Next year's seed trials

[Shrubrose]

I bought some weeks ago because I couldn't bear not to have something to be thinking about through these dark and dismal days. Fairly bog standard stuff I'm afraid but new to me

- dahlia: pompom mixed
- godetia: shamini
- lychnis: lumina mixed
- mesembryanthemum: livingstone daisy
- nigella
- pansy: chalon supreme purple picotee
- shasta daisy: alaska
- swan river daisy: brachycome white splendour
- viola: freckles

Shall be in sowing frenzy come spring ;D

[Dutchy]

rosefriend said:

If anyone is wondering about where their Parsnip Root seeds are, - erm...well don't ...I just haven't got around to doing them yet...sorry!!

RF

Did you send them yet RF?
If not it might be better to wait until next year as now the mail will be delivering tons of Christmas cards and the poor seeds might get flattened.

[Rosefriend]

Hi Dutchy - no I haven't sent them yet for that reason - I was going to start sorting them out and then we got the first Christmas card and I though I better wait.

I will get them out in the New Year.

RF

[Dutchy]

OK

Is there a list yet of which plants will be tried?
( It is raining again and despite having had fun on the allotment I just am looking for some diversion. )

[Chuckles]

dutchy said:

OK

Is there a list yet of which plants will be tried?
( It is raining again and despite having had fun on the allotment I just am looking for some diversion. )

I'll try and find a mo this weekend and go through the thread and make a list. I think JL kindly did it before so I don't mind having a look and see what we've got so far.

Someone kick my @ss give me a nudge if I forget ;D

[jean]

greety said:

dutchy said:

OK

Is there a list yet of which plants will be tried?
( It is raining again and despite having had fun on the allotment I just am looking for some diversion. )

I'll try and find a mo this weekend and go through the thread and make a list. I think JL kindly did it before so I don't mind having a look and see what we've got so far.

Someone kick my @ss give me a nudge if I forget ;D

I'm still here for the gardening especially the trials

[Chuckles]

jlotie said:

I'm still here for the gardening especially the trials

mention her name and whooooooooooooosh she appears ;D I was just thinking about the hanging basket plants JL and have looked up Bacopa, never knew it was an evergreen perennial. Can't find any seed though, will have a look again over the weekend as eyes and brain going into shut down mode I think Isabella mentioned she did cuttings and I just happen to still have that basket I did of them this year still kicking about

[Weeterrier]

I received my Chiltern Seeds catalogue yesterday. Must get down to some serious choosing. ;D

[jean]

greety said:

jlotie said:

I'm still here for the gardening especially the trials

mention her name and whooooooooooooosh she appears ;D I was just thinking about the hanging basket plants JL and have looked up Bacopa, never knew it was an evergreen perennial. Can't find any seed though, will have a look again over the weekend as eyes and brain going into shut down mode I think Isabella mentioned she did cuttings and I just happen to still have that basket I did of them this year still kicking about

Been looking too and I can't find seeds either just rather pricy plug plants

[Spruance]

According to Mr. Fothergills, Bacopa don't produce seeds....

fothergills.co.uk/en/bacopa-abunda-giant-white-13673.aspx

[Deleted]

Bacopa - In nature I think it is a marsh type plant. Is it related/same as Hyssop? I may be wrong...memory is confuzzeled at this time of night.

I'll think the best way on this is not a seed trial but a cutting trial! B&Q, Wyevale and all similar types bring these plug plants into their stores in February.

Ridiculous! They'll all die! Only stupid people buy them! I hear you say! Not so....take 4 cuttings from a 50p plug there and then and keep on a windowsill. Then several more a month later. By week 22 (Whitsun I think) you could have more than you'll need from a couple of plants.

How difficult? My son did it two years ago*

Cabbage

* He's 27 now! Nah.....He's still only 4

[Rosefriend]

rosefriend said:

Just to keep us up to date we have been talking about the following veg. for the trials.

Beetroot - White or Red
Butternut Squash
Parsnips
Parsley Roots

Any other suggestions and what about flowers. Jlottie suggested growing our own flowers for hanging baskets. Is there something that we could all grow?

RF

I have got some of the welsh onion/Japanese onion seeds (white) should anyone want any.

Plus I have still got loads of Parsley Roots seeds left over - I will send them out after Xmas.

Should anyone want to try them just PM me.

RF

[Shrubrose]

A numpty question: do we only do veg trials or will there be a flower trial too?

[Dutchy]

There should be flowers too I think.
Not every one wants to grow veg however addictive it is.
Capt Cabbage's suggestion for the plug and consequently cuttings making seems interesting althoug I will be up to my neck in trying to grow veg for real.

Escholzia ? Said to be easy .... said
Cobea scandens I will grow but it is a frickle one that wants the best place it can get.
How about a different trial.
Growing Dahlia from one tuber and trying to get as many healthy cuttings flowering from that?
Hm maybe not.
Could some one remind me of the flowers that were grown this last year?

[jean]

Of course there should be flowers, the sweetpeas and sunflowers were fun last year The more suggestions we have, the more we all have to choose from. I did suggest we had a go at growing the bedding plants for a hanging basket a while back, though some of these will have to be started off Feb next year.

CPCs' idea of Bacopa cuttings is something we could all do quite easily ;D

[Dutchy]

Just had a look at those pompon Dahlia you can grow from seed.
Interesting. Could we put them on the list?
Or are there seeds for the spindly cacti ones too?
Pompon or Cacti Dahlia on the list please pretty please?

[jean]

I've got some Pompom seeds and so has Isabella so count me in Dutchy

[Weeterrier]

Captain is quite right. Almost all the tender plants bought as plugs would be good for cuttings. Fuchsias, Bacopa, Diascia, Bidens, the convolvulus, is it mauritanicus? and the Lobelia which isn't the annual one. And all the various Daisy things.
To be honest, I try cuttings from almost everything, what is there to lose? If it doesn't take, then at least the cutting of it has helped the parent plant to bush out.
Is this the Scot in me coming out again?

[Deleted]

Dutchy, I'd love to try the Cobaea Scandens and the cacti Dahlias. Also, could we add Cerine major 'purpurea' to the list, for a spring sowing. Oh, and some variety of hanging basket tomato, please ;D ... cheers ...

[Chuckles]

What was I thinking of when I said I'd do a list Well I thought I'd got a list together of what everyone is doing or would like to do and you lot have added more ;D Bet I've missed something or someone too.

OM I think there are going to be quite a few 'subject' trial threads ;D There are a few popular subjects showing already.

So, here is a long list of veg and flowers that have been mentioned and I guess there are bound to be more join before the Trials start with more ideas as we get nearer. Wonder what the actual Trial Veg and Flowers will be, a few popular ones are showing already

RF

spuds
Beans
Toms
chillies
parsnips
SP's
radishes
Parsley Root
a herb hanging basket

Escholzia

RBJ

beetroot
purple carrots
parsnips
butternut squash.
french beans
walking stick cabbage

flowers ?

JLOTTIE

Butternut Rogosa Violina Gioia
Butternut lack Futsu
Plum tomatoes
white beetroot
How about herbs in pots?
Banana

Pompom Dhalia's
Geraniums
hanging basket trailing verbena called imagination (purple)
red geranium
petunia's
bedding plants with a view to tubs/baskets
sunflowers
Bacopa cuttings

CPB

I'll be having a think before I decide on veg
Flower wise... existing seed as well as fresh stuff.

CHUCKLES

Beans
Tats
Cucs
Peppers
White Beetroot
Waltham Butternut
Sweet Chocolate A chocolate-brown sweet semi-bell pepper
Winter Lettuce 'Winter Marvel'
'Gardener's Delight'
Galina Tom
'Purple Ukraine' Tomato
'Rose de Berne' Large Pink Salad Tom
Parsley Root
Tats
Cucs
Peppers

Delphinium, Foxglove, Hollyhocks, Aquiligia and Verbascum on the go ATM
SP's
hanging basket plants
sunflowers
Bacopa cuttings

KAREN

Cauliflower All year round / winter pilgrim
Onion Bedfordshire champion
Parsnip Tender and true / White Gem
Beetroot Boltardy
Lettuce Chartwell / Lakeland Little Gem
Leek Musselburgh
Carrott Early Nantes
Kohl Rabi Blusta
Cucumber Teklegraph
Pea Kelvedon wonder / Hurst green shaft
Sweetcorn Incredible
Tomato Alicante/Gardeners Delight/ Tigerella
Sweetcorn Lark
Runner Beans Wisley Magic/ White Lady.

DUTCHY

old fashioned beetroot
Parsley Root
purple potato
purple carrot.
How about ornamental, yet edible old veg?
companion plants- Nicandra claimed to keep whitefly at bay.

EscholZia.
Shade loving annuals
Cobea scandens
Pompon Dahlia
Cacti Dahlia

ANNBESS

geraniums

SHRUB

dahlia: pompom mixed
godetia: shamini
lychnis: lumina mixed
mesembryanthemum: livingstone daisy
nigella
pansy: chalon supreme purple picotee
shasta daisy: alaska
swan river daisy: brachycome white splendour
viola: freckles

Canarycreeper

Cobaea Scandens
Pompon Dahlia
Cacti Dahlia
Cerine major 'purpurea'
some variety of hanging basket tomato

[Deleted]

Ooooops ... didn't mean to make so much work for you, Chuckles, but that's a handy list ;D. Incidentally, I had a typo moment earlier ... it should be 'Cerinthe major' ... cheers ...

[jean]

Thats some list Chuckles Perhaps we should try and narrow the trials suggestions down a bit. We will all be growing what we want next year but for trials we really need a short list.

I would like to suggest for trials;

dahlias from seeds
Bascopa cuttings
and a butternut squash trial

Anyone else ?

[Chuckles]

jlotie said:

Thats some list Chuckles Perhaps we should try and narrow the trials suggestions down a bit. We will all be growing what we want next year but for trials we really need a short list.

I would like to suggest for trials;

dahlias from seeds
Bascopa cuttings
and a butternut squash trial

Anyone else ?

it's not the Trials List JL it's just what folk have put that they are doing or would like to do next year.

I'm going to add Dahlias to my list too

[jean]

Phew But perhaps we should start taking suggetions for the trials as some might need starting off early next year.

[Chuckles]

jlotie said:

Phew But perhaps we should start taking suggetions for the trials as some might need starting off early next year.

Your'e right JL, looking at that sowing calendar you mentioned before www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/pages/calendar.htm#April Dahlias are January sowing and atm there are 5 of us suggesting them - Shrub, Dutchy, Canary, Chuckles, JLottie. Looks like Pompom Dahlias for us 5 then

[Dutchy]

;D Yup but Pompom or Cacti.
As both CC and I would like those cacti ones.
I'll do Pompom when every one else wants those but I think I prefer the Cacti ones

[Chuckles]

Just had a scan through the list and the new posts on the thread while munching late brekky, early lunch

From what everyone is doing, these are what will be different for me to do As JL said we'll all end up doing loads of stuff on our own anyway but it woud be nice to have a few different things that we can all have a go at

FLOWERS

I fancy CPC's idea of buying plugs and doing cuttings, trailing ones for hanging baskets
Dahlias - Pompom and or Cacti (not sure what Cacti ones are but will look)
Petunias (trailing for hanging baskets)

Some of the flowers others have suggested sound interesting so will need to look those up too


VEG

White Beetroot
Parsley Root
Squash (have 2 types)

[jean]

I wouldn't mind trying the cactus type dahlia if I could find a supplier that sells indiviual colours, my worst nightmare would be giant pink flowers

If anyone is thinking of trying dahlias from seed I found this link whilst googling for seed

www.dahlias.net/dahwebpg/Seedlings/Seedlings1.htm

[Rosefriend]

I have just had an E-mail from T & M and they have two new mini-veg this year.

Pea :Half Pint
(Mini Vegetable)

seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/625/1

Lettuce : Mini Green Improved

seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/131/1

Update

Hanging sweetpeas would be ideal for people wihtout much room.

seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/8156/2

RF

[Weeterrier]

jlotie said:

I wouldn't mind trying the cactus type dahlia if I could find a supplier that sells indiviual colours, my worst nightmare would be giant pink flowers

If anyone is thinking of trying dahlias from seed I found this link whilst googling for seed

www.dahlias.net/dahwebpg/Seedlings/Seedlings1.htm

Mine would be giant orange flowers ;D