The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

BananaRepublic · 6 April 2019 at 9:28PM

ak3lly wrote: »

On the subject of plants that help break clay soil up. I am planning on rotating potatoes in my heavy clay soil beds over the next few years. What other recommendations do you have to help beak clay soil down?
I'm thinking beetroot, pumpkin/squash and Swede.

Beetroot and squash sit on the surface, so not so good. Parsnip can produce huge roots in clay soil, carrots do well, but they tend to split as clay hold moisture. Loads of compost will produce lovely friable soil.

unrecordings · 7 April 2019 at 5:22PM

Just having a nice cup of tea, I'm pooped. Applied first treatment of nematodes this afternoon & went for a bit of a litter pick round my neck of the woods. I only fell over once...

ancientmum · 7 April 2019 at 8:22PM

I haven't posted much but I am trying to keep up with everyone. Unrecordings, I admire your spirit and I hope you didn't hurt yourself when you fell over.
I have been up to the plot a couple of times, spent four hours there today. My neighbour said it has been neglected since last summer, but I have found some rhubarb, ,strawberries, and a peony coming through. There are leaves on the blackcurrants, and a few raspberry canes seem to have survived my pruning. I have moved some small strawberry plants which were a bit crowded to a newly dug and weeded area. I have done the same with some lettuce and chard which look like they have self-seeded. I'm not sure if any of these will survive, but I've nothing to lose really. I want to grow some more fruit, so am going to look for gooseberry and redcurrant bushes.
Next time I will tackle the area under the black plastic, and get it ready to plant potatoes and carrots.

It was a lovely sunny day here, and great to get out to play, after a year of not having anywhere to garden,

Happy growing everyone!

rosie383 · 8 April 2019 at 8:29AM

I have lots of veg seedlings ready to go in the ground but I really want fruit too. Our strawberry plants didn't give us much last year so I figured I would replace them this year but I've just realised that I should have bought them in November!
Is there anything I can do? I have put so much work into the garden this year digging out veg patches and hubby spent all day yesterday making me a lovely raised bed.
I have an apple tree which I am very grateful for but only one small blackcurrant and one raspberry cane which I put in last year and is looking a bit pathetic.
I also have rhubarb but it was quite woody last year.

So can I get any fruit this year? What can I do or buy at this time of year please?

unrecordings · 8 April 2019 at 8:50AM

I've found these guys are good and have a useful / non-annoying newsletter

https://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk

If your rhubarb was woody, then you might have picked it too late
You could probably put some later varieties of rhubarb in once the frost season is over (but you'd be best not pick it until next year to allow it to establish). You're too late for bare root plants (cheaper), but they wouldn't fruit for a year or so anyway - we are heading towards potted plant (expensive) season in the garden centres

rosie383 · 8 April 2019 at 9:03AM

Thanks Unrecordings.
The rhubarb is well established but a lot of the sides of the garden had been quite grown over and they were fairly well hidden.
I've cleared a lot of the bushes and undergrowth back and it's given me almost a metre of decent (albeit not very deep) soil with 4 nice pink rhubarb crowns. There are already a few stalks a few inches high. So should I pick them as soon as they're about a foot?

From what you were saying I've missed getting fruit trees/bushes this year unless they are expensive. TBH I'd be prepared to pay a wee bit more fir some strawberry plants as we get so much pleasure from going out and picking a bowl full.
I have peas in and will do sweetcorn as my little one enjoys picking them.

Pablosmummy · 8 April 2019 at 12:20PM

Everything's properly growing now! Got first signs of flower buds on my strawberries and gooseberries, my calendula is going to open it's first few buds any day now and my apple tree is probably a week or so away from flowering which I can't wait for because it looks so lovely. Everything else is going well just waiting for it to be warm enough to plant everything outside now, my kitchen windowsill and table are getting a bit crowded...

I know you wanted some.this year, but the poundshops have their fruit bushes in now, if you plant them this year you should get some fruit next year, the blackcurrant I bought last year is enormous now so.hoping for some good fruit off it. If they don't grow at least they were only a pound...

rosie383 · 8 April 2019 at 2:05PM

Good idea about the fruit bushe's from the pound shop. That's what I need to do , forward plan.

I did find strawberry plants in B&Q. They worked out at £1 each but they will still prove to be cheaper than buying strawberries from the supermarket. Even if we get a punnet worth from each one they will pay for themselves and hopefully for the years to come.
I will look out for some better varieties maybe come autumn. Just off to write that on the calendar now before I forget til next spring!

unrecordings · 8 April 2019 at 8:39PM

Not much on the gardening front as I was trying to take it easy, so visited an old friend after which went to a garden centre to pick up gro bags for the green house tomatoes. Came back with a stool/kneeler too - Town & Country - looks the ticket, and should help (assuming I don't fall off it while in stool mode)

Primrose · 8 April 2019 at 8:52PM

These kneeler stools are wonderful. I couldn,t manage without mine now because the older you get, often the more difficult it is to find the strength to lever yourself up to a standing position afterwards. These give you that support and leverage, and turned upside down, they provide a convenient little seat on which to sit and drink a cup of tea while you recover!

A useful present for older mums or dads who enjoy gardening but who might be getting a bit creaky and not wanting to admit it !

The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

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