Leeks & Onions

Hi folks sorry for the lack of posts but been busy with work and trying to play rugby, (thats another story). Any way I've got some of my Parsnips sown.  This year I've got Pacific in and hope to get my Panarama in at the weekend.  After listeninmg to a talk by Uan Stocks NVS Scottish Branch Chairman I changed how I make my stations. I now just use a Pinch bar and bore the hole with out removing and of the material from my box.  I must say it was quicker and I did not use as much compost mix when filling the station as they are now naturally conical shaped.

 

 

So above and below are pictures of my Kelsea onions. They are in one ltr pots and to my eye growing on quite strongly.  They are now in M3  compost with Perlite to keep it open and free draining. They get a spray of SB invigorator once a week. In addition to thier normal water requirements once a week they are watered with a Maxicrop solution.  This works out that 2 in 5 waterings over a 14 day period are with the Maxicrop solution. As you can see from the picture below they are thicker than my pinkie but not as thick as my fore finger.  They chamber they are in is getting lights from 6.00am to 8.00 pm. and hopefully not dropping much below 12 degrees through the night. 

 

Below is my leeks, they are in 2 ltr pots and on average are about 2. inch in diameter and about 5.5 inch to the buttom.  They will be potted on this week into 3 ltr pots and I will reselect with the the ones not choosen for show going to a local school.  They will be kept going in the green house without any further additional heat or light.  The Leeks are also on 14 hrs of light and get sprayed once a week with SB invigorator. 

Shallots have twins, " dad not happy"

This week has been particularly disappointing as I started to lift my shallots.  These plants had been started away in the greenhouse way back in December 2011 and I had high hopes that I would be able to crack the 45mm barrier and produce some quality shallots for showing.  How wrong could I be?  On Tuesday evening I noticed new shots on one or two of the larger shallots and on closer examination they had started to split again.  I lifted a number of the largest that night and have continued to do so every evening,as you can see from the sample below I have a number of nice shaped bulbs but no real size.  The really cold weather and snow just after I planted out in April will not have helped them and I think I let the bed get too dry.  Anyway hopefully I will get a nice set for the local shows and plenty to choose from for next year.

This picture shows quite nicely that the bulb in the center and on the left as you look at them have started to split again.  You can see the three growth shoot very plainly on the one in the center. This meens that as it drys it will go out of shape.   

Today I also changed the collars on my Celery.  This is my first attempt at growing show celery and although the plants are health enough now they are not as big and strong as I would have liked.  Again I think it is down to me not getting the out soon enough and possibly not having the ground strong enough.  By that I mean not enough organic matter and FYM in the site where the Celey is growing. 

 Here is a quick photo of the Kelsae onions in their 25 kg pots.  The onion shown has a diameter of just over 10 inches. I only have 12 of these onions kindly supplied to me by an NVS grower (Helen V)   They are growing on strongly with them all between 8.5 and just over 10 inches, but don't know if they will be ready in time for first my couple of shows. 

 This is just to give you an Idea of the set up in the green house where the Kelsae onions and my Globos.(for the 250gm  class) are growing in pots.  Globo are in the fore ground with the Kelsae behind them. I am trying watering the Kelsae using watering spikes set in about half way down the pots with fizzy drink bottles attached.  They hold about a litre of water .  I am currently only giving the "big" onions about 2 ltrs of water per week.  The Globo are on gravel trays and receive about a litre just now.  again I don't think the Globo will be ready for the first few shows but we will wait and see.

Warm Weather at last

Well folks I've been a bit busy lately and was having difficulties with my camera. Finally got some photos so here is where I'm at.

Show tatties now all in.  NVS Sherine, The Bishop & Harmony for whites.  NVS Amour, Kestral, Blue Belle, Maxine and Purple eyed Seedling for coloured and all planted in JBA potato mix.  Lets hope it does exactly what it says on the label.

Also finally managed to get one of the Green houses that got last month erected. As you can see I've got some of my Leeks in it just now.  Happy with the finished article.

 This is my Kelsea Onions I've just potted them into my 25 kg Tubs which are old cattle and sheep mineral lick tubs.  I'm using JBA Onion & Leek mix and spraying once a week with SB invigorator.  I'm going to grow them in these tubs in the green house I've just finished.  It my first attempt at large onions so here goes.

 These are my leeks they currently are in 5 ltr pots and have 14 inch collars on. I've lifted one in an attempt to let you see how thick they are.  Again this is my first attempt at growing these so will it be show or soup?

And lastly my Celery.  As you can see its about 10 inches. Again this is my first attempt at growing and I only have 9 plants from 30 left as I had a disaster at pricking out.  I have a second sowing which is about 5 inch and I'm hoping that this will allow me to show at some later ones.