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Morning Light: The Fetchland Gardening Wire

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Fragile Do Not Bend Mar 2020 4:43pm, 26 Mar 2020 5,621 posts	Quote Pin Fragile Do Not Bend I’ve decided to have a go at growing potatoes for the first time ever. Partly just in case there are supply problems in the future due to lack of migrant workers, partly because I have some spare space and spare time to set up a new bed, so why not? I’ve spent the afternoon shifting compost from the compost bin and adding leaf mould from the large pile of leaves that has been accumulating for several years. Fingers crossed I end up with enough depth to plant into - it’s a no dig bed so ideally I want the compost deep enough that I don’t have to go down into the underlying soil when I make the planting holes.
Flatlander Mar 2020 7:03pm, 27 Mar 2020 1,614 posts	Quote Pin Flatlander I planted my 2kg of early potatoes, Sutton Foremost, last week, which is the normal time for them for me. I normally don't plant my maincrop potatoes until early April, but I've been planting the first two batches of 1kg each this week. My reasoning is that if I do get ill, I won't be able to plant them until it is too late, whereas if they are already in the ground they can be growing while I am indisposed and recovering Just my 5kg of Desiree left now, which will be planted sometime over the next week or two.
D2 Mar 2020 7:55pm, 27 Mar 2020 11,601 posts	Quote Pin D2 I'm feeling the same F, I want to get ahead just in case but I'm worried about the frosts if I plant too soon.
Fragile Do Not Bend Mar 2020 8:07pm, 27 Mar 2020 5,627 posts	Quote Pin Fragile Do Not Bend I watched Charles Dowding’s video on growing no dig potatoes and I think he said that if the shoots get frosted off they will usually grow new ones.
Hanneke Mar 2020 7:22pm, 28 Mar 2020 70,533 posts	Quote Pin Hanneke They will, happened to me a few years ago.
Columba Mar 2020 7:30pm, 28 Mar 2020 19,514 posts	Quote Pin Columba Pruned the roses in the back garden. As usually happens with gardening (and housework), had to do another job before I could complete the first job, In this case it was cutting back a cotoneaster which had overreached itself and got tangled up with a rose bush.
Wriggling Snake Mar 2020 7:33pm, 28 Mar 2020 25,994 posts	Quote Pin Wriggling Snake I have Pink Fir Apple, chitted waiting to go, maybe a week or so away yet, a bit chilly to put out. I tend to dig a double width trench then use that soil to build up.
Rosehip Mar 2020 8:20pm, 28 Mar 2020 15,450 posts	Quote Pin Rosehip Planted 24 strawberry plants and wondering if that's going to be anything like enough lots of spuds chitting, think they're going to have to go in old compost bags as I'm running out of space!
Markymarkmark Mar 2020 10:53pm, 28 Mar 2020 10,964 posts	Quote Pin Markymarkmark I've decided to give potatoes a miss this year. Last year's crop was truly pathetic! But French beans, onions, courgettes, butternut, tomatoes, peppers, leeks, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli ought to more than fill the space!
Dvorak Mar 2020 1:59pm, 29 Mar 2020 19,342 posts	Quote Pin Dvorak Cleaned out a trough and planted a couple of kinds of lettuce yesterday. Today, sunflowers (that's another thread ) and cut the deadwood/ pruned tayberries and straggly wild rasps. Or might I have a new hybrid berry? (If I do, it's quite a puny one.) Here's a picture of some of my soft fruit: gooseberries foreground, and misc currants. The gooseberries had bad mildew last year and no edible fruit, so I've cut them right down. Also in shot: full water butt (well, bin), disappointing compost dalek; and the edge of the "corner of shame".