member

    Nice long term thinking.

    Used to use the pine nuts a lot back in the day. Noticed eventually like the great Leonard Cohen that they came all the way from China.

    I have taken delivery of some bottles from Monsieur Julienas Chaintre though they might get necked before lockdown is lifted

    Posted 4 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

    “I have planted a Scots Pine tree in a pot“

    I’ve got about 8 that are a few weeks old.

    And about 4 times as many sprouting conkers.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  22. crowriver
    Member

    Winter before last I decided to split the rhubarb heart which was getting very big and gnarly. Wisely decided to not harvest any stalks from the four new plants resulting from the split. This spring they have produced very vigorous growth already. Looking forward to a bumper crop of rhubarb this year.

    Last few years tried unsuccessfully to grow chives and parsley from seed outdoors in raised bed. Most other stuff fine, but these two nothing doing. So at start of virus crisis sowed some in compost filled wee paper seedling pots on windowsill. They're doing great, will soon need to thin/repot the seedlings. Will probably keep them on windowsill as handier than going to allotment.

    Apple tree, redcurrant bush in leaf, no blossom yet. Fear I cut back the raspberry patch too fiercely last autumn. A few leaves here or there but no new canes as yet. At least the roots are still alive, will see what happens.

    Oh and bay tree still alive following transplantation by bicycle trailer three years ago. Much reduced in size as a lot of dieback, now more of a shrub. But vigorous new leaves in evidence, so hope for this year that it has finally got used to heavier soil.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  23. gembo
    Member

    Not for eating but i am in deep doo doo for cutting back dead bits of hydrangea which apparently recover. Mrs Garto claiming not time yet but has been time for weeks to get out on the garden and attend to plants

    Posted 4 years ago #
  24. minus six
    Member

    if the Lord spares me

    what, after your recent pillorying of the wee wee free ?

    nae chance mate

    Posted 4 years ago #
  25. crowriver
    Member

    Coronavirus lockdown brings 'extra difficulty' for allotments

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-52215288

    Posted 4 years ago #
  26. acsimpson
    Member

    I have 1 cucumber, 1 pepper and 1 tomato showing signs of life out of 24 spots in my propogator tray (it's only been a week though).

    However The gardener's delight tomato seed from more than 10 years ago (plant by 2012) which is in a glorified yogurt potis thriving.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  27. the canuck
    Member

    In theory, where could one acquire a pitch fork and rake without putting an employee into the path of infection or waiting two weeks?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  28. the canuck
    Member

    legally, of course.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  29. crowriver
    Member

    Dunno about pitch fork, but various "hardware stores" still open where one could buy a rake.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  30. amir
    Member

    Harbro is open for phone and collect orders (near to Tescos between Bonnyrigg and Eskbank).

    One of our apple trees is flowering worryingly early. Hopefully no hard frosts!

    Posted 4 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply »

You must log in to post.


Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin