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Post by roofgardener on Jan 31, 2016 12:23:43 GMT
January Roundup
Well, it's been a busy couple of weeks, as I have mentioned in my main Roofgarden Diary As usual, you can click on the pictures for a bigger version.  | Firstly... the sad news. All but one of my giant Kelsae onions appear to have died. The stalks (monocots ??) have all snapped off at soil level, except for one. I've put that under 'special measures'... given it a Clottle(1) and brought the growlight out of storage. I guess I'll have to sow some more. 
|  | The early Toughball seedlings have been put into the growhouse to start to gently "harden" them. There is a BIT of insulation (bubblewrap) in there, and if we have any SERIOUS frosts forecast, I may have to stick them back into the polytunnel... well... we shall see.
Although not in these pictures, the Ailsa Craig's have germinated well, and I'll have to think about potting them on VERY soon.
|  | The BIG success story so far are the garlics. I've put them in their final troughs and taken them outside to harden a bit... they seem VERY enthusiastic |
February is going to be a busy time, with more Garlics to be planted, and perhaps some Vision F1's.
Notes:
(1) Clottle = Cloche Bottle. Thanks to daitheplant for the idea !
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Post by daitheplant on Jan 31, 2016 19:57:57 GMT
Roofus, you do realise I have got worldwide patents on my Clottles?*  *Clottles is the trademark of the Clottle Bottle Company.  |
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Post by SueA on Jan 31, 2016 22:25:36 GMT
Roofy I think your Kelsae onion seedlings have probably suffered from damping off. Your compost looks a bit wet & claggy, did you use some of your 'recycled' soil for them because it could contain all sorts of nasties, it's best to use fresh compost, either 'seed' or 'multipurpose' & sieve out any big lumps & don't use collected water from a butt etc. on them early on as that can have all sorts in it as well, tap water (left to 'warm up' a bit, not straight from the tap) is usually best for tiny seedlings until they're established. Having said that you can still be unlucky & they'll keel over for no apparent reason.
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Post by roofgardener on Feb 1, 2016 10:03:58 GMT
You must be reading my mind SueA ... I DID wonder about Damping Off. (mind you, I also worried about Blossom End Rot, Greenfly, Scabies, and Licky End - which normally only sheep suffer from. I really MUST stop reading that book on plant diseases... ) The thing is, the seeds germinated without problems; it was only when I transplanted them into the pots that the "rot set in"... possibly literally. I think I MAY have used recycled compost, so I'm going to follow your advice when I sow the next lot. Also, I'm going to try and sow them directly into the mid-size pots, to avoid the need for the additional transplanting operation. (I was originally working on the plan of "Germination tray ---> Mid size pot ---> Full size pot") I'm also going to hold off on the vermiculite until the seedlings are WAY bigger ... I have a suspicion that it may have held in too much water ? Also, these 'failed' seeds where transplanted BEFORE the 'improved' polytunnel, when we where still getting a lot of condensation. Perhaps this swamped the seed pots. ? OK.. they where heated... but perhaps the condensation leaking IN to the pots, with the vermiculite trapping it, caused the damp rot ? Finally, my parents have a water filter jug thingymabob, which produces very 'clean' water (allegedly). I may take my small watering can around and get it filled (and then warm it slightly with a heater wire). Hmm... I'm going to need a seive. Time for a trip to Wilko's again, methinks. |
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Post by roofgardener on Feb 1, 2016 10:18:23 GMT
Roofus, you do realise I have got worldwide patents on my Clottles?* *Clottles is the trademark of the Clottle Bottle Company. Which is turn a whole-owned subsidiary of The Plant Factory, a subdivision of DaithePlant Transnational ! I shall make sure that all future references to Clottles TM are suitably credited. However... the NAME is still registered to H.A.A (High Altitude Alliums) PLC, a division of Roofgarden Republic GmbH.  |
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Post by roofgardener on Feb 1, 2016 19:18:35 GMT
Well, I've washed the 'failed' onion pots in dilute disinfectant, rinsed them, and they are now drying in my bath !! I even remembered to remove the soil first ! I was expecting it to be damp and claggy, but it wasn't. It was almost.... dry ? Not dust dry... it WAS a BIT .. well... not quite DAMP exactly, but sort of "sticks to your fingers a bit". Tomorrow, I shall refill them with sifted seedling compost, and plant new seeds ! ASSUMING that I still possess any seeds tomorrow... or seed trays... or a polytunnel.  (see PolyTrouble in my main diary) |
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Post by daitheplant on Feb 1, 2016 20:05:54 GMT
Roofus, you do realise I have got worldwide patents on my Clottles?* *Clottles is the trademark of the Clottle Bottle Company. Which is turn a whole-owned subsidiary of The Plant Factory, a subdivision of DaithePlant Transnational ! I shall make sure that all future references to Clottles TM are suitably credited. However... the NAME is still registered to H.A.A (High Altitude Alliums) PLC, a division of Roofgarden Republic GmbH. I will see you in the High Court, you cad.   |
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Post by roofgardener on Feb 1, 2016 21:00:25 GMT
I'm too short for the High Court.
Can I get a stepladder on legal aid ?
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Post by daitheplant on Feb 2, 2016 19:33:22 GMT
I'm too short for the High Court. Can I get a stepladder on legal aid ? You can borrow mine. |
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Post by roofgardener on Feb 8, 2016 11:00:15 GMT
Hmmm.... you counseled me to be patient, daitheplant, but I'm getting worried about the Toughball onions seedlings. The Garlic and the Ailsa Craigs are growing like billy-ho, despite not being heated or anything. But the toughballs.... I don't think they have grown a millimeter since they where transplanted from their seed trays. And that was six weeks ago |
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Post by daitheplant on Feb 8, 2016 19:44:52 GMT
Any chance of a pic Roofus? You have to remember, they now have to make more roots so as they can support more top growth. However, they should should have started growing up by now. What size pots did you pot them into?
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Post by dianthus on Feb 8, 2016 20:05:58 GMT
I'm going to be garlic and onionless this year..... how am I going to manage?  Last year I grew about 70 onions and 21 garlic. |
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Post by daitheplant on Feb 8, 2016 20:08:29 GMT
Grow them in pots Di.
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Post by dianthus on Feb 8, 2016 22:12:29 GMT
Doubt I'll get anywhere to put them. I'll grow things again next year, if I can, whether it's in a garden or if I can get an allotment nearby.
You can't take the growing habit out of the gardener!  |
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Post by roofgardener on Feb 9, 2016 15:12:22 GMT
The 'toughball' pots are the diddy little 2" square seedling pot thingies, daitheplant. There is a picture of them in my earlier post . You can click on the picture to get a super-big close-up. dianthus... I think you should at least have a couple of Garlic planpots, just to spite the Universe ! Meanwhile.. back in the Polytunnel..... (click for a larger picture) 
| I finally got around to planting some new Kelsae giant onion seeds.(1). Eight in all. Hopefully at least THREE will germinate and grow ?
THIS time, I've put them into slightly bigger pots, with a drink of water, a protective cloche-bottle, and put the pots onto a heated bed, underneath the growlight.
Or to put it another way....
Planted, Potted, Pampered, and ClottledTM !
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| The Owls monitored the situation very carefully ! Nothing escapes their gimlet gaze ! Pity the foolish Gardener who attempts to skimp on the compost, or is dilatory with the clottles, on THEIR shift ! |
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Notes:
(1) The onions are giant, that is, not the seeds
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