Any arbtalking veg growers in da house?

[NI Tree]

at one stage we grew 20+ virites of salad

[mdt]

I intend having a veg garden as have moved to somewhere with bit more land. Just waiting for the fencing contractor to turn up to rabbit proof it then will get it ploughed and hopefully be away. Will keep it simple this year see how it goes.

 

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[likeitorlumpit]

yes to asparagus wee

Sulphur containing ammino acids apparently.

50% do and 50% don't and sometimes those that do make the smelly wee can't smell it.

We grow tomatoes each year from last years seed in the sunniest spot. Runners (again saved seed) against the fence.

Herbs in pots and usually put some of our old potatoes (soft left over ones) in the ground between the shrubs for the best new potatoes you can get = straight out of the garden. You can put your Jersey Royals and Egyptian potatoes where the sun don't shine.

[Marko]

How about an arbtalk only biggest pumpkin out of a growbag competition?

 

I need to declare an interest straight away but thought it might be fun. Giant Pumpkin Seed - Try and grow a record breaking heaviest pumpkin with our top pedigree giant pumpkin seeds

[Chris Sheppard]

Previous house had a bare veg patch when we moved in and we had a go at growing our own, but it didn't go that well - mainly down to me not keeping it weeded and keeping beasties off from eating it so kinda gave up.

 

Did try again a few years later with some smaller raised beds I'd made and found that a couple of minutes every time I let the dogs out meant I kept it weed free and with some simple frames made of cane and netting managed to keep the birds off too. That went fairly well and we had Potatoes, Carrots, Swede, Parsnip and a few Onions.

 

Something I've tried a couple of times and failed both times was growing mushrooms - first time we got nothing at all and the second time we got one grow to almost harvestable size and then it just shrivelled up. Probably will try again but not holding out much hope.

 

Since have moved house and haven't got round to getting anything sorted but I'm hoping to do something about it this year.

 

Have got a few small rasberry and strawberry plants in pots that put a little bit of fruit on each year, does that count?

[Gnarlyoak]

Anyone else a "guerrilla allotmenteer"?

 

I live in a flat with no outdoor space, just behind me is a railway viaduct, and just behind that is a narrow strip of land sandiwiched between a fence and the wall of the viaduct.

So one year I invented a little project to clear a portion of it, of all the sapling; weeds; brambles and accumilation of rubbish & other detritus, and turned it into a small veg patch for personal pleasure and to put a bit of homegrown veg on the table.

 

Grow a mix of everything, mostly from seed stock and packets, plus a few rasberry canes. This will be my 5th year and this post has prompted me to get the seed catalogues out & start planning.

 

Have it laid out in about 7 beds. Rotate the crops every year. Manage it as organically as possible, but did have to resort to biological warfare last year to protect carrots and parsnip from carrot fly with mixed results. I also grow a couple of small beds of wildflowers to encourage beneficial insects and to tempt away the notso beneficial insects from attacking my crops. Every year I seem to get more bees and hover flies.

 

Last year was exceptionally poor, constant rain and grey skies meant little grew well, then after I broke my ankle what little there was rotted in the incessant rain as I was'nt able to go out and harvest much. Still nibbling on a few leeks and sprouts which is all that is still in the ground at the moment.

 

The most successful crop to date year on year is mange tout. Always end up with more than I can eat or give away. Usually self sufficient in potatoes for 4-5 mnths of the year, but last years bad weather meant only half that!

 

Will add some pics of my sneaky plot at a later date.

[Gardenmac]

Made raised beds in wife's school for the kids to grow their own. Last year they won the regional 'Best School Garden' with Britain in Bloom. Beds made up from recycled scaffold boards. The kids love growing the pumpkins and strawberries, food all collected and cooked in the school kitchen.

I'm there on Friday to till and turn over the beds ready for the next season, just invested in a Honda Tilly- great bit of kit that comes in handy for customers flower beds too.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

This threads a happy thread, makes me smile.

 

some nice posts, looking forward to everyones updates as the year unfolds.

 

I strimmed the neglected lawn to stubs yesterday ready for the big dig, double dig back breaking but will go over to minimal digging after the initial layout and soil prepping.

 

Im hoping to doa bee keeping course this summer and have a couple of bantams for fresh eggs. already started collecting logs for when the boiler/stove is bought this year.

 

going to be a lot of fun homesteading

[NI Tree]

oi hope to plow it with a 4 farrow resvisable and subsoil mine this year but will have to dig the ends over by hand but would love a 2 farrow for the 35 as it would be handier

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Garden Organic - celebrating 50 years of organic growing - organic gardening, farming and food