The ups and downs and ins and outs of growing your own, 2018

CAFCGirl

LessImpecunious wrote: »

Hi CAFCGirl - wondering about your layered beds and apologies if you've described these before here or elsewhere, but I haven't been able to get the search function to work inside the forum threads - I've only come across the lasagne/layered beds in raised bed form, and yours sounds as if it may be different!...

I think perhaps its my questionable description that makes them seem different.

I dig out a trough like area, on the four sides, and sit my pallet collar/bed frame into that to make it somewhat level (my plot is on an incline). Then it gets cardboard and newspaper on the bottom and up the sides, a bag of two or the chicken coop clearings (poop and bedding with shredded newspaper), then goes on the collection of kitchen veg peelings, emptied teabags, coffee grounds etc (Im at a cafe weekly for a group my son goes to so I'm asking them for all their grounds produced whilst im there), then it gets leaf mulch which is delivered onto site and a bag of compost then goes on top of that. Then next winter if its a bed that will be overwintered, I'll add the same on top of it again and cover till the spring.

HTH

Well_Preserved

Interesting comments on Oca. I had some last year, saved plenty so will take them a bit more seriously this year I think. Possibly harvested them too soon - late autumn, when the frost had caught them.

unrecordings

Well timed...
I dug up the rest of my oca today, most of them large chestnut sized but not massive. I'd try again, it's an easy crop if you've got the space, but autumn is too early. The tubers' main growth is after the frost has killed off the foliage. I tend to pick mine at xmas, next year I'll pick late January as this time around I got far more useable sized tubers. I ate some last night, sliced, fried in olive oil with a little salt & peps.

Well_Preserved

Thank you. I probably have enough allotment space - so hopefully a bigger crop this/next year!

unrecordings

I had to heel in my fruit trees and it's going to be cold for the next few days. In the meantime managed to plant the garlic I couldn't plant in the Autumn. I've got 35x Printanor and 35x Edenrose in a raised bed with another 20 or so cloves left over for whatever experiment crosses my mind in the next few days... ...or I could just eat them

I also cut back a lot of bamboo which I sort and dry. Useless bits get tied into bundles for the bonfire and the canes get cut and sorted and put away for a few months

unrecordings

Oh yes, and I ordered potatoes Red Duke of York and Arran Victory. I would have gone for Albert Bartlett Apache, but they have an annoying habit of easily going green. The RDoY are going in a shallow bed this year as a test. I've got the old Oca bed prepared, but I'm going to rake everything back and double dig, add more sand and see what happens. We have boulder clay about 12" beneath the surface in most places, but I've been working on the beds for a few years now (since we moved in) replacing clay with leaf mulch, compost, sand, top soil from elsewhere. No matter where I am in the garden I'll generally find a bit of clay pipe if I'm digging - it makes me smile - it's a good omen...

CAFCGirl

Good day to all,

We are set for a bit of a cold snap for the next week or so here which scuppers most of my plans for getting up the plot.

Never mind, indoor gardening it is.
My early sown tomatoes have been potted on. My cauliflowers germinated 100% but I fear have now gone leggy so I may need to start those again (annoyingly). Leeks are up as too are the chillies and aubergines. Coriander has made an appearance but nothing on the basils yet
Yesterday I started lavendar, celeriac (never eaten it before), more broad beans (first lot went mouldy) and tomatoes (moneymaker this time). I've been doing the more 'boring' tomatoes earlier since their packets are out of date before starting on the newer ones and the more exciting types. I was sent two lots from Heirloom Seeds in America so something a bit different.

This weekend I'm hoping to clear out my strawberries that went into pots last year, and then they'll go up to the allotment to go in - eventually! LOL

Ecco

I'm watching with interest. I'm new to plant growing and need to get the garden into an acceptable state first. This weather has not been at all helpful! I have some seeds germinating inside for when the ground is ready though!

tootallulah

Today was the day when I cleared the dining room table to move the sewing machine from the kitchen table so that indoor seed sowing can start next week- I am excited to get some stuff into pots. "Four new varieties of tomatoes this year plus Floridity. Can't wait for Spring.

unrecordings

My potting compost has just arrived, so despite the (light) snow I'm going out to fill some fibre pots then bring them in to start my tomatoes. The last three tomatoes from last year went in the lasagna on Saturday