God I love growing our own

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm working on that one, as it were.

James

like the constipated mathematician that worked it out with a pencil?

 

[pargyle]

I'm working on that one, as it were.

James

Nothing better as compost than the contents of a composting toilet. If you eat a lot of tomatoes you have an almost continous production line -even better than no dig .... mind you ... it's where you site it that is the critical factor !

 

[JamezF]

Nothing better as compost than the contents of a composting toilet. If you eat a lot of tomatoes you have an almost continous production line -even better than no dig .... mind you ... it's where you site it that is the critical factor !

I have most of the construction work done on mine -- pretty much just the inside left to do now. I was intending to finish it over the Summer, but Fate had other plans for me. The base is arranged so I can slip pallet forks underneath and move it around using the three-point linkage on the tractor.

There's a slight irony that I'm building one at all given that the building we now use as a tool shed in the veggie plot actually used to be a two-seater thunderbox. It would probably be more work to return to its original purpose than building from scratch however.

In my case the tomato seeds would be unlikely to survive as I'll be using buckets as JBM suggests and regularly transferring the contents to their own compost heap. There are some good reasons for doing it that way. It becomes easier to build up the composting temperature, which helps to kill bacteria (and seeds), and there are human parasites (some worms, I think) that need to spend part of their lifecycle in soil. By having a separate heap I can ensure there's no opportunity for that to happen.

In this day and age I expect the entire idea will make quite a few peoples' toes curl, but using clean potable water to dispose of "human waste" is enormously wasteful of resources in so many ways, and in fact I suspect we're really not that far away from the point where there won't be sufficient clean water for everyone to be able to do so anyhow (or it will become prohibitively expensive).

James

 

[Goran]

Our tap water is drinkable and no calc in it.. When I was in France as guest, after taking shower I felt dirty afterward due to calc. Everyone dragging around bottled drinking water.. When I came home what a relief.. We are spoiled with our water.. But due to climate changes who knows for how long..

 

[pargyle]

Our tap water is drinkable and no calc in it.. When I was in France as guest, after taking shower I felt dirty afterward due to calc. Everyone dragging around bottled drinking water.. When I came home what a relief.. We are spoiled with our water.. But due to climate changes who knows for how long..

Can you begin to imagine Plitvice without water ?

 

[Goran]

Can you begin to imagine Plitvice without water ?

Unfortunately, easily.. At my place I know some springs that doesn't exist anymore ( dried out).. Devastating our forest we are accelerating turning our green hills into stripped lifeless rock masses, I already saw at my place where they cut whole forests, erosion came and took ground with flood downhill and rocks appear.. I think it already is too late for us humans to survive. Processes which naturally need some thousands years to happen, we increased in decades, years.. and for what, to have zillions of some money on bank account.. Something which is said to define humanity is not that disgusting greed which is destroying all of us..
Madness, total madness..

 

[pargyle]

Unfortunately, easily.. At my place I know some springs that doesn't exist anymore ( dried out).. Devastating our forest we are accelerating turning our green hills into stripped lifeless rock masses, I already saw at my place where they cut whole forests, erosion came and took ground with flood downhill and rocks appear.. I think it already is too late for us humans to survive. Processes which naturally need some thousands years to happen, we increased in decades, years.. and for what, to have zillions of some money on bank account.. Something which is said to define humanity is not that disgusting greed which is destroying all of us..
Madness, total madness..

That is so sad Goran, as you know I spent a fair bit of time in your wondeful country in the 60's and early 70's. The sights in the mountains were something to behold and nothing like anything I had seen anywhere else in Europe. Plitvice is a UNESCO world heritage site it wo;uld be a tragedy if it were lost or even subject to change. However, having seen what is happening to the glaciers in the Pyrenees - I fear you may be right.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Human beings are a mere blip in the history of the planet. We are doing just what we are supposed to do and the Earth will trundle along nicely without us.

 

[roche]

Human beings are a mere blip in the history of the planet. We are doing just what we are supposed to do and the Earth will trundle along nicely without us.

The thing I hate is the colateral damage done to innocent by-standers.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes. It makes you weep but you can only do your best. I’m not saying do nothing collectively but this relentless pursuit of Net Zero in this country will make not a scrap of difference globally and will impoverish even more the very people that are on the edge already. I hear Chris Packham plans to sue Rishi Sunak. Where could that money be better spent?

 

[Lolly Bee]

I've been picking the bean pods that I left to dry on the plants this afternoon, but at this rate it looks like we might be having runner beans with Christmas dinner!

James

Oh gawd, me too. If it wasn't courgettes (inundated and freezer almost swollen with them) I'm now overwhelmed with beans and they are a variety called The Tsar and are monsters (but delicious!)

 

[roche]

I think every country and every community needs to strive towards net zero, or preferably zero. It is only by collective action and incremental changes that it can be achieved. Ulitmately it should result in less energy being used, which will help to reduce poverty.

As a case in point, not implementing and enforcing insulation standards on rental accommodation costs the tenants more in perpetuity - something that successive governments have failed to do.

 

[Ely]

Pak Choi seedlings have been eaten by mice :

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think every country and every community needs to strive towards net zero, or preferably zero. It is only by collective action and incremental changes that it can be achieved. Ulitmately it should result in less energy being used, which will help to reduce poverty.

As a case in point, not implementing and enforcing insulation standards on rental accommodation costs the tenants more in perpetuity - something that successive governments have failed to do.

we can either say 'it's never going to work' do nothing and just carry on careering in our handcart en route to hell or just at least strive towards zero, as even a 20% reduction is better than Llaregub

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think every country and every community needs to strive towards net zero

China and India

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

China and India

I believe they are doing as much if not more than us nowadays, it's just it suits certain rags to fuel the climate change denial and whataboutery campaign. I'd be more concerned about the US to be honest

 

[roche]

China and India

I don't think it's a matter of saying "these guys aren't so why should we" but leading by example, doing what is right and showing that it is profitable to do so.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I don't think it's a matter of saying "these guys aren't so why should we"

I didn’t say that
And I didn’t say we shouldn’t strive to reduce our impact either.

 

[JamezF]

Oh gawd, me too. If it wasn't courgettes (inundated and freezer almost swollen with them) I'm now overwhelmed with beans and they are a variety called The Tsar and are monsters (but delicious!)

Quite a few of our excess courgettes went to make courgette, chile and ginger chutney which is a required accompaniment to curry as far as I'm concerned. Others were roasted with aubergines and sweet peppers and then frozen. We've already used some to make a veggie lasagne.

Do the runner beans have white/cream flowers and white beans rather than the usual purple and black beans? If so they may be the same variety as mine. It was my intention that anything left on the plants would be left to dry out and I could use the beans as butter beans, but I think we may as well eat the smaller ones as pods. I can't see much chance of them ripening fully this late in the year.

James

 

[roche]

I didn’t say that
And I didn’t say we shouldn’t strive to reduce our impact either.

Sorry if I took the wrong implication.