We don't tend to sow many seeds until at least March but some things just can't wait until then and so we took advantage of some good weather to make a steady start.
If you are a follower of Martyn's blog you will have already been tipped off about our progress but at the risk of telling you what you already know I'm going to put my take on things.
The first thing to be given permission to start it's growing journey were the seed potatoes which had been impatiently waiting in the garage. These have been set out to chit but as a bit of protection against frost they have been given a fleece duvet.
The conditions on the plot are just not yet ready to provide accommodation for onion and shallot sets and the ones we had bought were already showing signs that they were ready to start growing so we have repeated last year's technique of starting some in modules to be transplanted later. The shallot sets were an impressive size and so needed to be planted in larger modules than their onion cousins. I haven't planted all the sets - some more may be planted later and some will be planted close together straight onto the plot. Last year this method produced some very useful small onions. We're giving heat treated onions a miss this year. Last year they didn't warrant the higher cost of sets. As the heat treatment delays the delivery date of the sets, last year's were planted a little too late.
We acquired some free onion seed in a magazine and so we are also going to have a go at raising onions from seed. As this will need a long growing season, some seed has been sown and placed under the growing light in a spare room. Also planted are some celeriac and celery seed in yet another attempt to grow these elusive crops. These are also now housed under the growing light alongside the salad and cyclamen seedlings.
I wonder if we will finally manage to achieve a celery or celeriac crop this year?
PS:
If you are interested the tabs at the top of the blog point to various pages on my website. Amongst other things here we keep a full diary of our monthly gardening escapades and also log a full list of the seeds sown and crops harvested each month.
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Ummmm I wish there are shallot supplier here. Unfortunately not. I enjoyed and look forward what type of shallots or potatoes you will try to grow each year.
ReplyDeleteThat's a shame Diana but you have so many exciting things to grow instead.
DeleteOne of my jobs for today is to get my onions and shallots planted in to modules. I didn't have much luck with either last year, but they did really well the year before after being started this way. Good luck with your celery and celeriac. I enjoy a challenge to get something growing, I had the same experience with aubergines, it took me three attempts to get fruit, yet I've never bothered growing them again since I managed it.
ReplyDeleteOurs have worked well after starting in modules, Jo. Celery and celeriac is certainly a challenge
DeleteBy the way Jo - aubergines are another challenge for us!
DeleteI shall be very jealous indeed if you manage to grow good Celeriac! Having tried it 3 years in a row, I have now decided it's not worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteIf we succeed the bunting will be out Mark as we too have failed for more years than I can remember but it has become a challenge we can't resist. Maybe if we do manage it we will be like Jo and her aubergines and not bother growing it again!
DeleteI gave up on celeriac after two years. I hope you win this year! My garden is still under knee-deep snow so it's hard to get excited.
ReplyDeleteWe will not be beaten by a mere vegetable TPal. One day we will grow a celeriac. I hope your snow goes soon.
DeleteLooks like you've been really busy this weekend! I would never have thought onions and shallots would do well planted like that first but what a good idea. Thanks for the tip! Your salad is looking good. I hope you have success with the celeriac! It was one of the first veggies I was ever given as a 'gift' from an allotmenteer when I first started with my plot. He'd grown tons of them, I had no idea they would be so difficult to grow. I know he started everything off in his greenhouse first so fingers crossed your grow light will do the trick!
ReplyDeleteLast year we thought we had done everything right for celery and celeriac, Anna and still they refused to grow anything but leaves.
DeleteI continue to be in awe (with only a little envy at how organised you both are but remind myself you've been in your house for a few years more than me, and you're not constantly re-building and renovating :}
ReplyDeleteAll looking great, and despite my wittering, you do inspire me to get on and do stuff myself, so thank you :}
Not really as organised as it may appear, Bilbo. The house needs decorating and the plot needs tidying and some fruit need pruning and ...
DeleteYour post gives me hope spring is coming and green things will be growing. February and March are traditional months of dispair for Alaska gardeners: the snow is deep, the air is cold, and the ground is frozen. Living vicariously through other gardeners around the world is very cheering...thanks!
ReplyDeleteNote to self: I must really grow leeks this year.
Christine in Alaska, snowplows and polar bears
Glad to cheer you up Christine and you must grow leeks!
DeleteI'm growing celeriac this year and so far it is growing albeit slowly. It wilts in the heat each day though recovering only when it cools in the evening.
ReplyDeleteOur celeriac grew above ground Liz but their was nothing beneath the soil.
DeleteHow lovely to make a start, the serried ranks of onions and shallots look most impressive. I've started some shallots from seed too, first time, they are under the grow light. I haven't started the celeriac yet though. I am really hoping for more than my one plant this year!
ReplyDeleteOne celeriac would be an improvement for us, Janet
DeleteOnion and Shallots look great!
ReplyDeleteCelery looks well too!
The seedlings are salad leaves Malar - the celery hasn't come through yet,
DeleteI think I'll give celery a miss this year. I'm thinking of using the space for salad crops. Your seedlings look great.
ReplyDeleteWe just hate to give in Kelli
DeleteI got my Potatoes under way today and planning to get my onion sets this weekend and i to will pot up in modules.
ReplyDeletelast year was my second attempt at celeriac i was sucsessful on my first year of growing but last year all i was left with was a tangle of small roots. i am going to try again this year also surely between some of us we can get a crop worth shouting about?
Celeriac is a mystery to us, Stacy - some find it easy to grow and others find it impossible!
DeleteLooking good! I'm hoping for some decent weather this weekend so I can tidy the plot up a bit and get some seed sown.
ReplyDeleteSome decent weather would be good, Lee.
DeleteYou really are getting a head start on things this year...or am I just really that far behind??
ReplyDeleteNot really ahead Tanya - should be doing more really - we're all a bit behind I think
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