If push comes to shove...?

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

Kirri wrote: »

I live in flats with a reasonable area of 'garden' including grassed areas around them, as do most of the blocks here but in our flats we aren't allowed so much as a washing line - such a waste of useful land like a lot of blocks of flats in London when it could be used by at least a few of the residents for veg growing and a bit of community spirit.

Oh yes, the garden at the bottom of my block is immaculately kept, beautiful lawn (not allowed on it!), bushes, flowers, climbing plant over a canopy, little fountain/water feature with lights and benches...looks lovely but is a complete waste of space with regard to food production.

rhiwfield

r.a.i.n.b.o.w wrote: »

I agree that living in a high rise makes gardening and GYO a bit more difficult, but if you're ingenious and creative, there are ways to have a stab at it...

I live on 22nd floor of a South London high rise, and have just started a garden share with a pensioner (scheme is called "Garden Partners" through Age Concern). This is 20 square metres of earth, about another 20 sq m of concrete/patio. This is my first year, so have no idea about plant quantities etc to feed me and the pensioner and have stuff left over to freeze/pickle/sell/swap etc, so will be playing by ear in 2011.

Landshare is also another option, as is guerilla gardening, garden sharing, allotments (I'm on my local waiting list for an allotment).

Also, high rises tend to be fairly spacious. Most were built in the late 60s-mid 70s, so weren't subject to the "compact" professional living spaces that are being built these days. So there are usually large window sills, big windows (lots of sun/natural light), rooms with spaces for container gardening and - often - a balconey. So while this isn't IDEAL, you certainly can grow tomatoes, herbs, salad, chillies, baby sweetcorn, cress, beansprouts...and even potatoes, carrots, peas and beans. The only thing you have to be careful of is the WATER. Use too much and you could find yourself facing redecorating bills from your neighbours!

r.a.i.n.b.o.w., thats inspirational!

I've never grown sprouting seeds, but was just reading a library book which was extolling the practice, especially for those with limited space. So I googled it and came up with this MSE link on sprouting seeds, from Kittie who posted just above!!

aardvaak

wssla00 wrote: »

I have wondered this. I have always thought if the conspiricists are to believed, in August this year we start world war three.....:think:

So if we were to go to rationing how would people cope? I would convert the garden I think but that is mainly because I have wanted to do that for ages and OH won't let me so I would have an excuse :rotfl:

But seriously, a lot of things would need to change and it would take a lot I think for people to survive. It would definitely be interesting! I'm hoping it wont go all Hobbs on us and we end up with a leviathan (i.e. no rules and you can do anything and take anything so long as you can get it- I'm paraphrasing obviously) and we instead become more cohesive as a community and help each other out when needed!

I hav'nt had a holiday since 1991 - why do people have to have one every year and take the rest of the year to pay for it?

shellysue

r.a.i.n.b.o.w wrote: »

I agree that living in a high rise makes gardening and GYO a bit more difficult, but if you're ingenious and creative, there are ways to have a stab at it...

I live on 22nd floor of a South London high rise, and have just started a garden share with a pensioner (scheme is called "Garden Partners" through Age Concern). This is 20 square metres of earth, about another 20 sq m of concrete/patio. This is my first year, so have no idea about plant quantities etc to feed me and the pensioner and have stuff left over to freeze/pickle/sell/swap etc, so will be playing by ear in 2011.

Landshare is also another option, as is guerilla gardening, garden sharing, allotments (I'm on my local waiting list for an allotment).

Also, high rises tend to be fairly spacious. Most were built in the late 60s-mid 70s, so weren't subject to the "compact" professional living spaces that are being built these days. So there are usually large window sills, big windows (lots of sun/natural light), rooms with spaces for container gardening and - often - a balconey. So while this isn't IDEAL, you certainly can grow tomatoes, herbs, salad, chillies, baby sweetcorn, cress, beansprouts...and even potatoes, carrots, peas and beans. The only thing you have to be careful of is the WATER. Use too much and you could find yourself facing redecorating bills from your neighbours!

All excellent :T perhaps if you all got together in the high rise people could grow different things and do a bit of a swap:think:

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

shellysue wrote: »

All excellent :T perhaps if you all got together in the high rise people could grow different things and do a bit of a swap:think:

Sadly, 99% of people in my block are pretty apathetic. This was highlighted recently (sorry, OT, but still "green") when the local recycling company refused to empty our block's 6 recycling bins because residents were continually and constantly using the bins to dispose of general rubbish (including food etc) in them - despite regular leaflets and door-to-door visits by the council. 6 weeks without a collection! Over Xmas! The caretaker had to empty the recycling bins by hand and transfer it to the general wastebins, as it was becoming a fire and health hazard!!!

Sorry, rant over!!:o

Lotus-eater

valk_scot wrote: »

Blight spores develop on the haulm so putting them in your compost heap just transfers them to the ground by a more indirect route. Also potato haulms can carry lots of diseases so it's best practice to dispose of them elsewhere anyway, blight or no blight. It's the same reasoning behind not putting potato peelings in your compost bins as well.

Oh, and the same for tomato top growth. Get rid of it too.

Blight spores are killed by cold, so a winter should sort them out and if the heaps hot, then they are killed by that too. Also lack of living material means they will die also.

I compost all my tomato and potato green bits, have done for many years.

I really don't know about the other diseases you speak of, but after a year or so in the compost bin, I would hope most potato and tomato things are sorted out.

[Deleted User]

valk scot, I really appreciate your post on comfrey. You have taught me a lot, thank you

valk_scot

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Blight spores are killed by cold, so a winter should sort them out and if the heaps hot, then they are killed by that too. Also lack of living material means they will die also.

I compost all my tomato and potato green bits, have done for many years.

I really don't know about the other diseases you speak of, but after a year or so in the compost bin, I would hope most potato and tomato things are sorted out.

The trouble with that is that many compost heaps are just rubbish dumps and don't get hot enough to kill anything. And many winters don't get as cold as this one, especially in the south. One shouldn't put seeding or perennial weeds in compost heaps for this reason and also you shouldn't put in any diseased plant material. visible blight on potato tops are easy to spot but the blanket reasoning behind not potting any type of potato or tomato waste on the heap is that these plants are particularly prone to picking up several very common potato diseases and can carry quite a high level of these before it becomes visible in the plant or affects the crop. why worry then, yopu may ask, if it's not going to affect the crop? Well it will eventually and an ounce of prevention is worth a lost crop and long term contaminated soil, surely?

However if you're confident your heap gets hot enough to kill off most of the disease burden, that's fine. It does sound your heap is this hot if you've not had any problems. But as I said, most heaps aren't and it's definately best practice to dispose of potato and tomato waste elsewhere. Belt and braces!

shellysue

r.a.i.n.b.o.w wrote: »

Sadly, 99% of people in my block are pretty apathetic. This was highlighted recently (sorry, OT, but still "green") when the local recycling company refused to empty our block's 6 recycling bins because residents were continually and constantly using the bins to dispose of general rubbish (including food etc) in them - despite regular leaflets and door-to-door visits by the council. 6 weeks without a collection! Over Xmas! The caretaker had to empty the recycling bins by hand and transfer it to the general wastebins, as it was becoming a fire and health hazard!!!

Sorry, rant over!!:o

That is a shame:( I just hope if push does come to shove those OP's in your building don't live to regret their attitude, apathy has a way of turning violent when its back is against the wall.

Lotus-eater

The std answers to the question are that you shouldn't compost anything that looks even slightly dodgy and I have spoken to people who don't compost anything at home any more, just send them off to the council compost heaps.
But to be realistic for a minute, disease is still going to be in the ground, we don't throw away our compost or soil when we've grown a crop, that's why we have rotation.

I do believe and practice, that composting blighted plants is doable and practical, I probably wouldn't throw black legged plants onto the heap, or diseased tubers and if some other bad disease came up, I would also probably get rid.

But I think there is a whole load of scare stories out there about blighted plants, most of which is pretty bad science.

You do what you are happy with and I'd never chastise someone for doing what they wanted, I just like to give the other side as well, so people know both ways of looking at it.