Bright ideas or not

[jean]

Had time on my hands today as the carpenter turned up and stayed most of the day, doors done at last ;D.

Was reading on another forum about sowing carrots a few seeds every 4" to cut down on thinning, then I remembered seeing a thread on homemade seed tapes. So, I have been making little "square pockets" of seed with kitchen roll and flour and water which I will have a go with when some rain is forecast. I always sow to much seed and never seem to get it all in the drill

I have also used an old jiffy module tray lined with damp kitchen roll and have sown 3/4 parsnip seeds to each square for chitting, I should in theory be able to cut the kitchen roll up by squares and sow the chitted seeds along with the damp paper.

Has anyone tried growing anything inside old tyres on top of the soil, I am thinking of having a go with squash/cougettes. I am hoping that mulching inside the tyre with lots of good manure/compost will save on watering.

Any comments?

I will keep myself busier tomorrow, I promise, even if it means finding a painting brush ;D

[TeeGee]

about sowing carrots a few seeds every 4" to cut down on thinning,

It is whats known as 'station sowing' and can be used with any seed that is sown insitu then thinned out.

The only problem I found with it is if one station fails to germinate you get a largish gap.

In some cases these can be filled with 'thinnings'

To take your 'cut & paste' idea a bit further and make it less complicated.

Smear the whole sheet of kitchen towel with the paste in one go, cut the paper into strips then trickle the seed on to the pasted strip/s.

You can either sow in drills in this state or sit it in the bottom of a tray, spray water on it to chit the seed indoors then sow in the drill when the seed have chitted.

If you follow this I guess the painting will have to be put off for another day

[4pygmies]

I've tried growing things in old tyres and I found that it was the perfect home for lurking slugs and snails! Bob Flowerdew recommends turning them inside out somehow but I never quite grasped what he meant. Maybe it you could cut the top curve off it would be less attractive for the slugs...I dunno. It's always irked me that I couldn't find a good use for them...the farmer next door has stacks of huge tractor tyres just laying about........

[jean]

I thought there might be problems, oh well nothing ventured ........ Maybe painting tomorrow then ;D

[Susie Snowdrop]

Are you painting JL ;D

S x

[jean]

I'm painting, which is a nightmare with 2 mad dogs I've finished inside the porch and I nearly stopped because the post came half way through with my squash seeds from my brother. There was a cryptic message attached saying they should provide much "interest" and tasty eating, I reckon there will be some weird & wonderful shapes and colours, and as they are all surprises, I will just have to wait and see ;D I think I've had enough painting for one day I'm off to sow my seeds

[Cheerypeabrain]

jlotie said:

Had time on my hands today as the carpenter turned up and stayed most of the day, doors done at last ;D.

Was reading on another forum about sowing carrots a few seeds every 4" to cut down on thinning, then I remembered seeing a thread on homemade seed tapes. So, I have been making little "square pockets" of seed with kitchen roll and flour and water which I will have a go with when some rain is forecast. I always sow to much seed and never seem to get it all in the drill

I have also used an old jiffy module tray lined with damp kitchen roll and have sown 3/4 parsnip seeds to each square for chitting, I should in theory be able to cut the kitchen roll up by squares and sow the chitted seeds along with the damp paper.

Has anyone tried growing anything inside old tyres on top of the soil, I am thinking of having a go with squash/cougettes. I am hoping that mulching inside the tyre with lots of good manure/compost will save on watering.

Any comments?

I will keep myself busier tomorrow, I promise, even if it means finding a painting brush ;D

My sister grows sweetcorn in tyre stacks and her OH grows taters in them, I don't think she has problems with lots of slugs and snails...but I will ask her when I see her next. Fab idea btw... ;D

[jean]

That would be good CPB, I have been trying to think how on earth I can get a tyre inside out ;D