Kelsey and Jemma wanted to set up a little greenhouse and have a go at growing some veg from seed. Now I am not Alan Titchmarsh and don't have green fingers like the incredible hulk, but I thought hey! Why not? I have seen Yabba's vegetables on the plot of land he has not too far away from where I work and have always been interested in the produce he (and his good lady Vicky) pull out of the ground each year. I have been lucky enough to try some of his vegetables that he has grown, in the form of the odd carrot and radish and as people always say, they taste so much nicer.

I set up a little plastic covered greenhouse near the house, just large enough to take 8 seed trays. Kelsey and Jemma filled the trays with compost, sowed the seeds and then watered them well. The tray were then put in the greenhouse and we handed the rest over to mother nature herself. A few days went by and this eventually lead on to a week and nothing, not a sign of anything growing through. A few days more and the first of the radish sees had started to grow, poking their little heads out of the soil. The girls were really chuffed and excited to see them growing.

One sunny day we had all gone out on a bike ride and after we got back, I unzipped the greenhouse just to see how they were doing. It was now that I was to learn a valuable lesson, unzip the greenhouse door each day as it get mighty hot in there if you don't. The radish that had started to grow had fried in the mid afternoon sun. They were dead, and at this point I realised that plants need ventilation in order not to steam in the soil. I noticed this when I pulled a tray out and saw the steam coming off the soil

Not to worry, I thought, another week and we will have more coming through, how wrong I was. The heat steamed soil must of killed the seeds stone dead and there was nothing in sight at all. I was also to find out that the seeds were planted too deep as well, and this didn't help them in their quest to grow.

Knowledge is a powerful thing, if only there was something like.... lets say 'The Internet' where you could look up and read all about things like this before you started with a new project !!! Dooh :

So armed with some basic facts on sowing seeds, I had noted how deep to sow them and how they don't like to be mad hot with no ventilation, I set off to sow some more in the trays. This was done last Saturday and the girls and I were looking forward to the second attempt of 'Grow your own veg'. I am proud to say that after a few days we are now the proud owners of some little juvenile radish and peppers. Pam has got the salad bowl out on stand by . It looks like we have got the hang of it now, and can't wait for a few weeks until we can try our very own, home grown veg.

Tune back soon folks to see how they are doing, I will keep you all posted with more photo's and info.

Gz

* edited 19.6.08 *

The seeds have been busy growing and have come up really well this past week. Here's a few pictures to show you how the feast is growing.

I am quite enjoying watching their progress every few days and I am trying my best to look after them by watering them every night, gosh its worse than having kids. Mind you, at least you don't have to get up in the middle of the night with them

 

Gz