God I love growing our own

[pargyle]

Thanks for there compost ideas. If it weren't for the tomatoes I found growing in the tunnel I would largely be bereft this year. Have to buy my peppers and aubergines.

I saved the seeds from the only tomatoes that survived blight last year - they were the 6 plants from the nursery that had lost their label and they basically gave them to me with some other stuff so I've no idea what they are. I planted them, more in hope than anything, and I now have a small forest of tomato seedlings - so, against my better judgement, after last year's disaster, I'm going to try again ... watch this space !

 

[Erichalfbee]

. watch this space !

Absolutely go for it.

 

[JamezF]

I saved the seeds from the only tomatoes that survived blight last year - they were the 6 plants from the nursery that had lost their label and they basically gave them to me with some other stuff so I've no idea what they are. I planted them, more in hope than anything, and I now have a small forest of tomato seedlings - so, against my better judgement, after last year's disaster, I'm going to try again ... watch this space !

Possibly a bit late to start now for this year, but Real Seeds (and therefore others, I assume) do at least one tomato variety that fruits very early and might help to get a decent crop before dampness in the late Summer/early Autumn gets to them. I'm giving a variety called Latah (here) a go this year so I can try growing them outdoors.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is where we keep our spare beekeeping kit, smoker fuel, suits, pots, canes etc for the polytunnel. Will quickly move all that to the largely empty greenhouse and leave the Wagtail to it

 

[pargyle]

This is where we keep our spare beekeeping kit, smoker fuel, suits, pots, canes etc for the polytunnel. Will quickly move all that to the largely empty greenhouse and leave the Wagtail to it

My garden robin appears to be servicing a nest in my spare cement mixer (I have two - don't ask !)- it's got a cover over it but he's going in and out through a hole in the cover ... it's in a corner of my allotment area so they won't get disturbed and hopefully the squirrels won't get at them. This is the first year for four years where I haven't had a wren nesting in the roof of the feeding station in the hen run. She's reared two clutches every year until now - hopefully just late starting but I'm not hopeful.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Our resident wren has been busy here. He’s built three nests that we can find and is still advertising them.

 

[JamezF]

Could have spent the day planting stuff out today, but allegedly it's going to get a lot colder over the next few days. Then again, it was supposed to be colder today and I was outside in a t-shirt so perhaps not. I'll see what I think in a couple of days.

Meantime the ground is actually starting to dry out (although rain is also forecast from the early hours until 9am-ish tomorrow), so my daughter has been giving the mower a work-out. She filled our little 3'x6' trailer to overflowing three times with the clippings and it's all gone into the compost layered with shredded paperwork, the last of my son's A Level notes and newspaper.

I did a bit of weeding in the new beds and found these, which makes me very happy, though I'm stunned they're so early.

James

 

[roche]

Recipe for compost please. I have garden compost and leaf mould. What else to add?

I do 70% compost 20% leaf mould (finely seived) and 10% vermiculite or perlite. I have heard that coir is good to add as well ..

I made a mix of this yesterday. Totally different feel to just garden compost - the leaf mould gave it a totallt different texture. Felt good.

 

[pargyle]

I made a mix of this yesterday. Totally different feel to just garden compost - the leaf mould gave it a totallt different texture. Felt good.

Yes ... the leaf mould lightens the mix and at the same time holds moisture better than 'normal' potting/seed mix. It works well for me - I got the 'recipe' from a long time gardener who had the allotment next to mine and he reckoned he'd tried everything over the years.

 

[Ely]

My bloody carrots aren't coming up

 

[JamezF]

My bloody carrots aren't coming up

We have had weird weather this Spring, but my first suspicion when that happens is slugs, along with their more middle-class brethren who own their own homes.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Recipe for compost please. I have garden compost and leaf mould. What else to add?
Thoroughly disappointed with seedlings this year so I’m going to try making my own.

my grandfather always made his own seed compost, he'd sent me down the garden on a dry spring day (remember those?) and I'd skim off the lighter/drier top off the garden soil into a bucket which he'd then leave in the shed to dry a bit more, he would then run it all through a fine (ish) riddle to get the largest stone chips, pebbles etc out, and would then mix this with a decent quality potting compost to lighten it a bit, he'd sometimes add a dash of blood, fish and bone - didn't need any sand or anything with our local garden soil. A sort of a home made John Innes number 1to2, he used to raise superb flower and vegetable plants every year.
I can't see doing this with your compost mix being any difference.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My bloody carrots aren't coming up

We have had weird weather this Spring, but my first suspicion when that happens is slugs, along with their more middle-class brethren who own their own homes.

James

that's the thing with the smaller slugs and insects, they nip off the growing tips as soon as they hit the surface so we never actually see any growth and assume the seeds never germinated.
Used to get this phenomenon when I first moved to Brynmair where the first eighteen inches of my seeds sown nearest to the garden wall (which is at the Westward side so the plot never gets shaded until late evening) one year, at my grandfather's suggestion I scattered some slug pellets over that area well before I saw any growth at all. That year I had seedlings right up to the wall.

 

[emoclewbee]

Not exactly growing but chicks hatched out today.
This hen is 5 years old and this is her 8th time. Though only her third time hatching hens.
There is use for this old hen yet

 

[Erichalfbee]

my grandfather always made his own seed compost, he'd sent me down the garden on a dry spring day (remember those?) and I'd skim off the lighter/drier top off the garden soil into a bucket which he'd then leave in the shed to dry a bit more, he would then run it all through a fine (ish) riddle to get the largest stone chips, pebbles etc out, and would then mix this with a decent quality potting compost to lighten it a bit, he'd sometimes add a dash of blood, fish and bone - didn't need any sand or anything with our local garden soil. A sort of a home made John Innes number 1to2, he used to raise superb flower and vegetable plants every year.
I can't see doing this with your compost mix being any difference.

We have lots of molehills.

 

[Erichalfbee]

There is use for this old hen yet

My oldest is 15. She crows in the mornings

 

[Goran]

Not exactly growing but chicks hatched out today.
This hen is 5 years old and this is her 8th time. Though only her third time hatching hens.
There is use for this old hen yet

Today we put one in the nest, tomorrow 2 more.. Only problem is we get in this way a lot of roosters which later we have to deal with..

 

[emoclewbee]

Today we put one in the nest, tomorrow 2 more.. Only problem is we get in this way a lot of roosters which later we have to deal with..

My grandmother showed me a way to divine for hens when I was younger.
I tried it last year to show it to my toddler aged cousins. Got 11 hens, 1 cock out of 15 eggs.
I am certain it was just total luck, but for fun decided to do it again this year.
If it works again maybe I will consider putting my bait hives on Leylines

 

[Erichalfbee]

My grandmother showed me a way to divine for hens when I was younger.
I tried it last year to show it to my toddler aged cousins. Got 11 hens, 1 cock out of 15 eggs.
I am certain it was just total luck, but for fun decided to do it again this year.
If it works again maybe I will consider putting my bait hives on Leylines

Yes but cocks aren’t a waste. You just eat them.

 

[emoclewbee]

The breeds I keep are not worth fattening imo