Veg4Show

Haven't posted in a while but to keep you up to date:

We are approaching February so its time to start thinking about sowing parsnips from Mid Feb to late march. I grow my parsnips under cover so I can plant earlier than most and get extra bulk and length. Don't be fooled tho that planting very early will result in bigger and better specimens, parsnips will lose quality, and skin condition.

I spent the weekend making my parsnip mixes up which sounds easy but man I hate sieving, especially moss peat, its so fibrous it clogs the sieve on each pass. Took me two days to get the job done. Don't panic I'm going to invest in an Scheppach RS400 Rotary Sieve for my potato mix. The mix is the same as last year, with a few modifications (I will post it here later).

I have been working on getting the tunnel ready for the parsnips and so far so good, I hope to finish it this weekend and show you some pictures. I will also be growing my long carrots back inside this year as they were pretty crap last year outside, mainly due to taking so long to germinate.

I have potted all my onions on, tho small at the moment I'm still sticking to natural daylight. I have also planted my marco onions for the smaller classes.

February is also when I need to start to think about my first sowing of celery. Last year my second sowing was too late, this I'm going to have to have a think about when I sow them, probably mid February I will start. If growing celery "Ideal" I would have sown it in January to get the bulk required.

The leeks yet again are doing pretty crap, and I have lost loads with the exact same symptoms as last year. I have ordered some Peter Clarke leeks as back ups. I'm thinking about throwing all the leeks away I got from Medwyns as they obviously have something wrong with them. The Peter Clarke leeks will be way behind but at least I will have something.

Will see how far I get this weekend and hopefully post up some pictures.

Here's a picture showing you the difference between growing leeks under ideal conditions, such as warming cables, artificial lights and heat. The leek on the right has been growing only on natural daylight with no bottom heat with an air temperature of 60f minimum 50f. The leek on the left has been potted up already due to rapid growth being in the grow room. Both leeks are bulbils and received at the same time, same variety "Pendle".



Leeks in the grow room have now all been potted up using added soil to the mixture at a rate of 3/1. I have lost 12 leeks which were all suspicious leeks when I received them having browning at the root plate. As I suspected they either rotted, wilted or didn't root. This is why I ordered 40 leeks this year in the hope I can at least grow on 20 good ones with any that look weak can be thrown away. Watering of course is vital and I tend to keep them slightly on the dry side rather than over water them.



The exhibition onions have all germinated and I have been pricking them out when I feel they are ready. My second sowing should be up in a few days time by which time my greenhouse will be pretty full as I have also been been sowing my hanging basket seeds and various other flowers.


Pricking out: