How are the veggies coming along?

[sime42]

Yep, I've noticed exactly the same things the last few years, most peat free compost seems crap. Loads of plastic, and other rubbish and lots of sizable twigs and wood chips. It must be a direct result of using more recycled material in place of the traditional peat. I'm loath to go back to using peat though so I guess we're stuck with it. I could use homemade compost as well I suppose but no way I can make enough of that.

 

After the initial seedling stage I normally use a 50/50 mixture of topsoil and compost anyway. It gives a more "meaty" consistency, better water retention and it's cheaper! I'm sure all the soil micro-organisms are benefial too.

 

 

 

 

[difflock]

Me grapes.

And a "bull-root" of a plant (Amaryllis?) Perhaps.

[Peasgood]

12 hours ago, sime42 said:

Eh? I take it you mean 3 inches? 3 foot before a true leaf would be funny.

 

 

Nope, wrote it out for clarity.

I think the term is "leggy"

[sime42]

36 minutes ago, Peasgood said:

Nope, wrote it out for clarity.

I think the term is "leggy"

There's leggy and then there's leggy. Jeeze. Never heard of that before. Are you sure they're not grapes?!

[sime42]

 

 

The fruit trees are mainly tiddlers but they're punching above their weight so far this year.

 

[spudulike]

Most of the compost we have purchased is like mashed up wood chip. Very fibrous, near black and not seen the like before they did peat free compost.

If growing from seed, steer clear of the compost made from councils bin collections as we had real issues growing seeds one year and put it down to weedkiller and lawn weed and feed stopping seed germination.

[openspaceman]

24 minutes ago, spudulike said:

Most of the compost we have purchased is like mashed up wood chip. Very fibrous, near black and not seen the like before they did peat free compost.

If growing from seed, steer clear of the compost made from councils bin collections as we had real issues growing seeds one year and put it down to weedkiller and lawn weed and feed stopping seed germination.

RHS Wisley had much the same experience 30 years ago when they imported some leaf litter from the LA to add to their compost, simazine was the culprit IIRC.

[sime42]

2 hours ago, spudulike said:

Most of the compost we have purchased is like mashed up wood chip. Very fibrous, near black and not seen the like before they did peat free compost.

If growing from seed, steer clear of the compost made from councils bin collections as we had real issues growing seeds one year and put it down to weedkiller and lawn weed and feed stopping seed germination.

Yep that's the stuff, very dark and fibrous and full of rubbish. I've had some like that. I speculated that it was from some kind of municipal recycling facility. I think I've even recognised pieces of the Toolstation Garden Waste bags! Excellent bags by the way, very tough, (obviously, since they got through the recycling process).

 

Good point about residue weedkillers and other chemicals, I'd not considered that. If there are traces in the compost it could explain how some seeds germinate and then just do nothing and then finally give up.

 

[daveatdave]

when my local council started doing it they were on about bagging it and selling it back at the tip sites. They tried some on park rose beds first and it killed them off 

think part of the problem is that its not composted long enough and the Sive is to big a gauge 

[Ty Korrigan]

I'm not happy that I've paid for a top brand of potting compost only to find my own woodchip pile is better quality.

Regardless, I'm germinating at home in fibre pots (bought 1400) before I take the plants up to our renovation.

Today I put in 60+ broad beans in the fibre pots, roots bursting through the sides.

Mrs Lee makes a thick gruel from them, some mountain Berber recipe from her Grandmother.

I pulled back the black plastic to find my soil was very warm and moist, ideal for root stimulation.

Shallots, red and white onions are getting going.

Spunta spuds, a large variety good for chips are poking through.

I screwed up on the spacing with these.My 50 🍓🍓🍓🍓 are settling in nicely.

This morning I spent €15 on a tray of the celebrated Gariguette 🍓🍓🍓🍓 from the West Brittany which lasted no time at all.

Lovely they were.

Think I'll put another row of this variety strawberries in next year.

Tonight I ordered another 2  blueberry and 4 raspberries 'Glencoe' as well as herbs for a shallow raised bed at home for Mrs Lee.

Planted out a line of giant Mongolian sunflower 🌻🌻🌻🌻 then sowed a band of flower mix.

Many parts of France are under a drought with some villages living in bottled water.

Here, the water table is high and consistent.

Hopefully I won't need to irrigate much this Summer.