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

tibawo

As it had rained I nipped up to put some edging and bark chipping down but i think the weed suppressant moved as i spread it so i hope it keeps the area neat still!


Loads of plugs came today, 72 in total. all flowers but means i can sort the back yard now and any spare will be used to brighten the plot!

CAFCGirl

I'm impatiently waiting for the morning's rain to move off and then I'll be packing up ready for a few hours up the plot. Hopefully the ground will be wet enough for me to dig out a good few clumps of grass (which always makes it look in worse condition than it is) and site some more of my pallet collar beds. I also wouldn't mind digging out some pathway area and getting that marked out.

The garden seedlings are all getting on quite well and yesterday I managed to sow:
Chicory
Fennel
Mixed salad leaf
Mizuna
Turnip
Mustard leaf
Basil

Clutterfree

Hi All,

Used to have an allotment but last year moved to house with a larger garden so I'm busy creating a veggie plot.

Is it too early to plant out cucumbers? (Burpless tasty green).

I germinated them indoors and for the past week I've been putting them outside during the day to harden off but bringing them back inside overnight.
They've started to look unhappy so I don't know if I should plant them out now or is it still too soon?
I was planning on planting them out at the end of the month but now worried I might lose them before then.

Thanks.

Jazee

Clutterfree, having lost cucumbers for two years running, I'm keeping mine in the warm at night for as long as possible. I won't be planting them out till June. Hope that helps.

I must plant out my tomatoes today though, but will keep one batch in the greenhouse. At the moment, we're shed, dog kennel and raised bed painting. Want to keep everything in as good condition as possible to get many more years use.

Clutterfree

Jazee wrote: »

Clutterfree, having lost cucumbers for two years running, I'm keeping mine in the warm at night for as long as possible. I won't be planting them out till June. Hope that helps.

I must plant out my tomatoes today though, but will keep one batch in the greenhouse. At the moment, we're shed, dog kennel and raised bed painting. Want to keep everything in as good condition as possible to get many more years use.

Thanks.
I think I'll pop a couple more seeds in the propagator as a back up in case these plants don't make it.

Jazee

All planned jobs today done, and I planted some more rocket. DH under strict instructions to not buy any salad leaves from the shop.

Also, we've had a move around of planters and I now have room for 3 more raised beds.

CAFCGirl

My shed/store (metal pent shed) which has been on its side for nigh on 5 months has been erected and screw down within an inch of its life!
Now just to fix to the door which was put on by *someone* wrong in the first place so it doesnt slide on its runners properly and catches on the screws. Just having that done feels like a big step forward mind you.
Just need to put something down as a sturdy floor in there now.

Then we managed to use a battery operated strimmer and give a large portion of the weeds/grass a good chopping. Makes it look 50% better just doing that. It was inspection weekend as well and Im hoping as we were seen doing stuff, we'll get a pass.

Bean trellis went up, although rather wobbly! Think it'll need some trusses on the ends for some stability. Then I just need to string up some twine along it.

3 strawberry beds were weeded and my 2 cabbage beds weeded and thinned. My beetroot bed as an epic fail so dug that over and will think about what to put in there instead.

We're due rain all day and DS (6 but home educated so hes home with me) has a fully fledged cold and I'm trying to fight it off so wont head up there today, but if weather is nice tomorrow, then I think we'll fit in a few hours

Kantankrus_Mare

I lifted a batch of leeks yesterday with the plan to freeze them all but OH said they dont freeze well. Im not convinced and have sneaked some in the freezer to maybe use in soups when I have time.
What do others do with their leeks?

Have been eating the odd strawberry that has ripened in the greenhouse.......delish!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

The pigeon damage has been followed by squishy, slimy things. Spent a while yesterday afternoon pinging molluscs out of the radishes onto the patio. Never mind, if you wash them and then cut off the chewed bits, you can still get edible food, so made a salad of radish, leaves, onion stalk, thyme and mint from the tub out the front (no way on earth I'd risk growing mint where I have soil, it's coralled in a big tub sitting on the block paving - gets warmth, sun - and absolutely nowhere to escape to). Himself boiled up some potatoes and sweetcorn/broccoli and we had that with some corned beef.


We'd never be this philosophical about wildlife damaged stuff from the supermarket, would we? And we'd be buying an entire plant or bunch of herbs when just a small sprig or three mint leaves is all that is needed.



Leek and potato soup is very popular here. I also like chargrilling the things or gently roasting(?) thick chunks of them in a dish with stock and a good splash of oil, thyme and lemon juice. I think they'd go very well as part of a leek, cheese and potato pasty - or, for a main meal, I'd cook coins of leek with carrot, swede, etc, stir them through a white/cheese sauce with frozen peas and herbs and then top with lumpy mash with more cheese.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

What the devil is the point of rain that's more like spiky, wet air than a decent amount of water falling from the sky?


Meh. Maybe I should source some Roman Snails from the internet and set up as a mollusc supplier to fancy French and Greek restaurants.

It's got to be easier than this.