Luxor4u

I'm going to be in the UK next week. If anyone wants me to bring them back seeds just send me a PM.
I just love ordering, sorting and planting seeds.
There is such anticipation of dramatic success which sometimes becomes a disappointment - but then sometimes is just wonderful.
This year we are trying out a LOT of stuff, on a let's just see basis. So far the list for flowers is about 40 varieties, herbs 20 varieties and veggies just over 90!
We have managed to get sweetcorn in several varieties which we will be planting at 2 week intervals throughout the year.
There might also be some good news about availability of small quantities of seeds and young plants too if any one is interested - I can put up the lists of what we have so far.
FabLux has some seeds I covet I hope we can do a swop later.

MD, I'd definitely be interested in seeing a list of your young plants - specifically ones that can thrive on a balcony that gets a lot of sun

Over 90 varieties of veggies? - I'd no idea even that many existed!!

I have just sown some broccoli sprouting seeds, I grew bean sprouts earlier in the year & they made a lovely fresh addition to salads.

I had to bring the seeds in from the UK as I haven't seen them here, they were so succesful I bought several different types back last time.

For people without a garden, or who have kids, they might be fun to watch them grow. It is just like cress that you grow either on paper or cotton wool, or some types in a glass jar, & eat within 3 - 7 days

Well it's not exactly 90 species, 'cos i have several varieties of some species like 14 different kinds of bean, broad, French, dwarf and runner in variety. (Probably counted wrong too - just showing off. )

I have decided to use a specialist grower for some of my seeds. I give him the seed and he returns the young plants grown in cells. He gets paid on the number of plants successfully grown to transplanting size in trays of 200 cells.

FABlux wrote:I have just sown some broccoli sprouting seeds, I grew bean sprouts earlier in the year & they made a lovely fresh addition to salads.

I had to bring the seeds in from the UK as I haven't seen them here, they were so succesful I bought several different types back last time.

For people without a garden, or who have kids, they might be fun to watch them grow. It is just like cress that you grow either on paper or cotton wool, or some types in a glass jar, & eat within 3 - 7 days

Good idea FABlux, local people often sprout the white beans grown locally, but I'm not keen. The fenugreek you buy for drinking is lovely if sprouted, doesn't taste like curry more like fresh peas.

Countessa wrote:MD, I'd definitely be interested in seeing a list of your young plants - specifically ones that can thrive on a balcony that gets a lot of sun

Me, too, please! Mine would have to be ones that thrive on a balcony which only gets the afternoon sun. It's all part of my campaign for varied diets for the single man

OK let's pool our info. this time round I supply the transplants, you guys give me feedback, which I'll share along with how we do, how's that?
10 transplants free of charge................... we could have a little competition to see who does best and pool our knowledge.

Sounds good MD

My biggest problem is the growing medium to fill the pots

I have tried mixing all sorts of combinations of soil, sand, compost, water retaining gel, vermiculite you name it with very variable results. I would love to be able to buy bags of suitable medium that just needed to be tipped into the pots. Hint hint

I am not sure if it would work out there with the heat, but can you not make yourself a proper composting box somewhere a bit shaded and keep adding your newspapers, vegetable and various kitchen waste? That way you would be able to make your own plant compost.

We don't get newspapers (what few I do get are used to keep veg fresh in the fridge) & the donkeys would be really upset if they didn't get the fruit & veg trimmings

Also I shudder to think what creatures might take up residence in it :worry:

The problem here with compost is that it attracts rats and more importantly snakes!
I don't know if they still do it this way, but the Movenpick used to dig a pit and fill it up in the usual way, turn it regularly - but keeping it well watered is essential in this climate or it simply burns and is not very useful. A lot of work in making good compost.
However....................... I have a yearning for a chipper and shredder which costs about £1,000 sterling - that would help in the making of the compost, hopefully making it more "open" and less wet if you see what I mean.
Also there are composts available in bulk. 6 tons is a lot if you only need a few pots. The suppliers tailor it to your needs, so I have the organic one with no chemicals added. This is not to every taste, but it is important to me.
Other alternatives are being explored.

FABlux wrote:Sounds good MD

My biggest problem is the growing medium to fill the pots

I have tried mixing all sorts of combinations of soil, sand, compost, water retaining gel, vermiculite you name it with very variable results. I would love to be able to buy bags of suitable medium that just needed to be tipped into the pots. Hint hint

I'm wondering if it's your water? Or indeed the way you water?
I had great success a few years ago when I was doing the seed raising myself. Watering was done several times a day with a fine mist spray.
Since I have delegated this responsibility the seed raising is far from being acceptable. Ergo the idea of getting a specialist to raise the seedlings.

While living in Egypt I had great success with compost....and not a snake(or rat come to that) in sight! Best plan is to keep it away from buildings and make a pile using old cloths cardboard paper, kitchen waste -tealeaves excellent, fruit and veggie peelings, eggshells great, plant material, ash or soil if available or better still some old compost in layers, and leave it undisturbed.
On no account put bread, meat cheese etc on the heap as that WILL attract vermin and snakes etc. The main thing is also to keep adding water - or cold tea or urine ( ) as they help to activate the process.
The compost goes through stages - firstly the "hot" phase, where it heats off and kills microorganisms - I used to stick a wooden stick in to check for heat, in a way the organisms are more active and the organic materials are broken down more quickly in the heat, then you get other organisms insects and worms that break down the rest as the compost cools. Cover with banana leaves and DONT TURN.......in a few weeks you will see how the pile has shrunk and soon ...voila! good compost medium for growing plants. It really works a treat

Fablux talks about donkeys? Well, theres some of your "growing meduim"

Jayway wrote:Fablux talks about donkeys? Well, theres some of your "growing meduim"

Mmm, my thoughts, too! Put animal manure in a hessian bag and in a bucket. Fill with water and leave a week. Use the diluted liquid for watering. Let the solids dry out, then break them into powder and thoroughly mix into your medium. This prevents the plants being burnt by the (too-strong-when-fresh) manure. It is a good idea to do this even if the manure is old and dry, especially with delicate plants.

As for watering with animal manure - and please correct me if I'm wrong - I always thought that if animal mature was really high in nitrites which contain salt that watering the foliage of plants with this concoction would cause the leaves to burn particularly if watered in the hot sun. The salt in the solution would burn. Just like if nitrogen is too high - it can burn.

On another note I absolutely LOVE planting season. I've got the amaryllis in the fridge chilling right now and will be planting them again in another month in hope of getting red flowers at Christmas.

I love seeing all the new bulbs arrive in the shops. I can spend hours going through to try and find something new and unique.

Has anybody planted small yellow pear shaped tomatoes? I did 2 summers ago and the tomato plant was absolutely weighed down with tiny pear shaped tomates. Probably the heaviest bearing tomato plant I'd ever grown BUT while the plant itself was totally prolific and I had an abundance of tomatoes there was not 1 drop of favour in 1 of those tiny tomatoes. Totally flat with no taste.

Did you miss my italicised "diluted"? You should never water foliage if possible.

There is enough of a gardening thread here to compose and pose a question to "Gardeners' Question Time, Any takers?...........

Yes - I did miss the italicized diluted. Didn't notice it but am in complete agreement that foliage should never be wetted down......

Where was your garden in Egypt Jewel? Just leaving compost goes against the grain with my training. If the compost is stirred it makes the heating more even and the "digestion" of the plant matter too There are less big lumps and half matured bits.
My garden is pretty rural so is our farm which is miles away, but we have regular snake problems on both.
I love snakes and would prefer to relocate rather than kill them, but unfortunately my staff think otherwise, except for the wonderful tiny snakes that eat ants eggs and look like pink shiny worms.
Last year I guess about 30 snakes were either removed or killed there. I was sitting in a chair and talking a few months abo when one moved swiftly past me almost close enough to touch - and entered a hole in the wall. It wasn't too big, about a metre and a half.
We have had several kinds actually in the Horses stables at the farm.