Grow your own dinner 2014

browneyedbazzi

CAFCGirl wrote: »

The seeds.................... they grow!

HUZZAH

Woop! That's brilliant news.

I've got a bit of movement on my peppers and one of the tomatoes I had given up hope on...odd that they came up when we're having such cool weather, I'd have thought they'd come up when it is warmer.

I've had a big bag of diatomaceous earth delivered today which I had planned to use to try to get rid of fleas in the house (from the last owner's pet, so annoying) and I've read that it is edible and also helps control ants so on the next nice day I'll be out in the garden with it treating the veg patch...I really hope it works as well as everything I've read says!

Happygreen

browneyedbazzi wrote: »

Woop! That's brilliant news.

I've got a bit of movement on my peppers and one of the tomatoes I had given up hope on...odd that they came up when we're having such cool weather, I'd have thought they'd come up when it is warmer.

I've had a big bag of diatomaceous earth delivered today which I had planned to use to try to get rid of fleas in the house (from the last owner's pet, so annoying) and I've read that it is edible and also helps control ants so on the next nice day I'll be out in the garden with it treating the veg patch...I really hope it works as well as everything I've read says!

I use it on the hens and in the bird houses. So far I did not have to shoot heavy chemicals at the mites. Good luck, hope DE works for you!

annie123

Gosh! that's a lot of pages to catch up on, you lot natter to much.

Hubby has done a grand job of neighbours fence, and hopefully the white coat of paint on it will reflect more light into my garden. I'll bore you with before and after pics tomorrow.

I managed to send a tray of plum tomatoes flying :mad: and having been picked up and put back in their pots, and sat somewhere warm and out of direct sun for a week, they still look sad or at deaths door, so popped into homebase at the weekend to pick up a few.
£2 per plant :eek: even with 15% off I wasn't paying that. So I'll hopefully pick one up at a school fair or local fund raiser and armpit plant from there. I'll sow a few seeds too when I get another packet.
Got loads of other tom plants but I really like the plum ones for pasta sauce.

Other than that, everything else is looking OK. Parsnips seeds safely waking up under the soil protected by chicken wire cage to keep the cats off this year, broad beans over a foot tall and un-munched but that's because I hit the slugs and snails early this year with organic pellets.
1st earlies at various stages and more to plant yet, garlic leaves are massive so hopefully they are underneath too.
8 types of chillis stand between 1" and 6" tall, 1 overwintered chilli made it and now has flowers on it.
Sown a few courgettes which are just up, and 4 French beans in a flower bucket just in case May turns out to be warm, but the rest will be sown next month as usual.

Just need night temps to sit around 10c and I'll be a happy Annie

Little_Vics

MY WALL IS DONE!! So happy.

However, my 'veg plot' is currently the dumping ground for building waste. Sigh.

CAFCGirl

Happygreen wrote: »

Brilliant I also found a lonely tomato coing up (('d given up on them):j
but a HUGE leopard slug had a go at my courgettes and I lost 3. The slug will be fed to the ducks :mad:

Curses to the slug!

I think one has been visiting my chilli plants that I was given. I'm tempted to glue pennies around the pot rim in the hopes of detering its return.
Has anyone done similar?

I think Ive figured out my seed issue, well 2 issues really.
1- I think some of my seedlings are outside too early, they're still going but not growing as well, should I move them back in?:o
2 - I think I've been rather enthusiastic about how much compost to layer on top....:rotfl: *facepalm*
I've scuffed them up and taken some off, and what do you know there's life under all that soil, poor blighters must not be able to push through.

My name is CAFCGirl and I haven't a clue what I'm doing. It's been 9 weeks since I began mucking it up

Lifes_Grand_Plan

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Curses to the slug!

I think one has been visiting my chilli plants that I was given. I'm tempted to glue pennies around the pot rim in the hopes of detering its return.
Has anyone done similar?

A dose of Nemaslug might be easier and shouldn't cost too much.

I'm just off to order mine now.

CAFCGirl

Thanks for the product suggestion, im trying to do things organically and chemical free where possible so good to know

annie123

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Curses to the slug!

I think one has been visiting my chilli plants that I was given. I'm tempted to glue pennies around the pot rim in the hopes of detering its return.
Has anyone done similar?

I think Ive figured out my seed issue, well 2 issues really.
1- I think some of my seedlings are outside too early, they're still going but not growing as well, should I move them back in?:o
2 - I think I've been rather enthusiastic about how much compost to layer on top....:rotfl: *facepalm*
I've scuffed them up and taken some off, and what do you know there's life under all that soil, poor blighters must not be able to push through.

My name is CAFCGirl and I haven't a clue what I'm doing. It's been 9 weeks since I began mucking it up

I did 2p around a low wooden tub with tasty lettuce seedlings in, didn't work, all munched within a few days. And I'd made sure they were all clean and shiny.

What does work is copper tape from 99p store or ebay etc but only lasts one season, sainsburys own brand beer works well in traps as did bran. But the bran also attracted foxes who sent many a pot flying looking for it, but still worth trying.

I have more of a snail problem than slugs and setting up hiding places for them works too. Several upturned pots rested on something that lifts a bit of the rim so they can get under works well. I gather them up and either take to local park or woods.
Did try paying DD 10p to collect them when she was young but had to stop it as she'd get 100+


Re outside too early, it depends on what you have out there. At the mo next week for here in London several weather sites are saying between -1c and 5c for a few nights. So if you have toms or beans for example then yes it's too cold.

What have you got trying to push up through the mini mountain of compost?

CAFCGirl

Aubergines, peas, basil, coriander, chilli - pretty much most of what I'd planted.

I'll look out for some copper tape, thankyou.

annie123

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Aubergines, peas, basil, coriander, chilli - pretty much most of what I'd planted.

I'll look out for some copper tape, thankyou.

You can leave the peas out, everything else should be indoors.

Aubergines need a greenhouse or a really good long hot summer.
Basil, coriander and chillis can go out when nights are around 10c min. I like it warmer personally.
Are you able to provide a 99p cloche for anything outside? this sort of thing http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/261384957676?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0

But anything can help keep them warmer, old net curtains are very good too.

Put your location into here http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/main/weather1.asp this will give you a guide for your frost dates. Mother nature is a law unto herself but everyone needs a starting point until you get to know your own micro climate.

They also have veg, herb & fruit guides with sowing times according to your area once you've put it in. http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/vegetable-index.asp