I planted out four rows of onion sets the other week and still had loads left over. Rather than them going to waste I have planted them up in pots and shall pull them small to use as spring onions. They could also be pickled. I noticed they were selling bags of onion sets at half price in Wilkinsons at the weekend, a bargain if you haven't already bought some. I planted my onions and shallots at the end of May last year and they produced a decent crop, though it's always better to get them in earlier to give them a longer growing period.
We had rain overnight on Saturday, the first we've had for a long time, which made the ground a little easier to work with yesterday. It's sunny again today so if we don't get any more rain I'll have to pop up to the allotment each evening to make sure the seeds I've sown don't dry out.
We also had our first rain for about 7 weeks yesterday. Doesn't look like there will be much more in the near future though.
ReplyDeleteThere's always loads of onion sets in a bag isn't there. I think they sell by weight at Swillington but may be wrong!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the carrots and parsnips.
Oooh, that's a good idea. Maybe I'll pot up my spares too!
ReplyDeleteOn a similar theme: I have sown a pot full of Celeriac seeds, intending to grow them only to the Microgreens stage and use them as a salad ingredient. I have only room to grow six Celeriac plants, but I couldn't bear to throw away my spare seedlings and I just experimented with eating them as they were - and they turned out to be delicious. So now I have sown some more, which is sensible I suppose, because the seed would be stale by next year.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed for your carrots! I don't do any better either so today I tried something a bit different which I shall post about in due course! Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for the onion tip Jo, I am going to pot mine tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteHope you have luck with your carrots. My OH grew some veg for the first time the year before last, he grew the most amazing carrots, huge and delicious. He was incredibly proud of these carrots but he was brought down to earth last year when his carrots got something called motley dwarf virus, he has been teased about it ever since!
I've done the same sort of thing with my onions that I grew from seed. I had far too many for my bit of plot assigned for them so have dotted them about my garden in the flower beds and have some in a small container for baby onions too - waste not, want not!! :)
ReplyDeleteDear Jo, I always buy far too many seeds, etc. for the kitchen garden, so I plant them in pots and give them away. I got my peas in at last, but everything is really late this year, with our rain and cold. I can't believe your weather! Amazing! Good luck with the carrots. P x
ReplyDeleteThe system wouldn't let me leave a comment yesterday! Love the onion tip, I shall file that away for future reference. Good luck with the parsnips and carrots - I seem to have almost total failure on the parsnip front, some carrots have germinated beautifully and others seemingly failed. May start again, I am using old seed...
ReplyDeleteI just weeded my whole parsnip bed, and there were 2 parsnips in it !
ReplyDeleteI have reseeded.
With carrots, I don't ever have much success. I was thinking about putting a few seeds in a deep 99p bucket and seeing what transpired at home.
We've just had a bit of a downpour, Kath, but it's sunny again now. There doesn't look to be a serious amount of rain due so I'll have to keep an eye on the seeds which I've sown.
ReplyDeleteThere's far too many sets in a bag, Sue. Swillington do sell by weight, I bought them there last year, and I bought my shallots there this year.
Hope they're successful for you if you go ahead, Nome. I hate wasting anything.
That's a great idea, Mark. All the seeds we have in our stashes which won't be viable next year could be used as micro greens.
I'm looking forward to your post, Flighty. I've decided that this is the year of the carrot for me, I'm determined that I'll get some to germinate.
Hope the tip works for you, Bluebell. I bet you missed your hubby's carrots last year, there's nothing nicer than home grown carrots, but it just goes to show that nothing's guaranteed when growing your own.
Great minds think alike, Ruth. I might have a go at growing from seed next year.
I bet your friends are really pleased with your gifts of plants, Pam. I do have surplus seedlings which I give away, but I'd never be able to grow things knowing they're for giving away, I just don't have the space.
Sorry to hear about your parsnips, Janet. I've only just sown mine so it's not too late to try again. New seed should be used each year for parsnips especially, but I've heard that this is the case for carrots too, so you might be better investing in a new packet of seeds.
I've got some round stumpy carrots going in a small container, Elizabeth. I've grown them this way before with success, but haven't tried longer carrots in a container. Good luck if you go ahead with the experiment.
Glad to hear that you have had some of the wet stuff at long last Jo. I've noticed that quite a few things are being sold at reduced prices at Wilkos this week. Thanks for your comment on my last blog post - I have an apology to make - I have to delete the post as I published it a week too early :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic idea! I hardly planted any this spring as our over-wintered ones did so well, so I've got a load spare I was randomly keeping for no good reason I could think of... Now I know! :) Will pot some up now and see what happend. Will they do ok in cell trays do you think, or will they need a bit more space?
ReplyDeleteI read this and thought "must sow some carrots today"! Have you protected your sowing with fleece?
ReplyDeleteIt's been so windy here ever since the dry weather broke. I'm putting my pea and bean seedlings outside every day to accustom them to both the cold and the gales. Poor wee things!
Sounds like you've been really busy. I never thought about doing that with the extra onions so thanks for the tip...i have given all my extras away this year but will keep it in mind for next year!!
ReplyDeleteI imagine your getting a few down pours this weekend. We're back to April showers (in May) in Northern Ireland. Makes it difficult to get things done outside. The rain & wind makes it hard to harden off plants. Kelli
ReplyDeleteThis is a comment left by Anna but deleted by Blogger.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you have had some of the wet stuff at long last Jo. I've noticed that quite a few things are being sold at reduced prices at Wilkos this week. Thanks for your comment on my last blog post - I have an apology to make - I have to delete the post as I published it a week too early :)
This is a comment left by Paul and Melanie but deleted by Blogger.
ReplyDeleteFantastic idea! I hardly planted any this spring as our over-wintered ones did so well, so I've got a load spare I was randomly keeping for no good reason I could think of... Now I know! :) Will pot some up now and see what happend. Will they do ok in cell trays do you think, or will they need a bit more space?
I haven't protected my carrot sowings with fleece, Linda. I've never managed to get them to germinate before so I'm waiting to see if I'm successful with that first. It's windy here too at the moment, I don't think it's doing the plants any good.
ReplyDeleteI was going to give my spare sets away too, Tanya, until I came up with this idea. I hope it works.
We did have rain over the weekend, Kelli. It was indoor gardening only for me.
I've had enough of the wet stuff now, Anna. A bit more sunshine would do nicely now.
I've planted them up in containers, Paul. You could try a few in cells and a few in containers and see which do best.