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

Fruittea

Good morning Everyone
I just looked up Redshank! Sorry to say it sounds awful Moneystoshort - here's an extract of what I read: Seeds can remain viable in soil for 45 years. After 10 years, there was up to 62% germination depending on depth of burial. After 30 years, germination was around 9%. Redshank seedlings were abundant on land ploughed for the first time after 45 years.
Pesky little thing to have around. Just been out to water the garden - and everything is really growing. Vets for me and cat this morning and then down to the allotment to water and check on things It was up to 30 degrees in the garden yesterday. Far to hot for me. Micro experiments are going ok and the basil is now also growing. Noticed a couple of strawberries nearly ready - I transplanted them earlier in the year into towers - just to give me a bit of room - so they are a little later than usual. Passed by over farm and couldn't resist their asparagus yesterday£5 for 2 bunches - roll on my new asparagus patch!
Have a good day Everyone.

moneyistooshorttomention

45 years:eek::eek::eek:.

Ahem....well thank you very much for looking that up for me. That sort of thing is something I've been wondering about.

That ain't good news:(.

Hmmm....well...of the relevant bit of my garden where that blimmin' new topsoil lies - lots of it is now covered by some rather thick bark mulch stuff. So I'm hoping that should put an end to anything pretty much in the way of weeds (that one or otherwise) and, to date, I'm seeing very little. I think weeds will have to "parachute" in from above to set up home on that particular bit - fingers crossed. I've been walking on said bark mulch today and a little bit of "knocking around" with my feet seemed to be sufficient to dislodge whatever-weed-seedlings it was that had emerged over last week or so.

As regards the rest - I'm going to be putting pretty high raised beds on much of it with new soil in there from elsewhere. So - fingers crossed those pesky seeds will be buried too deep to manage to "surface" in my lifetime. I won't be living for another 45 years personally (ie as I'm in my early 60s). So there is every chance the next owner of my house might decide to remove my new raised beds and then think "Whoops!" I guess then?? (apologies to next owner for that). At my age - I'm basically assuming I will have another 20 years or so here - so it looks potentially problematic for me personally.

The other odd bit of my garden soil with those blimmin' seeds in is going to be "buried" under a few inches of whatever-I-decide to use as "paths" in between those raised beds. So I'm hoping those weeds won't come back at me on that. If they do - then I guess there won't be too much effort involved in ripping them out?

Fruittea

Sounds like a plan Moneystoshort. And apologies for alarming you!
Just back from the allotment and I have potato Blackleg on some of the Sarpo Axona. So they had to come up and be disposed of. Not happy! And funnily enough I didn't like the look of the seed before I planted - so I should have gone with me gut feeling and not planted them - we live and learn.
I'll mark it on my sheets and make sure I don't plant any potatoes for a few years as it stays in the soil for some time. Hopefully I caught it in time. Watch out for yellowing haulms which suddenly look stunted and when you give the stem a tug it comes straight out.

sazzlebgood?

we have asparagus beetle:eek: . Time to get the gloves on i think:eek: as its the only way to get rid of them:mad: fruittea liked you're idea of seeing how much we save on food by using stuff from the allotment. so far i think we've saved about £10.50

zafiro1984

Fruittea - black leg, thanks for the description, I'd never have recognised it but this is only my second year at growing potatoes.

Planted out the rest of the courgettes this afternoon in all this heat. I put them in the trench I'd planted runner beans in a fortnight ago which the rabbits then ate. This time I've covered each one with a holey bucket (I have loads of bashed buckets from naughty foals playing football)
The new runners have germinated and I'm going to put them in a raised bed which I can net to about 3 foot - should keep the rabbits out until they get going.
That just leaves squash and asparagus peas, but time to sow more beetroot etc. Soon be time to start thinking about brassicas to take us through the winter, the longest day is only about a fortnight away - time marches on !!!

Jazee

Morning all. I've already been out in the garden this morning in my dressing gown, moving all the pots I planted with seeds/plants yesterday to a higher spot where it will be easier to net them all later today. Have also been on snail patrol.

I feel I am finally beginning to catch up now although most of my plantings are for autumn/winter crops. If the judges came to view the garden now, I wouldn't be embarrassed.

So I have growing: tomatoes, chilli peppers, aubergine, leeks, parsley, garlic, various types of beans at various stages, baby sweetcorn, chives, garlic chives, chervil, mint, radishes, carrots, potatoes, kohl rabi, kale, rocket, strawberries and onions.

Got a bit too much sun yesterday ending with a headache but will still be out planting more seeds today.

Fruittea

Morning Everyone
Expecting light rain here later today which will be a relief as things keep drying out. I finally meshed my carrot area yesterday - so the carrots went in. Strangely I never seem to have much luck with carrots but fingers crossed.
Thinking about the asparagus Sazzlebegood I heard Bob Flowerdew talk about the beetle and his solution was to cut off all the stalks from all plants except one - apparently they only lay eggs in the top of the stalks. Then wait until all the bettles descend on the only remaining plant and lay their eggs then cut it off and burn it.
Sounds horrible I know but he's very knowledgeable and it might save you a bit of time.
Glad you liked the idea of totting up the saving -£10.50 is a good start. I bet it will be in the hundreds.
Good to see you're on top of things Jazee - that sounds a great selection of veg.
Washing day for me - so I'm off to do that before the promised light rain this afternoon. Have a great day Everyone.

moneyistooshorttomention

Fruittea wrote: »

Sounds like a plan Moneystoshort. And apologies for alarming you!

No probs...

"Forewarned is forearmed" is one my main mottos in life.

I'm currently formulating a plan to put weed-proof membrane down beneath those raised beds and that should keep the blimmin' things at bay for long enough to lower the risk of those seeds germinating on later down to pretty small proportions.

Fingers crossed for you that you can get things sorted re your plants.

I guess we'll have to just keep telling ourselves that gardening is a learning process...

Jazee

Watercress, spring onions and a selection of lettuce sown. Have been out to buy more supplies - copper tape, compost etc.

Running out of steam now as its still so hot but must put netting on today.

sazzlebgood?

Thanks fruittea I'll have a look at what bob does and see if it works. Busy day at the allotment today. Melon plants in their new home so hopefully they will be happy and if they are they might just reward me with some fruit:j. Planted the cucumbers and the peppers in the greenhouse. Potted on the purple sprouting broccoli. FIL put in the various beans plants today. This year has definately been his year for growing them, me on the other hand not so good. However this year I've been really successful growing parsnips. Really could do with some rain as the water butts are almost empty.