The even newer good, bad and ugly of growing your own in 2021!

greenbee

Just make sure that you chop everything up small, and keep all prunings to shred, and all the paper/card that comes into the house!

The things I've noticed - the 'home compostable' coffee pods are still whole, but collapse on touch (apparently they've changed them so this may not be a problem anymore), eggshells are still whole unless I remember to crumble them first, anything other than the tiniest of bones appears untouched, 'compostable' food bags need shredding too. 

It does prefer to be kept full (so I must top my up with garden waste and shredded paper now I've emptied it, and chip some wood). However, it does allow me to compost stuff I wouldn't do in an open compost heap. 

Suffolk_lass

@C_J I would not hesitate to plant more squash seeds - I planted more cucumbers yesterday and replanted everything a week ago (after mice eat all mine, just leaving empty husks) - my tromboncino were first out of the gate with three tall strong seeds that I have moved from the kitchen window to the covered propagator in the unheated greenhouse. They have been followed by courgettes (3 kinds) and butternut and crown prince. I am hopeful. The insurance purchase from the garden centre (£1.49 for 1 cucumber with just a pair of leaves) is just a stump now. Clearly mice still getting in.

Bees are my main focus this week. Lots to be done.

droopsnoot

I finally got around to starting to clear the vegetable patch. Before I continue to dig out all this random vegetation, does anyone know what this plant is? It seems to be growing all over the patch.

Kantankrus_Mare

On my way to the plot in a mo and main aim of today is to get some lavender cuttings on the go. Wish me luck as I just dont seem to have the knack where cuttings are concerned.

C_J

Sorry droopsnoot, I don't recognise those plants. They are obviously perennial and have also maybe self seeded widely .... possibly something like amaranth, maybe? I think there is a phone app you can install which identifies leaves from uploading a photo of the plant.

I started off some more squashes yesterday, five seeds each of six different types - Uchiki Kuri, Blue Hubbard, Pink Banana, Delicata, Moustade de Provence and Crown Prince.  Fingers crossed.

The Hotbin is up to 40 degrees this morning, with little wafts of steam coming out of the top vent. I have re-discovered the powerful cross cut shredder from the garage, it's apparently strong enough to shred up corrugated cardboard so I will spend half an hour later today getting a load more ready to mix with chopped green waste for the next batch to go in the bin - the level of the first load in there has dropped considerably since Sunday. Exciting!

droopsnoot

C_J said:

Sorry droopsnoot, I don't recognise those plants. They are obviously perennial and have also maybe self seeded widely .... possibly something like amaranth, maybe? I think there is a phone app you can install which identifies leaves from uploading a photo of the plant.

Thanks, I'll have a look around. I can't imagine why they'd be in the veg patch, as far as I remember it's only had stuff like potatoes and runner beans in it for years. Oh, and cats.

C_J

I think the app is called PlantNet - it's free. I have just downloaded it to try and identify something which I planted in a pot a few years ago, and which I now no longer recognise. I will report back!

C_J

I can confirm the PlantNet app works a treat!  I tried it on a couple of things where I knew the answer, just to check its reliability, then snapped a picture of my mystery plant (which I had always thought was some kind of honeysuckle, but which hasn't ever flowered). It confirmed that it was indeed a type of lonicera.

@droopsnoot : I just photographed the picture on my laptop of those leaves in your post above, and PlantNet says they are Rumex Acetosella, which is Field Sorrel. It's apparently a pernicious weed from the dock family and can be toxic to dogs and cats.

carinjo

C_J said:

@droopsnoot : I just photographed the picture on my laptop of those leaves in your post above, and PlantNet says they are Rumex Acetosella, which is Field Sorrel. It's apparently a pernicious weed from the dock family and can be toxic to dogs and cats.

I done the same thing after installing the app and it gave 9% of it being square-stemmed willowherb! 

greenbee

carinjo said:

C_J said:

@droopsnoot : I just photographed the picture on my laptop of those leaves in your post above, and PlantNet says they are Rumex Acetosella, which is Field Sorrel. It's apparently a pernicious weed from the dock family and can be toxic to dogs and cats.

I done the same thing after installing the app and it gave 9% of it being square-stemmed willowherb! 

That's what I would have said, due to being infested with willowherb It looks much like that, including the reddish leaves when young.