Help MBE grow his dinner 2012

pink_poppy

Have a lovely weekend, mbe, best wishes to your Grandma

Kikikickin

mrbadexample wrote: »

You need cardboard. Lots and lots of cardboard. Every time you clear an area of weeds, cover it with a couple of layers of cardboard. I think you have to soak it. This deprives the weeds of light, so they either don't grow, or grow so weakly that they are easy to deal with.

You can then plant through the cardboard. Make a hole in it, drop your spud in, or plant your squash through it.

I'm intrigued about this! So is it best to use cardboard on beds where you'll be planting established plants so you just cut a whole through the cardboard where you want to put the plant?

I'm just thinking of a bed where I wanna sow seeds straight into the ground.. I'm guessing I won't be able to use the cardboard trick (sorry, ignore the daftness, I'm new to this!) How's best to keep the weeds at bay then? We've just taken on a plot that's been overgrown for 40+ years so weeds are perhaps an even bigger issue!

annie123

Kikikickin wrote: »

I'm intrigued about this! So is it best to use cardboard on beds where you'll be planting established plants so you just cut a whole through the cardboard where you want to put the plant? Yes

I'm just thinking of a bed where I wanna sow seeds straight into the ground.. I'm guessing I won't be able to use the cardboard trick (sorry, ignore the daftness, I'm new to this!) How's best to keep the weeds at bay then? We've just taken on a plot that's been overgrown for 40+ years so weeds are perhaps an even bigger issue!

This may be useful to you http://www.allotment.org.uk/articles/Clearing_a_New_Allotment.php
lots of allotment and growing guides.

Not that I have an allotment but, lets assume you're keeping it for some years to come, in which case take your time to clear it properly or you'll still be here in 10 years time complaining about weeds!
Depends what weeds you have but the only thing I'd be sowing direct in the soil in between weeds is a green manure.
Do you have any pictures of it?

annie123

annie123 wrote: »

Thanks to MBE..today was my first ever trip to Aldi and I got 3 self watering troughs and 3 self watering planters for my mums. She can't water easily and the carers charge for it, so this weekend (if it's not raining) I'll remove 12" mini sand dunes with grass off her bit of path near the front door.

I've just worked out that I've saved mum £21.

6 from homebase £48 inc the pipe needed to get the water to the reservoir.
6 from aldi £24 plus £2.79 for 2mtrs overflow pipe from homebase more than enough to do all 6 and it's a perfect fit.:D

It's just stopped raining :j but I'm not at home

Kikikickin

annie123 wrote: »

This may be useful to you http://www.allotment.org.uk/articles/Clearing_a_New_Allotment.php
lots of allotment and growing guides.

Not that I have an allotment but, lets assume you're keeping it for some years to come, in which case take your time to clear it properly or you'll still be here in 10 years time complaining about weeds!
Depends what weeds you have but the only thing I'd be sowing direct in the soil in between weeds is a green manure.
Do you have any pictures of it?

Thanks I have looked over that website again and again but no answer specifically to the questions I asked. It is possible I'm missing something!

I apologise now for the daft questions to come:

Aha, yes plenty of green manure to sow.. do you advise removing weeds first and then sowing green manure or can I just sow? Is it advisable to sow green manure in this weather?

In the bed I mentioned before, veg were grown in it last year (someone else attempted to tackle the site but gave up) but covered in weeds by the time we've got our hands on it. So even though they grew in it last year, do you still think I should put green manure in?

Do you mean a photo of the site or of the weeds?? It's mainly nettles, docks, brambles, dandelions, and clover (I think) and other things I don't recognise!

TIA

pink_poppy

What on earth is green manure?! Something else I've got to google

I've taken some pics of my seedlings ~ pathetic specimens compared to others, but I'm proud of them

Sweet peas in the black trough on the right x 2



I love this nasturtium ~ it's a work of art!!



French marigolds x 8



Basil x 1 & mint x 7

Kikikickin

pink_poppy wrote: »

What on earth is green manure?! Something else I've got to google

I've taken some pics of my seedlings ~ pathetic specimens compared to others, but I'm proud of them

You should be proud.. things are-a-growing!

Nice recycling of the yoghurt pots. Do you make drainage holes at all?

"Green Manure is a crop that is grown mainly to benefit the soil rather than for food or ornament. It does wonders for the health of the soil and subsequent plants and it can save a fortune on compost. " http://www.greenmanure.co.uk/

Basically, you grow it, it stops weeds from taking over in that patch and then you dig it back in to the ground to provide nutrients!

Fay

Pink Poppy-well done on getting the mint going, I really struggle with it. It grows like the most prolific weed on the planet in my paths, but can I get a bought plant and seeds to grow in a pot-can I boat! Kikikickin I am also no expert and don't have an allotment. But I wonder if given the level of weeds you say you've got you would be better off for this year not using seeds and limiting what you grow to things that you could plant through cardboard to try and clear your plot as much as possible? I've read lots about the lasagne method and have been intrigued about this for my little veg plot-and might give it a go on part of it this year as I have nettles that pop up in mine. Could you confine yourself to a clear the plot year and grow say just potatoes in the ground this year? Maybe with some pots with things in? I'm not sure what else you can grow with the lasagne method but probably lots. I think time spent this year would be time really well spent in future years. I guess the only way to get rid of weeds if you do plant seeds is to dig dig dig before planting and then hoe hoe hoe after planting with plenty of hand weeding needed too Still pretty bad rain here-so I don't think I will be doing much gardening this weekend. I have ordered 4 easy fill hanging baskets today thought ready for planting next week and keeping in the greenhouse to grow them on

pink_poppy

Thanks, Kiki I'd never heard of green manure before, sounds good.

Yes, recycled yoghurt pots & I've been hunting around the house for recycled trays to stand them in as well ~ I like making good use of things I've already got.

I made about 5 or 6 drainage holes in the bottom of the pots using a pin as a pilot hole & then made the hole bigger using a thicker picture hanging nail.

Good luck with the lottie

pink_poppy

Fay, you could probably see from the pics that the basil & mint were 'grow pots' ~ pot, seeds & compost bought as a pack & I just put them all together. It was weird looking compost, quite fine & grainy, don't know if that makes a difference??