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

Silvertabby

MovingForwards said:

I'm being given strawberry runners, they've been ported up for a while and will be cut from the parent plant when I next go over.
- I'm going to be growing them in hanging baskets off my decommissioned washing line pole. I can throw net over it like a tent to prevent / discourage birds eating them.

They can be grown from the fruit seeds, I've seen it done in gardening groups. The main plants have a few years (think it's up to 6) viable fruit lifespan, so don't always give away too many of the runners as you could come unstuck one year.

I grew strawberries in hanging baskets on each side of the kitchen window.  Had it not been for the glass, I could have reached out and touched them - but the blackbirds still scoffed the lot.

I did think about putting netting over the baskets, but I couldn't bear the idea of the birds getting tangled up and hurting themselves.   At least their antics kept feline madam amused! 

akh43

I have grown peppers from bought ones in the past, had no luck last year but intend to try again this year. 

I gathered a lot of seeds last year in the hope of becoming more self sufficient, some from plants I had grown from bought seeds and some from plants along the canal, hopefully some of them grow. 

I have loads of raspberry plants, which just seem to grow new ones each year and always do well for raspberries and a few blackcurrants and strawberries.  I cut a few sticks when I was trimming back the blackcurrants and planted them in pots in the hope they took for this year. 

I also gathered some tomato seeds from ones I had grown but didn't get around to eating, hopefully some of these grow as I was out of luck buying tomato seeds last year. 

I always buy my seeds from the sale in wilko when they go down to 50%-75% off to use the following year, they always have several years left until they expire.

A lot of what I grow is for my daughter's tortoise as a supplement to the weeds we pick along the canal every week as he loves flowers (we have a list of safe plants he can eat) and a lot of the seeds bought and collected are for him.  Unlike most gardeners I don't mind if I get weeds in my garden as they will feed her tortoise and have found lots of treasurers that just seem to appear.

The bane of my garden, depending on the time of year is squirrels at the moment, keep burying monkey nuts in my pots (put out by a neighbour ) and then digging them up and ruining my plants, I am trying to protect some of the plants with half bottles over them but not sure if this will work, then when the weather picks up snails and slugs. I never seem to be able to stop any of these pests messing up my plants   any tips of keeping any of these pests at bay would be appreciated.

MysteryMe

I get one or two oak saplings in my containers every year where the squirrels have buried acorns. I've never seen one come back and dig them up again.

Suffolk_lass

akh43 said:

The bane of my garden, depending on the time of year is squirrels at the moment, keep burying monkey nuts in my pots (put out by a neighbour ) and then digging them up and ruining my plants, I am trying to protect some of the plants with half bottles over them but not sure if this will work, then when the weather picks up snails and slugs. I never seem to be able to stop any of these pests messing up my plants   any tips of keeping any of these pests at bay would be appreciated.

@akh43 We have had some success using horticultural grit around the base of hostas (or slug-food, as we used to call them) where these are in the ground. In pots my grandad used to put a copper band or a bit of electrical copper wire (stripped back) around under the bit that juts out, as they apparently don't like slithering across copper because it generates a tiny electrical charge. No idea re squirrels

carinjo

Sat down yesterday before work with a big mug of coffee and sorted all my seeds into the rotation groups. Only have about 5 courgette seeds, but think will ask my sister for some seedlings when the time comes if needed. Only thing on my list i need to get is some type of pumpkin and all this talk of strawberries is making me think of doing that too, but will get runners if i do. 
Next up a plan to get rid of some weeds. Where the onion bed is to go there is something with a very thick white root, maybe dandelion? Once again i curse cheap weed suppressing fabric. All it does is let the strong ones thrive. This row is undeneath/next to to bramble growing as a natural fence. 

Suffolk_lass

@carinjo my friend sent me two Crown Prince (F1H) seeds to try as a pumpkin last year - they taste fantastic but they are green (with orange flesh) - it depends what you plan to use them for - they are meant to be the best eating pumpkin (check out Sarah Raven's description (then in true money saving style, buy from somewhere a bit cheaper). Only one of mine germinated, they are moderately expensive, quite big and we got seven fruits (two after I thought I had harvested from late pollination) and I am growing again this year

MovingForwards

It's mainly big birds by me, pigeons and seagulls, although there is one robin who picks at any areas we move soil / compost around in.

My other compost bin arrived. 

I've also shelled my runner beans from last year.

Weather is too cold / icy / snowy to do anything at the moment. 

Suffolk_lass

I ordered a few seeds from a local seed provider - they seem to crossover between domestic and professional grower quantities - I might be offering quite a few on our village FB page come Spring as not even we need 1000 lettuce seeds! - I ordered by the varieties I wanted, hence a bit of crossover in my order

Jjah

Its good to see everyone organising their seed stock and reordering.

I've ordered a few seeds this winter but I'm determined to use up lots of store cupboard seeds.

In the greenhouse already are mustard, coriander and fenugreek seed trays.

I am determined to try my organic soya beans this year.  I've also got basil seeds, broad beans, peas, black onion seed (looks like love in a mist), even popping corn which can be sown.

If you look at the size of seed packets in gardening aisles compared to the ethnic store stock, it's practically free to sacrifice a few to a seed tray

Suffolk_lass

It depends which black onion seed you use as to whether it is edible. One of the Love in a Mist cultivars is poisonous. If you are growing from your spice jar, fine, but not necessarily the other way round. Alnwick Castle Gardens has an article about it here