Friday, December 30, 2011

Strawberries

Vitax Organic strawberry fertiliser is a concentrated high potash liquid feed containing naturally occurring nutrients and essential trace elements.

Links
Strawberry fertiliser

Link 2

http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-propagate-strawberries.html

Epsom Salts

The only other feed I might give is a spraying of epsom salts over the foliage if the leaves start to turn a little yellow. This is a possible sign of magnesium deficiency, and spraying epsom salts on the leaves seems to miraculously turn them back to green within a few days.

Link Epsom Salts

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Lettuce

Lettuce Seed Starting

Lettuce is easily started in seed-starting trays or small pots. Lettuce started indoors can be set into the garden when plants have about four leaves, usually in three to four weeks from sowing.

Set lettuce in the garden 12 inches (30cm) apart if you are planting for full heads and closer if you are going to pick loose leaves, cut-and-come again.

Sow lettuce directly into the garden when the soil temperature is at least 40°F (4°C) and not overly wet. Lettuce germinates in two to ten days depending upon soil temperature. In warm summer regions grow lettuce in spring and fall. When the temperature rises above 70°F (21°C) lettuce will germinate erratically.

Grow lettuce in soil rich in organic matter to help retain moisture. A high-nitrogen fertilizer such as blood meal will help plants grow and develop.

Lettuce is an excellent succession crops, sow new batches of plants every 20 to 30 days for a continuous supply. Where the weather stays cool year-round, lettuce can be grown almost all year with the help of plastic tunnels.


Link Winter Lettuce

It starts here

This blog is to allow me keep a check on what's happening.

Target for 2012 is partial self reliance on food.

I will have about 40 seed packets to start the year.

I have a polytunnel and two green houses.

Plus plenty of space.