the daydream fund challenge thread

RAS

Davesnave wrote: »

Finally, on the subject of garlic, I read somewhere that one's own should not be planted because it will lead to a build-up of disease. I find that a bit difficult to swallow, so I have bought one Solent Wight to trial alongside our own, grown from the same source, all of which look pretty healthy to me! Anyone else have thoughts on this?

I bought a head of garlic to plant this year; first time on years and I grow nearly as much as I need every year. Just fancied adding another variety and it was good value.

So what I have is pretty much the consequence of about 10 years planting and re-planting my own-grown garlic. I have three main varieities including Albigensian.

I get a bit of white onion rot; quite bizarre as it seems to affect a small patch and leave the plants a metre away untouch (sometimes it will be a single plant in a batch).

I rotate rigourously and avoid onions or garlic anywhere I have had previous problems.

It is worth picking out your best bulbs and planting on the biggest cloves from them rather than the lot, to get a better crop.

ukmaggie45

rhiwfield wrote: »

Maggie, not sure how you can think about your garden when you're in the middle of a major renovation!

We're not living in the house while renovation going on. We live about a 2-3 minute drive away, most of the time to get there is OH locking the front door. :rotfl:

I'm not well enough to do much stuff, but I do research stuff on the Internet for the house renovation.

I like to plot and plan for the garden when I have to spend time in bed. At least it doesn't seem completely wasted time then. Not very good at it yet, but even so it seems to help with the gardening.

Yesterday got some of the dead tomatoes out, and OH mowed the lawn. Need to get last of the dead toms out, maybe later this week.

lostinrates

choille wrote: »

Hi LIR,

I do like sheep - too much, that's the problem for me.

If the sheep are freezer bound then they maybe old/broken mouthed? Will you put them in your freezer?
Have you kept sheep before?
Re hedging I'd go for a nice mix of blackthorn, hawthorn, bech, escalonia, fushia - depending on your soil type - I'd go for a right colourful mix.

Yes, destined for our own freezer. The other advantage here would be for the ground. I could do with some little feet here and neat cutting teeth!

I have not really kept sheep before. I have taken care of friends/neighbours sheep for a couple of months at a time and done a couple of lambing seasons, so I'm not totally green, but do not have a wealth of experience behind me. If we were thinking longer term. then I think I'd be fussier, but for freezer bound sheep I think we'd be more open about stuff. Although I'm fond of mutton, I hadn't considered anything older.

choille

Hi lostinrates

They do well at keeping the grass shorn. Now would be a time to get them off rather than taking them through the Winter?

You will still need a flock number & all the movement papers & ear tag stuff. It is all getting rather complicated & expensive.

I put 6 old sheep off last week & all my orphans are going to market in the next couple of weeks. I'll miss them as they are so funny & friendly. ( Having a crisis of confidence at the moment)

All the best with it.

RAS

chiolle

I gather you find it hard when your livestock go to slaughter? Not really sure of the answer; it never bothered me when I was younger but not sure if I would be more sentimental if the flock was smaller. Never did poddy lambs though. The main part is that they had a good life while they were will you.

Are you putting the stock off in case you have another hard winter, like last year? I suspect LIR will still get some minimal grazing off the land except in the very depth of winter.

lostinrates

RAS wrote: »

chiolle

I gather you find it hard when your livestock go to slaughter? Not really sure of the answer; it never bothered me when I was younger but not sure if I would be more sentimental if the flock was smaller. Never did poddy lambs though. The main part is that they had a good life while they were will you.

Are you putting the stock off in case you have another hard winter, like last year? I suspect LIR will still get some minimal grazing off the land except in the very depth of winter.

I find it all harder than I did as a callow youth. ''Dealing'' with the chickens is so much harder now. I have two boys from this years chicks that need to go but atm everyone's getting on well, so I'm not doing it till we need too, which will probably be soon, as the days are shorter and they wander less.

Lir will indeed have grazing through winter this year. we could take a haylage cut off the fields we cut for hay in July if we were minded to, plus the extra hay we'll probably be using next year! At this rate we won't be putting out hay until after november..this time last year ours were already munching. which means we'll have wildly over kept hay...this year...next year....year after!


Another option would be to get in touch with another local small holder and offer grazing for freezer lamb I suppose.

choille

Hi RAS - we have had some 'stuff' going on & I have been wondering about a load of stuff, wondering if we are in the right place!

I am reducing the flock & getting rid of quite a few cross breeds. I've let the flock get a bit large for us in a way. I am putting the lambs to the mart as I am not really wanting Cheviots - although I am quite impressed with them all in all & am having a few doubts - as you do.
I just don't like the ear tag - load up situation as the sheep know.

I've a couple of ewes & a couple of whethers that will go for mutton soon & then that'll be a less expensive Winter feed situation - hopefully!

I need to have the byre rebuilt as it is really in a bad way - but the house build must come first.

I was a bit rankled about withdrawing my woodland plans as that would have given me a little income that could have partly fnded the byre - but hey ho will just have to put my thinking cap on.

Davesnave

Thanks for everyone's input re the garlic.

Choille, I understand the neighbour issues only too well and sympathise, having had a few here. All I can say is 'Nil carborundum!'

This morning, I woke early, and with nothing major to do, especially in the dark, decided to update my photo stream, so heres a link to the latest bit:

choille

Great photies again Dave.

Wish I had the big boy's toys.

The last few days have been like an Indian Summer, but getting really cold at night now & the wood burner is on in the caravan then. Must admit not really looking forward to another year in here.

We've had a poor growing & building season - due to the weather & midges being unbelievable.
It is good now they are gone as you can actually bear being outside.
First year I have no chicks - the hens set a couple of nests but jumped off before hatch date - I think that was due to the weather too.

I wouldn't mind getting some more, but different breeds. I would love to be able to source some more rare breed Scottish hens apart from the Greys - which is what I have. Me thinks I'll attempt to track some down this Winter.

rhiwfield

Great photos Davesnave, and lots of hard work going on to stockproof your holding. The packed van reminded me of our uni trips over 10 years, but I dont think I ever had that much stuff to move!

DW had her knee replacement op on Monday, while DS2 has his graduation on Saturday. Assuming DW is discharged Friday it'll be interesting to see if we can get her to the ceremony.

Some photos:
Ark mated with lower run
Swingapple
Bottomless toms
When you havent got the land