Ask Derek

[steve]

Put any questions to Derek in this thread

[ladybird]

Just a wee note to say hello derek.
I have four 8` X4` raised beds out the back, my little "lottie" area and although I havn`t followed your diary regularily before I`m looking forward to reading it in this forum.

Two of my raised beds are in semi shade most of the day what vegtables would grow better there there do you think ?

[derekbrooks]

Hello,Ladybird
I hope you get a lot of pleasure from your little"lottie"and plenty of tasty crops.Most vegetables grow better in a sunny position but those that will tolerate a bit of shade are salad crops such as lettuce and radish,also cabbages,sprouts and other brassicas,and potatoes.Those that are better in full sun are fruiting crops like peas ,beans,tomatoes ,marrows and courgetes.I am not saying that you cannot grow these crops in semi shade but the yields may not be as good
I know your beds are not very big but still try and rotate your crops.You could rotate the crops I have suggested in the shady beds and the others in the sunny beds.I hope this has helped.Keep asking me if there is anything else you want to know.I will always try to help you in any way I can.I hope reading my diary helps you too.Good luck!

[derekbrooks]

Ladybird,with the first group of veg that will tolerate some shade,I forgot to mention turnips and carrots.

[ladybird]

Thanks Derek, I had carrots in the shadest one last year and they did well( the parsnips are still there) I`ll do the spuds in it this year

[Tel]

Hi Derek, i have noticed you mentioned that your Kenora Challenger, is not showing any signs of life mate.
Don't give up on them yet, i placed mine on the heated bench 2 weeks before you, its only in the last few days mine have started to show any signs of life, i do not know why, but they are not this slow normally.


Give them a couple more weeks to see how they go on.
If they show nothing let me know.

[derekbrooks]

Thanks Tel but the ones I removed were rotting and those that I planted looked solid so lets hope that these grow

[Tel]

Feb 23, 2011 21:58:05 GMT derekbrooks said:

Thanks Tel but the ones I removed were rotting and those that I planted looked solid so lets hope that these grow

If they do not do anything, let me know.
Have you no Winholme Diane at all?

[derekbrooks]

I will Tel,Thanks

[scrumpy]

Hi derek, in case you don't see it in gardeners clinic, can you help me on this onion question

my onions over the allotment have become very ill

been growing them a long time, never had this before,have googled, and can't come up with an answer as to whats going on.

This is what they look like in the garden, leaves dropping and shrivelling like mad. Whole rows are affected.





pulled a few leaves back and found this




removed them surgically and they look like this...about 3mm long



any ideas?

[Moonlight]

Hiya Derek, I've been wanting to ask you for ages do you have any photos you could put up here of your carrot tubes? I read it in your school club thread. I sure you mentioned that you had put photos up before but I couldn't find them when I searched.

[derekbrooks]

Hi Moonlight
I have the picture I think but haven't time to find it now . I will look and if I cant find it I will take another for you.

[Moonlight]

Thanks Derek

[derekbrooks]

[derekbrooks]

These are the tubes I use for long carrots and parsnips, Moonlight.
They are made from builder's damp proof material cut into lengths about 3 or 4 feet long, rolled up into tubes and tapered towards the bottom ,shaped like a carrot and clipped together top and bottom.They are stood in containers and string tied round to stop them falling over.