Help MBE grow his dinner 2012

mrbadexample

annie123 wrote: »

I have a Victorian stumpery too,

A what?

djohn2002uk

mrbadexample wrote: »

A what?

Aw come on. You don't know what a stumpery is? Especially a Victorian Stumpery.:doh:
Google is your friend.

djohn2002uk

lemonjelly wrote: »

John! How on earth do you do that with your peas? What am I doing wrong? I start off my peas in trays, & plant them out at approx 2-3 months (approx 6-8 inches in height). They never get any bigger when planted out. I have one or 2 pea pods on each plant, but that is it. & they're only knee high!:(

They are Alderman peas which are suposed to grow to 5ft but always grow nearer 7ft but you get at least 3 to 4 times the yield that you get from a 2'6" variety. I plant mine in trays with modules in ordinary Multi Purpose Compost untill they are about 4" high then plant them out between 6' canes and pea netting and keep them well watered. They produce up to 11 peas in a pod. Those came from ebay but the germination was poor. I've bought mine for next year from Mr F othergills. £1.70 for approx 300 seeds and free delivery.
I think you've got some first earlies which grow quick but only to about 18". Maincrops grow from 2'6" upwards.

TallGirl

djohn2002uk wrote: »

They are Alderman peas which are suposed to grow to 5ft but always grow nearer 7ft but you get at least 3 to 4 times the yield that you get from a 2'6" variety. I plant mine in trays with modules in ordinary Multi Purpose Compost untill they are about 4" high then plant them out between 6' canes and pea netting and keep them well watered. They produce up to 11 peas in a pod. Those came from ebay but the germination was poor. I've bought mine for next year from Mr F o t h e r g i l l s. £1.70 for approx 300 seeds and free delivery.

I agree it depends of the type of seed my Kevelverdon (not sure of spelling) aren that large but I would say the problem you have is that you start them off indoors far too soon. I have guilty of that too and had the same problem.


Lovely photos great progress and I think the garden looks lovely and tidy too.

mrbadexample

djohn2002uk wrote: »

Aw come on. You don't know what a stumpery is? Especially a Victorian Stumpery.:doh:
Google is your friend.

No, I really didn't know. But, as you rightly point out, Google is my friend (one day I hope to have a real friend :rotfl: ) so I do now.

Apparently, I need stumps, ferns and moss. I definitely think I should have one of those. Immediately.

Pre-war_babe_33

Annie you have given me hope! If it took you eight years to post photos then there might be just a slight possibility I might learn to do the same in eight years time - if any of you manage to hang around for that long to see. In the meantime I shall go down the easy route and keep things plain and simple, no quotes, no pictures and none of those little faces (don`t know what they`re called) - oh, I have just had to google Victorian Stumpery too - never too old to learn at least something new.

djohn2002uk

TallGirl wrote: »

I agree it depends of the type of seed my Kevelverdon (not sure of spelling) aren that large but I would say the problem you have is that you start them off indoors far too soon. I have guilty of that too and had the same problem.
Lovely photos great progress and I think the garden looks lovely and tidy too.

Not me, I don't have a problem.
But starting them off early indoors isn't a problem, you can sow peas and let them over winter as long as you protect them from the coldest weather. The problem Lemonjelly seems to have had is keeping them too long before planting out.

TallGirl

Thanks djohn that's what I was trying to say if you keep them indoors too long in small pots I find they don't grow that well. Yours look superb

mrbadexample

Righto, one little stumpery, of sorts:







I've also included some bark pieces at the bottom to provide shelter for frogs, toads, newts and anything else that might turn up.

Not sure if the ferns will take - they were a devil to dig up and might be a little bit short on roots, especially the taller ones. I couldn't dig up more because there was bindweed in the general vicinity and I thought it'd be a bit daft to import it. If they get going ok it should be great.

What next then?

Sambucus_Nigra

mrbadexample wrote: »

No, I really didn't know. But, as you rightly point out, Google is my friend (one day I hope to have a real friend :rotfl: ) so I do now.

Apparently, I need stumps, ferns and moss. I definitely think I should have one of those. Immediately.

How did I know you'd have one by the end of the day!

Today, I started my chilli method - for good yields and pure seed; nip out the first flower, and the plant will [in a week or so] throw out about another 10 flowers. It really kicks them on. Also, to give yourself pure seed for seed saving, dunk a flower in PVA glue, and mark it with a piece of string. Then when you come to eat it, save the seeds [label them with the correct variety] and you can use it for swapping happy that it's true to it's parent.



It is time now to announce tonight's harvest [tonight and most nights at the moment]?

Potatoes, raspberries like they are going out of fashion, strawbs, gooseberries, my first blueberry from the Aldi plants bought last spring, cherries, peas, courgettes, lettuces, cukes and SHALLOTS - some of them bigger than some full sized onions I've seen.

Now off to separate all the fruit and tomorrow it's JAM and JELLY day. Wobble wobble.

[my top tip to any GYOers - invest in fruit. Honestly, it's so much more reliable than veg.]