The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

unrecordings

I know I'm always sailing close to the wind on this subject, but if you've any brambles on the plot, and assuming they're flowering/fruiting, I'd leave them be for a couple of months to harvest the blackberries. Then hoik them out when fruiting is over ***. In the meantime keep the new runners trimmed back to make eventual removal a little easier

*** I actually replant the viable ones on my border with the woods

zafiro1984

Welcome FoxFace. My advice would be pace yourself, it is so tempting to try to do it all in a short time. Don't cut corners as you will pay for it for years to come. It is better to divide the plot into sections and do each bit thoroughly, but having said that I like Primrose' idea of growing something as soon as you have a bit of clear ground.

I think the majority of the runnerbeans have survived after having fallen over, so I'm going to give them a feed and a good watering this afternoon

Came in with today's pickings at lunchtime, 3 tomatoes, 2 courgettes, some runner beans, some mangetout, some carrots and the first 3 sweetcorn.

I'm going back outside and see if I can plant out the rest of my leeks which are getting a little large for their pots. Oh almost forgot - I found some shriveled small seed potatoes a couple of weeks ago hidden under some fleece on a shelf in the greenhouse. I didn't know if they were dead or not so planted them in small pots. All have sprouted except one so this morning i planted them out. I can't remember which ones they were but I do know they are blight resistant so I might be in with a chance of potatoes at Christmas

Karmacat

I'm agreeing with the advice immediately above, all of it having done the opposite several times in my life, oops. Complementing the above: once you clear something, and plant it, you need to keep it clear. Also spoken from hard won experience

I came on here to ask a question too: my garden is starting, just starting, to become clearer. There are still brambles in there, but by the end of the month, I think it will be clear. I've been using my own bin, and a neighbour's green bin, for the rubbish, but now things are a *little* bit under control, I'd like to start putting stuff in the compost bin again.

The raspberry canes I was gifted earlier this year have already put up secondary shoots *inside* the compost bin, by the way!

Anyway, the question is: whats suitable to compost? brambles and ivy both grow new plants from stems, so can you put them in the compost? You can't put seeds in a normal compost bin, but what about dead flowers? Or what about little weeds that I pull up? Can I put them in the compost if I dry them for a week, or drown them for a week in a bucket? Books don't tell you this stuff, sorry!

Primrose

Having learnt a hard lesson there are certain weeds that I now never out in a compost heap. One is Oxalis which has leaves rather like a clover plant because I've learnt from bitter experience that the little bulbils around the roots never die but simply reproduce again and spread like crazy.

We never had this weed in our garden when we moved into our house as a new build but suspect it came in either on soil on plants donated by friends or pots from garden centres which I never properly checked. I will have to spend hours and hours on a regular basis digging this plant out and as I garden organically and don,t use weedkillers, it,s a losing battle. So identify your weeds carefully and get to know their vices. If in doubt, never compost but burn if you're allowed to have an occasional bonfire on site.

Mnd

FoxFace, congratulations on your plot. Little and often is the way forward. Cover some with black plastic and forget it until you can manage the rest. Don't be afraid to ask questions

Karma, I wouldn't put weeds that have seeded or perennial weeds at all in the compost. If you hoe or weed tiny weeds, I just leave them to work in the surface.

I wouldn't put brambles or ivy in either.

I also don't put potato tops or any onion matter.

Just picked a lettuce, onions loads of tomatoes( giving away some already) and about 200 sweet peas.overun by the blinking things

Karmacat

Thanks both, noted that. Primrose, I think I have oxalis in the front border, spread from next door - it looks exactly like clover, but never gets the clover flower Hmm.


Bonfire is good! I have a little incinerator which I've fired up maybe half a dozen times - yep, I can do that.

zafiro1984

The two worst weeds which I have are oxalis that's in the polytunel, a horrible weed which I hate with a passion. The other one is mares tail which is outside. I can cope with docks, thistles, poppies and nettles but those two weeds :mad:

MND I'd love to be overrun by sweetpeas. I grow them against the glass on the greenhouse. It shades the house and I don't feel guilty if I pick some most days for the house.

FoxFace

Thank you everyone for the great advice

We aren't going to rush anything, I've been reading a whole lot about getting weeds and such under control before attempting anything else.

I'm going to keep popping in here as well, you are all super lovely and reading how well your crops are doing will really keep me going until we get our own on the go

unrecordings

My compo rules:
No potatoes
No weeds
Nothing flowering/seeding that I wouldn't welcome as a surprise visitor
Nothing that will attract rats (ie eggshells - they're allowed if there looks to be no rat activity)

I also chop up things like cauliflower stalks so they break down quicker (though I tend to eat the stalks if they're in good nick)

Still not been outside yet, but I'm getting stronger, you could say I'm biding my time, however The List is growing...

unrecordings

Karmacat wrote: »

Bonfire is good! I have a little incinerator which I've fired up maybe half a dozen times - yep, I can do that.

I'm long overdue for an incinerator based bonfo replete with sausages and other ad hoc delights, there's still half a dead apple tree down there too (in bits)