Monday 29 March 2010

Running Out Of Space

The windowsills are full, the greenhouse is overflowing, I need more space. This is my plastic mini greenhouse which is inside my normal greenhouse. I find that I am able to get away with moving even tender seedlings, such as tomatoes, outside with the added protection. I am starting my seeds off inside on windowsills and then moving them into the mini greenhouse once they have germinated, but I am fast running out of space. It won't be long now until I can start planting some of them outside.

I managed to get to the allotment on Saturday, but the ground was extremely wet after all the rain we had on Friday. It was such hard work digging, so I did a few tidying up jobs and then came home to sow yet more seeds, whilst I left hubby at the allotment to carry on with some digging.

Don't forget to check back later in the week, when I will be hosting a competition where you will be in with a chance of winning a fantastic prize, courtesy of Love Thy Space.

24 comments:

  1. Yes, we've had a shedload of rain down here in Wiltshire too, so I've put off a few jobs up the allotment as the ground is simply too heavy.

    hope you manage to get some of those seedlings in the ground soon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I looked out first thing and thought, "right today I am going to start in the allotment", it is now pouring with rain, onto plan B!
    Tracey

    ReplyDelete
  3. I know what you are talking about. I didn’t have any more space, so I had to put my tomatoes outdoors, under a cold frame. They are fine for now, although night temperatures are around 5C. But they love it during the day - we get around 20C.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow you have been busy. My first batch of tomatoe plants are too small to go outside yet and I have the second lot in my heated prop now. Managed to sow some snow peas and marigolds yesterday. Carrots and beetroot sown directly into veg patch then it poured down! Thanks for sending you photo for my competition.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow that looks fab. I have lots of pricking out to do.

    ReplyDelete
  6. wow...your seedling look fantastic...I only put my seeds in last week so they aren't even through yet...I really hope that if we get the predicted cold blast they are all ok...I'm getting a bit panicky about my seeds and have the newspapers ready....just in case!

    ReplyDelete
  7. oh when will the soil dry a bit, we went to our allotment too but ended up with platform shoes as it was so soggy :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. There's been lots of rain here again the past few days! I've done more potting but still have a couple of empty window sills. Flighty xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. After a lovely weekend, we've only had gentle but constant rain today, so its not too soggy here!

    I planted some onion sets, shallots and garlic yesterday and sowed some chive seeds around the edges so at least I have made a start there. I need to do some more sowing inside for planting out in readiness for the warmer weather too.

    Jeanne
    x

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow your seedlings look really healthy. I only started a week ago so am behind already!
    Claire x
    PS Thank you for your lovely comments.

    ReplyDelete
  11. It seems that no sooner than you have sown seeds it's time for the never ending greenhouse shuffle to begin. You can never have enough space. Like your idea of a greenhouse within a greenhouse Jo :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm currently running out of space for seedlings too. If only the weather would turn and I could find a bit more room. I might have to opt for one of them there mini greenhouse type contraptions. A quick question; does it blow over easily? I'm on top of a hill!

    ReplyDelete
  13. You've given me greenhouse envy - I have many seeds sown but no sprouts sprouting....am away for a couple of days at Easter - perhaps they'll get a move on! I know it's my fault for not planting them sooner but now they're in it's their responsibility to get going, surely?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi how did you get on with the knitted bag?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi,thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog. I am very impressed how many seedlings you have on the go...I feel a bit lazy now! The mini greenhouse inside the normal greenhouse looks like a great idea....I feel a purchase coming on!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow Jo you have been busy, and I like the idea of the mini greenhouse in the big G/H. Like you I have run out of windowsill space. All my onion seeds are now healthy little plants. I have to keep giving the onions haircuts as they are getting leggy and scraggly,(they are in the mini greenhouse outdoors) I did it last year and it made them very sturdy.
    I left a reply on my blog, thanks for the comment.
    Have a Lovely (hopefully dry) Easter. M x

    ReplyDelete
  17. south wilts is a bog at the moment, just bought one of those mini-greenhouses to put up this weekend as running out of room. You've been busy!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow - your seedlings are looking good.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm hoping that we get some better weather over Easter, Mark N. I'm not holding out much hope though, it's quite cold today.

    Thanks for visiting, Tracey. There doesn't seem to have been any let up from the rain just lately, I hope you manage to start on the allotment soon.

    I think they make better plants if they're hardened up a bit outdoors, Vrtlarica. Saying that though, you do have to make sure that it isn't too cold for them overnight.

    I haven't sown anything direct yet, Eight by six. The allotment is still very boggy with all the rain we've had recently. I'm hoping for some better weather over Easter. I haven't started on the knitted bag yet, I think it will end up being a random treat for my daughter, rather than an Easter bag.

    I always dread pricking out, Mandycharlie. Once I get started though, I find it quite relaxing. I'm the same with weeding.

    I'm sure your seeds will be fine, Tanya. It's just a case of keeping an eye on the weather and covering with newspaper if the temperature drops.

    It's so annoying when you want to get on with some digging and the soil isn't dry enough, Scented Sweetpeas. I hope it will dry out enough for me to get my potatoes planted, I wanted to do them tomorrow but it will probably still be too boggy.

    My windowsills are full, Flighty, and the mini greenhouse is too now. I think the next job will be to get some of the seedlings hardened off and planted out, but the rain just won't stop long enough for this to happen. Fingers crossed that the better weather is just round the corner.

    I haven't got my onions in yet, Jeanne. It's sunny today but I know it will be too boggy at the allotment after all the rain we've had this week. If we can just get a few consecutive days without rain I might get something planted.

    I'm sure everything will catch up, Claire. You're not behind yet, most seed can be sown March/April/May, it's just that most of us can't wait.

    The greenhouse within a greenhouse worked well last year, Anna. It seems to be working well this year too, though I think I could do with another mini greenhouse now, that would give me some extra space.

    The mini greenhouses do blow over easily, The Idiot Gardener. Mine is inside my normal greenhouse so I don't have that problem, but if you're using it outside I would put a bag of compost or something similar on the bottom shelf to anchor it down. Other than the blowing away issue, they work well.

    I'm just the same once I've planted my seeds, I can't wait for them to grow, Countrymummy. I'm sure it won't be too long before they're poking up through the soil, then it'll be pricking out time and you'll run out of space like me.

    Thank you for visiting, Ninasgardeningnotebook. I only started using the mini greenhouse inside the normal greenhouse last year, but it worked really well. It saves having to cover all the seedlings with fleece if the temperature drops.

    Thanks, Maureen. I haven't grown onions before, but I've got some sets for this year. I've heard a lot of people say that they get better onions when growing from seed though, so I might have a go next year. Hope you have a good Easter too.

    It seems we're all getting our fair share of rain at the moment, Damo. I haven't got anything planted at the allotment, so I'm hoping for some better weather over Easter so I can, at least, get my spuds in. Your mini greenhouse should free up some windowsill space for you, which means you can get some more sowing done.

    Thanks for visiting, HappyMouffetard, and thank you for your comment. I'm hoping that I can get some of the seedlings out soon, otherwide they'll just end up going leggy. Fingers crossed for some better weather.

    ReplyDelete
  20. My quest for lots of vegetables is hampered by a distinct lack of space too which is why the bathroom has turned into a temporary greenhouse. I bought a plastic mini greenhouse a couple of years ago which was great until it took off in the wind one night and ended up in pieces all over the lawn and then last year the plastic rotted on it so it has gone in the skip. I am thinking that my vegetable plan may have to be scaled down somewhat!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Happy Anniversary! I have enjoyed your blog so very much and am glad to count you as a friend. Your seedlings look like they are ready to take over, you will be eating well before long. I have four packets of wildflower seeds to sew soon. I am going to plant half of them as recommended in one space and sprinkle the other half, more like Mother Nature does and see what happens. I will let you know.
    Kat

    ReplyDelete
  22. The mini greenhouses can take off in high winds, Natalie. I don't have that problem with mine as it's inside the normal greenhouse, but when I've used it outside I always weight it down with a bag of compost, or something similar, on the bottom shelf.

    Thanks, Kat. I love wildflowers and look forward to seeing the outcome of your experiment.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow. You are way more organized than me with seedlings. I am partially hampered by having a greenhouse whose covering in full of holes, but also by seedling-sowing-laziness!
    So well done to you.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm much more organised with my seedlings than I am my allotment, Elizabeth. I've got lots of seedlings waiting to go out now, but there's still lots to do on the allotment first. I'll get there in the end.

    ReplyDelete

 
!-- Start of StatCounter Code for Blogger / Blogspot -->