The productive vegetable garden

Last activity 12 March 2024 by baryreproglebn68

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kaththomas2017Contributor10 August 2022 18:44:40

127

Ive spent many months in my Bulgarian village home on my own, one of the attractions was the well carded for garden but it's becoming very overgrown. The flower garden is lovely with many rose bushes and flowers, the vines are ok and an old man comes and trims them back when the time is right and im ag the house. And the whole of the outer edges of the garden have fruit trees which are ready to harvest and you just walk round the outer areas, the apricots were ready to harvest last time I was there and j expect that the plums and figs should be ready when I get back later this month. But I've never been there at the right time to start veg seeds and plant them out, I need to make some raised beds because I'm not getting any younger and intend to knock down the old derelict animal sheds , to use the bricks to make the beds. Which brings me to my question to you, when is it time to plant seeds inside? And when is it time to plant veg outside? My house is in the South East ? Pomorie municipality. Thanks for reading.

Mel1702Active member11 August 2022 06:29:44

@kaththomas2017

I too, will be interested to hear when to plant seeds etc as we should hopefully have our field ready for planting soon for next year. All a bit hit & miss with what does & doesn’t grow at the moment

kaththomas2017Contributor11 August 2022 06:42:38

127

Yes Mel, I've noticed that the seeds that I buy here in the UK have growing and planting times on the packets but that's no good for Bulgaria. I've learnt lots from my neighbours such as , when I first stayed in the village I went to one of the shops very early in the morning , when I walked back to our lane I noticed that all the Wheely bins had been put outside the gates so I did the same, and it was dust bin day the neighbours smiled and congratulated me for getting our bin out. Yes in our village we have weekly in collections for each house but there are some large silver bins at the end of each lane as well for larger items I think.

Mel1702Active member11 August 2022 08:27:47

It’s amazing what you can learn by just watching what the locals do! We are very lucky to have a lovely Bulgarian neighbour who tells us what are flowers & what are weeds, hard to tell when you’re not a native! The majority of her garden is laid to crops, which she shares with us! She has said she will help us with the veg garden next year but it would be nice to have a little knowledge too.

kaththomas2017Contributor11 August 2022 10:20:23

127

I agree Mel, however most of our neighbours veg plots are set well back from the lane but I can see when they've rotavated and planted out. Nothing much seemed to have been done when we were there in January and we got on with clearing the garden of tree trimmings and so on from the year before, I couldn't do that in August and September bof that year because the piles had been taken over by very nasty wasps, so we did it this year but it was very cold. Then when we returned May June ish everything was rotavated and planted up!!! So too late this year. My neighbour gave me some new season potatoes late June early July. Then I had to get back for a hospital appointment, we returned but just for a week afterwards but are planning a return soon.

Mel1702Active member11 August 2022 12:22:11

Around here, south Bulgaria, they tend to plough/rotavate in October/November then again in March/April by the looks of it. We missed the spring window as were away then the rain set in so too wet. Fingers crossed that we both get to plant up next spring!

kaththomas2017Contributor11 August 2022 12:59:26

127

Yes Mel fingers crssed

janemulberryViP15 August 2022 16:11:16

1434

The main dates to guide this are the first frost and the last frost dates.

For the first year to make it easy, you might want to wait till the frosts have finished and then plant out seedlings purchased from the market. More expensive that starting from seed, but easy. Make a note of the last frost date, and then next year, you can consult online charts that say start tomatoes so many weeks before the last frost date, etc.

Or ask a neighbour when they start theirs!

kaththomas2017Contributor23 August 2022 11:58:14

127

Rrhubarb, no not an insult I just want to find a rhubarb crown for sale in Bulgaria , it's the first fruit to be harvested , a good source of vitamin c and can be used in loads of ways. Does anyone have any idea where I can buy a crown in the Burgas / Pomorie area bearing n mind that I don't drive so am at the when f the village bus system.

kaththomas2017Contributor23 August 2022 11:59:23

#10

127

When f? Whim of the village bus system.

janemulberryViP27 August 2022 01:42:42

#11

1434

You mail need to try mail-order within the EU, Kath. It could be worth trying the Facebook firms first just in case someone there has some.

kaththomas2017Contributor27 August 2022 03:41:40

#12

127

Thanks for your reply Jane but I don't use Facebook it took me ages to get off that site a few years ago and I'm not going back for anything.

We're back in Bulgaria now, had an early night due to the traveling I'm going to get up now , cover myself up from top to toe and check out our over grown garden, while husband snores away .

Jules999Serial expat27 August 2022 05:49:27

#13

268

Re rhubarb, I brought some seeds back from the UK several years ago now, and planted them all. From that ( I planted direct ) I had a few plants take :-) . I'm about to lift and divide at the end of this season as it's not growing to its potential where it is, but it is possible to grow them from seed if you aren't able to find any crowns to buy.

kaththomas2017Contributor27 August 2022 08:11:45

#14

127

Thanks for the tip Jules99 I handed my allotment over to number 1 son a couple of years ago but if he lets one of the rhubarb s go to seed I'll ask him for some to bring back here.

SimCityATExpert27 August 2022 09:51:11

#15

11290

Garden centres sell Rhubarb in Bulgaria.

kaththomas2017Contributor27 August 2022 14:15:06

#16

127

Simcity AT, wow how nice I've no idea where our nearest garden centre is , our house is inland from Pomorie but theres a market every Thursday in Kableshkovo and they have flower and seed shops so I could try there first I don't drive but could maybe find and visit a garden centre when hes here with and has a hire car. Thank you again.

kaththomas2017Contributor31 August 2022 10:27:11

#17

127

Husband spotted a compost bin in the reduced isle in Lidl Ravda, so we bought it and he assembled it and now it's in the garden near to the steps to our basement kitchen it seemed as though I'd been looking forever . The next thing I need is something to burn garden rubbish in, it has to be metal as I need to burn stuff without setting fire to the garden and then I can either compost the ashes or put them at the base of the vines

wtruckyboySerial expat31 August 2022 21:11:59

#18

209

@kaththomas2017 hi cath.off to kableshkovo tomorrow..meet some friends..have a few beers..its every thursday..bus leaves here in old town pomorie. Around 11.00..stops in new town..then kamenar where my friends live..and yes there are fruit trees etc..get the bus back around 18.30..

kaththomas2017Contributor01 September 2022 02:44:41

#19

127

Been there seen it wtrucjyboy maybe having a look around the market with husband tomorrow, well later today.

kaththomas2017Contributor01 September 2022 03:00:39

#20

127

Mind you wtrucjyboy, I've found the buus ride back to my village from Pomorie takes twice as long since the bus route changed from one way to circular but at least you get to have a nosy at other villages along the route.

baryreproglebn68Member12 March 2024 08:10:52

#21

Typically, seeds are started indoors a few weeks before the last frost date and then transplanted outdoors after the danger of frost has passed. Since you're in Pomorie municipality, your last frost date might be around late April to early May. As for planting veggies outside, it's usually best after the last frost date when the soil has warmed up.

Also, I recently moved to a newly built house myself and have been thinking about landscaping ideas for my backyard. I came across some interesting information about planting a camphor tree at [link moderated] It's worth checking out if you're considering adding some greenery to your garden.

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