Selfsufficientish.com

Keaniebean wrote:I end up giving away loads because I can never plant the whole packet which is a shame but heyho.

Except for celery (and parsnips) you could sow half a packet and sow the other half next year, or in the case of peas and beans .. sow a third of a packet and it will keep you going for three years.
Rather than give excess away you could halve your gardening expenses.

I do keep what I can sow, next year Odsox, but even then I can't cram that much into only 6 square meters, plus a few pots. I'm really only a glorified container gardener

Godfreyrob... book looks intresting........... so maybe 1 day, if I have any spare cash!


Keanie bean........... as for flowers.. just 1 rose bush, and some jasmin. The roses bush is tough as anything, as few years back, the dogs decimated it and chewed it all up, but it has survived!
Son wanted me to put loads pretty flowers in last year, couldnt understand my refusal! did have some marigolds, adn again this year, and nasturtiums, the lavender was pretty, but thats going.!

oads of herbs..... oreganom, mints, thyume, rosemary, pasrley, . no hedging
(basically an enclosed "walled garden" !)

I am doing onions, even mostwill be consumed as sprig onions, cos dont really get those here.well you do , but they are ENORMOUS. basically fully grown onion. just not dried!

Odsox..... as for seed. looking at what I need to plant, allowing for poor germinaton rates.well I´d have seeeds for most stuff for about 10 yrs

Unless you hate the taste, the Lavender is useful in cakes, biscuits, syryps and infused oils. It is also good for the bees which of course are a must in any garden. I can never have enough but then Imake my own cosmetic products from it as well.

Ah, skip the last I've just seen your other thread about moving it

Odsox wrote:Except for celery (and parsnips) you could sow half a packet and sow the other half next year

Why celery? Is the seed no good the next year? If so that will save me trying to experiment again - probably a lost cause anyway!

I have always understood that celery needs fresh seed every year to get a successful amount of germination.
But that may well be an old wives tale, or in this case an old grandfather's tale.

Some seeds can survive much longer periods of dormancy than others. You might get some year-old celery seeds to germinate but the germination rate will probably be much lower than with fresher seed.

Wulf

Well I haven't even managed to get any opened last year Sweet Million tomato seeds to germinate so I don't think I'll bother.

However what I thought were 3 tomatoes coming up in the propagator were in fact 3 weeds from the (bought) potting compost!

pops wrote:this is a really great idea for a thread!
i have the opposite problem, tons of space, but no money! i have discovered a couple of good suppliers for seed and seedlings on ebay but need to know how much to grow for 3 hungry boys in the family!

Hint: At seasons end, let a few plants run to seed and you will have plenty to plant next year, for free.

oo good plan!