We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

The 2013 'Growing' Chat Thread

2456710

Comments

  • esmf73
    esmf73 Posts: 1,793 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic
    Hi all, can I join in? We are trying through choice and necessity to grow loads this year. Have bought a greenhouse as last years efforts were useless. Have already got winter onions planted since November, strawberries from last year, two apple trees, raspberries, gooseberries, cranberries, blueberries and rhubarb. Planning potatoes, courgettes, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, Brussels, broccoli.

    Have tidied front garden but limited space, so most of this will be grown in pots. Will put troughs on walls to grow lettuce. Fingers crossed for a successful season.
    Me, OH, grown DS, (other DS left home) and Mum (coming up 80!). Considering foster parenting. Hints and tips on saving £ always well received. Xx

    March 1st week £80 includes a new dog bed though £63 was food etc for the week.
  • Tiglath
    Tiglath Posts: 3,816 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    I'd like to join as well. Because of my health problems, our garden has been neglected for a couple of years and all I can see is dead bindweed smothering the fruit trees, and wild grass covering the veg beds (no lawn). Going to gradually reclaim it. I cleared the rotting comfrey from one side bed last week but the new stuff is already shooting so I need to get those roots out. Any suggestions on what I can grow in a long thin bed on the west of the garden, right next to the fence, that never seems to see the sun? It's not a terribly deep bed and always seems to get taken over by comfrey and brambles.

    I'm not doing spuds this year - we did some in bags last year and they were rubbish. We have 3 apple trees (2 eating, 1 cooking), a pear, a plum, a peach, a reliable rhubarb crown and some raspberry canes. I think the strawberries and various currants have died and I'm not sure I'll bother replacing them.

    As time and mobility are at a premium, I may just use 2 of the veg beds this year for things like beans, tomatoes and outdoor cucumbers, and cover the other beds until next year. May do some things in the greenhouse like peppers and more toms. Will do the usual annual herbs - we love our basil and coriander. Maybe carrots in a big tub.
    "Save £12k in 2019" #120 - £100,699.57/£100,000
  • Helen2k8
    Helen2k8 Posts: 361 Forumite
    Tiglath, depending how big the comfrey patch is it might be worth letting it grow and you can harvest it to use as a mulch - full of nutrients.
    I'd be trying kale and other leafy greens - chard etc - in the narrow bed :)
  • Tiglath
    Tiglath Posts: 3,816 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    The bed itself is about 2 feet deep to the side fence and about 8 feet wide. The comfrey grows to a 6 feet square monster mound and destroys fence panels so it can't stay. I like the greens idea though; I do like rainbow chard. Sorrel is a possible alternative; I love the sharp lemony flavour in salads.
    "Save £12k in 2019" #120 - £100,699.57/£100,000
  • Ooh, this sounds like fun. may I join in please.

    I used to have an allotment several years ago but have now moved to a house with a decent sized garden without a single plant in it. It also has a greenhouse that I'd like to make full use of! Although I rent the house, I have been given permission to do what I want with the gardens.

    I'm looking mainly to grow veg and herbs this year as I live with my two eighteen year old twin sons and, Boy can they eat!

    I'm really getting excited to get out there! I spent yesterday (My Birthday) out there tidying up.
  • katholicos
    katholicos Posts: 2,658 Forumite
    The more sharing of ideas the better so i welcome everyone who wants to participate in this thread :)

    @1derwoman, i have a 21 yr old and a 17 year old and oh yeah, can they eat! The good thing about gyo is that it can give us a bit of quiet time to ourselves, as well as the other obvious benefits!

    @tiglath, i too have health problems, my disability means that my gardening endeavours are very sporadic. It can be disheartening not to be able to do what we want to be able to do. I suppose this is why even the small sowings and plantings and harvesting should be celebrated :)

    I look forward to reading everyones posts about their growing endeavours :)
    Grocery Challenge for October: £135/£200


    NSD Challenge: October 0/14
  • wallbash
    wallbash Posts: 17,775 Forumite
    Sorry , won't be joining you . Yes I live in the S.E and today has been very mild ( great on the golf course) But apart from digging the veg patch over and cleaning out the green house , will leave any sowing for a number of weeks . When I do sow , in much better weather , my seeds will catch yours up . This idea of sowing in harsh conditions with poor light is not helpful , you might be raring to go but your seeds aren't.

    Of course you will say how your seeds are growing wonderfully ,but unless you have heated propagators and are very lucky with light levels , you risk spindly poor plants.

    So I will retire to my armchair , think of my future plans and rouse myself in .......... 6/8 weeks.
  • katholicos
    katholicos Posts: 2,658 Forumite
    I will be sowing again and again as the weeks and months go by. Because that is what i choose to do.however we each approach our growing doesnt really matter. It is interesting reading other peoples ideas, we dont have to agree with everything and we might do things very differently ourselves. So what? Each to their own. There is nothing wrong with a bit of community spirit and that is what this thread is about. Some of us appreciate that kind of thing, others don't. No big deal.


    this is for general growing chat too, ie, for those with an interest in growing. Even if we share how we drool over seed catalogues or discuss preferred seedling compost, it doesn't matter. We used to chat a lot on mr B's thread, but he has been absent for a while, and besides his is not a chat thread anyway, hence this one.

    Hope you have a good growing year, however you grow yours:)
    Grocery Challenge for October: £135/£200


    NSD Challenge: October 0/14
  • Can I join in too please! I hardly had time to do anything last year (LO wanted all my attention :) ) now he's at nursery a couple of days a week I can get cracking!

    Monday I planted some chilli seeds (the superhots) I did want to do them in December but got distracted with Christmas. Today I'm doing some tomatoes and herbs, oh, Alpine Strawberries too. There are a few other bits and bobs to sow if I have time :)

    I need to clear the polytunnel out, I did most of it a while ago, just a bed left to sort out.

    Was hoping for some garlic from T&M to arrive last month to put in the tunnel but got a phone call last week saying they hadn't been able to cultivate the ones I wanted due to the wet summer :( they are sending me some similar varieties (they are taking the hit on the extra cost) so I should get them at the end of Feb.

    Sat down last night and went through my seeds to try and get organised. I have far too many :/
  • Helen2k8
    Helen2k8 Posts: 361 Forumite
    Poking around in the garden, and my garlic has 2-inch shoots! Hope frost won't wipe it out :(
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 352K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.5K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 454.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 245K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 600.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.4K Life & Family
  • 258.8K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.