The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

Jazee

Two hours spent in garden again. Grass cut but you wouldn't notice. All the fruit bushes from that recent offer planted (except the blueberries, need the right compost). Please don't let me get any when they're on offer next year. My garden is small and will now be overrun with fruit!

Pablosmummy

I also planted my fruit today. All seem to be in good condition apart from one strawberry but for the price, I'm very happy.
For those who got the t and m offer, what shape is your blue crop? I don't know why but I was expected more of a...bush shape but mine is quite a long stem with branches coming out of the top (think tree shape) Is this right? Will it bush out or should I prune it? Or is this what it's meant to look like when young?

Slowdown

Hi all,

Thanks to mnd and -taff for the compost advice, much appreciated.

I too have been busy. It was utterly beautiful outside yesterday if somewhat disturbing on the climate change front. More digging on the veg plot and in the fruit cage. I have planted the fruit bushes that arrived and are in good condition. I'm going to put the blueberries in large pots this year. I have one in the fruit cage but I'm going to put these ones closer to the house so I can snaffle any berries for breakfast in the future. They often don't produce in the first year so I'll be trekking down the garden if I want them on my yoghurt this summer.

My blueberries are similar to yours Pablosmummy. They will be fine I think. When I bought my last one at the garden centre I had a choice of buying one like that or a more expensive one that was further on and bushier. I went for the more mature one. The ones from the offer look less developed and may be a variety that bush into a different shape than the one I've got. I'm not going to prune it as it should be ready for planting when they arrive.

I had a quick read about planting the raspberry canes and made sure to lay the roots spread outwards. I think this is so they can send out new shoots to develop more plants.

Today I have a couple of plants to put out but the weather has definitely changed and I hope the soil isn't hard with the frost. It's a bit windy out there too.

Good luck today everyone if you're on your own little piece of paradise.

-taff

Pennysmakepounds wrote: »

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?

I don't use any except slug pellets. I just plant a load of different things to encourage their natural predators to drop in.
You can also plant scarificial crops, like nasturtium for blackfly, or use natural ways to do it like using tagetes near anything that gets black or green fly, the odour is supposed to ward them off. In practice, i found they got munched by snails and slugs, but hey, at least they weren't eating my veg,

Pablosmummy

Thanks slowdown, glad to hear mines normal, I just had visions of this bush on a stick developing...

Gloomy day here so I should probably catch up on the housework Ive been avoiding. Nothing to plant until middle of march now ( tomatoes and peas). I do have some petunia plugs and a patio raspberry due to be delivered next week so that will keep me occupied for a bit anyway.

Come back spring, I miss you!

Also for greenfly on plants I just squash them or blast them with mild soapy water, has worked so far! I plant marigolds around the garden, no idea if it actually makes a difference but it's worth a try and they are free as I save the seed each year so nothing lost if it doesn't work.

Kantankrus_Mare

Are these the fruit bushes from the Thomson and Morgan offer people are talking about? I havent received anything yet.

Just popped to the allotment to water sweet peas in green house. All my bulbs are coming up.

At home, the majority of tomato seeds I saved from last year have germinated and peppers and chillis are just poking through.

The aubergine seeds that I started before everything else seem to have come to a stand still. Some are getting second set of leaves on but dont seem to be growing. Will keep watering and see what happens.

unrecordings

-taff wrote: »

I don't use any except slug pellets. I just plant a load of different things to encourage their natural predators to drop in.
You can also plant scarificial crops, like nasturtium for blackfly, or use natural ways to do it like using tagetes near anything that gets black or green fly, the odour is supposed to ward them off. In practice, i found they got munched by snails and slugs, but hey, at least they weren't eating my veg,

No chemicals here either. I use nematodes for slugs and encourage other predators (not helped by the cat who has inserted herself at the top of the food chain) I think ladybirds are are good for blackfly & aphids. I made a little raised bed near the house for beans, and popped some (potted/bought) nasturtiums in, soon the nasturtiums were covered in blackfly, and ladybirds soon after that. I'm hoping those nasturtiums have self seeded, but I've a pack of seeds just in case

unrecordings

I used the good weather for general pottering and exercise, now I'm having a rest for a few days as my body hurts. I repotted the very leggy tomato seedlings and popped them in the greenhouse. Out of 24 sown, I got 11 potted. Some didn't germinate, some didn't root that well, and a couple were just too leggy, but at least I didn't destroy any during the repotting (which was my fear - I had to do it single handed). Hopefully they'll thrive, and I've another batch of different varieties to sow in the coming days

Pablosmummy

Yes it's the t and m offer. I did get an email a while ago saying they were delayed until the end of march but they must have changed their minds
If you go on the order tracker it should say when they will be dispatched

CAFCGirl

Not been up over the weekend. Temps have dipped and rains have set in, staying for this week too according to the weather.

I did however collect from another plot hold and very large rosemary and very large lavender. Both fairly woody in the centre but lots of foliage. I'm going to attempt some cuttings from both, but these two will be planted into the plot for to give some features and bee friendly qualities.

Need to put on my tomato seedlings this week, and since weather stops outdoor play and I remembered to bring my skates home, I'll be letting my inner childlike artist paint up some veg bed markers signs