Story of Hugsville Patch

Smoffi

After thought and input from the wife I have decided to put low lying vegies up there..
Cucumbers, Cabbage, Cauli,Courgettes, Raddish and so forth..
I will let you all know what finally goes up there and how it gets on

Just went to my nice lovely seed selling place and purchased alot...
Runner Beans, Dwarf Beans, Red Cabbage, Matina Tomatoes, Tumbling tomatoes, Red Onions, F1 Onions,
Broad Beans, Pak Choi, Beetroot, White Onion, Black Radish, Mung Bean,
Cucumber Crystal Lemon...

Cant wait for them to come..

Finally got the rest of the cabbage and caulis out this morning and some are going on the roof with the rest in the main patch.

Peas which my daughter and I planted out the other week are really growing fast.. We have some more to plant out today during her lunch as Gardening Lesson

Smoffi

Not really had alot to do but I have noticed that the mornings here are getting very much colder.

Made the decision to break out the fleece for the plants to give them a better chance till I can build the poly tunnels hopefully this weekend.

Pots of easy stuff that it not high are going on the roof. Cucumber is the next one.. just transplanted it to its own pot and will go up as well this weekend

Smoffi

Well,....

the roof garden is coming along. It now has:
Celery, Squash, Cabbage, Cauli, Spuds and toms up there

I will add that watering is so much fun with the hose lol..

As for the main patch it had a slight overhaul today...
I have tried a "cost effective" way of building a mini greenhouse in order to limit the cold morning damage. It going well 3 days into it

http://img4.imageshack.us/i/dscf1979v.jpg/

Here is a top view of a the main patch and the work in progress on the 2nd section from the compost bin down the other side of the fence.
Had strawberries next to the compost in for last 2 years and had the toms where they are now just this season.

I have covered the beans and peas in the greenhouse as well.

simple to build.. get some large seethru plastic and cover the patch you want over and hold down with bricks. (I know its not going to keep all the cold out but the idea is to see how it works this year and develope the idea for years to come).

Going over to one of the kids houses this week and doing their garden for them as well. Tehy also want a vege patch so I shall keep you all updated on that as well..

Why did God invent only 24 hours in a day? lol.. I need more in order to get the patch the way I want it..

the wife mentioned this "randon planting" we saw in a tv show. Where you just take common land (where the council will NEVER mow) and just plant some vegies there... If someone takes them who cares.. if not then I shall lol..

We do have 6 huge apple trees downt he road which are on common land.. Also this week (I hope to be making nettle beer)

Smoffi

After a few days off, due to wifes birthday. I have managed to buy 4 more trees...
gooseberry, Raspberry, Blackberry and Redcurrant...
now the fun part is that each one cost me just £1 from poundland... and at that kind of price its worth the risk if they dont grow.. but if they do then its a bargain

these will be planted at the front of the house (I think).. not sure #

also spent wednesday for 4 hours diggin a new 6x6 patch, clearing a patio and pathways from my step-daughter.. tiring but fun!! now planning on what to plant in there next year

Pics of where I plant the 4 bushes to follow... and more updates on current planted out stuff on Monday

Smoffi

Recieved my parcels from ebay with 14 more types of seeds... i will update the database later on

Planted out in the greenhouse today:
18 x Christmas Cabbage
18 x Winter Onion

When they are big enough to bring outside they are going on top of the shed roof...

Hopefully going to the local farm this week to pick up 4 or 5 bags of manure to put onto the new sections of the patch.... this should keep them good until Jan 2010 when I start using that patch depending on weather conditions.

The new additions to the patch is covered up tightly to kill the weeds. Give this about 2 months then I shall dig in the new compost
Also finish the border soon as well...

I will also be updating the patch plan as I have had to make major changes based on realism lol

Smoffi

Well a little has happened to the patch!!!

All of the main patch has had to be dug up and redone due to having a new fencing there later this month to make way for a new addition to the family.. a dog (which is arriving soon from a rehoming shelter)... more later lol..

So all the vege in that patch has gone into pots and is now out of harms way and from the little that i put on the shed roof last month its growing very quickly.. Someone did say to me that its due to the lack of frost up there cause its 10 ft off the ground lol..
Heres a pic of the shed roof now:

http://img132.imageshack.us/i/dscf2119.jpg/

Since that part of the patch is now all dug up i will also have to rethink what I am planting there and the rest of the garden area!
Since i wil be losing alot of sunlight in that 1 area!!! but I cant complain cause I do like doing it so much!!

Sweetcorn that are in the garden are still growing (hopefully the weather helps them quicker)

Just went to the greenhouse and saw the beans are ready.. 9 bean plants are now growing in already composted area ready for the next few months!!

Hint: If you plant Goji berry and any other berry plants out do NOT move them as they wilt and difficult to get happy again (not sure how long it will take to get the Goji happy as I only moved him yesterday!!)

Dug up where the mint used to be and found another, in total, 15 ft of roots./.. never plant them in the garden.. ALWAYS in pots unless you want a forest and taking over your garden.

the 4 plants I bought from the pound shop are doing ok.. 1 is showing new green shoots and the other 3 are just sittin there lol..

Have to read up on how to trim the grape vines soon ready for winter...

Well thats all that has happened in Hugeville Patch for now..

Any helpful tips on anything would be great

Smoffi

Well since the cold has hit here a little the patch is now in planning stage for next year.

The roof patch is growing very quickly and is working well... just not enough roof lol..

The new fence is being put up this weekend

Shopping list for next few weeks is:
Manure and compost
Aquiring a loads more pots (garden centre gives them away free)

Unless there are seeds which I havent got and hit me then I think I have all I need for next year.

Garden patches have been planned in more details now...
http://img131.imageshack.us/i/patchupdate.jpg/
I have started to include row numbers as well so it hopefully gives other a better perspective of size.. and yes I know I prolly ahve a few of these wrong and I shall learn as well


Onions in greenhouse atm are still waiting to start off.
Xmas Cabbage are growing nicely not sure if its in time for Xmas
Lambs Jade Lettuce are going nicely and in a few weeks will go on roof patch with the rest.

One of the "pundland" trees are sprouting new green shoots and the other 3 are still yet to do anything but I still hold up hope

Smoffi

Well time for a small update...

My daughter and I have decided to plant some leeks and early carrots. With the warm October we are having I am testing them in the greenhouse.

One of my squash plants has died but since both of them were just a test I am nto too disappointed. I have put a closh (1/2 old pop bottle) over the remaining one to keep it warm.

Turnips are growing well on the roof. Just popping out of the top of the soil. One issue I do have is when i planted them up there i put them in pots about 6 inches tall.. might have to move them into bigger pots if i want longer ones.

Celery is growing in several different places. 1. roof is going well and better then the others. 2.Garden near sweetcorn are ok.. still not as thick stemmed as I'd have hoped.
3. bottom of the garden still the weakest of the 3...

Seems to have an issue growing anything down there.. Sunlight issue? Soil quality? Not sure.. Will be ripping everything out in the next month (Nov) and putting compost and manure! It was covered by a huge hedge and got no sun or rain before I chopped it all down.

Checked the carrots and toms which are left in the patch nearest the compost bin and the carrots are about 1 inch big.. The toms are just smaller than a tennis ball and turning red.. Just the one plant was planted as a late variety.. its the best one I have had this year so will look to plant alot more lates next season.

Onions and Lambs lettuce in the greenhouse are doing well...

If you have a garden centre near you check it out as they may have a "pot recycling" bin there. I go once a month and pick up pots of different sizes..

The patch where the new fence has been put up (If you look at the pic of the new layout for next year its where the sweetcorn is down to Gooseberry) this is been trampled on and really does need composting and manure.. I smell a trip to the local farm very soon

Smoffi

Visited the local farm and go 4 nice size bags of manure for 50p each.. bargain
Managed to pick up a great little bit of advise to get the patch sorted over the winter and get those new areas up to speed with all the goodness back in them after a battering this year!!

As with October, as ground becomes vacant, you can dig it over and spread manure over the surface. Leave the soil roughly dug in large clumps and the worms will break these up as they get the manure. The freezing and thawing of water in the soil will cause the soil to break up finely so becoming easier to handle in the spring.
October and November are good months to undertake double digging, incorporating manure into the bottom of the trench and deepening your topsoil.
Ensure compost bins are covered to prevent excess rain leaching the nutrients and to keep some of the heat of decomposition in.


I have updated my planting list ready for next year... Starting getting them into the greenhouse in jan/feb 2010... and this year remembering to spread the growing of same stuff over months rather than all at once!


I have to get my feet wet in the next week or two and start digging over the old patch and then redo the brick border on it..
With the new patch I have to start building the borders and then take a trip to the garden centre for some compost.. and then back to the farm for some quality manure..

remeber if it is really fresh it is likely to be too hot.. so take some that has been sitting for a while and spread thinly on your patch

Smoffi

Mananged to get hold of alot of platic to cover over most of the patch
Also if you do buy compost from garden centres then keep the empty bags! these are good to also use as covering during the winter months.

I have replanted the Xmas Cabbages into bigger pots now... also testing putting 4 in a small space in a section of the patch next to the sweetcorn and celery... (This is a good thing to do generally as you can learn great lessons you dont read in books)

http://img97.imageshack.us/i/dscf2191v.jpg/
http://img682.imageshack.us/i/dscf2192v.jpg/
http://img10.imageshack.us/i/dscf2193x.jpg/

first picture is of the main patch...
second is up near the compost bin.. as you can see the beans are doing well there.. I had composted the space before planting them a few months ago..

third pic is a carryon from 2nd... the late toms are huge and ready to be picked... under the plastic infront of the toms are my carrots... and the patch carries on down to the shed as this will be next years new extension.

Have not had a chance to do anything with the grapes yet.. really do need to get out there and trim them back..

The covers will stay on for atleast 2 months and then be dug over again with more compst being added just to make it all a little higher

--New Edit--
Just dug up 4 turnips from the roof patch.. Nice golf ball size.. Replanted them into teh section near the compost and covered them under the plastic shown in the image with the carrots...
Now to empty the pot.. reuse the old compost in there...wash it out ( to kill any bad things in there)..
ive got room for about 15 more pots on the roof but have run out of things to grow this late in the year..

The cabbages and cauli's on the roof patch are struggling a little. maybe cause I planted too late.. who knows.. trial and error will keep them there to see and learn