What are you planning to grow 2016.

[featherstick]

I don't know if people have tried this already but a friend told me to save a cherry tomato, slice it up, place it in a pot full of compost, lightly cover and keep watered and in the sun. I did this two weeks ago and I now have seedlings starting to grow. Only time will tell if I get any yield of decent cherry tomatoes or not.

That is how tomatoes propagate in the "wild", that is to say, where people have thrown the rest of their cheese-and-tomato sandwich. Incredibly robust seeds, will survive composting, ingestion and defecation, sewage works, and still germinate.

You have two issues: one is that it is quite late to start toms now but you might get away with it. The other is that if the parent tomato was an F1 (i.e. crossed from two strains to produce a uniform characteristic) then it might not breed true. But you might get a wonderful new strain. Let us know how you get on.

[Briggs 2.0]

We are a few months into our aquaponic project and the difference between non-aquaponic crops and aquaponic crops is more than I expected. I'd say 30% more growth in the broccoli and the potatoes are off the scale. Liquid trout-sh*t appears to be a very good fertiliser.

I should add that the plant growth is due to the discomfort of the fish, they are outgrowing their 1500 litres of tank. It's great for fertiliser but not ideal for keeping them in a kind of koi pond level of luxury.

[munchh]

Any idea what i should do with the seed pods (i assume thats what they are) on my purple sprouting brochlii, i mean do i let them dry out on the plant?

[featherstick]

If you want to use the same seed next year, make sure it's not an F1, and then let the pods dry on the plant as far as possible. If it gets too wet, life the whole plant and let it dry hanging up indoors. Save the seed into a brown paper bag and keep in a cool place until next year.

[munchh]

Ok cool, but how would i know if it is an F1?

[ForgeCorvus]

It should say on the packet, if thats available

[Decaff]

Feeling a bit of a twit... what I thought were peas coming through are actually bloody bind weed... there were peas to start with but obviously being a tad new at this malarkey I had no idea the peas had vanished!!!

[munchh]

It should say on the packet, if thats available

I bought them as seedlings

[featherstick]

It should say on the packet, if thats available

I bought them as seedlings

Don't bother then. You'll lose a year if they are F1 and grow a bit funny. Get next year's seed from The Real Seed company, they provide heritage/heirloom varieties adapted to the UK with seed-saving instructions. Good luck.

[Stasher]

The polytunnel is looking and tasting fantastic with one small problem.

I'll take your slugs and raise you one rabbit

Yesterday alpha male glanced inside to see a local rabbit eating the lettuce! Rabbit turned to look at him, then turned back to continue munching! But not for long........