Planting seeds

That sounds great Ruth. My daughter has been looking at getting an allotment, I think it will be nice to have our own veg. 

Where is tvman anyway, I need to know if I can plant my sunflower seeds yet

x 

sure he will be along in a minute to advise. Every year I am full of good intentions to plant tomatoes ( and do but they are pathetic), radishes - ok, courgettes- slug ate them. Lidl is probably better if I want to eat.

Well done you Ruth ruthjp

It's frantic sowing time now, I remember from last year that you had great success with courgettes. Sometimes early on with courgettes you get flowers but no fruit. They're the male flowers, female flowers that bear the fruit have a swelling immediately at the back of the flowers (they're pregnant!), best to take the male flowers off but if you're not sure, then leave them on for a short while. If you pick the courgettes (or zucchini if you want to use the Italian word) when they're small, a plant would expect to bear around 32 fruits, leave them on until they are the size of marrows, only expect 3 or 4. 

It's really exciting when you see the first seedlings appear of whatever veg you've shown. 

Take care and stay safe Ruth

Tvman

PS I'm always proud of you Ruth

Here I am  lovely Chelle! Yes, you can go ahead with the sunflower seed sowing. Sow into 3in pots in a greenhouse or warm sunny windowsill, and transplant them outside in their final planting spot when they're about 6 to 9in high, to grow into beautiful tall plants. Put tall stakes in when your sunflowers are small and tie them in as they get taller so they don't fall over.They're a hungry plant so best dig in some rich compost first.

If you're wanting to plant direct into the spot where you want to grow them, just leave it for 2 or 3 weeks until the soil warms up a little, if you're lucky to be in southern areas you'll be able to sow direct a week or two earlier than northern areas. Remember to sow the seeds on their edge to prevent them from rotting in wet soil.

You can get sunflower seeds for different heights, you may want some 3 ft high ones at the back of a flower bed so always check the back of the packet. 

Take care and stay safe Chelle

Tvman xx

Or other good stores  OBS

Tvman xx

Oh Ruth, you are after a gold star from Tvman, keep it up.

Our 3 grandchildren were given seed potatoes by the school before the Easter holidays. They ALL brought them to me asking can they plant them in my garden with them! We got the first lot planted yesterday because up until now, we have had very hard frosts overnight, so I've waited! Not sure if that was the right thing to do! Maybe if Tvman reads this, he can let me know! Also does anyone know, are you meant to take away all the "eyes" but one to make them stronger or is that rubbish! I plant flowers, not veg!

Thank you tvman. The courgette seeds will take a while to come through but my othe other seedlings are coming through in the shed.

i will plant them out later x

Hi Annette anndanv

You know how to flatter a man lol. Frosts won't be a problem until the green leaves appear which is likely to be in the region of 3 weeks or so. I've just seen the weather forecast 10 minutes ago and there are frosts forecast for next week but they won't be a problem because the leaves won't be coming through yet if you have just planted the seed potatoes. If there are frosts forecast when the leaves are just poking through, you can cover them with soil or compost. However if the leaves are 6in tall or more, it's not feasible to cover them with soil so wrap them up with gardener's fleece or even newspapers etc. I have used cardboard boxes sometimes! From mid May or so there probably won't be frosts, even in Scotland.

Sounds like their potatoes have been chitted, that's the procedure of leaving the seed potatoes in a dry, warm, light area that will produce little green shoots. Plant them before they get more than 1 inch long. Now, to remove the shoots or not to remove the shoots? The theory is that if you remove the shoots, or chits, to down to 1 or 2 then you will have fewer, but larger, potatoes. I have never tried that tbh. I used to plant a lot of potatoes, one year I had 22 different varieties but of course I can't dig enough soil or compost for that nowadays. I do my veg gardening mainly using raised beds. 

When small children are involved, I'd say don't remove any chits because when the time comes to lift them or tip them out of bags or pots, I think small children are more excited to see lots of potatoes.

Happy veg gardening Annette, you're about to see what you have been missing all these years, can't believe you've been missing the fun!  

Take care and stay safe Annette

Tvman

Hi Tvman Thank you for your expertise, it is really appreciated. I do actually have fleece, I use it for some flowers, so I will use that if needed. I hadn't realised you got fewer but larger potatoes by removing the shoots. As you rightly say, for children the size doesn't matter, so I will just leave them. Funnily enough they mentioned removing seeds in Beechgrove Garden last night but we are not bothering about perfection as long as they get a few potatoes each, the kids will be happy.

Thanks again, it is good to have an expert at your fingertips!!!

@anndanv, hi again Annette. You're very welcome. Sunday morning with us, Mrs Tvman and I have just finished watching Beechgrove. My brother who lives about 20 miles away, also watches it every week as we do. I watch Gardeners' World on the iPlayer every week as my brother does, and he revealed that he can't watch it without falling asleep and having to watch some parts several times and you know what? I have to do the same!

Beechgrove is lively and interesting. Long live Beechgrove 

Take care and stay safe Annette