Grow 2021-24

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vietnammer
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by vietnammer »

Bought 2 Virginia Creepers from a garden centre in April (part of a plan to cover an ugly fence). Thing is, one thing an anuvver I didn't get round to planting them till two weeks ago.
Can these things get 'pot-bound' if you don't plant soon enough? They look ok, but not much creeping yet.
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by jevs »

Give them time.....keeping them watered is the essential bit
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by stouffer »

UTJ-know what you are growing and adapt the situation.Or grow plants suited to what you have.
Good drainage is essential.Horticultural grit or similar in equal measure to your soil.
Some plants may like the sun but require a cool root run,so next to a rock will help.
Some may want shade from the hottest sun.
It's like any type of gardening,research the plants needs and be prepared to lose some.
If the plants are coming from a garden centre,then they will be fairly straight forward but can stillo give a very nice show.
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by rigoberts song »

Back to veg I'm afraid.
I want to enter a few of my onions in the Dulverton produce show in Sept.
I've heard that of you trim the tips back a bit the growth goes to the bulb.
Also if you spoon in move some of the soil from the top of the bulb this also makes them bigger.
I've got 50 doing nicely so far and don't want to kill them.
Is there any truth in these ideas ?
Thks in anticipation RS
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by rigoberts song »

Just bumping this in the hope one of our resident experts can answer my query .
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by Tenbury »

Rigoberts,
I don't show veg, but I do know that each will have individual specs on how they should be presented etc, so before you go chopping them around, Id double check.
In terms of how you treat them, if you can expose more of the bulb to sunshine(!??) without disturbing the roots, that's all good, by Sept the stalks should have gone over(which is part of the ripening process) I like to have them all lying flat in seried ranks while the tops dry out (then again I am weird). Further thought suggests that you may have well have to present your onions with the stalks all tied up in a poncy way (check) so not a good idea to chop them off anyway.
Nice to hear your gardening going so well, you don't do things by half do you?
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by rigoberts song »

Thanks tenners never thought about needing to keep them presented in a certain way.
I'll probably try this spooning exposing a bit of the onion top .
Appreciate your help
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by stouffer »

Rigobert,I know nothing about veg but after seeing your question I searched for it.There seem to be some very good videos on you tube for showing onions.
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by rigoberts song »

This Stouffer I'll have a Google I didn't want to do anything stupid and ruin the 60 I've got growing like crazy .
I've taken the tops of a few and they taste lovely in a salad.
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by RichieRiv »

So this was the result of my DIY exploits.....multiple coats of fence paint, lined with 800 gauge polythene with two b*stard bamboo plants transferred from the beds into the trough. Some of this years shoots have thrown a paddy but I am putting that down to being moved,

Image

Saturday was spent stripping 6 more pallets down to build 2 more smaller troughts maybe 800x500x500. I will invest in a cheapo chop saw so I can mitre the joints.
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by Up the Junction »

Have used the same colour for our fence Richie, stands up nicely behind any greenery.
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by Up the Junction »

Not quite sure how I'm going to use them yet (stir fry seems to be the best option), but pulled my first Pak Choi of the summer today.


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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by vietnammer »

RichieRiv wrote: Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:48 pm So this was the result of my DIY exploits.....
Bravo Sir! You've got me thinking pallets to make beds and putting in bamboo to cover the rest of the ugly fencing.
Mrs bought a lectric buzz-saw from a car boot to make the beds. Least I hope that's what she intends. I'm not going to let her use it without proper safety clothing though.
Got to find someone who delivers the pallets.
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by rigoberts song »

I've been getting mine from my local Travis Perkins just offer to pop a few quid in their charity tins.
I use them for cucumber frames and chainsawed up on my logburner.
Travis are glad to get rid of them.
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by sendô »

I've not popped into this thread in a while. I've been far to busy to even do a lot of gardening, much less update in here.

Saw the convo re herbs though. I had most of mine by the back door that is nearly always shaded for ages and none seemed to do well. I've now moved them all to the side of the house where it gets some sun late morning/early afternoon and dappled sunlight the rest of the day and most are doing well. It's fairly well shielded from the wind there which helps.

I'm aiming to build like a rabbit hutch over the bins in that area but put a top on and divide into sections and plant my herbs on there. That'll be a big job and with no spare time at the moment it might not even happen this year.

Parsley and chives have not done well. They're last years plants so that might be why. As to troublesome herbs I cannot for the life of me keep basil. Wherever I put it, inside, outside, windowsil it just dies off. In fact outside the slugs destroyed it.

Spinach has done well and is growing at an alarming rate. We've made spinach and ricotta cannelloni twice in as many weeks. It's going into every salad. Peas have once again failed I've got one plant appeared but it's still small and honestly might even just be a ****ing weed.

Sweetcorn is doing well and has reached about 4ft. Im looking forward to that. No toms yet but starting to flower. I've had one single strawberry from my 6 plants (which was delicious), but that's because Sendo Jr #3 snaffles them up as soon as he sees they're ripe.

Hoping to harvest some first early spuds soon too.
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by prophet:marginal »

Squirrels have stripped bare my strawberries, despite them still being totally green!

:eh:
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by hammer etc »

RichieRiv wrote: Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:48 pm So this was the result of my DIY exploits.....multiple coats of fence paint, lined with 800 gauge polythene with two b*stard bamboo plants transferred from the beds into the trough. Some of this years shoots have thrown a paddy but I am putting that down to being moved,

Saturday was spent stripping 6 more pallets down to build 2 more smaller troughts maybe 800x500x500. I will invest in a cheapo chop saw so I can mitre the joints.
I would use Butt joints if I were you. If you end up with gaps or screw holes buy car body filler to fill them before sanding and painting. :newthumb:
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by Tenbury »

First tomatoes (outdoor cherry, 'Lizzano F1' ), new variety to me, seem quite sweet.
Rasps, Logan berries and Tayberries are making some decent jam, if I can keep the pidgeons/kids off them long enough.
Broad beans (Witkheim) and peas ('Alderman' ) are all cropping well.

[ Re Sendo' s basil.. Mine's been crap this year. I always start it in 3'' pots with bottom heat, and it grows on in these pots, and, apart from a few I stick around the toms in my tunnel in high summer, it stays in these pots. It needs to grow quickly without a' 'check' and I fear the cool spell in May is the reason mine's so pathetic.]
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by rigoberts song »

All flying down here onions and leeks particularly good
Ate my first strawberry and tomato yesterday.
Got onto another wheeze my local coffee shop give the used soggy granules away .It's full of nitrogen and my veg is loving it .Just chucking it around the bottom and letting the rain or my watering do the rest.
Might be worth asking your local coffee shop what they do with theirs.
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Re: Grow 2021/2

Post by sendô »

Yeah a polytunnel's a good shout Tenners. I'd ideally like to build a cold frame or better still a greenhouse at the back, but the kids will 100% destroy it with their footballs, so I'll probably have to suffer a few more years of herbal disappointment until they're all old enough to sign for West Ham.
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