I look forward to seeing how your spinach experiment goes. Never had either root aphid or caterpillar problems with lettuce, despite being tot too far north of you. Biggest problem this year is too much rain & too little heat (it's chucking it down again right now...) Tomorrow's task is to harvest broad beans & replant with mixed brassicas/cell grown leeks.

It's always really interesting and useful to hear about and see what has been sown and going to be sown, to add to the database sowings info. Thanks for taking the time to explain everything. I haven't had much luck whenever I sow Asian greens. They always seem to go to seed very quickly. so I will probably stick to lettuces for salads myself and not so much space here for growing in. Best wishes, Justine

@SteveRichards

4 күн бұрын

Asian greens sown in September won’t go to seed until January at the earliest, that’s what I consider to be my main crop

Hope your cough settles soon Steve. We are a little bit behind you here on the East coast, spinach lasts a little longer and the pests have only just started to be visible (or I’ve been missing them). My turnips are always started under cover as we get flea beetle, and although we don’t practice crop rotation we do tend to keep turnips away from the same beds for 3 - 4 years. Best year for broad beans, all the rain we had no doubt, but it’s been extremely dry and we are now hoping for a downpour (soils drying out, esp raised beds)……us Brits are never happy 😂. Thanks for the video, a subtle reminder to get the seeds out and get going, again. 😅

good show, cheers Steve

Echinacea and Mullein/Verbascum, I’ve heard, are good for sinus nose throat chest issues. Thanks for the info. My tomato plants and lettuces are another failure this year.

Weather forecast for next 10 days remains dreary. Winter squash looking forlorn on quite exposed site so might just take half out and use the space for some leeks looking for a home. Don't think butternut has any chance now. Grateful for any thoughts or experience.

@SteveRichards

4 күн бұрын

I rarely get butternut to ripen here when it’s a good year, but my crown prince are still growing well, despite the weather, but leeks are more productive for sure!

Why don't you grow sweet potatoes for spinach leaves? Germany here, they grow like weeds, you can also use them as a ground Cover under tomatoes and brassicas, too and in autumn, you can dig out the roots which will store all winter long. They are definitivly one of my staple crops. I have to admit, though that those pesky rodents love them, too.

@SteveRichards

4 күн бұрын

They grow rubbish here, too cold

@beateschluter664

4 күн бұрын

@@SteveRichards did you try them in a grow bag?

@SteveRichards

4 күн бұрын

No, why would that help? I tried them in a polytunnel and under a low polythene tunnel, in a cold frame and outside. But unfortunately the uk climate is nothing like Germany

@beateschluter664

4 күн бұрын

@@SteveRichards OK, you'll know better what works for you!

@doras.allotment

2 күн бұрын

Ooh that’s a great idea!

Does covering the lettuce on the allotment with fine mesh not keep the caterpillars off?

@SteveRichards

2 күн бұрын

maybe, but I try to only use fine nets for crops that are not being harvested or are quick to harvest, like carrots. I find fine nets hide as many problems as they solve when they are opened up a lot, lots of pests can get in, but predators can't and once the net is on I can't see the pests. I only have three net tunnels right now, one is on the lettuce though, but I will need it soon for the purple sprouting broccoli, so I'm not sure what I will decide to do : All the best - Steve

Why do you say it's best to do curly leaf rather than flat leaf? My (limited) experience so far with parsley is that curly leaf varieties are really slow growing compared to flat leaf. Also, just had a question about your ebook. What is the colour coding system for months of the year? I've noticed sometimes an individual month is different colours. Is there a key in the book somewhere?

@SteveRichards

2 күн бұрын

There’s no colour coding unfortunately, they are just random. I did finally figure out that I could change the colours, but by then there were too many to change. I’ve found that curled grows much stronger in winter, or at least it does for me

you said you only have your spring cabbages under grow lights for a few weeks, where do you keep them until they get planted out in february? do they need to be hardened off before going out?

@SteveRichards

4 күн бұрын

In the greenhouse in pots and then straight out under plastic low tunnels, no Harding off needed, but I try and choose a week where the weather isn’t too far below freezing

@ajandfarms401

4 күн бұрын

@@SteveRichards thank you, i dont have a greenhouse, do you think they can survive in a low tunnel och plastic cold frame until they get planted out?

@SteveRichards

4 күн бұрын

Yes, they would be fine, if you don’t have grow lights or a greenhouse just start them earlier in autumn, maybe two batches, one in mid September and another in late September.