vegetable plotters

[Cab]

That's what I thought a raised bed is! And what I wish I'd done with my veg patch...

Generally a 'raised bed' is bordered by wooden slats or stone/brickwork. What I described is usually described as being a variant of a sandwich bed or a lazy bed (although if you had a thin but half good soil on top of clay, a proper lazy bed would be as good an option for you).

 

[Cab]

I think it's about 12" for carrot fly avoidance!

I built some narrow raised troughs for my carrots - they didn't get eaten but were more julienne than dildo!

I avoid carrot fly more simply; I leave the grass either side of the carrot patch to grow longer (the two paths separating my allotment from neighbours), whereas on the other two sides I grow other crops that are taller. I water thoroughly after weeding, and I always fill in the holes from harvesting. I do get a little carrot fly damage, but I've never lost much that pest. And I believe that in the last two years we've bought carrots once, otherwise being entirely self sufficient in carrots

 

[purplemoon]

One method I've found to be successful in avoiding carrot fly with my early crops is to sow them directly in the space I've used for my onions and garlic as soon as they come out. The smell from the onion roots left behind does help to deter them.

I also plant marigolds in and amongst them but not sure whether that's as effective (maybe I got the wrong marigolds!) as a later crop of carrots did suffer despite claiming to be a fly resistant variety

 

[Fnaar]

OK, so I've rasied the bed up on bricks, put some newspaper and cardboard on it, covered it in soil.... now the bedrooms all dirty and mrs F will be home soon

 

[Fnaar]

And you forgot the lasagne didn't you?

I've got a can of squirty cream though.....

 

[purplemoon]

OK, so I've rasied the bed up on bricks, put some newspaper and cardboard on it, covered it in soil.... now the bedrooms all dirty and mrs F will be home soon

 

[Cab]

One method I've found to be successful in avoiding carrot fly with my early crops is to sow them directly in the space I've used for my onions and garlic as soon as they come out. The smell from the onion roots left behind does help to deter them.

I also plant marigolds in and amongst them but not sure whether that's as effective (maybe I got the wrong marigolds!) as a later crop of carrots did suffer despite claiming to be a fly resistant variety

When is that? My garlic comes out well after the first carrots are being eaten in our house, and even over-wintering Japanese onions don't come out until way after the first carrots are thickening up.

 

[purplemoon]

When is that? My garlic comes out well after the first carrots are being eaten in our house, and even over-wintering Japanese onions don't come out until way after the first carrots are thickening up.

Sorry, my mistake The reason I managed to do that this year is because I actually moved my onions to a different plot once I realised I wasn't supposed to be growing them next to peas, hence sowing the carrots in their place.

What I plan to do this year is leave enough space between the rows of onions so I can sow a row of carrots between them next spring and see how that works out

 

[Chuffy]

Dinner today was lamb steaks (reduced to clear!) with a medley of home grown roast veg (butternut squash, swede, courgette and mooli) and a large helping of home grown red cabbage. Very pleasing.

Prepare for gale force winds in the South-West...