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The same variety as others or a late flowering type?

 

Same variety of strawberries Riggerz. They've sent runners out everywhere and have decided to produce more fruit.

 

Lucky me got to scoff a load today. Well tasty.

 

This weekend I'll be doing a bit of tidying, etc.

 

I'm also going to eat some courgettes this weekend too.

 

Which reminds me, I must get Andi Clevely's book out and see what I can plant overwinter.

 

And also suss what herbs I can plant now (I bought a load on eBay a few months ago).

 

Really tempted to plant a couple of pear seeds too.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Och! I'm not sure my late start beans are gonna make it.

 

I mean sure they are shooting up the pole, however the days and nights ar egetting colder.

 

Remembering last year, they gace beans til mid to late October.

 

By early November the plant was into rot mode due to cold.

 

My peas are in a sunnier spot. However they seem reluctant to grow.

 

I gave them some support in the form of tie-arounds to stop them flopping, last weekend.

 

Had the massive marrow like courgette off my courgette plant.

 

Et a third raw which was mighty refreshing. Quickfroze a third. Cooked the other third as part of a slow cooker meal. Gorgeous.

 

Trying to encourage the plant to grow me a few more. The leaves have a grey-powdered sheen to them. I'll have to look up potential infections.

 

It is still flowering though. Very pretty bright yellow flowers which you eat if you want. Battered tempura style is always Jamie Oliver's recommendation.

 

Now what the hell can I plant overwinter. Oh yes forgot to say I bought a cheap and cheerful propogator for 2.29 in Wilkinson's. Bargain. I'll have a crack at growing those goji berries properly this time. I promise I'll get the grow crystals and stuff and not just stick them in a pot (slacko).

 

Meanwhile the strawberries continue to dominate the sunny dogleg in thebottom lefthand corner.

 

Good Luck

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Trying to encourage the plant to grow me a few more. The leaves have a grey-powdered sheen to them.

My old man's courgettes have done really well this year. He waters them every evening - do you do the same? The leaves on his are similar and have been previous years. I don't think it's anything to worry about (perhaps DYOR though ;)).

 

See if you can get some small leek plants to stick in. They will be fine going in now and you'll be able to have leek and potato soup all winter.

 

Have you got a supply of manure?

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My old man's courgettes have done really well this year. He waters them every evening - do you do the same? The leaves on his are similar and have been previous years. I don't think it's anything to worry about (perhaps DYOR though ;)).

 

It's Powdery Mildew caused by a) me not watering the courgettes regularly and B) the warm, dry period

 

I cut most of the leaves/ stems off today and watered it. Leaving only the younger shoots and flowers entact.

 

Will have to make an effort to water regularly. I tend to just leave them all to it. I figure they are plants and so should suck up a bit of rain when it does so...

 

See if you can get some small leek plants to stick in. They will be fine going in now and you'll be able to have leek and potato soup all winter. Have you got a supply of manure?

 

Good one about the Leeks. See if I can get some leeks to bed in now. The manure round yer is the stuff my missus spouts sometimes...

 

Ta and good luck.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thought i'd better post an update.

 

Bit of a strange year for me........... only things i've grown have been Tomatoes, courgettes and strawberrys, which have all been grown in the green house. good yeilds on the toms, well pleased with those but i can safely say doing courgettes in growbags is a no if you ask me, thier much better in the ground.

 

just dug in a new veg bed and have started encroaching into the field out the back, new compost bins going in shortly ( mine are currently located on concrete which isn't a good idea) and i've just hammered the patch with the contents of the chicken coup.

 

Chickens have slowed down, now lucky if i see a couple of eggs per day, although they're still knocking out some quality eggs.

 

about to empty this years compost onto the patch then i'll cover it all up hopefully with some old carpet.

 

other than chicken feed and a few grow bags i've spent nothing this year on food production...... and still got a load of produce :)

 

 

I've got a feeling next year is going to be a heavy one :)

 

keep well everyone.

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  • 6 months later...

Well the constant rain is delaying my planting out of various seeds.

 

Also it's still quite cold of a night. Frosts sometimes.

 

Perplexing.

 

However I'll have to plant something soon else it'll be november when I'm trying to crop.

 

Last year's strawberries are still mostly in place. I'm wondering whether they'll bear fruit?

 

Have cleared, raked, de-weeded and prepped my bed though.

 

Will put some root crops in by next weekedn at the latest.

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Well the constant rain is delaying my planting out of various seeds.

 

Also it's still quite cold of a night. Frosts sometimes.

 

Dismal weather. My task this afternoon, is to transpant a few to bigger pots for survival in sheds or frames under sheeting, just experimenting :(

 

Keeps the kids occupied at least and of course they get dirty which adds to the fun.

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My chicken run is like a battle field from the fist world war !

 

Iv had two fence panels blown down.

 

Iv got 30 tomato plants in the green house that have stunted in growth. My french beans are yet to pop there heads up above ground.

 

Iv got runner beans growing in small pots in the green house. I would like to put them out soon if i can

 

apple tree has sprung into life, so have the pear and the plum.

 

the cherry tree dose not look good at all. I think i may have to cut it down. Its been half dead now for two years. Time to get rid of it i think.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's an update you may ...... Or maybe have not expected.

 

I've given up :) why?

 

To be honest I've no need to grow anything at the moment, I lost 3 chickenS during the early part of the year (2no due to age and the other flew the coup) the other two remaining are not laying at all....... And as soon as the last bag of feed runs out, well.......... If there are no eggs, then there's no point in keeping them.

 

The patch has been fully mothballed just in case I decide to return to it, it's all covered up so the ground will get a good rest.

 

Seeing the short life cycles of the chickens, the establishing of "pecking order" and how they live has been a fantastic experience for me, it really was like watching an episode of big brother, but the evictions were a little more severe, and of course there was no prize money nor fame for any of the chickens.

 

The veg patch......... Well I did enjoy doing it, it's hard work but the benefits and the tastes of the produce are so much better than any shit you buy out of the supermarket. Anyway, I'm now confident that I have the skills to produce if I need to. Information and experience like that can not be taken from you.

 

For those that are still growing I hope you have a fantastic growing season, but I'm now going to milk as many corporate c**ksuckers for as much money as possible and the company that I work for can pick up the bill of my living expenses. I no longer have the time to fully attend my garden.

 

They say that for every sucessful man there's a good woman behind him, unless of course she's a cheating whore, then that man realises that everything he did really wasn't worth the effort.

 

 

 

Think I'll visit Ibiza :)

 

Best regards

 

SR

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Here's an update you may ...... Or maybe have not expected.

 

I've given up :) why?

 

To be honest I've no need to grow anything at the moment, I lost 3 chickenS during the early part of the year (2no due to age and the other flew the coup) the other two remaining are not laying at all....... And as soon as the last bag of feed runs out, well.......... If there are no eggs, then there's no point in keeping them.

 

The patch has been fully mothballed just in case I decide to return to it, it's all covered up so the ground will get a good rest.

 

Seeing the short life cycles of the chickens, the establishing of "pecking order" and how they live has been a fantastic experience for me, it really was like watching an episode of big brother, but the evictions were a little more severe, and of course there was no prize money nor fame for any of the chickens.

 

The veg patch......... Well I did enjoy doing it, it's hard work but the benefits and the tastes of the produce are so much better than any shit you buy out of the supermarket. Anyway, I'm now confident that I have the skills to produce if I need to. Information and experience like that can not be taken from you.

 

For those that are still growing I hope you have a fantastic growing season, but I'm now going to milk as many corporate c**ksuckers for as much money as possible and the company that I work for can pick up the bill of my living expenses. I no longer have the time to fully attend my garden.

 

They say that for every sucessful man there's a good woman behind him, unless of course she's a cheating whore, then that man realises that everything he did really wasn't worth the effort.

 

 

 

Think I'll visit Ibiza :)

 

Best regards

 

SR

 

Good Luck Butty.

 

And sorry to hear of your woes.

 

I hear Ibiza is lovely this time of year and pretty much any time of year.

 

If you want something cheaper and a tad warmer goto 'the warm coast' of Murcia, Spain.

 

Unknown to tourists, warm all year round.

 

My news:

 

Hmm not a lot. Still pishing it down most days.

 

Finally some beans have started to grow - 3 strands in the middle set (the other 2 are no show).

 

Strawberries growing again - I do nothing to them they just sort themselves out.

 

My courgettes in a bucket refuse to grow.

 

I'm gonna have to rake over and deweed my bed again as nothing planted so far.

 

This weekend though is mow, how, plant n sow.

 

Good Luck all.

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Here's an update you may ...... Or maybe have not expected.

 

Think I'll visit Ibiza :)

 

Best regards

 

SR

 

Ditto Mabon. Sad to hear your tale in part.

 

Hey if you really want to party with the lads try Puerto Banus, price (used to) largely excludes union jack/football shirt rent a mob; but the party scene is fun, if you want that sort of warm weather thing ;)

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Finally some beans have started to grow - 3 strands in the middle set (the other 2 are no show).

 

Strawberries growing again - I do nothing to them they just sort themselves out.

 

My courgettes in a bucket refuse to grow.

 

I'm gonna have to rake over and deweed my bed again as nothing planted so far.

 

This weekend though is mow, how, plant n sow.

 

Good Luck all.

 

Have flowers on the strawbs but need to weed big time this weekend and get the nets ready.

 

Broad beans inch or two out of the ground. Lettuce seeds coming through, but not all seeds took, though have mastered growing them in stages of raised bed now. Beet's need to thin out and plant from trays.

 

No show of any buds from few kidney beans, may have gone too soon in frost :( Will do 2nd batch this weekend.

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Mabon, riggerz I appreciate the comments, I have very much enjoyed this thread and I thank you for your suggestions on places to visit.

 

It has to be Ibiza, just has to be, plot up in the "quiet side" and do a few "missions" into the other side, got to do this while I'm still young ( erm...*cough*..... Lol) enough, we'll see. Either this year or next I need to get it "off the bucket list" and to be fair Carl cox doesn't play many other places now days.

 

I'll keep an eye on this thread, and hopefully in the future I'll contribute and update again with a planting list :)

 

Actually thinking about my initial question when I started this thread, is six chickens and a draw hoe a better investment.?

 

Well.......... I'd say that it was, it didn't cost much other than a bit of labour, and my returns were fantastic.

 

Very best regards

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  • 1 month later...

Just goes to show if you let your garden do the work the abundance is excellent.

 

Case in point I'm deluged with strawberries in the bottom-left corner.

 

A year or so ago there were maybe 10 plants. Now they've taken over, probably 50 plants.

 

Am able to have fresh bowl everyday...and to think they laughed at my plan to corner the world strawberry market!!

 

Got some beans now too - took ages to pop. But now am shooting up them canes quickstyle.

 

Also the big 'orga' pot that was full of salad bits - american cress etc has seeded part of my 'bed'.

 

And I now have lots of fresh salad growing there which is great.

 

Small-time stuff but always a lovely bonus.

 

Also the ladybirds ate all the aphids that were sapping the life out of my beetroot 'tree' (I let it grow wild and now it's a 5 footer).

 

Some potatoes doing their own thing too. Possibly get 30 pound of spuds for zero effort.

 

Very little effort applied to the rest of it for quite considerable reward.

 

Good Luck.

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Case in point I'm deluged with strawberries in the bottom-left corner.

 

Am able to have fresh bowl everyday...and to think they laughed at my plan to corner the world strawberry market!!

 

 

Got news for you, you've got competition in the Midlands :lol:

 

Likewise and generally have enough for 4 servings daily for the last week and a bit, I'm so deluged I've lost count!

 

As a negative my beans seem to have been munched and the lettuce is poorer than last year, the wet weather may have been a factor on the lettuce? Still growing and hoping for the best now.

 

Loads of Beets coming through, sticking Leeks in and Raspberries running amok too for a decent yield later on.

 

Concentrating on what I did best with last year, but I am definately selling off some strawb plants, they need a massive thin out once they've cropped. Plus I'm going to change colour if I keep eating this many :D

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  • 1 month later...

Was going so well with the Srawbs, then last few weeks had to chuck around a third due to all the wet weather, seriously mouldy :( Least it cut back the portions, now for yhe thin out!

 

Beets coming through better, Broad beans tastier than last year, think I got them up sooner, not as stringy. Kidney Beans next up, but Lettuce seeds were poor, think the damp must have got in them? Bit unsure really.

 

Back on soft fruits Raspberries and Gooseberries coming on fast for cropping this week, few of the Blueberry bushes were sparse, think the frost had a few, so need replacing. Not so many Apples either. Overall not so bad, but need to improve.

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  • 1 month later...

Beets coming through better, Broad beans tastier than last year, think I got them up sooner, not as stringy. Kidney Beans next up, but Lettuce seeds were poor, think the damp must have got in them? Bit unsure really.

 

Back on soft fruits Raspberries and Gooseberries coming on fast for cropping this week, few of the Blueberry bushes were sparse, think the frost had a few, so need replacing. Not so many Apples either. Overall not so bad, but need to improve.

 

Update Beets on a roll still, Kidney Beans great and Raspberries..WOW..Inundated, never seen such a heavy crop, must love the damp soil more than the Strawbs did. Everynight for weeks, having to freeze for muffin experiments later :lol:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update Beets on a roll still, Kidney Beans great and Raspberries..WOW..Inundated, never seen such a heavy crop, must love the damp soil more than the Strawbs did. Everynight for weeks, having to freeze for muffin experiments later :lol:

 

My beans finally came thru in early August. And have been going strong or is that string? Since.

 

If I wasn't so grateful for the free food I'd have to say I'm all beaned out...Pah Beans Again!

 

In fact I force them on everyone now - "Here have some beans and have some more beans".

 

There's no room left in the freezer for all the beans...

 

I shall plant some over-winter roots too this year.

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  • 1 month later...

My beans finally came thru in early August. And have been going strong or is that string? Since.

 

If I wasn't so grateful for the free food I'd have to say I'm all beaned out...Pah Beans Again!

 

In fact I force them on everyone now - "Here have some beans and have some more beans".

 

There's no room left in the freezer for all the beans...

 

I shall plant some over-winter roots too this year.

 

Thats funny, feel the same about Raspberries, just took the final lot.

 

Mabon, Leeks some of mine were late starters this year, will they survive an hard winter in the soil for Spring crop? Thought you might have some expertise in these :P

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The patch has been fully mothballed just in case I decide to return to it, it's all covered up so the ground will get a good rest.

 

Seeing the short life cycles of the chickens, the establishing of "pecking order" and how they live has been a fantastic experience for me, it really was like watching an episode of big brother, but the evictions were a little more severe, and of course there was no prize money nor fame for any of the chickens.

 

The veg patch......... Well I did enjoy doing it, it's hard work but the benefits and the tastes of the produce are so much better than any shit you buy out of the supermarket. Anyway, I'm now confident that I have the skills to produce if I need to. Information and experience like that can not be taken from you.

SR

 

There's much to learn on the gardening front.

Do you think books like this (below) are any help:

51YB3MZPlRL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

Mini Farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family’s food on just a quarter acre—and earn $10,000 in cash annually while spending less than half the time that an ordinary job would require. Even if you have never been a farmer or a gardener, this book covers everything you need to know to get started: buying and saving seeds, starting seedlings, establishing raised beds, soil fertility practices, composting, dealing with pest and disease problems, crop rotation, farm planning, and much more. Because self-sufficiency is the objective, subjects such as raising backyard chickens and home canning are also covered along with numerous methods for keeping costs down and production high. Materials, tools, and techniques are detailed with photographs, tables, diagrams, and illustrations.

===

/see: http://www.amazon.co.../ref=pd_sim_b_2

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Thats funny, feel the same about Raspberries, just took the final lot.

 

Mabon, Leeks some of mine were late starters this year, will they survive an hard winter in the soil for Spring crop? Thought you might have some expertise in these :P

 

Lol. Well my Dad has planted all his winter roots now.Including Leeks etc.

 

I still have some beans going strong. Even though the vines have withered and given up the ghost.

 

Will get these in this week. And be thankful for my bean abundance.

 

I have some American Cress and other leafs that keeps growing back in my big earthenware pot.

 

It seems to like its position under the bay tree. And the pot keeps it warm.

 

This weekend I'll do a bit o digging. And see what I can get planted.

 

I'll have a rummage in my seed library aka plastic bag in shed.

 

Could of swapped you beans for raspberries Riggerz

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  • 5 months later...

Last year in the UK was awful for most veg becuase the endless wet weather. Hoping for better results this year. But finally pulled the last of the leeks.

 

So far, I've planted shallots, garlic, onions sets and early, medium and late spuds. The rest of the plot is still covered with black horticultural sheeting which lets the rain through, warms the soil and stops weed seeds germinating.

 

The rubarb is romping off now we've had a few warmer days and I reckon in a week I'll get a first crop for the table.

 

The green house is chock full of sprouting seeds incl cauliflower, courgette, pumpkin, squash, leeks, tomatos, herbs, beetroot, radish, runner and french beans and others. They'll all go in the ground soon.

 

I have invested in some horticultural fine netting which prevents bird damage, butterfly and other nasty flying bugs but transmits light and water. Also, I bought a very old but very good condition petrol motor tiller for £50 off Gumtree amd it works great !

 

And finally, the fruit trees are looking full of blossom about to open. Pears, apples, plums, crab apple & a peach. Mostly all planted last year and trained against an 7 foot south facing brick wall I had built last year.

 

This all sounds a lot but it took a few weekends hard graft earlier in the year and now it should be a case of keeping on top of weeds, which can be done in on fine evenings. If we have a glut I'll buy another freezer but I give some away. If it's another rubbish year we'll still have enough for our selves.

 

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  • 4 months later...

Another year on.

 

My reputation as an ameateur Strawb grower has been even further enhanced, probably because I'm not just giving strawbs away, but plants too as I try to control my patch.

 

Just when i'd had enough of them, yet another bumper crop of Raspberries that are still coming through, convinced they thrive in damp conditions.

 

Beets gone well, just never in abundance. Lettuce ok, but now trying a year round variety, not sure on taste, but hey it's lettuce.

 

Kidney Beans best year ever, think the trick is to keep them well watered. Ditched broad beans, work/reward ratio seemed poor return. Instead more leeks from seed which I'm well pleased with.

 

May try carrots again. Pondering that.

 

Hacked up Gooseberries and replaced with Blackberries, just yield more and I prefer the taste. Plus go great in crumbles, with apples or as breakfast filler with raspberries and yoghut mix.

 

Blueberries were a fail this year, birds got at them, new greenhouse position needed.

 

Overall good return for a little effort.

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  • 7 months later...

Bump again.

 

Yet more white flowers on the Strawb patch, they are just endless. Raspberry canes coming through.

 

Sowed some Lettuce and Beets. Left rooms for Leeks which came through well into Spring. Kidney beans will go in later.

 

Stuck blueberries into pots, that can come indoors, as the birds like the taste too much.

 

Looking to try another veg but cannot decide which would be easiest. All looking good though for decent mini harvest so far.

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