Spinach Problems and Potato Crops

[Dibsy]

As you may guess I am new to vegetable growing.  We had planned to try and get an allotment but decided to start off with a bed in the garden (about 3m x 1m) and some pots to see how we will manage time wise.  We have done well so far.  Had a reasonable amount of peas from plants in big pots, green beans growing well, courgettes in pots, have tomatoes growing in bags against the side of the house, 6 sweetcorn plants, about 20 onions and the same of leeks, some potatoes in big old compost bags, a herb patch and no spinach!

I planted 3 short rows quite a few weeks ago now of the pick as you want it type spinach and nothing grew at all - I am fairly sure it wasn't eaten as there is usually some evidence left!  So i thought maybe I had a dud pack.   Bought another pack of seeds, followed the instructions and have ended up with the same result - no spinach at all....  any ideas?

Also we have just dug up (well tipped out of the bags) our potatoes, we had 3 bags each with 2 seed potatoes in (varieties Orla, Posanta and Arran Victory), in total we have about 9lb potatoes which doesn't seem much.  The compost at the bottom of the bag was quite dry so should we have watered more?  The top growth was very vigourous - could this have been a problem?  Or is this just about what is normal?

Also, is it too late to plant some spring onions?

Thanks

Dibsy

[Dibsy]

[Barnowl]

I think you are looking at 10 weeks from sowing for spring onions so if you are not in a particularly cold part of the UK it's worth a try.

I'm not certain, but  think some people manage to grow them under glass throughout the winter.

Not sure about the spinach, don't know much about it except that the exact variety might be helpful as a lot of spinach, particularly cut and come again / perpetual, isn't actually spinach but chard / beet.

What size were your potato bags?

[Dibsy]

Barnowl

Thanks for your reply.

Potato bags were about 60-70cm diameter and about 80-90cm deep (held about 30-40 litres of compost).

The second lot of spinach I tried was spinach beet (perpetual spinach) and the first was something similar but I can't find the packet now.

Nowhere in the garden to grow under glass (small garden and 2 small boys!) but I may give them a go anyway as we seem to eat loads of spring onions.

Dibsy

[Barnowl]

My preference would have been for three medium sized seed potatoes in each.

Orla are a first early, usually picked after they cease flowering, but Arran Victory are a 'late main' potato so probably could have done with longer in the bag. The sign that  later potatoes are ready for harvest is that the haulms (the green top growth) die back, so you might have got more by leaving them a bit longer.

I find bags do need quite a lot of regular watering.

There are some people on here who keep pretty detailed records and might let us know an acceptable ratio of seed potato to harvest.

Cannot find any trace of a potato variety called Posanta?

I'd certainly give the spring onions a go  :)

How about trying some pak choi and/or chard as well as the spinach - hedge your bets!

[Dibsy]

The Posanta ones were red, I've just Googled it and can't find any reference though so maybe I got that wrong.

I may try the pak choi, I've been thinking about that.

Thanks again.

Dibsy

[allaboutliverpool]

The time is ripe for sowing spinach beet and Swiss chard. they will provide greens during the winter.

After sowing, do not let the compost or soil get dry until they are about 1 inch tall.

You can sow them in pots and transplant, remembering that each "seed" contains up to 5 small seeds that will need to be thinned back to one.

If you have seen my video, you can see that apart from the growing crop, I sowed chard and spinach on the 3rd August.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N0m5Qt1ipro

[Jeannine]

If you would like some real spinach that will grow this year.PM your address and I can send you some seeds that I have sent from Canada, they do very well.XX Jeannine

[Dibsy]

Allaboutliverpool

I have seen your video and the allotment looks fabulous - you have obviously put a lot of hard work in!  I will have one more go with the seeds I have and make sure I don't let them dry out (although that isn't much of  a problem around here at the moment, it hasn't stopped raining for days!).


Jeannine

That's a very kind offer to send me some of your seeds but I have such a small patch in my garden I will just use up the seeds I have, thanks though.

Dibsy

[grawrc]

I believe White Lisbon is the spring onion of choice for over-wintering.