Garden And Gossip Forums

Brussels, Kalettes, Chinese Cabbage

I’m with Veggie.
Twigs or broken off canes to mark where I’ve put things
Then when anything shows I wonder what it is!
I don’t put it in a diary !

(07-03-2023, 06:50 PM)Veggie Wrote: [ -> ]I emptied all the old leek seeds into a little jar, similarly with the old spring onions, chives and garlic chives and scattered them on empty patches of ground (hope I remember where). Only the leeks had special treatment - sown roughly in rows on the veg patch.
I've brought a tub of compost into the kitchen to thaw out and I'll sow some in date leek seeds in it later.

(27-03-2023, 10:21 AM)Proserpina Wrote: [ -> ]What do you all use to mark your outdoor sowings? Last year, I mostly used little markers made from old yoghurt pots and similar, but my garden is quite exposed and the wind moved them around. I have some slate markers, but it's hard to write on them clearly, the chalk washes away quite quickly, and they snap very easily. I'm currently marking the corners of blocks where I've sown things using twigs, but as I get to the point where most areas have sowings, that's going to become less clear. Even now, it doesn't tell me what is sown in which block. Maybe I should draw a garden plan and mark sowings on there? But I can't do it outside in the wind and I may have forgotten where I sowed things by the time I get inside!

I was given a set quite like the photo. It came with a grease pencil for writing in the names. Might not be feasible for loads of sowings, but the grease pencil on metal system lasts well in the weather, I think.

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Today I sowed salad endive and winter purslane. I haven't tried either of these in the spring before, so it will be interesting to see how they get on.

I used my Brother label printer to print stickers to go on normal cheapo white plastic plant labels.

Sowed a packet of Chantenay Red Cored carrots - supposed to be 750 seeds but they're sow by 2022 and T&M so I sowed them thickly.
Also some Easter Egg Radishes as its seemed appropriate. All in the BIG bed.

(27-03-2023, 10:21 AM)Proserpina Wrote: [ -> ]What do you all use to mark your outdoor sowings? Last year, I mostly used little markers made from old yoghurt pots and similar, but my garden is quite exposed and the wind moved them around. I have some slate markers, but it's hard to write on them clearly, the chalk washes away quite quickly, and they snap very easily. I'm currently marking the corners of blocks where I've sown things using twigs, but as I get to the point where most areas have sowings, that's going to become less clear. Even now, it doesn't tell me what is sown in which block. Maybe I should draw a garden plan and mark sowings on there? But I can't do it outside in the wind and I may have forgotten where I sowed things by the time I get inside!

I use homemade big plastic plant labels. Cut out of old fish boxes. Granted they’re not the easiest thing to get your hands on if you can’t go beach combing regularly.
[attachment=6011]

They’re big but low to the ground so don’t blow away.

They don’t have to be fish boxes. you could use any big plastic container. Old trugs, buckets, paint pots (lots of the 5lt 
ones are plastic now), MFB (use a white marker ). 

I was going to a lick buckets to that list. But there’s a reasonably high chance you can’t get them easily either   .

What do you cut them with? I'm not sure my scissors/Stanley knife would be up to the job!

(27-03-2023, 10:21 AM)Proserpina Wrote: [ -> ]What do you all use to mark your outdoor sowings? Last year, I mostly used little markers made from old yoghurt pots and similar, but my garden is quite exposed and the wind moved them around. I have some slate markers, but it's hard to write on them clearly, the chalk washes away quite quickly, and they snap very easily. I'm currently marking the corners of blocks where I've sown things using twigs, but as I get to the point where most areas have sowings, that's going to become less clear. Even now, it doesn't tell me what is sown in which block. Maybe I should draw a garden plan and mark sowings on there? But I can't do it outside in the wind and I may have forgotten where I sowed things by the time I get inside!

I don't often sow in blocks so only need to mark rows of veg. I'm lucky to have a supply of grey 18" long bits of robust plastic tube, originally the centre of fax rolls from the weatherman next door (now passed, as well as the fax machine I expect). These tubes mark position and I use 6" white plastic labels and some 5" yellow ones from Premier seeds, written on with permanent marker. The tubes last forever,  the labels get scrubbed up for use next season. I also have a scribble book in my garden bag to write what I've done and various books indoors.  Even then I forget

Pros - you're artistic. We've seen your seed packets. Find some pebbles and paint them with carrots, peas or whatever. You can leave them on the rows/blocks and reuse them next year.
If you can get hold of an old Venetian blind (reminds me of a joke ) use the slats as markers?
Yesterday, I made a temporary "bed" with old metal tubes and sowed within the space. Next time I sow there, I'll lift the right hand tube and move it to the left of the other one to make a new "bed" ..... and so on. I write on the seed packets the date and place where I've sown the seeds.

(28-03-2023, 09:36 AM)Proserpina Wrote: [ -> ]What do you cut them with? I'm not sure my scissors/Stanley knife would be up to the job!

oh yeah   . I Cut them out with a bandsaw.  Very useful bit of kit. And you can get reasonably cheap ones. Free cycle/ eBay.