Help MBE grow his dinner 2012

kara7758

Oooo this weather just lifts up the spirits doesn't it!!

Every thing apart from chilli's are growing strong. Large amount of marigolds too (sorry MBE). Think I'll need to get some more larger containers to pot the seedlings on to. Day of for me today, taking my 87 yr old slightly eccentric aunt for a minor op so should be.. well different!!
Hopefully have some time left over to dig up my seed potatoes as my friend said I haven't planted them deeply enough, silly me!!! Only 8 of them so should be too difficult. I'm assuming them will survive the process!!! Have a lovely day all.

furball

Thankyou, off to google. Ok googled pics are lovely but it doesn't really say what has been used stick wise. Loads about structure building and buying frames etc. I know i want 3 wigwams. 6 sticks each. Not sure how high to have them. 1 for peas, 1 for french beans and 1 mixed. Should i get 6ft or 8ft branches/sticks.
Keep looking at my alice garden book pics and thinking, my garden could be like that if i dig up the lawn. Don't think kids and grandkids would be very happy though.

Angelfeathers

Love the idea of the scaffolding pole bean 'maypole', Lisakay!

Furball, for peas I'm just using branched sticks – not sure they will be tall enough but I can put something taller in later if needed! Get 8' canes for beans – 6' just isn't tall enough, I know that from experience! :-)

The carrots I sowed a couple of weeks ago (didn't put the date in my spreadsheet for some reason but I'm going with 16 March) are showing now, at last! The winter gem lettuces and marigolds I sowed indoors a week ago are up, though the Tigerella toms in the same tray are doing nothing yet. Some of the sweetcorn (same date) is *just* starting to show, but nothing from the courgettes or spaghetti squash.

Outside, I have radishes, turnips, beetroot, spring onions, mixed lettuce and spinach starting to pop out (sowed 2 weeks ago), and a few tiny corn salad/lamb's lettuce seedlings showing. Possibly they went in a bit early (1 March), so will sow another lot soon as I've discovered I *really* like lamb's lettuce.

Not quite sure what to do today. I put my gardening trousers on so I can do something messy, so probably more weeding. Did the peas on Tuesday so must take a pic of them now they're looking nice!

Might clean out the blowaway greenhouse since it's getting a bit green and manky and I don't think it's providing the best environment. Wish I had somewhere sunny to put it too, but the sun still only reaches halfway down my north-facing garden at the moment so some bits get loads while others get none except the strip that moves round from the gap between the houses.

Still need to pr1ck out the Brussels and Gardener's Delight toms but can do that on a day when I'm not dressed for getting dirty so will leave that! :-)

emiff6

furball wrote: »

Thankyou, off to google. Ok googled pics are lovely but it doesn't really say what has been used stick wise. Loads about structure building and buying frames etc. I know i want 3 wigwams. 6 sticks each. Not sure how high to have them. 1 for peas, 1 for french beans and 1 mixed. Should i get 6ft or 8ft branches/sticks.

It depends how tall you are and how much of an angle you put your sticks at. You want 6 inches to a foot in the ground, so straight up 8 footers would be 7 1/2 feet tall, at a steep slope, about 6 ft, but if you make a really wide circle of your wigwam, than the slope will be less steep and the top of the poles might only be 5 ft high. Remember you want to be able to reach the top to pick the beans up there.

Hazel (or any sticks) won't grow as long as you strip the bark off the end that goes in the ground.

Lotus-eater

Been to see my new allotment yesterday! :j

I've loads of space to do everything I need now. Just need to set up paths and everything else on it :rotfl: At least I have a blank canvas to play with.

mrbadexample

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Been to see my new allotment yesterday! :j

I've loads of space to do everything I need now. Just need to set up paths and everything else on it :rotfl: At least I have a blank canvas to play with.

Ooh, some pictures would be good.

furball

Thankyou angel and emiff6. I won't get a wide circle but can stick a bit more in the ground. Will strip off the bark of the hazel but only got 3 large sticks:( Goes off to see what's luring behind tree house stick like. Oooh lotus an allotment, i will not turn green, i will not turn green. oh heck is green with envy.

Lotus-eater

mrbadexample wrote: »

Ooh, some pictures would be good.

You don't need a picture atm, it's a oblong bit of bare earth, with a few bits of tree toots in it, that's it. Literally a blank canvas.

aliasojo

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Been to see my new allotment yesterday! :j

I've loads of space to do everything I need now. Just need to set up paths and everything else on it :rotfl: At least I have a blank canvas to play with.

Do you mind if I ask how far you have to travel from your house to the allotment?

Just curious if people only have allotments beside them or if they do travel to them.

Got your graph paper out yet?:D

Lotus-eater

aliasojo wrote: »

Do you mind if I ask how far you have to travel from your house to the allotment?

Just curious if people only have allotments beside them or if they do travel to them.

Got your graph paper out yet?:D

Its in the next village, a couple of miles away, but I have a reason to go there most days anyway.
I can walk there in half an hour by myself if I want to. Not sure if I'm having a shed on it yet, so will need to take tools every time to start with. I'm not even sure if we're allowed sheds yet. They haven't sent out the allotment rules.

I don't use graph paper, LOL, I'm more of a, do it by eye, type of fellow
I think a central path end to end, with side paths at right angles, to create individual rectangular beds, no edges to beds or paths are planned. Just weed fabric under wood chips if I can get a bulk load.