2023 - the good, the not so good but hopefully not ugly of growing your own!

carinjo

I've also skipped the GW magazine this year, won't have lots of opportunities to go to any of the gardens and got my seeds for the year. I read Kitchen Garden Mag on my Library App, can definately recommend it. 
Was too damp to spray weedkiller yesterday or this morning.
The ethiopian kale i planted in a long planter to use as cut-and-come again salad, is doing so well i potted them up into an old wooden wine box at home. 
Sowed my second try of serpentine squash *fingers crossed*. 
Sowed cucumber and courgettes. 
Hope everyone has a lovely bank holiday, i'll be at work being jealous 

Kantankrus_Mare

Ive been at work too @carinjo......but spent quite a bit of time in last week at the plot. I go away in 3 weeks and Im a bit obsessed with making sure its as weed free as possible and ready to plant everything in its final place before I go. I took a sacrificial tomato plant to the plot to leave in the green house and if it survives the week.......the rest will be following. Sick of looking at all my plants on my dining table.
I keep staring at my bed where I planted the asparagus to see if any signs of life. Yesterday I spotted a thin straggly thing that had sprouted which could possibly be the asparagus but will have to wait and see. Just want to know its taken and I promise it wont be touched!
Potatoes are just popping up from the ones I put in a few weeks ago and OH said it was still too wet and cold. What does he know? 

carinjo

Hehe, i also have one sprouted asparagus. With the potatoes, any that does pop up, cover them if frost predicted. We going away for 2 weeks in june, so careful planning for planting and watering needed. Do you have anyone that can water for you? How long are you away?

Kantankrus_Mare

How exciting with the asparagus  We are away for 11 nights. I share the plot with my dad but it tends to be me that does all the growing, weeding, making use of produce. He just likes building things structurally. He promises me he will water while Im away but will get my daughter to go a couple of times as well. He is a bit forgetful!!

KajiKita

Got the onions I sowed from seed in the ground today - white and red. Only the second time I’ve grown onions and apparently red onions can be a bit reluctant so we will see how they do ….

More beating back of bindweed in the veggie patch and I still haven’t got all of it 😳 and my little bucket (beach bucket really 😂) that I use for moving my hand tools around and collecting weeds like bindweed that I don’t put on the compost has split …! 😢 I’m surprised by how upset I am about this, but it has been very useful over the last couple of seasons …. I guess a bucket hunt starts now …. 🤷‍♀️

KK

MissRikkiC

I’m still yet to learn of all the nifty little tricks like having a little bucket or the right tools for the jobs for our ‘kitchen garden’ @KajiKita
We’ve been away for the weekend and I gave everything a good water and put it in the green house over the weekend. I haven’t actually checked it all yet so I hope it’s doing okay!

KajiKita

MissRikkiC said:

I’m still yet to learn of all the nifty little tricks like having a little bucket or the right tools for the jobs for our ‘kitchen garden’ @KajiKita
We’ve been away for the weekend and I gave everything a good water and put it in the green house over the weekend. I haven’t actually checked it all yet so I hope it’s doing okay!

The little bucket inside a large flexi bucket is something I fell into by accident but I will feel bereft without now! 

In terms of the handtools I always have with me in my little bucket:
- secateurs
- hand fork
- trowel
- narrow pronged weeding fork
- Cheap knock off but flipping useful Japanese type gardening knife
- hand grass edging clippers 
- gloves 

KK

MissRikkiC

Now have images of you literally falling into a tiny little bucket 🤪 haha that made me chuckle. 

I do think i have enough, I have 1 of each of those things you mention but (don’t everyone shoot me) I’ve never had weeds before this year so I’ve not known what all the tools were for! Learning now I’ve planted onion sets and the weeds are growing in abundance!

KajiKita

@MissRikkiC, I’m glad my bucket diving tickled you 😉

C’mon then, I’ll bite …. How have you *never* had weeds before??? 😊

KK 

MissRikkiC

Everything was brand new last year. Fresh compost, new beds lay directly on to stone so I didn’t use the ground (stupid me). There are weeds in the garden generally but not in my veg. 

My husband had them in his ‘coffin’ and didn’t tend to them so that’s probably not helped this year and I’ve got the starting fronds of mares tail coming up this year so I’m most definitely getting my comeuppance @KajiKita