How are the veggies coming along?

[Paul in the woods]

19 hours ago, 5thelement said:

There are some of the earliest Blueberry cuttings from America in the National Pinetum In Kent. Planted on a bit of scrub/heather Heathland with high Scots Pine canopy, they do fine and I would regularly harvest them when doing felling work there.

I had soil specific raised beds solely for them in my old place in the UK, kids ate them all before I even got a look in.

That's interesting, I planted some in my woodland between some Scots in acidic soil and they've done very well. Don't get much fruit though as the birds love them.

 

Ones at home are growing in large pots with acidic soil and chipped Scots as a mulch and they do well with a good harvest when netted.

 

[Ty Korrigan]

The dark side of Gregor Mendel and his pea breeding...

[Stere]

Quote

Applying for permission to erect a decent size of poly tunnel.

 

I have 8 hens living in about a  50m2 area of a big  polytunnel due to  the current bird flu restrictions (usually they are  free range in a 2 acre woodland /field and kept out of the veg garden as they eat the veg etc)

 

They are  doing a very good job clearing & fertilizing the ground  . Normally  now is when weeds are just starting to germinate inside there but they have keep it 100% bare soil. .

 

Makes sense to   put them in there every winter.

 

Fallow areas could also be planted with forage crops for the hens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Stere

[peds]

2 hours ago, Stere said:

 

I have 8 hens living in about a  50m2 area of a big  polytunnel due to  the current bird flu restrictions (usually they are  free range in a 2 acre woodland /field and kept out of the veg garden as they eat the veg etc)

 

 

Mine are squeezed into 18m2, they are starting to get cabin fever. Nine girls and two boys, both of whom are destined to be passanda as soon as I get the time to process them. Tricky to provide them with enough greenery, I throw them a few cabbages each week to destroy.

[scbk]

Nearly time to think about sowing seeds, what cherry tomato varieties do folks on here grow?

[peds]

Sungold are pretty decent. 

[Macpherson]

+1 for Sungold, also Gardiners delight and Ailsa Craig usually do well for me and although last year was very poor hopefully '23 will be better.👍

[Stere]

Black cherry  Sungold & Apero

[sime42]

13 minutes ago, scbk said:

Nearly time to think about sowing seeds, what cherry tomato varieties do folks on here grow?

Sweet Millions are good. Very much live up to their name. Though I've moved away from cherry toms in favour of bigger types the last few years, The Amateur and Gardener's Delight do well for me. I found picking a decent bowl full of tiny ones got too tedious after a while.

[scbk]

Cheers, last year was "supersweet 100" (seeds from lidl) which were ok, neither here nor there.

 

Don't think I've ever grown gardener's delight, was reading online it has been stripped of it's RHS award.

"they felt it was not a cherry tomato. Besides, this cultivar (perhaps because of its popularity and age) is too variable, with many different strains being sold as the same plant. The Forum felt that it is 'not what it should be or once was"