The highs and lows of growing your own dinner 2015

TallGirl

Wooftastic wrote: »

Today I've washed all my pots and seed trays and sorted through the packets of seeds so I know what I have.

Fingers crossed I'll get some planting done tomorrow

Don't sow seeds too early light level too low at this time of year you end up with really leggy unhealthy plants that won't do as well. Much better to follow instructions of seed packets and sow little and often especially if you have a small plot

trollopscarletwoman

One little tip for working in greenhouse at this time of year.

To give a little heat get a metal tray like a bread making tin, light those little round candle things like my mrs likes when she's having a bath, place a terracotta pot above them-hey, presto you've got a little heat.

Bambywamby

Hello all, :wave: I would love to join your thread.


I started growing my own last year, with the intention of having some organic produce straight from the ground into the kitchen and at a lot cheaper cost than the shops can provide.


I have a large raised bed that I use as a veg plot and it is sectioned off by a fence and gate to stop the pooch using it as a latrine.


The biggest problem I had was a slug invasion. They nightly travelled across the garden to eat my organic lettuces and cabbages. I tried salt, broken egg shells, sand, beer traps, copper wire, honey and yeast traps, fine netting over produce... every possible organic deterrent known to man. And did it stop the pests? Nope... they kept on coming. In disgust, I yanked up several of the ravaged cabbages and threw them into an old bin lid I use as a weed collector ready to be put in the recycling bin the next day. I was admitting defeat.
When I got up the next morning, the cabbages in the bin lid had been munched on and not the cabbages in the raised bed. I realised slugs are lazy critters and would go for the easiest to accessible food source - so my slug breakfast bar was born. A few rank slimy potatoes, cabbage leaves and lettuce detritus left in the bin lid and the slugs had a party every night whilst generally leaving my veg alone.


What I am still puzzled by, is something was continually attacking my lovely scented basil plants, the leaves were slowly rotting with grey patches. I managed to harvest about 1/3 of the leaves that had no mould or disease.
And I have an apple tree, maggots seemed to get into every apple... how do I prevent that without covering the tree in pesticide?


My biggest successes were strawbs in hanging baskets and fine netting. Beetroots (how lush are they cooked in the slowcooker?) spring onions, carrots, parsnips and the endless supply of broadbeans.
The potatoes I grew in tubs didn't enough drainage, as you can imagine 'soggy mess.' But it was a learning curve and I look forward to learning more this year.

The biggest thing I discovered was how relaxing and therapeutic gardening is; it dissolved my stress better than a hot bath and seemed to ground me. I felt at peace and emotionally decluttered after a gardening session. I loved it!
(The weeding.... hmmm not so much. )


I am going down my seeds today and making a veggie plot plan; weeding and ground nutrition will commence next week and I shall begin sowing/planting late Feb.


I hope everyone's garden is gorgeously blessed with abundance this year and everyone is happy and healthy too. xx

Wooftastic

TallGirl wrote: »

Don't sow seeds too early light level too low at this time of year you end up with really leggy unhealthy plants that won't do as well. Much better to follow instructions of seed packets and sow little and often especially if you have a small plot

Thanks for the Tip TallGirl, I'm only planning to plant a couple of things (leeks and sweet peas) that can be started indoors in January. Even then I'm more playing and keeping my enthusiasm up rather than going mad and wasting seeds and precious space.

flopsy59

afternoon all been in my garden sorting out pots and have emptied my compost bin into raised bed out front and have put loads of bulbs in and some bedding plants. going to sort out my seeds i have got and when i go into town tomorrow will be looking ar some more. i have a greenhouse in back garden and a large raised bed in front garden which is sectioned into 8 plots foot and a half by 2 foot which i grow different things. only 2 of us at home. also use pots in back garden

zafiro1984

Going to put some effort in sorting out my seeds and ordering what I need. I'll try and hang on as long as possible in just in case one of the seed companies have a worthwhile sale.

Has anyone had experience of selling off unwanted veg plants, what sells well and when. I rather fancy trying to grow some extra and selling them at the gate along with my eggs.

beckythemadcow

Hello all!

I signed up for an allotment in November. Hubby and I have inherited a rotten old shed, some unknown fruit trees but not too many weeds! We have refelted the shed roof, and built two 5m x1.5m raised beds out of scaffold boards.

There's still another three to build but not too long until I could plant some seeds- probably need to dig a bit more and add some compost but I'm very excited!

I had to promise hubby that we would grow our own Christmas veg next year, to get him on board!

Bambywamby

Starting de-weeding the veggie plot today... shall take a couple of days. Hoping the weather stays dry... nothing worse than soggy gardening when it's cold.


Have a lovely day folks. xx

kitty6

Hi Everyone,

I'd love to join your thread.

I have two raised beds that I grow raspberries, runner beans, peas, lettuce, courgettes and & patch that I grow strawberries & rhubarb in.

Always battling with slug & snails!

frugalk15

I'd love to join in to we did give it a go last year and got leek potato carrot parsnip courget, kale pepper and strawberrys a lot was ruined by snails and caterpillars tho didn't succeed with corn beetroot broccoli cauliflower garlic and a few other things, so far iv only got a few herbs on the windowsill basil chives sage and parsley we don't have a green house so will try and make some beds we have terrible soil tho but have a compost heap so am going to try and mix that through and see if it helps x