The ups and downs of growing your own dinner 2016...

zafiro1984

Slug control:- I find nemaslug very effective, especially for the 'underground' ones, also I feel it's safer for the birds, - oh and the dog!!

Fruittea

zafiro1984 wrote: »

Slug control:- I find nemaslug very effective, especially for the 'underground' ones, also I feel it's safer for the birds, - oh and the dog!!

I've never tired them but I hear they are effective for a few years. I don't seem to have that much of a slug problem once I clear the first flush after winter. But I get a lot of bird in the garden and a lot of empty shells - so I think the birds must get them for me.
Chilly start here in Gloucestershire but I think it's going to brighten up - enough for a potter about!
That cake looks good Laidback - I'm going to try to sell some rhubarb at the gate this weekend. I might just print out a couple of copies - it might encourage people to buy some.

thriftylass

Good morning,

got a big bag of rhubarb from a kind neighbour last night. Chopped and froze some and took the rest to work for takers. Mine's not doing much this year. Wonder if I did sth wrong last year. Only had for about a year I think.

Fruittea

I always give mine a good ring of manure around the crown at the end of the season- they seem to do alright.

smallholding_antics

That is a lovely looking cake. I have just made rhubarb and ginger jam and it is lovely. Very pleased.

zafiro1984

I'm a little upset
The rabbits have eaten all the growing points out of the runner beans, nibbled the shallots, and decimated the courgettes.
Mice have eaten the germinating pea shoots.
I've spent yesterday netting all the raised beds (hammer, nails and very small holed butterfly mesh), fortunately I had the netting and didn't have to spend any money.
Today I shall attempt to re-sow before it's too late.

To top it all - I left an almost full tray of eggs (27) in the wheelbarrow outside the hen run - I know I left it there and I'm not quite that senile yet - to return to find the squirrels have stolen all the small eggs and broken those they couldn't carry.

Is growing your own supposed to save money??? somehow I don't think so and the stress levels are rising as well.

Roll on a good long hard snowy winter.

Fruittea

That's unbelievable Zafira - what bad luck. The cheeky bugxers. Talk about a triple wammy. And what a waste of the eggs. I didn't know that squirrels even liked eggs.
I've been growing the peas in root trainers and then planting them quite deep - so far I'm alright and it's just the slugs that have nibbled a couple of the climbing beans - so I consider myself lucky. Chin up though - and get planting up some more.


I'm just back from the allotment and things are looking good down there - planted some peppers out in the greenhouse and some toms. I've put a pot of rhubarb outside for sale (£4) not sure if it will go at the price but it's quite big.
I'm not buying any more salad now - and I usually spend about £3.00 a week on salad so I'm adding that to my budget deficit calculations. Potatoes in pots are also ready and the earlies are nearly there so I think that's another £1.50 I the pot. I'm going to put the money in a physical pot for everything I grow and then treat the house at the end of the year. I'll try to keep a running total on here - I think it will give us a real incentive to grow more. Is that a good idea?

zafiro1984

Fruittea:I think I've got the idea. Do you cost everything you use from your lotty and add the money to your pot for a treat later in the year. Fabulous idea, can I join in?
I think I'll put money saved towards next years seeds etc. I'm so far in 'the minus' maybe I'll do a June to June year starting at zero next Monday.

I've got more tom plants than I know what to do with, maybe later I could sell toms at the gate together with my usual eggs. It could work because I already sell a fair amount of eggs at the gate so I have a ready made audience. Fruittea you have made me really think hard and assess what could be grown/used by us/or sold.

Really hot and muggy so Just spent this pm re-sowing and sowing seeds - runner beans, yard long beans (tunnel) celery, asparagus pea, sweet corn, kohl rabi, lettuce, squash. beetroot.

thriftylass

The last two years I was always a bit impatient and dug up the potatoes early. How long should you wait. Till they flower or till the whole plant is dying off above ground? Thank you

Fruittea

Morning Everyone
A fine morning here in Gloucestershire with lots of lovely rain during the night.


Laidback I baked the rhubarb and orange cake yesterday and it's turned out really well. Very tasty and nice and moist. I used some frozen rhubarb which seemed to work very well. It's a nice big cake which works out very cost effective - so thank you for posting.


Thirftylass I wondered what potatoes you are growing and where you are as that can make a difference. You must wait until the plants have flowered and a basic rule of thumb is:


First Earlies 10 weeks from March or planting
Second Earlies 13 weeks from mid March
Early main crop 15 weeks from late March
Main crop 20 weeks from late March


I planted out my Orla FE on the 7th March (as it was mild) but I also grew some Belle de Fontenay tubs in a sheltered spot and they are ready - small but delicious. Down at the allotment the Orlas FE are just about ready to flower.


Zafiro glad you think the Veg Pot Challenge is a good idea. I've only just started this years and won't count anything that's frozen or bottled from last year. I'm using Tesco as my price comparison and I just round it up. Last year it came out at £230 but I didn't include herbs (which I use a tonne of) or fruit but I'll try to include them this year which will really effect the price. With leeks herbs and rhubarb yesterday this weeks bill is £8.50. Good to hear you've re-sown all the produce. You'll be set to save a fortune.