God I love growing our own

[enrico]

I made a waist height raised bed in the greenhouse for Mrs J. An oblong box 18" x 60" x 8" deep using 9" thick tantalized boards with 6 legs of 3" x 4" bolted into the corners and long sides of the box using 7/16" steel coach bolts. The legs stand on old floor tiles to spread the load and the box is lined with black builder's polythene with a couple of central drain points. She filled the box with Lidl compost and now grows peppers, tomatoes and other stuff for the table. It's been is service for a couple of years with change of compost but no signs of deterioration of the wood

9" thick..... wow that would be expensive

 

[JamezF]

Ok, perhaps I typed too soon. We're now into our second power cut of the evening, and whilst the first came back very quickly, this one looks more serious.

And we're back, after about an hour and three quarters.

The evening wasn't completely devoid of entertainment despite the lack of power. We could still hear someone playing drum & bass on the other side of the valley, only interrupted by what I believe must have been two foxes having a really major barney very close by. It sounded absolutely savage. Sadly when we went to investigate they ran away and we could hear the drum & bass again.

James

 

[Amari]

Reading a few posts back, @JamezF et al seem to plant out their leeks much later than me. As previously posted we can no longer grow them on the allotment because of severe damage by leek moth so the pics show leeks (four varieties) sown late March and planted May under mesh in a raised bed in the garden. Similarly carrots. I'm amazed by the vigorous growth.
Also pics of the greenhouse which SWMBO treated herself to earlier this year - tomatoes along each side, peppers along the centre - scarcely room to move - not that I'm allowed to enter, on pain of death......

 

[Midget Gem]

Very nice.. the only problem I find with pallet wood for raised beds is that it rots very quickly... cheap enough to replace but annoying when they rot and become a home for woodlice and other creatures . I'm trying a longer, albeit more expensive route.. pallet collars .. painted inside with some sadolin I had left over then lined with damp proof membrane and rhe outside treated with wood preservative. Seems to be working so far...

I made one earlier, that you can see in the background, out of tanalised wood so I will see how long they both last. I'm not really fussed as the pallet wood is free and I enjoy making stuff. The tanalised wood was reclaimed from previous low raised beds which were not a success. The beauty of a tall raised bed is it is easy to do a quick weed without getting your knees damp. This means I have done a much better job of keeping on top of the weeds.....although weeds are still my most successful crop! I look on it as growing compost

 

[pargyle]

I find planting leeks out too early leads to them bolting .. also, they take up space that I need for other crops ... they are very temperature tolerant and will grown strongly well into the autumn and are ready for use over winter. You can grow leeks at just about any time of the year but ones grown early probably need to be eaten early and IMO leeks are a winter comfort food ...

 

[enrico]

No, it isn't an apple it is a 400 gm tomato

 

[Goran]

No, it isn't an apple it is a 400 gm tomato
View attachment 37240

Let me know when you get one over a kilo

 

[Erichalfbee]

Rats. Given up with the traps. Stuffed poison down the holes.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Stuffed poison down the holes.

best way - what are you using? if it's a 1G rodenticide you will need to top up once the initial batch has been eaten

 

[enrico]

Rats. Given up with the traps. Stuffed poison down the holes.

You will never get rid of them, they are like grey squirrels, shoot ten another ten appear

 

[Erichalfbee]

You will never get rid of them, they are like grey squirrels, shoot ten another ten appear

Thanks Enrico.

 

[JamezF]

they take up space that I need for other crops

Very much this. All my early summer crops are out of the ground now, but the plot is still absolutely stuffed, with no space unused. I'm relying on us using up some things to make space for the last of the brassicas to go in. It's quite tricky to plan it all. Every year I seem to add more growing space to make life a little easier in terms of getting crops into the ground and then fall into the trap of deciding I could try to grow something else as well since I have all this extra space This year it is the turn of chicory and quinoa. So far I have discovered that slugs really love chicory.

James

 

[JamezF]

Thanks Enrico.

Fried rat, onna stick?

James

 

[enrico]

Thanks Enrico.

If you do get rid of them then let me know......you can have mine

 

[fian]

If you do get rid of them then let me know......you can have mine

In a corner of the orchard, plant rue and spurge (grass molehill). With gloves, collect leaves and let them macerate in water. Reduce the mix to 1/10 and water repeatedly around the perimeter of your garden and nearby. You will see how the rats flee from your garden.

 

[Erichalfbee]

You will never get rid of them, they are like grey squirrels, shoot ten another ten appear

Talking of squirrels. We got 11 this summer and haven’t seen any since the 11th was trapped.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

yeah right

 

[Gilberdyke John]

9" thick..... wow that would be expensive

Shuddased 9" wide by 1" thick There's a guy down at the local car boot site who sells off various timber quite cheaply. If you catch him when he's got useful sizes on his stall there's bargains to be had. He seems to buy odds and ends from bigger timber sellers but supplies can be erratic.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

And we're back, after about an hour and three quarters.

The evening wasn't completely devoid of entertainment despite the lack of power. We could still hear someone playing drum & bass on the other side of the valley, only interrupted by what I believe must have been two foxes having a really major barney very close by. It sounded absolutely savage. Sadly when we went to investigate they ran away and we could hear the drum & bass again.

James

Foxes courtship rituals can be somewhat vocal

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Foxes courtship rituals can be somewhat vocal

but they don't usually pair up until the New year