the daydream fund challenge thread

choille

Yeh - not a good one.

I think I may ask to see a physio as I keep doing this to my back. I kinda bring it on myself by overdoing some jobs, going at them too hard, and for too long - see things as personal challenges, then knock my back out & get all frustrated as I can't do much, but whinge about the pain & not being able to sleep, nor do owt.

Rummer

Oh Choille sorry to hear you are not well! Maybe you could ask your doctor for a change of medication?

I got a few gardening books out of the library to have a look at over the winter so that I can be a bit more organised next year. Does anyone know of a type of sweetcorn that grows well in Scotland?

choille

Thanks Rummer.

I've not heard of it being grown in Scotland, but maybe under cover?

I was hoping to get on with getting my mangled poly-tunnel on the go again - well fixed the frame, just need to clear the ground - again & re-skin it, but that'll have to wait.
Did you get any good books to read?
That's what I should be doing - planning, and stop feeling all bored.

Rummer

I got the John Seymour one, I read it at the start of the year but it was too late to implement some of his ideas.

We tried growing it under cover last year with no luck and tried outdoors this time. Both times they have grown well, formed cobs but they have not turned yellow in time. I was thinking maybe I am using the wrong type.

choille

Is it the John Seymour self sufficiency one - I have that book - it's really a good ref book to pick up & put down.

I have a bad book buying habit, which I am weaning myself off as I'm too skint to feed my addiction at the moment.

I think people do have trouble getting the cobs to ripen. Think I heard somewhere that it doesn't grow successssfuly N of Yorks, but don't know if that's true or not.

Lotus-eater

Rummer wrote: »

We tried growing it under cover last year with no luck and tried outdoors this time. Both times they have grown well, formed cobs but they have not turned yellow in time. I was thinking maybe I am using the wrong type.

Can you give a short version of how you grow it, you must be doing something wrong, or using the wrong type maybe.

I'm sure there are plenty of people on GYO forum who live in Scotland and successfully grow it.

Rummer

Choille yes it is that book! I am going to use it to plan the rotation of my beds and to ensure that I am growing at maximum capacity. I really like the diagrams he has of his gardens at the different seasons. I do not buy gardening books as my library has such an extensive selection. However baking books are my downfall!

Lotus-eater I started them very early indoors, I think Feb, then when the weather improved I put them out in the greenhouse. The year before I left them there over the summer and this year I planted them out. On both occasions they failed to ripen. The packet says it has been bred to grow in the cooler climate of the UK.

JayneC

Hello again,

Thanks for the welcome choille and Rummer.

I've got that John Seymour book too, love it!!

I've just borrowed a book from the library - Bob Flowerdew's Organic Bible, which is quite good it makes the point that fruit is often overlooked but is actually easier to grow than veg and nicer to eat!! So I'm focussing more on fruit next year with some herbs and salad crops, we'll see how it goes! I'm also planning to get a couple of chickens. I've (well my dad did) cut down the garden shed to make a chicken coop but need to finish of the door and roof before I can get my chooks:D

Is anyone trying to work to permaculture methods? I saw a prog (Farm for the Future) a while a go and this was the first I'd heard of it but was fascinated and have just been to a workshop sponsered by the CoOp looking at using permaculture as a way of ensuring food sustainability. Just wondered if anybody else had heard of it and how its going if you're using it?

choille

Hi Jayne - I like Bob Flowerdew a lot - he's very sensible ^ very much a reuser of things - which I am.

Yes - I am very much into permaculture, which although the word was coined in the 70's is a very ancient concept where everything is intergrated & has a role to play.
I use wood from my croft to heat the caravan I am presently living in. I use the ash to improve the soil & nutrients beneath the fruit bushes. I use the sheep dung as compost & soil improver. I breed hen for their eggs & meat. I also compost the hen pen. I grow organically & each year have increased my crops which makes me less reliant on buying in & therefore travelling - as I live remote.
I have my own water supply & septic tank/reed bed system.
I aim to increase my veggie production by getting my poly-tunnel up & running again over the winter months - mangled in a gale. I hope to get some piglets come Spring to help with some ground clearing & then for the freezer.
I also hope to get a fish pond sorted for brown trout next year.
I grow Russian Comfrey for making into an organic feed for the veggies - all in all I think we are quite into permaculture.

Rummer

JayneC We have decided to increase our fruit bushes next year. The raspberries were delicious and it was heaven being able to just go and pick them in the morning. Plus as you say they take very little management.

I have heard the phrase permaculture but I have no idea about the ins and outs of it. Do you know of any useful websites about it as I would like to read more about it.