- CLOSED - Tips and Advice

[IF]

A thread for our gardener's

[MustGetStraigh]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

Keen gardener, took on an allotment from scratch this time last year, and although it's been blimmin' hard work (dug it all myself, no weedkiller, no rotavator) it's been worth it.

OH doesn't "do" gardening but the kids are loving it and have their own patches where they grow what they like.

We were too successful with some things (we will be living on courgette soup from the freezer this winter, all winter!), others not so great (my runners have been suffering from lack of water) but most things have worked well. It's been a great escape great for getting rid of stress!

Any other allotmenteers out there?

[Pixie]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

I enjoy gardening but my lovely vegetable patch has been ruined by us having too much rain and not enough sunshine ;F-

[alwaysskint]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

Never been into gardening really, but having lost my well paid job last year and having no choice but to go on benefits, have found that it's all rather therapuetic after all lol

Have now got a smallish raised bed (approx 3m x 1/2m) made from readjusted picket fencing I found at the back of the falling down shed
A cheapie plastic covered greenhouse (£9) and a fair few long tubs and plant pots

Currently still in the raised beds are my precious leeks, one sprouts plant (for xmas haha) started with 3 but misjudged the growing space and caterpillars lol, One garlic bulb still left in, and my herbs
Still got loads of seeds from this year left over, but if I have enough pennies, am looking at getting a potato sack or two and doing potatoes next year too

Am down on the waiting list for an allotment too - still looking at another 2 years for that though boo!

Successfully grown this year: radish, spring onions, cutngrow lettuce, pumpkins x 3, tomatoes, garlic, chilli peppers, carrots, cauliflower (x2 hahahaha), assorted herbs - chives, thyme, coriander, lemon coriander, parsley, sage and rosemary

Not bad for a first year, but unfortunately, only did small quantities as I'm not very green fingered - well, didn't think i was anyway, and nowhere near enough to sustain us for any length of time this year, but hey ho, always next year!

Really good website for allotment/back garden gardening is http://www.allotment.org.uk
Loads of really helpful tips, even if you haven't got a big growing area! Knowing now how much space is needed, I think my decking is going to be reallocated hahaha

[Wishfull]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

i have a large garden 30 ft polytunnel with automatic watering system plus a greenhouse upto now this year 2011 have lolla rossa letuce up giant red mustard mizuna and rocket up plus parsley sage tyme lemon grass chives and garlic chives any one tried the giant red mustard it is lush mixed into salads this weekend will see more herbs peas beans spring onions and spinich gooing in

[MustGetStraigh]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

i have a large garden 30 ft polytunnel with automatic watering system plus a greenhouse

VERY VERY VERY JEALOUS!!! I'd love a polytunnel, no room for it though , trying to make room for a small greenhouse but it'll be a very small one....

[Wishfull]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

hi you heard about land share it is run by river cottage seems to be working well, i got my greenhouse of freescycle was chuffed to bits,had all the veg for xmas dinner fresh out of the polytunnel picking sprouts on xmas morning great, cant wait for the better weather got a clay ovan in the garden as well perfect for bread to go with the bbq cooks a homemade pizza in 50 seconds

[Wishfull]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

http://www.rivercottage.net/landshare/

[Treepiary]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

This is my third year growing my own. i do my growing on a very small budget.

old wooden pallets, most people throw them away. i break them down and make raised beds and potato boxes. i also used a couple to make my cheap plastic greenhouse into something able to widthstand the uk winds.

Peppers both sweet and cayenne

herbs : basil parsley mint

lettuce, cucumber, peas, dwarf beans, tomato's, onions, strawberrys, potatoes, pumpkins ( super giants ), and this year honeydew melon's

i mostly collect my seeds from the veg we by from tesco's and alike. i make my own compost tea, and have changed parents garden into a micro allotment.

today i harvested four potato plants i had growing in a foot of soil ( 2ft x2ft box) and recieved a nice 2.8 KG of lovely fresh redskin tattys.

if anyone would like a step by step guide on fixing the cheap plastic greenhouses i will add some picture attachments of my greenhouse build

[philnicandamy]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

Sounds amazin treepiary..I cant garden due to mobility issues but would love some raised beds as my little one likes the garden so thought we'd try & grow something

i'd appreciate any help!

[Treepiary]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

Sounds amazin treepiary..I cant garden due to mobility issues but would love some raised beds as my little one likes the garden so thought we'd try & grow something

i'd appreciate any help!

mobility does not have to stop you a bed raised high enough can be used by anybody. bu i can understand.

starting with simple plants :

tomatoes : small plum and cherry stay small so are more easy to handle. also great for the little ones to pick and eat.

beans and peas are always a good choice, ideal finger foods,

herbs : indoors or outside they bring smells into the garden and house, mint and basil are pungent when the leaves are broken. and release smooth oils into the summer air. they can also be grown nearly all year long.

potatoes : you can cut a growbag in half and place two/three potatoes in each half. once the flowers (white) fall off you can lift them (tip them out) the little ones can get into the soil and find the booty.

collecting seeds is fun and teaches our little green fingers where food comes from and how it grows. something that is lost these days with fast food and mass production.

pepper seeds can be saved from store purchased peppers, scoop them from the flesh and leave on windowsill for a couple of weeks.

tomatoes: scoop the seed and rinse in in some water, place them onto a sheet of paper and leave on windowsill for a couple to three weeks to dry.

beans and peas can be dried the same way. a few pods will allow you to grow more the next season.

hot peppers can be dried on windowsill and placed into olive oil for that summer heat in mid winter.

hope this all helps, feel free to throw questions

[philnicandamy]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

Thank you so much for the info.....we're off tomorrow to make a start then!

[Angry Cat]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

I am a great fan of, grow your own!

At the moment, I have growing:
3 varieties of potatoes;
courgette;
peas;
runner beans;
lettuce;
5 varieties of tomatoes;
chilly pepper plants including scotch bonnet and;
not forgetting my lovely herbs, of course.

All are surviving well, (I hope) in pots bags and other receptacles. Much TLC is needed but the results are well worth the work!

Note: Nigel Slater suggested growing potatoes in a dustbin, (obviously a clean new bin)giving the plants extra room to grow.

[Treepiary]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

I am a great fan of, grow your own!

At the moment, I have growing:
3 varieties of potatoes;
courgette;
peas;
runner beans;
lettuce;
5 varieties of tomatoes;
chilly pepper plants including scotch bonnet and;
not forgetting my lovely herbs, of course.

All are surviving well, (I hope) in pots bags and other receptacles. Much TLC is needed but the results are well worth the work!

Note: Nigel Slater suggested growing potatoes in a dustbin, (obviously a clean new bin)giving the plants extra room to grow.

dustbins, old car tyres stacked. deep raised bed, all work for potatoes, keep heaping soil up around the stalks to force plant to produce more tubers.

my potatoes came from a store purchase bag, after a couple days i noticed the chitting so kept four back and popped into a very meager 1ft deep of soil. worked very well. this year and next year i will dig the couch grass out of the garden and plant potatoes to help break the soil and not my back.

[MrsD]

Re: Garden Corner: for the green fingered amongst us

you guys put me to shame!!!

I'm just trying to fill in the garden with stuff that will come back year after year. Lost loads due to the orrible weather at Christmas (we had -22 for quite a while), now its the wet, its murdering my wee petunias!!! had to plant out stuff in the pouring rain yesterday cos they were drowning in the wee pots. Got a couple of tomato plants going so here's hoping. Any suggestions for growing a tall shrub quickly as I lost an 8ft fushia in the winter which normally screens out the pesky neighbours, i can see them now!!!