Help MBE grow his dinner 2013.

mrbadexample

trying_to_stay_afloat wrote: »

Hi everyone
Hope you don't mind if I join in.

You're very welcome. I'm happy to say I have no experience of dealing with rats at all, so don't really know where to start, sorry.

Have you thought about getting a proper pest controller in? That, or a ruddy great big cat?

mrbadexample

I made a bit of a mistake when I put the liquorice in the Yorkshire flower pot. Instead of using broken pots or stones at the bottom to aid drainage, I used sand. Which gradually fell out of the big hole in the bottom.

So today I did my best to remedy this. Emptied the pot:



Then put a mesh over the hole to stop stuff falling out quite so quickly, put some big stones in the bottom, added some compost, slow release plant food and repotted:



Not too pleased with the result. It's not very central and leaning a bit compared to how it was before. I might have to try again, but it's not easy as it all falls apart because it's quite a sandy mix. Some good looking roots in there though.

Helen2k8

trying_to_stay_afloat wrote: »

Hi everyone
Hope you don't mind if I join in. I'm a latecomer to gardening but hope to have some sucess this year as we have just inherited a greenhouse. I have a really nasty problem in the garden and could do with some advice - RATS. We keep chickens and now have HUGE rats coming in the garden and eating the chooks food. I am worried that anything I plant out or put in the greenhouse they will eat it ( they burrow under the greenhouse as its on shingle not slabs) and I don't want all my hard work to go to feeding them!:mad::mad: I've tried humane traps, rat poison and even a catapult - not a good look at my age, with no success.
Please can anyone help with rat proofing the veg.
Many thanks

What bait did you use? Did they eat it? There can be local populations resistant to certain baits.
Is there any way you can supervise feeding, or only feed in a "secure" area, or.....?

Or find a terrierman

mrbadexample

Oi! Annie! I say, Annie!

I'm on page two.

I wish it would hurry up and get a bit warmer. I want to get my bee boxes back out. Hopefully they've overwintered comfortably in the side passage. Anyone know when they emerge?

bluemeadow

Big thanks for the advice mrbadexample (first rhubarb crumble on Sunday, was delish) and badrick, currently have alpine strawberry seeds in the freezer!
Desperate to get more seeds in but am fighting the urge just a little bit longer so spending my time chucking my first batch of home made compost into the raised beds and digging it in... not sure how much longer I can hold out though...

Little_Vics

I'm sorry you were on page 2. I have nothing to say right now other than IT IS COLD IN YORKSHIRE and I want to plant things. Now. Gah.

mrbadexample

Little_Vics wrote: »

I'm sorry you were on page 2. I have nothing to say right now other than IT IS COLD IN YORKSHIRE and I want to plant things. Now. Gah.

Well, what have you sown indoors? There must be something you can do now.

flashnazia

Little_Vics wrote: »

I'm sorry you were on page 2. I have nothing to say right now other than IT IS COLD IN YORKSHIRE and I want to plant things. Now. Gah.

I'll second that. The weather in Yorkshire is PANTS.
FOG FOG FOG bleugh.

lemonjelly

I haven't started anything yet.
Need to buy new greenhouse covers after last year.
IMO it is still too cold to start anything really.
Perhaps I'll turn the soil this weekend...

mrbadexample

lemonjelly wrote: »

I haven't started anything yet.
Need to buy new greenhouse covers after last year.
IMO it is still too cold to start anything really.
Perhaps I'll turn the soil this weekend...

Greetings old pal! Good to see you here (at last). Let's hope for a better year than last, eh?