The great, good and not so good bits about growing your own dinner 2017

CAFCGirl

Yesterday I utilised a large A3 sheet of drawing card from my DS(6) and have planned out April, May and June's planting in terms of brassicas, legumes, leaf (salad and otherwise), roots and others. Its a glorious looking flow diagram and should keep me on the ball.

Today I need to go buy some compost so I can sow these things, and then I need to move and clean out the mini greenhouse so I have somewhere to put them. It lives down the wide alley that leads to our garden, but it only gets sun the early part of the morning so I'm going to re-site it on the deck which is sunshine up till 3pm (when the sun is actually out mind you!). That job will probably wait till tomorrow as I plan on going up to the allotment for a few hours late morning and finishing off digging out grass from the large section at the bottom of my plot.

Kantankrus_Mare

You're very organised CAFC girl!! My planning is in my head and a case of looking at my allotment and thinking.."Hmm now where can I fit what I what to plant next?" LOL

Onions are my next thing to go in......the overwintering ones are doing well and my Dad couldnt understand why we need to plant more.........(stick to the structural stuff dad! ) Anyhow, I have half a bed empty where the white ones can go and a bit of ground behind one of the greenhouses which needs clearing of weeds and the reds can maybe go there.

We have a lot of land that isnt utilised but needs digging over and rotivating. We covered it during the winter and it has saved lots of weeding!!

Fruittea

All sounds good. I'm just going off to the allotment now. Just to water the greenhouse really and pick a bit more rhubarb - I sold 3 lots yesterday. So £3 gone into the kitty. Last year I made £61 from sales at the gate - so see what we get this year. No more buying herbs from the supermarket as I have quite a bit growing now and the salad is just appearing. So after this week supermarket shopping should be right down.
Get those onions in quick now Kantankrus you're a bit late - I always plant plenty as I use loads in cooking and they store well. I'll report back on what's going well later.

Kantankrus_Mare

I always grow loads of onions and only used my last stored one last week. I know a lot of people say onions are cheap enough to buy but I disagree. Around a fiver spent on onion sets keeps me in onions for probably 9 months of the year. Would spend a hell of a lot more than a fiver buying onions as I needed them!

TallingtonGirl

Good afternoon all, i'd love to join.

I don't have an allotment, but I do have a bit of a home allotment in my garden. I have just ordered a ton bag each of top soil and rotted manure. Last year I wasn't very successful and I think it's because I only filled my raised beds with compost and did nothing to improve the soil condition in my second year of growing.

I have to do without my greenhouse this year as Storm Doris smashed it to smithereens and it needs replacing, which I doubt i'll get round to anytime soon.

I've ordered a load of seeds from Premier Seeds Direct on ebay ready to sow some indoors this weekend and the rest i'll direct sow later in the year.

Looking forward to seeing the fruits of everyones labour this year.

TG

Kantankrus_Mare

Welcome TallingtonGirl Sounds like you have some busy times ahead.

Just been to wilko and got my onion sets though no red ones were available. Hope Ive not missed the boat. Might pop in my allotment shop on Sunday and see if they have any left. Not a major problem as I have some overwintering ones and they dont store as well as whites.

Also bought a pink honeysuckle climber. My hubby thinks Im wasting money on flowers/plants but I know that they will give me free colour and aroma for many years to come. Will look beautiful when my other honeysuckle flowers (white) and the clematis I planted last year flowers. My allotment is surrounded by trellis and Id ideally love climbers all round the plot but will just buy the odd one here and there.

Fruittea.......I promise my onions will go in this weekend!! Sounds like we are in for some great weather!!

CAFCGirl

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Fruittea.......I promise my onions will go in this weekend!! Sounds like we are in for some great weather!!

We can be the Naughty Onion Gang as I haven't put mine in yet either :eek: Saturday though

I now have my compost, feeling very productive after my plot neighbour (the chap whose been there years and is so super helpful) came over to give me a hat tip yesterday and chat about my recent efforts and how well Im doing progress wise - so that was nice.
He's also offered me an old pond he has in his garage - bout a bath tub size but shallower. So I plan on buying him a few beers as a thankyou for that

Today is all about seed sowing so will do that out in the garden. Need to move the mini green house today too. Will do all that with DS out there and let the chickens roam freely around the garden too

Fruittea

Welcome TallingtonGirl sounds like your on to things - great start. This thread is very helpful and it's always great to read about everyone's progress.
Sorry to be on your cases Kantankrus and CAFCGirl. I will stop nagging and go sit on the naughty step. Lovely how everything is growing and it's another glorious day in Gloucestershire. Whilst out with a neighbours dogs this morning I came across a beautiful hoard of St George's mushrooms. So I came back with a bagful and had some for breakfast. I've got a photo but I can't seem to post it. It would be nice to see some pics - maybe there is a simple way to copy photos - I have mine on my computer but you seem to have to load them via something else.
I'm taking a chance on an early and long summer this year - so I've sown my courgettes - I'll keep them inside but it would be nice to have them early. Sold 2 more bags of rhubarb this morning - so another £2 in the profit pot. All good

TallingtonGirl

Thanks Kantankrus Mare and Fruittea, yes I do have some long days of gardening ahead but I love it when you start to see things grow.

I just ordered some perennial plugs from T&M to fill my borders. I have grown cut flowers there before but i'd rather focus more on Vegetables from now on so perennials are my answer, hopfully they'll mostly sort themselves out.

I'm excited to get cracking now, I love this time of year.

smeeinnit

Had a busy afternoon :j

Planted out half of my indoor sprouted onion sets, and gave them a trim as some were more than a foot long and flopping over!

Sowed the first carrot seeds outside and planted 8 more pots of potatoes, early variety Rocket.

I have also moved the spring flowers in pots that I had towards the bottom of the garden nearer to the house, and the veggies moved to where the flowers were as they can get a full days sun there. Its also against the garage wall so should radiate a little warmth

I also put my potted up tomato seedlings outside in the warm sun for a little while so they had some real light, and just a little breeze to hopefully strengthen the stems.

Sunflowers are starting to pop up :dance:

Loads more to do, but the weather looks like its going to be fab for the next few days :j:j