I just discovered your channel today and love your very natural presentation. Also your huge greenhouse. My garden including greenhouse are in the NW Highlands of Scotland, but it feels like Greece! Water shortages too😮.
A very useful video with some lovely little pointers I'll pay attention to ... then right at the end you drop a nugget. Not intending to feed the peppers, wow.
Ah, yes, I discussed that in more detail in the previous video so didn't go into it too much again here. There is more than enough nutrient in the compost mix to keep the plants happy so that I do not have to rely on liquid feeds, which in general is a good thing for the soil and the plants :)
Morning Jonny yep,weather is quite moody. Do squash and cucumbers get roots growing all along the stems? I sometimes think mine are leggy but I’m worried if I bury deep they will rot. As always great update and interesting information. Have a great week, Ali 🌦️🇨🇦
Yes, they do - and they will also root at nodes along the stems - for example, you can peg down a squash stem and it can develop one or more secondary root systems. On the other hand, I don't bury my squash stems for the reason you mentioned - potential risk of rots developing. In fact, I often plant them in a small mound - especially with winter squash - to make sure they don't sit in soggy soil. Cucumbers often look leggy - mine did, but they weren't really leggy - it's just their normal growth habit 👍😊
Hello Jonny. Thank you for all your videos! There are so many little tips that you just drop in here and there which have made a significant difference to my growing, but that I have never heard anywhere else (especially on CZcams). A quick question, I wonder if you have tried growing any chillies in the ground in your greenhouse/polytunnel? I’m aware of why this isn’t really ideal but since you grow your sweet peppers this way I couldn’t help wonder if this could be done successfully. Thanks again 👍🏻
I'm delighted to hear you have found them helpful :) Yes, there is no reason why chillies cannot be grown in the soil in the same way as the sweet peppers - I have grown chillies this way in the greenhouses before and they do very well indeed. They appear to show less sensitivity to any persistent pests and diseases in the soil than tomatoes - I have never noticed any degradation in their growth or cropping over the years. Not much seems to bother chillies and peppers. The only reason I have them in pots in the smaller greenhouse is that the main greenhouses and polytunnel have much more room - especially height - for growing the larger fruited sorts. I would allow small fruited peppers and chillies to grow as a bush rather than with just two stems so they would take up more space, but there is no other reason not to. I even had spare plants in one of the borders outdoors last year and they did fine - a bit slower to get going but they produced a fine crop later in the year. Allowing plants to develop a more natural and expansive root system has to be a good thing, so I would always prefer a bed to pots if given the choice.
Not as a general rule. The only other thing I use a reasonable amount of is fish, blood, and bone as a slow release feed. A thick layer of horse compost does wonders for the soil life and the soil texture and I find little more is needed to keep the plants happy. Outside of the greenhouse I will sometimes add lime and chicken manure pellets where I plant brassicas, but that's about it.
I wish I was in the south like you and able to plant out my plants in the greenhouse.
It is an advantage for sure.
Thank you. I'm looking forward to following how they do.
I just discovered your channel today and love your very natural presentation. Also your huge greenhouse. My garden including greenhouse are in the NW Highlands of Scotland, but it feels like Greece! Water shortages too😮.
Welcome :) The weather has been crazy lately!
A very useful video with some lovely little pointers I'll pay attention to ... then right at the end you drop a nugget. Not intending to feed the peppers, wow.
Ah, yes, I discussed that in more detail in the previous video so didn't go into it too much again here. There is more than enough nutrient in the compost mix to keep the plants happy so that I do not have to rely on liquid feeds, which in general is a good thing for the soil and the plants :)
Morning Jonny yep,weather is quite moody. Do squash and cucumbers get roots growing all along the stems? I sometimes think mine are leggy but I’m worried if I bury deep they will rot. As always great update and interesting information. Have a great week, Ali 🌦️🇨🇦
Yes, they do - and they will also root at nodes along the stems - for example, you can peg down a squash stem and it can develop one or more secondary root systems. On the other hand, I don't bury my squash stems for the reason you mentioned - potential risk of rots developing. In fact, I often plant them in a small mound - especially with winter squash - to make sure they don't sit in soggy soil. Cucumbers often look leggy - mine did, but they weren't really leggy - it's just their normal growth habit 👍😊
Hello Jonny. Thank you for all your videos! There are so many little tips that you just drop in here and there which have made a significant difference to my growing, but that I have never heard anywhere else (especially on CZcams).
A quick question, I wonder if you have tried growing any chillies in the ground in your greenhouse/polytunnel? I’m aware of why this isn’t really ideal but since you grow your sweet peppers this way I couldn’t help wonder if this could be done successfully. Thanks again 👍🏻
I'm delighted to hear you have found them helpful :) Yes, there is no reason why chillies cannot be grown in the soil in the same way as the sweet peppers - I have grown chillies this way in the greenhouses before and they do very well indeed. They appear to show less sensitivity to any persistent pests and diseases in the soil than tomatoes - I have never noticed any degradation in their growth or cropping over the years. Not much seems to bother chillies and peppers. The only reason I have them in pots in the smaller greenhouse is that the main greenhouses and polytunnel have much more room - especially height - for growing the larger fruited sorts. I would allow small fruited peppers and chillies to grow as a bush rather than with just two stems so they would take up more space, but there is no other reason not to. I even had spare plants in one of the borders outdoors last year and they did fine - a bit slower to get going but they produced a fine crop later in the year. Allowing plants to develop a more natural and expansive root system has to be a good thing, so I would always prefer a bed to pots if given the choice.
@@jonnyskitchengarden That's brilliant! Thank you for your answer and considered explanation.
Hi Jonny, you mentioned that you top dress your soil in the greenhouse with horse manure, do you add anything else to the soil for your new plantings?
Not as a general rule. The only other thing I use a reasonable amount of is fish, blood, and bone as a slow release feed. A thick layer of horse compost does wonders for the soil life and the soil texture and I find little more is needed to keep the plants happy. Outside of the greenhouse I will sometimes add lime and chicken manure pellets where I plant brassicas, but that's about it.
Hi Jonny, I'm getting into growing peppers here in Aus. Where do i me one of those trowels.
I got mine from niwaki.com
Cheers, got one on order.