The Poultry Keeper

IrishLass · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 26 Location: Ireland

today i bought some forget me not seeds, when should i plant them?
also i want to grow some vegetables, mainly carrots, courgettes, leeks and broccoli. when is the best time to plant those?
and is October the best time to plant potatoes?
Thanks! Smile

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2490 Location: South Cumbria

Potatoes are traditionally planted on Good Friday, what is your weather like ? I lived in Yorkshire before here and it was much colder over there a lot depends on climate and condition of your soil and soil type

chickenmama · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Scotland

Living in the Scottish Borders we can still get really cold weather March/April and frosts in May so I always add a week or two to what the seed packets say that way I should get some veggies Very Happy

I usually plant my potatoes end of April beginning May Very Happy

nigel · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:33 am Post subject:

traditionally i thought potatoes were planted on St. Patrick's Day. When I lived in the UK [Midlands] we used to plant in the first week of April as St Paddy's day was usually 2 weeks too early for us.

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7170 Location: isle of lewis

are the october potatoes you are talking about the new potatoes that you can grow for christmas ,i think those are planted about october ,

mcleod-girls · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:30 pm Post subject:

forget me nots are biennial so sow this spring or late autumn to flower next year. I agree with everyone else so much depends upon local climate. Potatoes don't like the damp and we have lost two crops to blight as its damp where we are, I now just put a few salad ones in pots. Carrots don't like heavy or stony ground and are vulnerable to carrot fly, try interplanting with garlic. again, they work well in tubs. courgettes prefer sunny well drained soil, I grow mine against a south facing wall. I also put sugar snap peas at the back of them which also do well against the wall. I just grow what we really enjoy and is expensive in the shops. Hope this helps. If you are a beginner the "Expert" series of books is very good. Good luck! Very Happy

chicklet · Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Hampshire

Last year May in the south of England was appalling, but then October was superb, who knows what this year will bring. All of the inputs are absolutely right but must be taken with a pinch of "Global warming salt" perhaps Smile

As its your first year you should probably sow a little of a few things to see which grows best in your soil and its never the quantity in the first year that is as important as the magic of the fist potato/carrot/courgette etc that makes it all worth while.
The very best of luck, it wil be well worth it.