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The ups, the downs and the insides out of growing your own in 2025!

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  • -taff
    -taff Posts: 15,340 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Might as well go no dig for money like that, cover with cardboard and get some compost on top, or hay or whatever. If you can wrangle some pllet collars even better, raised beds good for no bending but you needn't spend loads on them. Scaffolding places sell cronky boards cheaply, or find someone having a new roof and take all the battens, screw with corner posts, esy peasy. There are always ways and means which don't involve cash or much cash, just depends on what you're willing or able or both to do.
    Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi
  • ladybird1106
    ladybird1106 Posts: 801 Forumite
    500 Posts Photogenic First Anniversary Name Dropper
    Blackbirds are singing here at the plot. Moved the glass today, and I have 17 out of 30 broad beans through. Good job I did some in pots in the potting shed. Will hopefully get them in next week. Starting to warm up the ground where the peas will be going , hopefully the extra compost layer will give us a good yield. Generally been poor here due to local pigeons getting to the seedlings before we can cover them. However the trees that they used to roost in have been removed by the owner of the house that backs onto the plots. 
    Watered the cauliflowers and cabbages that have over wintered in the greenhouses and have put on quite a bit of growth recently. Lots of sorting through the shed and lean to. Donated a load of pots on the allotment meet and greet plot. Still a lot to sort before the growing and hoeing season takes off. 
    Having braised home grown borlotti beans (dried them last year) with roasted tomatoes and kale. RF organic borlotti beans 500g (pods on) £5.25.
    love 🐞

    Grow your own: £14.66
  • carinjo
    carinjo Posts: 931 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Spend a few hours this week clearing and pruning (a bit late, but heyho). The crispy, sunny mornings had me on allotment just after 8am! Pear tree done, 2 red gooseberries done. The fig tree finally dead, so cut it down and the base can be used to nail a little table on top of it.
    Started building raised bed for greenhouse, but back too ouchy to finish.
    Donated leftover glass panes to neighbour as thanks for rebuilding my greenhouse for me.
    The rest of the week has a day trip to london and another to france for the wife's birthday, so everything will have to wait till next week.
    Have a look at gardening event at L1d1. They have some lovely raised  planters with covers (and vents). Saw similar on Alan T's program on ITV this week.
    It's good for the soul to walk with your soles on the soil. 
  • greenbee
    greenbee Posts: 17,762 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    A meeting was cancelled earlier, so I took advantage given the nice weather and have planted gooseberries, blackcurrants, and rhubarb. They're probably in the wrong places, but they're in the ground!
  • Silvertabby
    Silvertabby Posts: 10,121 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Eighth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    Roasted rhubarb. Cut up into chunks, place on baking parchment on a baking tray. Gas mark 6. 20-30 minutes (might need more or less depending on its thickness) until it’s soft and squishy. 
    Love 🐞
    Ooh - that sounds yummy!  Unfortunately, his nibs doesn't just hate the taste of rhubarb, he can't stand the smell either, so I rarely get to enjoy it.
  • Silvertabby
    Silvertabby Posts: 10,121 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Eighth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    Spike and Mrs Spike are awake and on the hunt for food (we put out chicken cat biscuits) and slug pudding.  Looking forward to seeing their babies  on the wildlife camera - so cute!  
  • oceandreamer
    oceandreamer Posts: 541 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Can I join please? Bit late I know, but I have just managed to clear enough of the end of the garden to think about planting a few things.  I have some potatoes ready to go in at weekend and have planted some celeriac seeds in a propagator.  I've never grown celeriac before and now I've read about it, I'm not sure how successful it will be - it seems very fickle! 
  • Suffolk_lass
    Suffolk_lass Posts: 10,258 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Received the strawberries first, and then the sweet pea plug plants I ordered in January. The strawberries are in. Very little growth on any of them and several leaves broken on arrival. We shall see but if I need to I will claim a refund. Ironically, the plug plants (all lovely) are matched by those I have grown from seed in long root trainers this year. Oh well, they will look and smell lovely, and they will encourage pollinators for our beans
    Save £12k in 2025 #2 I am at £4863.32 out of £6000 after May (81.05%)
    OS Grocery Challenge in 2025 I am at £1286.68/£3000 or 42.89% of my annual spend so far
    I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the Grow your own thread
    My new diary is here
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