God I love growing our own

[Goran]

So, here we go again.. Smell and taste of spring.. This is for now " organic", but will not be vegan cause it will go together with a lot of meat..

 

[pargyle]

An old trick that my dad showed me years ago ,was instead of buying plant feed fill a sack with horse manure and put it in the water butt.Just remember its there and dont use the water for washing things down.

The very best homemade fertiliser I've found is to put a load of comfrey (leaves and stalks), any nettles (Leaves and stalks), well washed seaweed (from above the tide line - it's not allowed to be picked from below in our area) into a tub of rainwater and leave it to 'stew' for a few months with the occasional stir and a clothes peg on my nose. Keep the lid on the tub.

After a few months the stink subsides and you can strain the liquid off the solids. The solids go on the compost heap and the liquid gets diluted 10 parts water to 1 part liquinure. I then add a teaspoon of Epsom Salts to each 5 litres.

It's got EVERYTHING in it ... and it's almost totally free, readily available, organic and the plants love it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I didn’t know about the Epsom salts. I’ll remember that.

 

[enrico]

The very best homemade fertiliser I've found is to put a load of comfrey (leaves and stalks), any nettles (Leaves and stalks), well washed seaweed (from above the tide line - it's not allowed to be picked from below in our area) into a tub of rainwater and leave it to 'stew' for a few months with the occasional stir and a clothes peg on my nose. Keep the lid on the tub.

After a few months the stink subsides and you can strain the liquid off the solids. The solids go on the compost heap and the liquid gets diluted 10 parts water to 1 part liquinure. I then add a teaspoon of Epsom Salts to each 5 litres.

It's got EVERYTHING in it ... and it's almost totally free, readily available, organic and the plants love it.

I am told it cures a hangover too

 

[JamezF]

After a few months years the stink subsides

Fixed that for you

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

 

[Newbeeneil]

View attachment 35502

oooooooh lovely!

 

[JamezF]

oooooooh lovely!

Indeed. Looks very appealing. I should go and check on ours.

James

 

[JamezF]

Today I have been planting out first early potatoes; "Lady Christl" and "Red Duke of York" in this case. Second earlies should be in a couple of weeks. I've also planted out the first of my pea seedlings, a mangetout variety called "Bijou" and a normal podding pea "Champion of England" which is alleged to grow up to three metres tall! I'm sowing these successionally over a period of about ten weeks to try to extend the season a little, but in addition I'm trying out a variety called "Boddingtons". Sadly it doesn't taste of beer, nor is it even from Manchester but rather the Clydach valley. It's more intended for making soups than "fresh", so those can all go in at the same time.

I've also had to order some more module trays. I don't like using the plastic, but I do at least stamp a finger-size hole in the bottom of each cell so the plant can be removed without breaking the sides of the cell, hopefully meaning the trays will last longer. The only alternative I've found that seems viable is to use soil blocks, but the kit to make them is not cheap, and making 1200+ blocks (the number of cells in which I already have plants) would probably be quite soul-destroying.

James

 

[E&MBees]

Today I have been planting out first early potatoes; "Lady Christl" and "Red Duke of York" in this case. Second earlies should be in a couple of weeks. I've also planted out the first of my pea seedlings, a mangetout variety called "Bijou" and a normal podding pea "Champion of England" which is alleged to grow up to three metres tall! I'm sowing these successionally over a period of about ten weeks to try to extend the season a little, but in addition I'm trying out a variety called "Boddingtons". Sadly it doesn't taste of beer, nor is it even from Manchester but rather the Clydach valley. It's more intended for making soups than "fresh", so those can all go in at the same time.

I've also had to order some more module trays. I don't like using the plastic, but I do at least stamp a finger-size hole in the bottom of each cell so the plant can be removed without breaking the sides of the cell, hopefully meaning the trays will last longer. The only alternative I've found that seems viable is to use soil blocks, but the kit to make them is not cheap, and making 1200+ blocks (the number of cells in which I already have plants) would probably be quite soul-destroying.

James

I’ve been making newspaper pots at work and at home this year. They are working really well. There is something very therapeutic about the process. It doesn’t take long to produce a large seed trays worth. The early sweet peas sown in the first batch have excellent root systems that are now growing through the paper.

 

[Garry R]

Check on your rhubarb - we have had two pickings from a couple of weeks back

 

[Garry R]

Today I have been planting out first early potatoes; "Lady Christl" and "Red Duke of York" in this case. Second earlies should be in a couple of weeks. I've also planted out the first of my pea seedlings, a mangetout variety called "Bijou" and a normal podding pea "Champion of England" which is alleged to grow up to three metres tall! I'm sowing these successionally over a period of about ten weeks to try to extend the season a little, but in addition I'm trying out a variety called "Boddingtons". Sadly it doesn't taste of beer, nor is it even from Manchester but rather the Clydach valley. It's more intended for making soups than "fresh", so those can all go in at the same time.

I've also had to order some more module trays. I don't like using the plastic, but I do at least stamp a finger-size hole in the bottom of each cell so the plant can be removed without breaking the sides of the cell, hopefully meaning the trays will last longer. The only alternative I've found that seems viable is to use soil blocks, but the kit to make them is not cheap, and making 1200+ blocks (the number of cells in which I already have plants) would probably be quite soul-destroying.

James

Toilet roll empties for sowing parsnips in the greenhouse two seeds each. Leave one when germinated and plant pot and all in position when ready. All spaced out so no hoeing/no thinning - dead easy!

 

[Goran]

We prick out/ transplant seedlings in plastic " yoghurt pots of 200ml" and later when plant in ground, put the pots for recycle.. For pumpkins, watermelons and some.. we use bigger plastic pots of 500ml ( usually fresh cheese packed over here)..
We already sow peas outside and " early" potato.. It become difficult to acquire potato varieties we desire at my place for " hobby".. It is really going onto my nerve..

 

[JamezF]

Toilet roll empties for sowing parsnips in the greenhouse two seeds each. Leave one when germinated and plant pot and all in position when ready. All spaced out so no hoeing/no thinning - dead easy!

I used mine for broad beans I'd not thought of trying it for parsnips though.

James

 

[E&MBees]

I used mine for broad beans I'd not thought of trying it for parsnips though.

James

Kitchen roll tubes are great for long straight carrots.

 

[JamezF]

Kitchen roll tubes are great for long straight carrots.

What, and miss out on the amusement of all the bizarrely twisted and forked ones?

James

 

[Garry R]

I used mine for broad beans I'd not thought of trying it for parsnips though.

James

The plus for parsnips is that in open ground their germination can be patchy. I grow Gladiator

 

[JamezF]

The plus for parsnips is that in open ground their germination can be patchy. I grow Gladiator

Yes, I had quite poor germination last year, possibly because of the weather though it has been suggested that when we think we've had poor germination the actual case is that slugs and snails got to the seedlings before we even saw them.

The previous year they did really well though:

James

 

[pargyle]

Yes, I had quite poor germination last year, possibly because of the weather though it has been suggested that when we think we've had poor germination the actual case is that slugs and snails got to the seedlings before we even saw them.

The previous year they did really well though:

James

I start my parsnips off in a tray with the seeds laid on moist kithen roll on top of the central heating boiler ... they usually start to sprout in a matter of days and as soon as I see them start to sprout I then transfer them to paper pots to grow on before they go into the ground. I've never had much success sowing parsnips straight into the ground ... they can be very finicky getting them to germinate. I like them and I like to grow a few every year ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

I start my parsnips off in a tray with the seeds laid on moist kithen roll on top of the central heating boiler ... they usually start to sprout in a matter of days and as soon as I see them start to sprout I then transfer them to paper pots to grow on before they go into the ground. I've never had much success sowing parsnips straight into the ground ... they can be very finicky getting them to germinate. I like them and I like to grow a few every year ...

I thought this was a stroke of genius and tried it two years ago. No chance.
I tried a different part of the allotment and they did OK in the ground. They do still branch a bit though
A couple of bits of root seem to have been left behind so I'll let them flower for fresh seed and the bees