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I forgot to mention in my last post that Hubby visited the allotment to dig up my three parsnips to have with Christmas dinner. I was hoping that the growth beneath the soil was doing as well as the growth above, but in all honesty, they weren't huge. We did eat them with our Christmas dinner, and they tasted delicious, which is the main thing, but I won't put parsnips on my list of successes for 2012. Only three germinated from three sowings, and I only got one meal out of them. I'll try again this year.
I haven't visited the allotment since before Christmas, we've had so much rain over the festive period that it's just not worth bothering. I know that there'll be standing water in some parts, and that the rest of the plot will be too wet to do anything with, so I'll wait until the weather improves a little. That's not to say that I'll be sat twiddling my thumbs, I've got every intention to start my onions off soon, I think they're one thing which can be started off now, and I'm itching to get going, so why not?
The beans are looking good! I still have yet to do anything in the garden department, as per it's on my list.
ReplyDeleteMy parsnips came to nothing too and I shan't bother growing them again. After watching the local news I will be looking at what likes to grow in wet soil!
Happy New year x
I can't imagine not growing parsnips, even if they come to nothing, I've got to give them a go as I love them so much. If the next few years are anything like the year we've just had, I think we might all be looking in to growing rice.
DeleteThey're looking lovely and healthy - the expectation of those fresh, tasty beans will be wonderful over the next few months!
ReplyDeleteIt's the waiting game now, and I'm not known for my patience. I'm pleased with them, so far. I shall get them outside and hardened off when I can so that they don't go sappy.
Deletethey do look very healthy. Mine are still in the packet, I'd meant to plant mine in the Autumn. Maybe I could plant them now? Amanda
ReplyDeleteI should think they'll be fine sown now, they'll still get a head start and you should, hopefully, get an earlier harvest, though I'm never quite sure that things planted later don't eventually catch up.
DeleteI'm itching too! I never had chance to sow my broadbeans in November so mine are still quite small but nevertheless hoping that the headstart will work. I might sow some direct in march and compare! I have Aquadulce Claudia too. Your plants look very healthy : )
ReplyDeleteAnna B
It's a good idea to make comparisons. I was going to sow my sweetpeas in autumn, but after watching the trials which Monty Don did on Gardeners World, I decided to wait until spring.
DeleteWe haven't been to the plot since before Christmas either, We are back on warm food now though and the other day we used our largest parsnip and a large carrot - there was enough for five helpings. The parsnip was a bit rusty but that was easy to peel off.
ReplyDeleteWarm food must mean that Martyn's recovering well, which I'm glad to hear. It must have been very worrying for you both. You've done well with your parsnips again, I think I'll try the belt an braces approach this year and sow some direct and some in pots to transplant.
DeleteFingers crossed Jo!
DeleteIf you are going to grow parsnips and plant them out you need to be really careful not to damage the root.
Have you tried just per-germinating the seeds?
I've tried all ways. The problem I seem to have when transplanting is that the shoulders grow well but the root doesn't develop very well. I think this year, I'll try growing some in pots, but transplanting in to a ridge filled with compost, like I direct sow in to. Like everything, it's trial and error.
DeleteOops should have typed pregerminating.
DeleteAny slight damage to the tiny roots could mean no tap root which is basically the bit we eat.
I knew what you meant. I've done this too, but haven't had any better success with this than sowing direct. When I've sown in pots and transplanted, I've made sure to do it before the tap root hits the bottom of the pot. I think the problem with this is the condition of the soil, so transplanting in to a ridge filled with compost should work. I'll try it this year, as well as having another go at sowing direct, and see how I do.
DeleteWe sow ours in a shallow trench filled with compost for the same reason. The thing is then to keep it well watered.
DeleteI think the problem this year was that it was too well watered. Three parsnips from three sowings, I think the seed got washed away in all the rain.
DeleteThey're looking good. I think that we all start itching now! Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased with how they're doing at the moment, I just hope they continue to do well as we're a long way off harvest time yet. I'm hoping that sowing my onion seed will scratch that itch for a little while longer.
DeleteYour beans look really healthy Jo. As long as your greenhouse glass is clean the light levels should be fine. Mine haven't done a lot of growing since late Nov but hopefully should put on a good growth spurt with the mild weather.
ReplyDeleteI think the greenhouse will be getting plenty more light than my house is, I'm having to have the light on nearly all day, it's so dark just lately. I can't believe how mild it is as the moment. I think all the bulbs which have poked their noses above the soil will regret it when we do eventually get a cold snap.
DeleteYour plants are doing great. The first year I grew parsnips I did great but have not managed to grow a single one since. Maybe I will successfull this year. I have not crossed the gate of my allotment in ages. It has just been too wet and the thoughts of having to wash the muck off the car when I get home is off putting.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how something can do so well one year yet totally fail the next. There's so many factors though, it could be for any number of reasons. I don't think much work is being put in on anyone's allotment at the moment, we're all waiting for it to dry up a bit.
DeleteThose BBs look very fine indeed! If I had a greenhouse I'd probably do what you have done, but I don't think it woud be worth sowing them in the Autumn without it. I reckon most of them would have rotted in the never-ending rain!
ReplyDeleteI think some people do plant out broad beans in to the ground in autumn, but as you say, I don't think it would have been worth it this year. I'm sure the ones you sow in spring will soon catch up.
DeleteMy onions were planted in the autumn along with the garlic so I am covered there, I need to get on with the broad beans though.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how much you've already done, there's always something else to do with gardening. I'd like to do as much as I can as early as I can this year, it seems to all catch up with me around May time otherwise.
DeleteThose beans are good sturdy plants Jo. Seeing them makes me wish that I had sown mine in November. Parsnips are on my list for this year - have never grown them before and I do like them. Still to venture to the allotment here - waiting for it become less like a skating rink but feeling guilty about it especially being secretary of the allotment association. I'm sure that my name is mud like my plot :)
ReplyDeleteI think the beans have grown well so far, I had visions of them getting so leggy that they'd grow in to triffids, but so far so good. Hope your parsnips do well for you, I find them very temperamental but others have no problems with them at all. Hope we all manage to get some time at the allotment soon.
DeleteYour beans are growing well aren't they. This bit till the first proper seed sowing is always hard and is a severe test of patience!!
ReplyDeleteHope the weather stays a bit dry for a while so that our plots can have a break. I'm even tempted to tidy my shed so that I have something to do up there!
I like to get on with something in this period of calm before the storm, patience isn't my virtue. It's been a dry day here, long may it continue.
Deletemy parsnips were also rubbish this year,I grow them in raised beds and they are normally a couple of feet if not longer.This year like yours hardly any germinated and those that did were also small.Very envious of your beans though
ReplyDeleteIt's been a funny sort of year, things which usually do well have been poor, and things we expected to do less well have flourished. I just hope I can keep my beans healthy until they're due to be planted out.
DeleteI always like sowing seeds as early as I can - it makes me feel like Spring is about to arrive, especially when they germinate.
ReplyDeleteI try not to sow too early as they end up growing leggy and weak, but it's hard to resist sometimes, especially if you don't have much patience, like me.
DeleteI got a couple of hours of digging in on Friday but it looks like rain again for the first part of the week. Let's hope that the weather forecast of a drier January happens sometime soon.
ReplyDeleteClever idea with growing the broad beans under cover. You bypass them being drowned to death or munched by pigeons!
Hubby went to the plot yesterday and said that it's much drier than it has been, I hope we've seen the last of the rain for a while now so that we can crack on with some jobs, but I doubt it somehow. I don't think the broad beans would have survived the wet conditions had they been planted outside.
DeleteThey look great. Just ordered mine and I plan to start them of soon. Broad beans were one of the big successes for me last year. can't wait to get growing again.
ReplyDeleteLast year was my first time growing broad beans, and they were a success so I've decided to grow more this year. I just hope they do as well this year as they did last.
DeleteI've had similar problems with parsnips but will try again this year too
ReplyDeleteThat's the good thing with gardening, there's always another year. Good luck with your parsnips this year, I hope we both get a great harvest.
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