The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

davenic

Hi all


Had an allotment for 9 years and learn new things every year so don't be dis-heartened if you're a newbie as it is a constant learning process. Things I've learned and do every year:-


Strawberry plants need renewing every 3 years as you'll still get some fruit after this time but it'll be less than the previous year (to get free strawberry plants stake down the runners so the bottom of the green leave where you'll see tiny roots are planted, when they root in after 2-3 weeks cut the runner off from the main plant) if you don't intend to use the runner for this but off the runner ASAP so the main plan uses all it's energy for producing fruit not additional plants.


Blackberry bushes needs pruning in the autumn try and remove as much old wood as possible as the fruit forms on new growth and try and maintain a bowl structure to let as much light as possible into the plant.


Tomatoes need feeding weekly try using a comfrey feed, it's easy to make cuts down on the chemicals used and the plastic bottles these fertilizers come on but it does smell BAD!!!, put some comfrey leaves in a bucket and cover with water, it will need a few weeks but we it starts to smell it's ready. Dilute it well DO NOT USE IT UNDILUTED.


Sweetcorn needs planting in blocks as they wind pollinate.


Crop rotation is important as well as different crops take/leave different nutrients in the soil.


Seeds are roughly the same quality wherever you buy them from I regularly buy from Lidl with no problems, Lidl do buy 3 packets for a reduced cost.


Don't scrimp on seed potatoes, seed fairs, online retailers and independent garden centres always get good quality whereas supermarkets mostly get the lower quality.

unrecordings

Welcome
Nice to have some random bits of wisdom all potted up and dotted around the thread

Funnily enough I sowed my Comfrey last week (but should have done it in 2014, so they may no longer be viable) I think I was put off by the smelll - it stank - so additional tip there: think about how you're going to dilute it. This time around I'm thinking of a 10 litre paint tub (cleaned out - currently just a little sand in it) with a little tap added. Question is - do I seal the lid closed or drill a couple of ventilation holes ?

-taff

Leave it open, you might get rat tailed maggots then, I used to, very helpful they were too
It really does smell o plant poo doesn't it?
You can do the same with nettles and their roots for a nitrogen based feed

unrecordings

Nettles go in the compo round here, but we're long overdue for nettle & wild garlic soup - with fennel & lovage seeded rolls - something I've been threatening since October

Suffolk_lass

unrecordings re the newbee - I would just leave it. There was a period last year where the forum was getting lots and threads would hit the nuisance threshold and the whole thing be deleted. It was particularly prevalent on the debt free side and some of the really loved long threads on Old Style. I noticed one of my subscribed ones was eventually restored when it popped up when I reviewed all my subscriptions (about 3-4 months later) but of course we had all moved to a new replacement.

I am loving the idea of nettle and wild garlic soup with fennel and lovage seeded rolls. One of my neighbours has nearly as much wild garlic as I have in my bed with ground elder (I am resigned to writing it off and replanting the whole bed when it is clear, despite it being a much-loved feature of our front cottage garden) - and nettles are everywhere as the resident before last kept chickens. In fact, that is my task of the morning. Nettles and goose grass.

Karmacat

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

Other than that I am navvying (shamelessly plagiarises Karmacat's description of my gardening and hers)

Woo hoo :j

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

unrecordings re the newbee - I would just leave it. There was a period last year where the forum was getting lots and threads would hit the nuisance threshold and the whole thing be deleted.

Agreed - it was a horrendous time, I wouldn't like to lose this thread too.

I am loving the idea of nettle and wild garlic soup with fennel and lovage seeded rolls. One of my neighbours has nearly as much wild garlic as I have in my bed with ground elder (I am resigned to writing it off and replanting the whole bed when it is clear, despite it being a much-loved feature of our front cottage garden) - and nettles are everywhere as the resident before last kept chickens. In fact, that is my task of the morning. Nettles and goose grass.

How do we harvest wild garlic? It's started to naturalise in my garden, which is wonderful, but I haven't actually picked any yet :ois it just about pinching off a leaf? Pulling the whole plant up doesn't work .... do I wait for the flower head?

I don't think I have ground elder, but this guy eats it: https://www.gardenista.com/posts/weeds-can-eat-ground-elder/

Today, I'm finishing clearing the square yard or so in front of my blackcurrant bush. At the very front of the border, there's a magnificent self sown sorrel, and this empty patch, once I've let it lie a bit to check for weeds I missed, I want to plant it with something perennial but low growing - or maybe leave it covered in bark chippings to experiment with potatoes next year?

unrecordings

[QUOTE=Karmacat;75767450
Agreed - it was a horrendous time, I wouldn't like to lose this thread too.

How do we harvest wild garlic? It's started to naturalise in my garden, which is wonderful, but I haven't actually picked any yet :ois it just about pinching off a leaf? Pulling the whole plant up doesn't work .... do I wait for the flower head?
[/QUOTE]

I'll leave the spam well alone then :-)

In terms of wild garlic it's leaves, flowers & stems. Since I've only had mine in a few years, and want it to spread, I just stick to the leaves for the moment

euronorris

Where would one typically find wild garlic? None growing in the garden, but I do love garlic and going on a hunt with DD at the weekend would be a good way to keep her occupied!

-taff

In shaded areas usually. There's some growing down the bank on the lane to a local lake - under trees , there's some growing all along the banks of the roads past swansea...under trees...Ask around locally, is there a gardening club of some sort? Or ask in garden centers, local FB groups, someone might know

unrecordings

Streams running through the woods - there's a fantastic bank of the stuff at the local dump, but I wouldn't touch that...

Be careful of dog wee, they tend to like to rampage through it - which is mainly why I now have my own private supply - you can get the bulbs from https://www.plantsforshade.co.uk