Grow 2021-24

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jevs
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by jevs »

Bend it like Repka wrote: Sat May 06, 2023 8:21 am
Stupid really, but it's become quite fulfilling, feeling you have created something new from scratch.
If you think that's fulfilling, try growing a few easy veg from seed...stuff that you like eating. Pots, troughs, tubs, in the ground....it's pretty amazing to see stuff you've grown from seed actually on your dinner plate or in a sarnie.

Maybe try some lettuce or get some strawberry and raspberry plants. My 5 year old grandson will fight me for those!!! Chuck a few potatoes in a tub or some dwarf French beans in a long trough.

You'll love it mate, it's very addictive...look at all us saddos on here :crylol:
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SammyLeeWasOffside
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by SammyLeeWasOffside »

Spinach is booming. First signs of peas. Spuds look to be going well. Strawberries starting to flower. First salad row will be ready in about a week by the looks of it.

Still no sign of anything tomato, which is a bit of a worry.

Real boom crop this year is sycamore. Bloody things are everywhere lol.
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by southbrishammer »

We sadly lost our pear tree, aged about 10, to disease. A couple of weeks ago my son planted an apple pip "to replace it". To my absolute surprise it has germinated. I don't suppose it will ever produce any fruit, in fact there's a good chance it won't even survive this year, but I'm impressed to just see a shoot!
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by jevs »

We have about 60 plots on our allotment site, each 10m x 10m although some are half plots.

We have an issue with Deer every year so after mine, and most others on the site were invaded by a big herd (Flock? shoal? etc) of deer this week crushing seedlings and eating half the fruit trees and strawberry flowers, I have just put up a 4 foot high barrier of black scaffold netting. I appreciate they might be able to jump it but at least there's a physical barrier there now. Utter B'stards!!!!

I need a nana nap :swear:
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by Alan Pardew's Dad »

Jevs, I feel for you.

Nothing more disheartening than the wildlife destroying your hard work. Hope it’s not too bad.
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by Up the Junction »

Alan Pardew's Dad wrote: Mon May 08, 2023 5:08 pmNothing more disheartening than the wildlife destroying your hard work.
On which, slugs have done for my first batch of cabbages already and the wind/rain/hail my french beans.

Back to square one!
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by Alan Pardew's Dad »

Up the Junction wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 1:47 pm On which, slugs have done for my first batch of cabbages already and the wind/rain/hail my french beans.

Back to square one!
I now always use some organic slug pellets when I first put my plants in.

I learnt my lesson years ago when I spent months growing veg for my first attempt at an allotment, put all my plants in, came back three days later to find virtually everything had been eaten by slugs and snails. Months of work munched in days.
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by SammyLeeWasOffside »

If you have boxed off beds the copper tape thing does seem to help. As APD says organic pellets as well. You will never stop all of it though. Good luck with the restart UTJ.
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by Het-Field »

Although merely grass, I must say I have been exceedingly pleased with the sod that I bought at B&Q. Last summer we ripped out a pond that had been installed in our new house (previous owner), and were left with a mass of dirt and gravel. As the summer turned into a furnace, the grass across the garden died, but grass finds a way, and as more moderate temperatures returned we planted seed over the dirt and gravel, and we ended up with an acceptable cover. However, we acquired sod from B&Q which, in April we laid over the grass which grew through the dirt, and it is thriving!
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by the pink palermo »

OK. Confession time, I hate, absolutely hate gardening.

Yet, this thread IS genuinely inspirational, it's starting to suck me in ( that's in Elsie, not off) to the point where I have been looking at raised growing beds this afternoon.

Prior to ooh er, taking the plunge, what is growable in this climate of ours ?

I only really eat the following from the garden so to speak : Peppers, chillis, Brussels, Carrots, Potatoes, Cabbage, peas, sweetcorn, onions, Tomatoes.

Any starter tips as to what I need -I mean, when do you plant any of this stuff etc etc. My sole experience of where food comes from is the Shell garage at the end of the road.

I'm 59, I've nearly given up on everything, this may be all i have left.

Edit - I'm still in time to get some New potatoes grown this year -start simple.
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by jevs »

Fantastic stuff PP, it really is the most enjoyable thing in the world.

You've missed the boat on growing Tomatoes, Chillis and Peppers from seeds but you can buy a couple of plants from supermarkets, garden centres and even from little tables outside people's houses. They do appreciate rather warmer temperatures but i've grown both outside before. One of those small polythene greenhouse thingys are often ideal https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274792566376 ... R-qar7OBYg

Carrots....lots of different types and colours....you can buy seeds from most places (not the barbers or the furniture shop!!! :crylol: ) Plenty of time to sow them, sow a small amount every couple of weeks up to August but remember to water them every day unless it rains. Generally speaking, most root crops need poorer, stone free soil so don't go chucking any horse poo at them

Brussels can still be sown and are easy to grow. They will, along with cabbages, need to have a cage over them to stop pigeons and cabbage white caterpillars, I use that blue poly pipe covered with green scaffold netting.

Potatoes....I'd just plant some from the supermarket. They usually take around 12 weeks before harvesting but I was still digging mine up in November.

Peas....chuck them in now and like the carrots, do just a small amount every couple of weeks. They will need something to grow up....a few garden canes with string or wire is fine.

Plenty of time to grow sweetcorn from seed too. They can get vey tall and need to be planted in blocks in order for the wind to blow the polloen around. You'll need around 10 plants.

I usually put my onions in around October time and i've never grown them at this time but saw someone at the allotment had put some in recently. I prefer sets rather than seeds.

You can grow all of that in the ground, in pots or tubs and in garden sacks if you want.

The most important thing is to ask...ask lots of questions however silly they seem, we all had to start somewhere and i'm still learning lots.

Good luck and get growing
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by prophet:marginal »

southbrishammer wrote: Sun May 07, 2023 5:29 pm We sadly lost our pear tree, aged about 10, to disease.
This happened to us, but, after the pear had died, the tree on which it had been grafted (a quince) started in the next year to flower (as it has done this month too) and we occasionally get fruit off that.

I think that your son planted his pip in precisely the right place, because, if I have this right, the roots of the pear tree will have had all manner of friendly bacteria and fungi in the soil around them, which would have nurtured said pip in the correct environment.

On that point, I read somewhere that, if you plant borage next to your berry plants (such as strawbs etc), you improve the fruit-bearing load of the berry plant, so I gave that a go this year too - and the strawberry plant I kept covered over the winter is nice and leafy with several flowers poking through too
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by SammyLeeWasOffside »

Pinky

Get some bags for life or those big IKEA bags. Stick some holes in the bottom for drainage, fill with soil (better guys on here will tell you what you need) stick some spuds in and wait.

No real protection needed from feathered pests and you are pretty much guaranteed to get something out with spuds. Garlic and onions you could do the same.

Lots of other stuff needs protecting one way or another. Spuds are a great way to get your feet wet and the taste is so much better than anything you will buy in the shops (yes even from the garage lol)
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by Tenbury »

Boss.
Slugs?... nematodes#1 solution.
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by Up the Junction »

the pink palermo wrote: Thu May 11, 2023 3:07 pm Prior to ooh er, taking the plunge, what is growable in this climate of ours ?
With all that smog hanging low in the Essex air? A few weeds, perhaps?

Everything, from most of your salads (toms, lettuce, cucumbers, onion, new tatties etc) to more exotic fayre like sweetcorn (if you have the space), courgettes, melons, spinach... all the good stuff. If you like your cooking, stick a few herb seeds in pots (mint, basil, thyme etc).

If you want something this year though, as Jev says - you're going to have to start PDQ.

the pink palermo wrote: Thu May 11, 2023 3:07 pm Any starter tips as to what I need -I mean, when do you plant any of this stuff etc etc.
I'll happily bore you to death about it on Thursday. That'll be a half time conversation never to forget.
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by the pink palermo »

Up the Junction wrote: Sat May 13, 2023 2:14 am
I'll happily bore you to death about it on Thursday. That'll be a half time conversation never to forget.
Wellies packed!
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by irving boleyn »

Tomatoes are the most rewarding, pp.

Now dangers of frost are over its simple to by some mature plants at a garden centre, for guaranteed results.
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by jevs »

irving boleyn wrote: Sat May 13, 2023 4:31 pm
Now dangers of frost are over its simple to by some mature plants at a garden centre, for guaranteed results.
It's forecast to be down to 3 or 4 degrees this week so just be careful with tender plants
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by jevs »

Busy busy day on the allotment in the gorgeous sunshine

Planted 4 varieties of lettuce seedlings (just 10 plants of each)
Planted rocket and kale seedlings
planted leek seedlings in tubes
put climbing French bean seeds in

I have a lovely pear tree purchased from Tesco about 8 years ago. It's been at work but done nothing except get rust!!! Transplanted it to my allotment two years ago and now it has around 50 developing pears. I have no idea about growing and pruning orchard crops....fingers crossed
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Re: Grow 2021/2/3

Post by pablo jaye »

Pinky - it might be worth a trip to your local garden centre as they will have fruit and veg seedlings grown on, so you can play a bit of catch up with your veg patch.

As for No Mow May - it’s good and bad. Good in that it raises the profile of wildlife and habitats but bad if you create carnage at the end of April or the start of June - bugs, wildflowers, grasses and other fauna don’t just appear in May. A better idea is to have a whole year plan for part of your garden - is there a border or edge that you can manage for the whole year? Does it link to hedges, trees along your boundary and beyond? Or is it a little wildlife stepping stone between other green areas?

Trying to manage this all year round is far better than wildlife Armageddon on June 1st.

Also, and quite ironic, given what I have said above, does anyone have top tips for getting rid of box caterpillars? They are an invasive species, and don’t fit in my garden’s plan - it’s all about getting the aesthetic /wildlife balance right.

Have sprayed the box with TopBuxus Zentari, which is an organic compound that doesn’t harm anything else, but wondered what others use?
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