Help MBE grow his dinner 2012

lizzyb1812

Little Vics - my dalek has a little slot-in door at the bottom. In theory you get the compost out of that. In practice stuff decomposes at different rates so once or so a year I lift off the dalek and sort out the good stuff and put the rest back in the bottom of the dalek. Well worth it though, I've just put a good thick layer of lovely stuff on my biggest raised bed.

PS - I do get potatoes growing out of the bottom door

cheekyweegit

Ok I've cheated, I bought a pack of reduced tomato plants out of B&Q today. Supposed to be 6 in the pack but in true MSE style, I found a pack with what looks like 8 plants.

Still cost me £1.98 though. Am I too late to plant seeds? Weather up here has not been great for doing anything to be honest, and I'm itching to grow more than weeds this year.

Oh and I've seen a second hand greenhouse on gumtree for £80 is this worth it it's a 8 x 6 and I'm mulling it over, but thought I'd check with the experts first. It does have a couple of panes of glass missing, but includes a flagstone base and bench.


Oh and the tomato plants, should I transfer them to the little cardboard pots (can't think what you call them, or proper pots around 3.5 inches?
If it's still there should I go for it? I do have enough room.

mrbadexample

Little_Vics wrote: »

so all the good stuff just falls to the bottom and you scoop it out? I honestly have no idea. Knowing my luck I'll put potato peelings in, and next year get a good crop of spuds.

The "good stuff" at the bottom is just the oldest, really. You need to give it a good mix up regularly though; helps to speed it up.


I have a potato growing out of one of my compost bins.

mrbadexample

cheekyweegit wrote: »

Am I too late to plant seeds? Weather up here has not been great for doing anything to be honest, and I'm itching to grow more than weeds this year.

I hope it's not too late - I was going to sow a few back-ups this weekend.

cheekyweegit wrote: »

Oh and I've seen a second hand greenhouse on gumtree for £80 is this worth it it's a 8 x 6 and I'm mulling it over, but thought I'd check with the experts first. It does have a couple of panes of glass missing, but includes a flagstone base and bench.

If the frame's not rotten then it sounds a good price, but people do give them away if you keep your eye on Freecycle.

cheekyweegit wrote: »

Oh and the tomato plants, should I transfer them to the little cardboard pots (can't think what you call them, or proper pots around 3.5 inches?
If it's still there should I go for it? I do have enough room.

Any pots you like, if they need more room.

cheekyweegit

Its an aluminium one and re freegle, I dropped stuff off to someone on there and they got one and the person delivered!

MMMmmmm wondering now whether to put up a wanted post now.


Ok mbe you being the carrot expert do I plant the seeds in the ground then separate, or (old cat litter) tray filled with mixture of compost and earth?

Same for peas?

Thanks in advance.

lisakay_2

cheekyweejit, i have never had success with carrots. ever. this year i have seeds for purple carrots so i have sown each seed individually in a toilet roll tube and when they get bigger i will plant the whole tube out so as not to disturb them. a lot more work than just sowing in a line in the ground but hopefully I will get some actual carrots this year!
I've been digging again today, and swapping. swapped a big bag of strawb plants for some timber towards building my shed:D will try and post some pics below, but i only seem to be able to post one at a time, with no text.

cheekyweegit

Bubble well and truly burst now re the carrots and I thought the would be as easy to grow as weeds. Back to the drawing board.

Ps thanks, might still try the bung and see method as only got about half a dozen toilet rolls.

lisakay_2

ok, this is the first time i have used photo bucket, so i hope it works. the pics are
dug today, to dig tomorrow, to dig next week, goji berry coming back to life(surrounded by weeds) and one of the grapes full of new growth(again, surrounded by weeds!).
not sure what order they have gone on in, but sure you can work out what's what.
the spuds will be going where i have dug today, brassicas where i am digging tomorrow.
i have shifted bucket loads of...dock, bindweed, couchgrass, dandelion, goosegrass:eek:. no sign of the marestail showing it's face yet thank goodness.

lisakay_2

No, don't be disheartened, i'm sure most people do find them as easy to grow as weeds, the rest of the plot holders near me do. it's just me that carrots dont like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

looks like the photos didnt work i'll try again in a bit

misskool

mrbadexample wrote: »

Have they been very naughty then? :rotfl:

:rotfl: they need to be told off. I appear to have over 20 tomato plants (again!!)

Am just going to order some purple mangetout from t&m...I don't need more seeds, I don't need more seeds...