We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
2023 - the good, the not so good but hopefully not ugly of growing your own!
Options
Comments
-
Very late, but joining you this year.
I got a half plot in October, made a start clearing it, then broke my wrist New Year's Day and everything stopped until March. Back to it slowly, getting it all cleared.
Got some garlic, carrots and beetroot planted so far, as well as blueberry, blackcurrant, red currant and raspberry canes.
In my windowsill, I have leeks, cauliflower, celeriac and cherry tomatoes. Also courgettes and squashed, all unheated in propagators. I have purple sprouting broccoli that has been potted now, completely covering my desk!
There's no beds as such on the plot, just all one area, but I'm trying to clear and cover it bit by bit.3 -
Random question I’m hoping someone might be able to help with.
I was pruning back a sage bush that is taking over the world yesterday and underneath it found some onions that didn’t get lifted last year. (I was ill last year so the veggie patch COMPLETELY got away from me!) They have survived the winter and are now resprouting.Do I leave them in the ground and let them do their thing (I will deep prune the sage on that side if that is the case, to give them more light and air) or will they be useless and should be hoicked out? I’d be interested in your thoughts or experience of this.KKAs at 15.07.25:
- When bought house £315,995 mortgage debt and end date at start = October 2039 - now £233,521
- OPs to mortgage = £11,338 Interest saved £5225 to date
Fixed rate 3.85% ends January 2030
Read 35 books of target 52 in 2025, as @ 13th July
Produce tracker: £205 of £300 in 2025
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.Watch your actions, they become your reality.3 -
Welcome @kacie, sounds like you very organised!
First day back on allotment after covid and illness. Ms C and i turned over the asparagus bed, hoping to plant tomorrow, just need to pick up some compost.
Mr Peter the potato man, have only put in 2 rows of potatoes, also says too wet still.It's good for the soul to walk with your soles on the soil.3 -
So today I planted on 7 pepper plants. They all just about have 4 leaves so I think they were ready. I was concerned about them bolting! Alongside the 10 cherry tomato bush plants our windowsill is getting pretty busy.
I had hoped to prepare the garden and plant some more seeds in trays before the grandchildren come next week but we are still washed out with covid doing small tasks here and there so that will have to wait. It was lovely to take a little walk out in the garden and see the shoots appearing on the raspberrys I planted last year. Plenty of strawberrys are looking healthy too. The apple tree is covered in a horrible fungus! I have spent the last 2 years scrubbing it off and spraying with soapy water so much that the neighbours wanted to know why I was washing my apple tree permanently! 🤣It is also infested with so many greenfly and ants farming them! It is only a tiny tree and although I have managed to get small apples form on it they have dropped before reaching full size. It is 5 years old and DH would like to try and save it because he loves trees and thinks we should be kind to them. I am of the opinion that I have tried most things and spent longer on trying to save that tree than any other plant in the garden. I dont even think Monty would be dissapointed if I gave up on it. Any views of what to do would be welcome. If I had a big garden I would leave it as the hoverflies that come for the greenfly are amazing to watch and it is obviously good for nature. However in our tiny garden the greenfly are really affecting my climbing roses and veg. I had hoped that given time nature would sort itself out but it hasnt. I dont want to use chemicals either.
On another quick note I was very excited last year to have regular visits from a humming bird hawk moth to my lavender.
craft stash 2023 =161, 2024 = 119 2025 = £17.98 spent, 128 made and 5 mended,
GC 2022 = £3154.96
2023 = £3334. 84
2024 = £.3221.81
2025 = £2043.99/£3300
Jan 413.77 Feb £361.32, March £192. April £438.06 May £261.66 June £204.54 July £172.64/ £250
Decluttering campaign. 2024= 75 and half/52 bin bags full. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🏅💐DH ⭐3 -
So whilst everyone is asking for advice and now if the time, how do I know that I need to cut my my raspberries? They’ve gone nuts anyway which I’m glad about but there is 1 stalk which has lots of new growth. I’m not cutting that down right???Follow here for the daily life of an ADHD mum with 2 children and a new mortgage to pay
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6570879/life-in-our-forever-family-home-and-the-mortgage-that-came-with-it#latest3 -
MissRikkiC said:So whilst everyone is asking for advice and now if the time, how do I know that I need to cut my my raspberries? They’ve gone nuts anyway which I’m glad about but there is 1 stalk which has lots of new growth. I’m not cutting that down right???
Once it finished fruiting end of summer, cut down the fruiting canes and leave the ones that didn't fruit till next year.
I used to have raspberries, but not a fan, but kept my notes!
The canes dry well and i used them for propping up all sorts on allotment.It's good for the soul to walk with your soles on the soil.2 -
KajiKita said:Random question I’m hoping someone might be able to help with.
I was pruning back a sage bush that is taking over the world yesterday and underneath it found some onions that didn’t get lifted last year. (I was ill last year so the veggie patch COMPLETELY got away from me!) They have survived the winter and are now resprouting.Do I leave them in the ground and let them do their thing (I will deep prune the sage on that side if that is the case, to give them more light and air) or will they be useless and should be hoicked out? I’d be interested in your thoughts or experience of this.KKIt's good for the soul to walk with your soles on the soil.2 -
Soontobeoap said:The apple tree is covered in a horrible fungus! I have spent the last 2 years scrubbing it off and spraying with soapy water so much that the neighbours wanted to know why I was washing my apple tree permanently! 🤣It is also infested with so many greenfly and ants farming them! It is only a tiny tree and although I have managed to get small apples form on it they have dropped before reaching full size. It is 5 years old and DH would like to try and save it because he loves trees and thinks we should be kind to them. I am of the opinion that I have tried most things and spent longer on trying to save that tree than any other plant in the garden. I dont even think Monty would be dissapointed if I gave up on it. Any views of what to do would be welcome. If I had a big garden I would leave it as the hoverflies that come for the greenfly are amazing to watch and it is obviously good for nature. However in our tiny garden the greenfly are really affecting my climbing roses and veg. I had hoped that given time nature would sort itself out but it hasnt. I dont want to use chemicals either.
On another quick note I was very excited last year to have regular visits from a humming bird hawk moth to my lavender.
I hope some of the above helps.It's good for the soul to walk with your soles on the soil.2 -
Thanks @carinjo I did think that, we didn’t get much from it last year really, maybe a handful of berries so will cut back this yearFollow here for the daily life of an ADHD mum with 2 children and a new mortgage to pay
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6570879/life-in-our-forever-family-home-and-the-mortgage-that-came-with-it#latest2 -
Thanm you @carinjo unfortuunately the whole tree is affected. It is only a miniature tree and has gone all gnarly. ☹️craft stash 2023 =161, 2024 = 119 2025 = £17.98 spent, 128 made and 5 mended,
GC 2022 = £3154.96
2023 = £3334. 84
2024 = £.3221.81
2025 = £2043.99/£3300
Jan 413.77 Feb £361.32, March £192. April £438.06 May £261.66 June £204.54 July £172.64/ £250
Decluttering campaign. 2024= 75 and half/52 bin bags full. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🏅💐DH ⭐2
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 350.8K Banking & Borrowing
- 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.5K Spending & Discounts
- 243.8K Work, Benefits & Business
- 598.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.8K Life & Family
- 257.1K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards