The highs and lows of growing your own dinner 2015

Dizzy_Ditzy

I am still trying to grow strawberries from seed and I'm not having any joy- i sowed them a month ago and they're still not doing anything. Think I'll stick to runners

Happygreen

Welcome, HighlandLass, Wonderful you have the use of your dad's garden and greenhouse, that's all you need .
The term "blowaway" made me laugh out loud, how fitting:rotfl: (we are 2 hours south from you).

I started digging potato patches yesterday. It's the most backbreaking job of the season for me, so I'm a bit relieved it's raining at the moment...

Jazee

A bit damp here this morning and I don't feel like gardening today. Shouldn't use it as an excuse though to not get in the greenhouse at least.

Geodark

been out in the greenhouse today - started the paraffin heater off yesterday and still fiddling - it seems to be switching between smoking and going out! bah! just gave the wicks a trim to see if that helps.

Started my tomatoes and cucumbers off last week, and my chillies and pepper plants about 6 weeks ago - they are all on the kitchen windowsill.

Going to spend some time today sowing my salad seeds and need to kick some flower seeds off as well.

Dizzy_Ditzy

I have my chickens :j :j

I have 5- a ranger, bluebell, speckeldy, bovan nera and a light Sussex. They're funny little creatures :rotfl:

mardatha

HighlandLass, I'm at 1000ft in the Border hills, and your growing conditions will be much like mine. I've lost a lot of stuff in the past trying to plant at the same time as people on here - now I wait 2 months and do it then. Tatties here go in mid-May
QofC, I did love my chickens!

zafiro1984

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

I have my chickens :j :j

I have 5- a ranger, bluebell, speckeldy, bovan nera and a light Sussex. They're funny little creatures :rotfl:

Brilliant; you should get 240 approx from each hen per yr except the ranger which should give you 300 eggs approx. I started off with 6 speckeldy many yrs ago, one called Hetty lived until she was 11yrs old - good luck and enjoy. I only keep the commercial brown hens now with the exception of a few Dorkings (they have five toes, not four).

Planted all the potatoes, now going around with the Ph meter trying to decide which bed to use for the brassicas as the basic soil is acid sand and I can't remember if I limed any of the beds last year.

HighlandLass

Mardatha - I know I shouldn't have bothered with seeds this early up here. My blow away did just that! Managed to save 8-9 sunflowers but it's not big loss... nothing else had sprouted anyway. I recovered the blow away and miraculously it's intact!

Went round to dig the veg patch and the wee DIY polytunnel. Going back round this afternoon to tidy out the green house and take stock of what we have and will try and resist the temptation to start planting (might put tatties in) before the end of next month.

Jazee

I must get out in the greenhouse today. I've watered and checked the tomato plants indoors again today, they are about a foot high now. I've promised some seeds to another forumite so no choice but to get out there today and have a sort out.

mardatha

HighlandLass you can grow really early cold-weather tomatoes - I do them indoors on my bedroom windowsills. And I don't know how high you are? I can't grow first early tatties, only second earlies or maincrop.