Jump to content

The Livestock & Home produce thread - An Alternative investment


Recommended Posts

Have you thought about Bantams ?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantam_(poultry)

 

You'll obviously need some heavy duty fencing, but I know some chicken keepers in urban environments and as far as I know they've been successful

 

I'd love to use the entire garden for food and have chickens etc. Unfortunately my missis she say 'no' and the garden is hers.

 

So until I get my own land proper....No can do. (Shame).

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 181
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Excitement got to fever pitch last night in the Mabon household as dessert for two (x2 bowls) was Strawberries grown by my own fair hand (with a bit of involvement from Nature).

 

My missis commented that they tasted 'just like the ones you used to get when you went strawberry picking as a kid' .

 

Absolutely lovely and suddenly after a slow start, we have a load more coming.

 

My corn has now started to grow very quickly.

 

I'd say by 1/3 in the last week alone and there are beans sprouting from everywhere too.

 

It's great to have access to a garden again, after living for years in a hermetically-sealed flat with no access to nuffink.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excitement got to fever pitch last night in the Mabon household as dessert for two (x2 bowls) was Strawberries grown by my own fair hand (with a bit of involvement from Nature).

 

My missis commented that they tasted 'just like the ones you used to get when you went strawberry picking as a kid' .

 

Absolutely lovely and suddenly after a slow start, we have a load more coming.

 

My corn has now started to grow very quickly.

 

I'd say by 1/3 in the last week alone and there are beans sprouting from everywhere too.

 

It's great to have access to a garden again, after living for years in a hermetically-sealed flat with no access to nuffink.

sounds great - ours have been poor this year - will try and get them out of pots and into some new raised beds

 

has anyone tried this

 

gardening-by-the-moon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excitement got to fever pitch last night in the Mabon household as dessert for two (x2 bowls) was Strawberries grown by my own fair hand (with a bit of involvement from Nature).

 

My missis commented that they tasted 'just like the ones you used to get when you went strawberry picking as a kid' .

 

dscf1346fp.jpg

 

There is not a sweeter taste, then that of the first picked Strawberry of the year.

 

;)

 

 

 

has anyone tried this

 

gardening-by-the-moon

 

yep, but only for the germinations not for planting out.

 

………and I got strong germinations this year. My jury is still out regarding this technique as I'll admit I seeded quite late this year due to the cold weather but next year I might run an "experiment"

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excitement got to fever pitch last night in the Mabon household as dessert for two (x2 bowls) was Strawberries grown by my own fair hand (with a bit of involvement from Nature).

 

My missis commented that they tasted 'just like the ones you used to get when you went strawberry picking as a kid' .

 

Absolutely lovely and suddenly after a slow start, we have a load more coming.

 

My corn has now started to grow very quickly.

 

I'd say by 1/3 in the last week alone and there are beans sprouting from everywhere too.

 

It's great to have access to a garden again, after living for years in a hermetically-sealed flat with no access to nuffink.

Great stuff mabon, my strawberry field is my bigest success too, but had a good tuition as summertime head picker to the master farmer/t.v celeb. Sadly he shot himself, but never remember him using moon phases.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excitement got to fever pitch last night in the Mabon household as dessert for two (x2 bowls) was Strawberries grown by my own fair hand (with a bit of involvement from Nature).

 

My missis commented that they tasted 'just like the ones you used to get when you went strawberry picking as a kid' .

 

Absolutely lovely and suddenly after a slow start, we have a load more coming.

 

My corn has now started to grow very quickly.

 

I'd say by 1/3 in the last week alone and there are beans sprouting from everywhere too.

 

It's great to have access to a garden again, after living for years in a hermetically-sealed flat with no access to nuffink.

 

 

Good stuff. Just had to dig up most of my potatoes prematurely as we were given a greenhouse and the potatoes occupied its site. Surprisingly decent crop. We've had our first picking of strawberries and tomatoes too, and the beans and peas are coming on. We'll be getting our first courgettes this week - victory over the slugs. Give it two months and I'll be sick of courgette soup and courgette burgers!

 

I too would like to utilise more of the garden for veggies, but it's my girlfriend's. However, she is showing more enthusiasm this year and is getting involved. Hopefully I'll be allowed to extend the raised bed out so that it's level with the greenhouse and this will replace the bed lost to our new aquisition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good stuff. Just had to dig up most of my potatoes prematurely as we were given a greenhouse and the potatoes occupied its site. Surprisingly decent crop. We've had our first picking of strawberries and tomatoes too, and the beans and peas are coming on. We'll be getting our first courgettes this week - victory over the slugs. Give it two months and I'll be sick of courgette soup and courgette burgers!

 

I too would like to utilise more of the garden for veggies, but it's my girlfriend's. However, she is showing more enthusiasm this year and is getting involved. Hopefully I'll be allowed to extend the raised bed out so that it's level with the greenhouse and this will replace the bed lost to our new aquisition.

 

The trick for convincing them, I've found is

 

1) to grow mostly items that are higher cost, example your courgettes or peppers, aubergines etc. So the effort is 'worth it' in pure financial terms

 

2) once they taste how good it all tastes, they're sold

 

Had more strawberries yesterday, they really do taste gorgeous.

 

Since we've been feasting on welltasty homegrown produce, my missus is much more into the idea of using more of the garden to grow grub and has stopped taking the mickey.

 

The strawberries swayed her, but my first crop of new potatoes with our tea tonight will be the killer blow in establishing my evil plan for garden domination.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The strawberries swayed her, but my first crop of new potatoes with our tea tonight will be the killer blow in establishing my evil plan for garden domination.

:lol: Smart!

 

Have to say my Strawbs look like being surpassed by blackcurrants this year, only had the bushes in near 4 years, but bumper crop coming. Remember worrying that i'd pruned older stems back too far, was trying to maintain shape as much as anything, anyway seem to have got away with it, more to the point worked a treat.

 

Unsure whether to do the same this time round? Can you keep pruning hard?

 

Mind think as my wife will be fed up filling jam jars soon, don't think need worry too much, looks like a few pies may have to go into the deep freeze.

 

Wish I could master the greens as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The trick for convincing them, I've found is

 

1) to grow mostly items that are higher cost, example your courgettes or peppers, aubergines etc. So the effort is 'worth it' in pure financial terms

 

2) once they taste how good it all tastes, they're sold

 

Had more strawberries yesterday, they really do taste gorgeous.

 

Since we've been feasting on welltasty homegrown produce, my missus is much more into the idea of using more of the garden to grow grub and has stopped taking the mickey.

 

The strawberries swayed her, but my first crop of new potatoes with our tea tonight will be the killer blow in establishing my evil plan for garden domination.

 

Yes, that is my cunning plan. Perhaps not so cunning really, as I have told her why I don't bother with carrots - really cheap to buy even if they can't match home grown for taste.

 

Now I have a greenhouse I'll attempt sweetcorn next year. Really expensive to buy for most of the year and we both love corn on the cob.

 

I don't think that growing veg on a small scale is ever really "worth it" financially. Even on my pittance of an income, if you allocate an hourly labour cost, those veggies would be very expensive. However, it can be a hobby, a useful skill and home grown really can't be beaten for taste.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have to say my Strawbs look like being surpassed by blackcurrants this year, only had the bushes in near 4 years, but bumper crop coming. Remember worrying that i'd pruned older stems back too far, was trying to maintain shape as much as anything, anyway seem to have got away with it, more to the point worked a treat.

 

Unsure whether to do the same this time round? Can you keep pruning hard?

 

My Dad says he is inundated with blackcurrants this year (out in the west of Wales where they do get a lot of sunshine and decent rain).

 

He has about six very large bushes in the garden and I reckon gets about 50 lb of fruit plus per year off them.

 

Says you have to cut back oldest stems by 1/3rd.

 

You also, apparently have to 'dress' them with manure (at the base), annually to get best results, because they are greedy plants.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, that is my cunning plan. Perhaps not so cunning really, as I have told her why I don't bother with carrots - really cheap to buy even if they can't match home grown for taste.

 

My cunning plan has worked and we have now agreed to do the following;

 

- Give over another corner of the lawn to growing food (about 4 x 4 foot where I'm gonna plant a cherry tree).

 

This is a balding bit of grass anyway, so it'd be much better to dig it over, put some quality soil in it and grow something useful instead.

 

- We're also going to plant some wildflowers in a bank of earth behind my veggie bed. I want to put some clover, bergamot and more lavender there.

 

Now I have a greenhouse I'll attempt sweetcorn next year. Really expensive to buy for most of the year and we both love corn on the cob.

 

My sweetcorn are just sproinging out of the ground now, a few stragglers have come up now too.

 

So I have 12 or so now, most of which are 3 feet high and rising. I did cut away a few of the lower branches of the overhanging bay tree so the corn at the far end get more light on their heads.

 

I may have a crack at planting a few more corn seeds this week, as they could grow quite quick over the rest of the summer and maybe, just maybe they won't mind giving a bit of food in October time. Temps should still be okay then.

 

I don't think that growing veg on a small scale is ever really "worth it" financially. Even on my pittance of an income, if you allocate an hourly labour cost, those veggies would be very expensive.

 

So far I'm doing pretty well, it takes hardly no time. A few minutes per day to give it all a bit of wastewater and grub about a bit. I would be out in the garden anyway for a bit, so mayswell do something useful. The soil has mostly been kind to me though - touch wood.

 

Financially for me the effort to reward ratio is currently running very high. In fact for a smallish space, we have a burgeoning abundance.

 

Most of the 'work' in the garden comes from doing cosmetic stuff. Like yesterday evening I shifted a two foot high, six foot long overgrown bank of earth from behind the veggie bed and dumped it five foot away in a big pile. But like I say, that was cosmtic more than anything.

 

However, it can be a hobby, a useful skill and home grown really can't be beaten for taste.

 

I reckon the skills we are learning here will stand us in good stead for the years ahead (whatever happens).

 

The more I discover, the more I admire my Dad, who has also grown at least 20 percent of his own food, even when he had plenty of money (he was born in the south Wales valleys in 1932 and they literally had nothing).

 

What I love about it, is being able to consume the products of my own labour and also creating an oasis. This is only a small 30 foot by 15 or so foot garden, but it really is a piece of paradise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My cunning plan has worked and we have now agreed to do the following;

 

- Give over another corner of the lawn to growing food (about 4 x 4 foot where I'm gonna plant a cherry tree).

 

This is a balding bit of grass anyway, so it'd be much better to dig it over, put some quality soil in it and grow something useful instead.

 

- We're also going to plant some wildflowers in a bank of earth behind my veggie bed. I want to put some clover, bergamot and more lavender there.

 

 

My sweetcorn are just sproinging out of the ground now, a few stragglers have come up now too.

 

So I have 12 or so now, most of which are 3 feet high and rising. I did cut away a few of the lower branches of the overhanging bay tree so the corn at the far end get more light on their heads.

 

I may have a crack at planting a few more corn seeds this week, as they could grow quite quick over the rest of the summer and maybe, just maybe they won't mind giving a bit of food in October time. Temps should still be okay then.

 

....

 

I gather from earlier posts that you are growing the sweetcorn outdoors - is this correct? I may try planting a few myself this week. Is 3 to a standard growbag a reasonable prospect? I've never tried growing it before, but am pretty sure it will have to be under glass here in bonny Scotland. While you guys were baking in 30 deg C, we had a week of solid rain and about 15 - 20 deg C. That's a good summer for us :(

 

As to the expansion of growing areas it's working slowly but surely. Even after losing the potato bed to the greenhouse, we still have more space than last year. I've also built some boxes (coffins for small people as they are worryingly referred to at home) and we use pots and containers extensively to utilise what would otherwise be wasted space.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think that growing veg on a small scale is ever really "worth it" financially. Even on my pittance of an income, if you allocate an hourly labour cost, those veggies would be very expensive. However, it can be a hobby, a useful skill and home grown really can't be beaten for taste.

 

I'll be very happy to issue a challenge, here it is.

 

I'll purchase 1x Grow bag 1x packet of courgettes and 1 x packet of Cucumbers from which I'll use just 1 single seedling from each one. (you'll probably get around 5 - 15 germinations at least from a packet) Total cost approximately £10 (and I'm probably over estimating that price.)

 

Total attention time...... hard to say really, couple of minutes to fill a pot with compost and dunk a seed in it, then the transplanting stage will also take a few minutes........ watering at least one a day will take no more than a minute I’d have thought.

 

 

 

When compared to whoever accepts the other side of this challenge, I am confident that I can produce far in excess of my original £10 "investment" when they purchase the equivalent of what I can grow from their local Sainsbury's. And let’s not forget to also take into consideration the petrol you'll save by not driving to Sainsbury's, the time it'll take and cost of the checkout assistant at the checkout etc...... as well as the cost of fuel to actually transport the produce to Sainsbury's and the production costs of the produce from the farmer/company who originally grew it.

 

and we've not even spoken about taste and freshness yet,

 

Any takers ;)

 

Actually thinking about it it would be only fair to include the production costs of the seeds as well if we really wanted to split hairs :)

 

 

I gather from earlier posts that you are growing the sweetcorn outdoors - is this correct?

 

Get them in the ground outside and plant them in a block, to be fair, if you've only got the seeds it might be a bit too late to seed them now.

As they grow the "pollen" from the sprouting "flower" at the top of the stem falls onto the developing silks below. A good thing to do is to stroke the top of the plant so the pollen moves about and hits the silks.

 

You'll not have any problem with crop rotation either.

 

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-...to-Z/Sweet-corn

 

 

 

I also found this chart helpful if you want to know about seeding times of the year.

 

http://www.allotment.org.uk/vegetable/gene...table-chart.php

 

 

 

Hope that helps :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I gather from earlier posts that you are growing the sweetcorn outdoors - is this correct? I may try planting a few myself this week. Is 3 to a standard growbag a reasonable prospect? I've never tried growing it before, but am pretty sure it will have to be under glass here in bonny Scotland. While you guys were baking in 30 deg C, we had a week of solid rain and about 15 - 20 deg C. That's a good summer for us :(

 

I live in north-west London now, so yes they are planted in the ground and are going great guns.

 

My cousin abides in mid-Wales, has a farm in the mountains and he planted his corn out from late march under cloches (covers) and then from May onwards has removed covers. Takes a bit longer to grow in those conditions.

 

Silent Reader's advice was very useful:

 

Get them in the ground outside and plant them in a block, to be fair, if you've only got the seeds it might be a bit too late to seed them now.

As they grow the "pollen" from the sprouting "flower" at the top of the stem falls onto the developing silks below. A good thing to do is to stroke the top of the plant so the pollen moves about and hits the silks.

 

Good Luck.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am confident that I can produce far in excess of my original £10 "investment" when they purchase the equivalent of what I can grow from their local Sainsbury's.

 

I guess the thing is though... would you have courgettes every day if you had to buy them from the supermarket? My old man grows them and even freezing them by the tub load, he still has some left over come the next spring.

 

They have a far too high percentage of leeks in their diet through the winter as well.

 

In fact, I think I've still got some runner beans in the freezer from a couple of years back.(!)

 

 

This is all beside the point. I think you'll easily win should someone take up the challenge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had thought about setting a corner of a field aside for growing veg. - sell it to the local greengrocers and such like. An idea for the farming thread I think...

 

Maybe selling surplus to neighbours and/or friends and family could earn a few extra bob. Might pay for next years seeds, canes, cloches etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Dad says he is inundated with blackcurrants this year (out in the west of Wales where they do get a lot of sunshine and decent rain).

 

He has about six very large bushes in the garden and I reckon gets about 50 lb of fruit plus per year off them.

 

Says you have to cut back oldest stems by 1/3rd.

 

You also, apparently have to 'dress' them with manure (at the base), annually to get best results, because they are greedy plants.

 

10lb a bush sounds good. Not really weighed mine, but think i've a bit to go.

 

Used a combination of farm manure and straw on all my berry plants (straw to help frost resistance as bit exposed across open fields).

 

Found sites suggesting similar off as a marker, think I got lucky, amazing how you stumble on things. Some country bumpkin.

 

BEANS TIP(or just tosh)

 

Talking in the local to someone who said the were struggling with beans, only flowered. Another guy piped up try spraying them with water and diluted sugar, apparently he swore this pollinated them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess the thing is though... would you have courgettes every day if you had to buy them from the supermarket? My old man grows them and even freezing them by the tub load, he still has some left over come the next spring.

 

They have a far too high percentage of leeks in their diet through the winter as well.

 

In fact, I think I've still got some runner beans in the freezer from a couple of years back.(!)

 

 

This is all beside the point. I think you'll easily win should someone take up the challenge.

 

 

LOL - I think I've still got a couple of jars of Pickled cucumbers from last year kicking about in the larder :lol:

 

You are quite right, but I thought the point had to be made. I've just started harvesting my courgettes (a little late this year I'll admit due to the frosts) but I'll be sick of them in a month or so.

 

 

 

 

Coming back to the recent posts of the Strawberries, mine have now finished..... so it's time for taking care of the runners. A few years back I was given 3 strawberry plants, it was only last year I started cultivating the runners, this year I've got about 30 plants kicking around the place, not bad I thought from just 3 plants. If I can continue multiplying at a factor of ten every year..... i'll be a happy man ;)

 

So I Started researching vertical strawberry planters...... but came across this, and I have to admit, I liked the hydroponic rack system they're using.

 

 

From:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Update:

 

Beans have flowered a lovely vibrant red and are growing at a pace.

 

More sweetcorn has come up and are growing fast. A couple of them are going to be monsters and have the startings of a cob on.

 

I counted how many Peppers one of my pepper plants has on it. 23. Strewth off one plant.

 

The other big Pepper plant has just one pepper on it (different variety) that is a glossy black. Every time I see it I want to grill it, let it cool and take the burnt skin off and chuck it in a salad. Yum.

 

Still got Pepper seedlings (about 50) growing in three other pots that I shall have to put under some kind of coldframe (note to self, knock up a coldframe).

 

Carrots are growing very high too and there a lot of them. I'll probably leave most of them in the ground for a couple of months, gradually thinning them out over time. Must remember to flood the ground when pulling up the carrots or else I'll get carrotfly infesting the rest.

 

All the strawberries are now ate. Something with sharp incissor teeth scoffed the last very juicy batch when I went for a weekend away a week or so ago. I might have a go at vertical growing next year, as I begrudge those damn varmints.

 

Still no sign of my beetroot - maybe they'll pop up next year?

 

Tomatoes in an old Ikea bucketbin are going great guns and I will have to thin them out and plant them in seperate containers.

 

Potatoes - have tons of them. They are growing in my plantbed, they are growing crazy in the permaculture sacks and now they have rooted on a waste spot under one of the bushes. No idea how they got there, I didn't plant them.

 

Looking forward to putting more veg and the like on the table with this lot.

 

Good Luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Update:

 

Potatoes - have tons of them. They are growing in my plantbed, they are growing crazy in the permaculture sacks and now they have rooted on a waste spot under one of the bushes. No idea how they got there, I didn't plant them.

 

 

Thanks for the update Mabon, it's nice to see someone getting similar results as me, must be due to the southerly location.

 

Potatoes, well.... my first early’s didn't give a "Heavy" yield, but I did get some, main is still in the ground at the moment. I tried growing them in tyres last year but i think the positioning of them wasn't that good to be fair.

 

Just out of interest, when you use these sacks, how many spuds are you getting back? in your experiance (Ignoring Taste and freshness) is it really worth it ?

 

Had a quick search on the net about it and found this.

 

http://ventnorpermaculture.wordpress.com/2...pdate-2nd-june/

 

 

 

 

Brief Update:

Greenhouse - Cucumbers going well, Tomatoes are just starting to ripen (first one should be picked tomorrow) Peppers doing well, but nowhere near Mabon's 23 of one plant - lol

Patch - Onion's took a hammering from the chickens (I shouldn't have let them out) but I'll get a good few, Broccoli and sprout survived and plants are establishing. Courgettes are coming thick and fast, had a few beetroot although many are still VERY small, and I've just started picking my first runner beans.

 

Sweet corn is all over the place, the patch where there are currently doesn't get "Even" sunlight though the day, so some are more advanced than others, and there’s the odd butternut squash chucked in there as well amongst the corn.

 

Chickens are giving me a bit of grief at the moment (it’s a proper war zone in there at the moment) and the dog found a duck nesting in one of the bushes, which was a bit disappointing as the dog thought it was a good idea to bring it to us. Needless to say I don’t think the duck will be coming back in a hurry after that experience, but at least the eggs didn’t go to waste, and at least the duck managed to fly away quacking (always a good sign) after bribing the dog with a gravy bone.

 

“the townie re-location programme” as I’ve now dubbed it can really throw up unexpected surprises – lol

 

 

All the best.

 

SR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the update Mabon, it's nice to see someone getting similar results as me, must be due to the southerly location.

 

Probably. Although my Dad gets a better yield from the same amount of cultivated and he's out in the west of Wales. Does get more sunshine than the south-east of England and more rain too. My garden in north-west London faces west, so gets a decent amount of sun. Not too shabby for a limited patch.

 

Potatoes, well.... my first early’s didn't give a "Heavy" yield, but I did get some, main is still in the ground at the moment. I tried growing them in tyres last year but i think the positioning of them wasn't that good to be fair.

 

Just out of interest, when you use these sacks, how many spuds are you getting back? in your experiance (Ignoring Taste and freshness) is it really worth it ?

 

My mistake was to put too many chits in the first growsack (I notice on the Ventnor link they only planted two potatoes per sack - me I went berserk).

 

Hence why when I had a test empty of the first sack a few weeks back, the spuds were quite small (about 3 weeks after they'd flowered).

 

So I just took the biggest ones out (new potato size). Ate them, about 1 pound of three different varieties of spud - tasted lovely.

 

Then I put everything back in the sack and have let the others carry on. Now that I've done that I may get 10-15 pound of spuds from that sack, but as I say, could have got a lot more if I'd put in less chits.

 

Will probably leave them in there for a few months more and see what I get. I'll make a decision come mid-August.

 

The second sack, I planted with less chits. This one is still upright and tall. It flowered about 2 weeks ago and I will leave them in the soil for another 2 months. Reckon I'll get 15 pound of spuds from that sack as it's very heavy (a guesstimate I know and could be an exaggeration).

 

Taste wise they are lovely. I'm growing 3 different types - one's a purple spud that I kept the chits from when I bought a sack of eaters in Waitrose's.

 

The second are long beige type twisty spuds that my missus bought for me from a DIY place. Can't remember their name, just that I have hundreds of them sat on my chitting rack in the garden, ready to be planted.

 

The third type are your bog standard King Henry type spud.

 

Definitely worth it. Firstly 2 different lots of spuds and spare chits were free as by products of spuds already grown. Secondly I have hundreds of spare chits left to plant over the next month or so.

 

Timewise - was nothing. To grow in sacks just stick about 3 to 5 inches of quality soil in the bottom. Lay the chits in shoots facing upwards. Cover with a couple inches of earth so they are just under the loose surface. Wait for them to pop their heads up to about 2 to 3 inch shoots and then repeat.

 

Overall I repeated that about 3 times per bag. Bit of wastewater most days and voila one crop. 1 less thing to buy and they grow anywhere, hence how they've established themselves on some waste ground under a bush. Like I say no idea how they got there, but free food is now growing where once there was only cack.

 

Did have a crack at using tyres a few years ago. Sited in an open warm spot, got monster amounts from a 6 tyre high blob. Shared them with a few friends -very tasty. Well worth doing.

 

Brief Update:

Greenhouse - Cucumbers going well, Tomatoes are just starting to ripen (first one should be picked tomorrow) Peppers doing well, but nowhere near Mabon's 23 of one plant - lol

 

Think I have a freak of a Pepper plant there - I was led to believe average yield was about 12 large per mature plant. That plant is a juvie only about 2 ft 6 if that.

 

Gonna start scoffing those from mid-August on. I think they are Padron peppers that the Spanish love, so some of them might be very hot.

 

Plant cost me 75p in the local market, about 15p worth of soil, a tad tigerworm pee, plonk in large pot and wastewater occassionally mixed with some rain. Decided months back to only use sink wastewater (from my sink now being stored in big enamelled Ikea bin by other back door) and whatever rain comes, to water the garden.

 

23 peppers at approx 1.50 per pack of 3? About 11.70 at a conservative estimate. Very pleasing for sure. Will let you know what they taste like.

 

and I've just started picking my first runner beans. Sweet corn is all over the place, the patch where there are currently doesn't get "Even" sunlight though the day, so some are more advanced than others, and there’s the odd butternut squash chucked in there as well amongst the corn.

 

Isn't that the 'french trio' - squash sweetcorn and beans?

 

My sweetcorn grows biggest at both ends of the bed, although the others are catching up. Bizarrely I saw this morning that a couple of other sweetcorn seedlings had popped their heads out. Not sure if they'll have enough growing time to bear corn, but nice try anyway.

 

Herbs are going great guns too - mint parsley and chives in a huge pot. And last night we scoffed a load of rocket that I'd let flower and some american cress in a salad which tasted great (planted in a massive earthenware pot by the back door).

 

I'm now hankering to get myself some land proper and grow more stuff. I don't do that much but the rewards far outstrip the effort.

 

Good Luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't that the 'french trio' - squash sweetcorn and beans?

 

It most certainly is, I've not seen the runner beans pop up yet but the butternut squash is starting to trail itself at the bottom of the corn. After having such a bad year last year with my sweet corn I'm considering ANYTHING that comes out of this patch as a bonus. I'm also surprised how much the corn has shot up over the last couple of days.

 

Herbs are going great guns too - mint parsley and chives in a huge pot. And last night we scoffed a load of rocket that I'd let flower and some american cress in a salad which tasted great (planted in a massive earthenware pot by the back door).

 

There was a cracking podcast on two beers with Steve a few weeks back, I listened to it again the other day and they're talking about Olla's (pronounced Oi-ya's) and I've finally got around to looking it up. Went into a couple of garden centres today, and not one of them had ever heard of them.

 

I just hope I don't end up getting a potters wheel, it'll do no good for my image (not that I've really got one anyway - lol)

 

Making an Olla.......

 

Path to freedom where interviewed in the aforementioned podcast...........

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olla

 

 

I'm now hankering to get myself some land proper and grow more stuff. I don't do that much but the rewards far outstrip the effort.

 

...........and maybe slap a greenhouse on top of it as well, Thanet earth style?

 

I'm thinking this :)

 

 

 

 

normally the courgettes do great but they have been obliterated this year by some black bugs

 

Are they yellow courgettes ? and are the bug's like this ?

main.jpg

 

 

Theres an interesting thread here.........

 

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine...tion_49717.html

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...