The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

Pennysmakepounds

unrecordings wrote: »

The trick with sweetcorn (if you didn't know this) is to plant in a grid, not rows so the plants pollinate each other better by wind. I tried a couple of years and realised there's a point at which you should just pick the baby corn (for a stir fry etc) rather than hoping they'll fully mature

Thanks for that, Ill be sure to do that.

Mnd

Hi slowdown, Regarding you compost, you need a mixture of garden waste, some solids like bashed up cabbage stumps, not too much grass clippings, some soil or manure to activate it..keep it damp, not too dry or wet and turn it every now and again and have patience..it takes awhile.

Another glorious day here in Wiltshire. Pressure washed the greenhouse inside and out, up the plot and cleared all the old leeks (or spring onions as my peers refer to them, and got that patch half dug.

That's everything out now, just overwintering onions and shallots in. I dont sow too early. Everything will catch up and dont forget, despite the weather its still only February! Take care still for frosts.

Boring afternoon ahead, paperwork to catch up on, but just might practice a bit of sunbathing with the cricket on the radio and a pint at hand.

CAFCGirl

It was glorious today up the plot.
Not sure if anyone remembers from last year's thread, but I suffer with sunlight allergy. Today was that stunning that I have narrowly avoided triggering it (hopefully it doesn't develop overnight). I was probably 2 degrees away from it, but managed to cover my most sensitive trigger areas - phew! It's February for Pete's sake.

I managed to clear another area, and full two old compost bags with weeds and bindweed.

Hatched a plan to repurpose the old grow house frame for a bean arch, using some chicken wire and MacGyver level engineering. I plan on setting it across two current beds, about 1ft in from each border so I can use the shades area created still for some beets,radishes or lettuce. That'll give me the existing pathway to walk through the collect my harvest.

So I now have 11 beds of various size all weeded out and ready to go. Which I think is the most I've ever had installed let alone ready to plant!

Pennysmakepounds

What an AMAZING February were having. I'm sure I was knee deep in snow this time last year .


I have BIG expectations from my garden crops this year .


I might even quit my day job and become a farmer on the back of it

Pablosmummy

Could anyone tell me when it's ok to plant a broad bean plant outside. It's one my daughter brought home from.school (science lesson to watch the bean sprout and grow in a plastic cup type thing) but it's shooting up quickly now we've planted it on the windowsill and I'm a bit concerned it's going to outgrow the house if I have to wait for the last frost which is the end of April for area according the garden focused.

Thanks!

-taff

Slowdown wrote: »

We're busy swotting up on how make good compost. Any advice?

A mix of browns and greens makes good compost. Browns are things like twigs, cardboard, hard woody stems of things like cabbage or kale, sunflowers, chard etc.You can use a shredder on the bigger twiggy things or harder stalks.
Greens are leaves, grass clippings, soft pulpy things that will rot quickly, kitchen waste [peelings , teabgas, coffee grounds].
You can also throw woodash on it and eggshells.
Basically you can put anything on it that isn't cooked food or fat, there are different compost bins for fat meat and bones or dog and cat poo.

You don't have to layer them up if you don't have enough, chuck them on as and when but try not to layer grass clippings too thickly, they'll just rot in a pulpy mat.I tend to sprine mine on, and then twist a fork in it to spread it out a bit.

The more you turn it [once a week or so], the quicker it'll rot and you have can usuable compost in about six weeks in the summer. In the winter, not so much.
Cover it with carpet or wood or something in the winter to stop it getting too wet.

-taff

Pablosmummy wrote: »

Could anyone tell me when it's ok to plant a broad bean plant outside.Thanks!

Broad beans can be planted to overwinter in the soil, so they are tough enough to survive a few frosts but as yours was grown indoors, it might be a bit too cosseted or leggy. they also suffer with blackfly, but you can blast that off with a spray bottle filled with water and a drop or two of washing up liquid.

Pennysmakepounds

Talking about pests - How do you get rid of them little green flies off plants.


What is the best pesticide to use on crops to get the best harvest?

CAFCGirl

Another few hours done today.
Had the membrane back on my larger bed. Plenty of snake like bind weed roots to pull out. Started layering on cardboard, newspaper and spent bedding from the chicken coop. Only cover about 40% of it. On top of that went the bag of veg peelings. Will get more cardboard and paper for the other part next week. It's going to be my first full attempt at a no dig\layered bed.

DH came with me and was in charge of bonfire. So lots of dried brambles, the old bean trellis and other dried plant life cleared. Cleared out the wildlife pond a bit, split my artichoke plant and replanted those in a new bed. Hoping I haven't destroyed the plant completely in doing that.

3 beds raked and levelled out.
Trying to scope out the area where my poly will go. Think I've decided so next visit will be about clearing that area.

All this sunshine and work has at least kept my idle thumbs from sowing too many seeds too early LOL

spadoosh

Got news from the allotment i applied for today, im 17th on the waiting list Spoke to the other nearby allotments and have been added to their lists too, no spaces didnt say how long waiting list is. Its not really the space i need but the community and experience.

Meanwhile in my garden i got another bed built at the weekend so effectively doubled my bed space, its mostly filled just need a bit of a top up. Cleared up, cut grass, cleared drains

Beans are growing well and leeks are on their way, not sown much yet as no greenhouse and think its still too early for most of my summer veg. Raring to get going though especially when the suns out, even contemplated digging up the rotting tree stumps at the weekend to stay outside, thought better of it though and just opened a beer instead.