Grow your own dinner 2014

UnluckyT

ive got lots of seedling fom all the seeds ive planted bar the mint.
theyre tiny so im fingers crossed at the moment and trying not to over water them.
my strawberries looking okay with a few flowers but im nervouse about all the growing things for tea as ive never given it such a seriouse shot or been so into gardening before.
im trying to sort garden out from the mess it in so ive lots of plants to attract good wildlife with some room for veg/fruit bushes.

[Deleted User]

I succumbed and emptied one bag of nicola, fab and fantastic, must have been a good 3 lb of fair sized potatoes, so 3 meals, had one meal tonight, superb taste, better than jersey royals and an old fashioned taste. Will grow them next year. There will be more in the next bag as I will be waiting another week

I have now decided to grow all my spuds in bags instead of in my raised allotment beds. No slugs wireworms etc and far easier re planting and earthing up. Key has to be a good fertiliser at the start. Obviously I will have different varieties, to stagger cropping

Shallots all lifted today, jermor, lovely and not a sign of white rot. Bad weather for the whole of the second half of june so I wanted to get them home before rot and to dry off in sheltered places. Just ate the last few of 2013 last week, I froze them when they wanted to sprout. I find them so much easier than overwintered onions, which gave me lots of unwanted flower buds last year

Dizzy_Ditzy

Things at my allotment have really taken off less than a week after collecting the key I'm about to start planting tomorrow :j

I've got some potatoes to go in, beetroot, cabbages and sweetcorn. I might sneak in a couple of sweet potatoes too

I've still got a long way to go, but I wanted to get it productive this year, even if it was only a little bit, and so far so good

I'm encouraged by all your growing and clearing posts so please keep going!

zafiro1984

First time of posting this year.
I've had no time at all to do any gardening due to other commitments and mobility problems.

But last week I could see the light at the end of a tunnel - (with no train coming the other way) so I ventured through the undergrowth to find my raised beds.
The question was:- do I hack down all the undergrowth and make the place look reasonably tidy or do I try to do find some of the beds, tidy those and do some planting. I went for the second option.

I was quite surprised how good the soil was - the hens have done a good job over he winter, so three beds later (19 to go) I've sown carrots, parsnips, leeks and shallots - ok, I know the shallots are late but they felt quite sound so I thought I'd give it a go.
I've put my runner, french beans, squash, and toms in trays indoors - the mice would eat the the seeds if they were on the plot.

The plot still looks a terrible mess - the undergrowth now has paths trampled in it, I haven't ventured into the fruit cage, don't think I can open the door, the greenhouse is full of non gardening things as my DH thought he had found a new storage place!!

I'll take things at my pace - I'll get there but it may take more than this season.
Better late than never!!

Sweet corn next????

Kantankrus_Mare

Well my tomatoes at home are doing really well but the one cucumber plant we had left has been demolished by a slug whilst we were away for a few days. Hate the creatures!

Just been for a walk to the allotment to pick my first batch of outside strawberries of which there was lots and looking like loads more to come!

On arrival at the plot, I was surprised to see a little kitten sitting on the verandah next to my shed. It disappeared under the small gap at the bottom of the shed boor.
When I went towards the shed, I saw lots of little faces peeking out at me!

I gingerly opened the shed door and they all scarpered to hide under netting and other stuff around the shed. I manged to count four!

Now I like cats but don't relish the thought of a family living in my shed. They all looked so scared and cute though so I locked up and left them to it.

Hoping they will disappear of their own accord and I can get hubby to add a bit more wood at bottom of door so they cant get in again.

I would have one as a pet but don't think my chocolate lab would appreciate it! :rotfl:

zafiro1984

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

I've still got a long way to go, but I wanted to get it productive this year, even if it was only a little bit, and so far so good

I know how you feel - I'm in the same boat.

Managed another bed yesterday and the beans have just started to germinate on the windowsill - yipee

Dizzy_Ditzy

zafiro1984 wrote: »

I know how you feel - I'm in the same boat.

Managed another bed yesterday and the beans have just started to germinate on the windowsill - yipee

It's hard work isn't it?

I should be there tonight really but things needed attention in my garden and it's less distance to run for cover when the heavens open :rotfl:

My next plan of attack is to get bed number 2 ready, as well as finishing clearing what's in bed number one- there are parsnips that I neither need or want and apparently they are last years so when I take the next carload to the tip, they'll be joining it.

I'm too impatient though and want it all now I don't like having to decide what to do this year and what to do next :rotfl:

Dizzy_Ditzy

zafiro1984 wrote: »

First time of posting this year.
I've had no time at all to do any gardening due to other commitments and mobility problems.

But last week I could see the light at the end of a tunnel - (with no train coming the other way) so I ventured through the undergrowth to find my raised beds.
The question was:- do I hack down all the undergrowth and make the place look reasonably tidy or do I try to do find some of the beds, tidy those and do some planting. I went for the second option.

I was quite surprised how good the soil was - the hens have done a good job over he winter, so three beds later (19 to go) I've sown carrots, parsnips, leeks and shallots - ok, I know the shallots are late but they felt quite sound so I thought I'd give it a go.
I've put my runner, french beans, squash, and toms in trays indoors - the mice would eat the the seeds if they were on the plot.

The plot still looks a terrible mess - the undergrowth now has paths trampled in it, I haven't ventured into the fruit cage, don't think I can open the door, the greenhouse is full of non gardening things as my DH thought he had found a new storage place!!

I'll take things at my pace - I'll get there but it may take more than this season.
Better late than never!!

Sweet corn next????

I managed to get 3 potatoes, sweetcorn and some beetroot in before the weather changed my plans. I've built a net cloche around them and I've had to go with the dressed slug pellets, but they're working- an ex slimy little sucker was spotted on the bed this afternoon I hate them with a passion.

My paths are all trodden down grass too. Some have black plastic on them which will have wood chippings on top to create a path proper. I'll deal with the grass later. I don't know how many beds there are. I've found 4 so far

I've got blackberries right across the centre of my plot, which is not what I want so i will wait for them to fruit, cut them back and get them shifted down the other end

CAFCGirl

Good Morning All.

Been a glorious few days here and then a torrential downpour, and now we're back to some sun So everything has had a good old spurt.

Including a 'pot luck' sowing of some cucumber seeds, used a pot, bunged them all in thinking 1 or 2 might happen and there'd be space then, but now every single one of them has erupted! They were planted 25th May, and are now 3 inches tall, so todays mission is to pot them all on.

One question - what does anyone do with the excess plants? Give them away? Sell them?

I'm also running of places to put all the containers and such. Our deck is getting rather full and DH getting rather annoyed that theres very little space to actually sit on the deck and use it LOL

Happygreen

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Good Morning All.

One question - what does anyone do with the excess plants? Give them away? Sell them?

Do you have friends with allotments or would you like to have friends with an allotment ? You could just go to your nearest one at the weekend and ask if they need any of your plants or wanted to swap for something you don't have. Works great for me but some local charity shops would be happy to take them. Or if you have a lot, how about a car boot sale?