Great “Easy Lucrative Garden Crops” Hunt: What costly foods can you grow with ease?

rosie383

Yeah. I think the poppies may be a problem. I quite fancy just having a riot of colour in the garden this year at least, having had no colour at all for the last few. I was out in the wonderful rain pulling out any seedlings which were actually among the veg, but left any around the edges. There aren't too, too many.
Would it be OK to leave them to flower this year, then pull them out before they go to seed? Or would that be too late?
By the way, you had advised me before to go ahead and try with some lettuce seeds even though it was late. I now have 2 rows of little lettuces coming up. They are very wee yet. When should I thin them out? And how far apart?
My perpetual spinach and baby salad leaves are growing really well too, and we are having spinach tonight, and have been having salad the past few days. I have just picked leaves from each of the plants and left maybe a dozen or so behind. Should I be picking the big leaves from round the edge, or the wee ones?

npsmama

Muffin99 wrote: »

Interesting post!



If you grow broad beans the tops of the plants are an absolute delicacy! Just boil them and see

I love this idea!!

At what stage do you pick the tops? How much do you pick?

rhiwfield

npsmama wrote: »

I love this idea!!

At what stage do you pick the tops? How much do you pick?

Pick them before the blackfly settle, usually after the lowest pods have set. If you leave it even a bit too late, then the fly seem to resist even a salt water soaking. On the other hand if you like the protein............:p

npsmama

rhiwfield wrote: »

Pick them before the blackfly settle, usually after the lowest pods have set. If you leave it even a bit too late, then the fly seem to resist even a salt water soaking. On the other hand if you like the protein............:p

:rotfl:

thanks.

Quick question: is blackfly inevitable?

rhiwfield

npsmama wrote: »

Quick question: is blackfly inevitable?

Seems to be round here (S Wales)

mrbadexample

rhiwfield wrote: »

Seems to be round here (S Wales)

They're greenfly that have been coal mining.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

mrbadexample wrote: »

They're greenfly that have been coal mining.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:classic lol.....

rhiwfield

mrbadexample wrote: »

They're greenfly that have been coal mining.

:rotfl::rotfl:

npsmama

On the lotty in Kent they were rife - there was no point growing broad beans it was so bad!

But we're in N Wales and things are very different - possibly also due to the fact that we have chickens and as they free range during winter they eat slug eggs - result: we have very, very few slugs and snails :dance:_party_

Chickens are worth keeping even if it were for that reason only!

rosie383

Hi, I can't find the answer to my question anywhere, so forgive me if it has been asked and answered.
My neighbour has told me she is happy to take any veg bits from my garden that I don't need, and use them to feed her guinea pigs and tortoises.
Can I give her the tops off the beetroot? They look lovely and tasty, but not sure if they are Ok?