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Post by MamIDdau on Jan 5, 2007 22:38:10 GMT
I read somewhere that sets aren't susceptible to onion fly but seedlings are. Is that true and if so, why?
If I'm growing carrots for my bunnies, can I just sow some seeds, wait for them to start maturing then plant some more seeds, harvest the first lot and plant some more or would there be a time of year where the bunnies would have to make do with asda smart price ones?
Also, if I'm growing stuff in containers, how could I companion plant something? Put the containers next to one another?!
And is Mid march too late to start planting seeds for veg? Can't really start before then due to the house move...
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Post by Dr Bill on Jan 5, 2007 22:47:10 GMT
I read somewhere that sets aren't susceptible to onion fly but seedlings are. Is that true and if so, why? Dunno Yes, it's called successional sowing. It keeps the harvest going over a longer period rather than having a glut at the end of summer I planted some Tagetes in the same pot as my runner beans last season. Not sure how much good it did though Not at all. I would have thought it a bit early for planting outdoors unless you can warm the soil up a bit first using cloches |
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Post by MamIDdau on Jan 5, 2007 22:51:40 GMT
Thank you dr bill.
A woman in store today said about puttin the soil in the microwave for a bit first to warm the soil before putting seeds in?
Would that not kill off any good bugs as well as the bad ones?
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Post by 4pygmies on Jan 5, 2007 22:54:02 GMT
I think it's probably to do with the sets not being at the right stage of growth for onion fly maggots to infest them, Aprilaydee, as the timing is different for seedlings. Something like that anyway! You can have carrots for much of the year if you start with quick maturing types and then progress to the main crop types. If you sow at pot at a time you could have a few ready for your bunnies for most of the time but you might end up with quite a few pots! Re companion planting- the commonest one for carrots is onions as their scents are supposed cancel out each others pests (in theory). You could just put a fine net over the pots to deter the carrot fly. Or plant some strong smelling flowers in pots alternatively (but not from the umbellifer family). Mid March is a perfect time to start sowing seeds. X
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Post by Dr Bill on Jan 5, 2007 22:54:51 GMT
Thank you dr bill. A woman in store today said about puttin the soil in the microwave for a bit first to warm the soil before putting seeds in? Would that not kill off any good bugs as well as the bad ones? I've never heard of that before. Seems a bit unnecessary to me. However if you are sowing in pots or trays use a proper seed compost. Don't try to make do with garden soil - the results will be disappointing |
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Post by lottielady on Jan 5, 2007 23:12:20 GMT
Aprilaydee if you put your containers of carrots on top of the bunny hutch then you are less likely to get carrot fly. The don't fly over 18". I have a companion planting chart but I can't get it to copy on here. I will keep trying though...
LLx
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Post by MamIDdau on Jan 6, 2007 8:52:05 GMT
oooooooooooh good thinkin lottie lady!
I never use garden soil, always use compost to give them the best start. I've always been quite lucky with seeds, never really known what to do with them so I've just stuck em in and thinned em out if necessary and they've always come up alright. But that was with flowers, not veg so I might be a bit more careful this time and do it properly.
Thank you for your advice x
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2007 17:20:21 GMT
Aprilaydee if you put your containers of carrots on top of the bunny hutch then you are less likely to get carrot fly. The don't fly over 18". I have a companion planting chart but I can't get it to copy on here. I will keep trying though... LLx I have raised my beds by 2ft would this stop the carrot fly getting at them? |
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Post by MamIDdau on Jan 6, 2007 17:25:01 GMT
well, another question posed by the height thing.... if I've got a big fence all around my garden, how do the buggers get in? And if there's a raised area and I put the hutch next to it so it's on the lower bit, would that still class as raised or would that be ground level? hmmmm
Anyway, I'm gonna put some other stuff around the carrots to keep the buggers away and get some onion sets as the concensus from my googling efforts seem to confirm that sets aren't susceptible to the pests.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2007 17:32:08 GMT
Interesting....before we got the garden fenced off and raised the beds by 2ft....i lost my carrots two years running to the carrot fly. Since i've done this and covered the fences with windbreak as we get horrid winds here i don't seem to have had the same problem at all (fingers crossed this continues)...wish i could say the same for the cabbage whites though!  |
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Post by oldmoleskins on Feb 1, 2007 11:11:42 GMT
not exactly off-topic, but in a kind of 'ping':
I've seen 2 or 3 tons of small, 'didn't make the grade' onions dumped in the corner of a field nearby. Putting aside the sheer waste of the 'Tesco contract' type of agriculture, if I were to use some of these as onion supersets, would they be likely to grow on to useful size in their second season, or have they demonstrated an inherent deficiency and stay small, maybe just bolt?
OM.
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Post by mickthecactus on Feb 1, 2007 11:43:13 GMT
My feeling is bolt. They haven't been treated to prevent bolting.
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Post by sweetleaf on Feb 1, 2007 12:01:24 GMT
Seems a waste not to try though, might work out.
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Post by mickthecactus on Feb 1, 2007 12:41:12 GMT
What, plant 3 tons of onions?  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2007 13:16:08 GMT
Hi OM ... if they've been commercially grown I would have thought they'd be bolt-resistant and wouldn't be inherently small. Since you have the space, I'd definitely plant a few ... if only to thumb your nose at this obscene type of 'if it aint perfect, dump it' agriculture! Cheers ...
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Post by sweetleaf on Feb 1, 2007 14:19:33 GMT
What, plant 3 tons of onions? no, just as many as he can feasibly use, silly ;D |
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Post by mickthecactus on Feb 1, 2007 15:04:08 GMT
Tee hee. ;D
Still reckon they will bolt as they're second year onions. If you manage to miss a small onion on the plot and it comes up the following year it always flowers.
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