Anyone growing their own veggies?

[summerdays]

My mint has escaped its pot this year ... and I'm so feeble at pulling up plants I like in the wrong places that so far it has survived (though I did pull some yesterday for on our dinner last night).

So I'm growing potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, broad beans, garlic, spinach, rocket, some fruit bushes which only went in at the end of last year etc. We managed to grow enough garlic last year to last us the whole year - however the last of the garlic is now going mouldy so I need to improve my storing techniques for next year.

 

[al78]

We have a pathetic little garden which is almost uncultivatable and mostly weeds grass. And shrubbery. But some spinach is just poking out the ground now, maybe we'll get a crop at last after several years' total failures. And Mrs P put out the courgettes yesterday. Now it's WAR against the slugs and no prisoners! I'm afraid that means slug pellets. We've tried all sorts, and nothing else works. If anyone wants to protest otherwise, take a look at our garden!

To make room for the spinach Mrs P uprooted all the jerusalem artichokes. Having rashly sown the seed several years ago, we haven't been able to get rid of the things since. They'll be back.

Oh, and we have a blackcurrant bush that's been producing a good steady crop for decades now.

And mint, which has overrun one end of the lawn whether we like it or not.

That's about it.

I have found going out at night with a torch and a pair of scissors (especially after it has rained) and slicing and slugs in half has some effect.

Alternatively, have you tried this?

The problem with pellets is that you end up killing the slug predators as well as the slugs so the survivors can breed prolifically without being eaten.

 

[danphoto]

We picked another 13kg of rhubarb this morning, the bulk of which the Lady Wife is still bottling. I'll make jam tonight with the rest.

We had a few spuds on Friday - first time ever we've had spuds in April. (Sharpes Express, in case you're wondering).

Planted out the last of the sweetcorn and two lots of dwarf French beans last week, and the pumpkins this morning. Strawberries are variable, raspberries a bit slow for some reason, blackcurrants looking magnificent and blueberries looking set for the worst crop we've had for ages thanks to sparrows eating most of the buds last month.

The Morello cherry's heading for a bumper crop, all apples and pears look promising as does the quince, and we're in for a few damsons this year after total failure due to frost then sparrows last year.

We're a bit behind with tomatoes (our first year ever trying them!) but all other salad crops are plentiful. Peas and broad beans are suffering a bit from too cold a wind for too long now.

All done by the Lady Wife's patent 100% organic "don't dig it, just cover it knee deep in manure and compost" method

 

[danphoto]

I have found going out at night with a torch and a pair of scissors (especially after it has rained) and slicing and slugs in half has some effect.

But that's not as satifying as stamping on 'em when they're on a hard surface. If you get it right (it does take a bit of practice), their insides shoot straight out the end - and for a considerable distance. Serves 'em right

Alternatively, have you tried this?

Yes. Twice. Expensive and ineffectual both times, despite following the instructions to the letter

 

[summerdays]

My Dad has just told me that this year's crop of cherries (really bumper year last year), has been decimated by the wind....

 

[Fiona N]

I cultivate a 4 sq metre (2 x 2) veggie patch which used to be a pond - the other half still is a pond. The previous owners of the house obviously watched Ground Force or some such tellie programme and paved all the garden except for the raised borders, a single small raised bed (with a rose bush) and the ponds - everything is constructed with red brick edges so the garden looks like someone went mad with lego bricks. So I'm trying to cover up some of the hard edges with distracting displays of produce. Last year was the first proper growing season and I got a good crop of potatoes (mmmmm ) and a life-time supply of Swiss chard, rainbow chard and vulcan beet (sort of strong-flavoured spinach). Luckily I like greens

This year I've just got in 5 potato plants but branched out into runner beans. And Swiss chard and Russian kale - more greens which should last through into winter


P.S> I can recommend the Nemaslug - I use applications every six weeks in the key areas (it's only a small garden - 50m2 covers it with room to spare so the veggie plot gets a double dose) and it really does dent the populations of slugs and, to a lesser extent, snails. My problem is the garden gives onto a field which provides an infinite source of the wee beesties so erradication is not on the books. I did try planting hostas around the veggie patch but the blighters preferred salad and greens to hostas. A note for keen gardeners - underplant your hostas with lettuces for blemish-free hosta glory

 

[Fiona N]

The problem with pellets is that you end up killing the slug predators as well as the slugs so the survivors can breed prolifically without being eaten.

Even worse - the 'organic' slug pellets (supposed to be OK for birds etc.) are a magnet for rats as they're cereal-based - I watched one sit and eat of pile of about a double hand-full without noticeable ill-effects and came back for more the next day

 

[accountantpete]

Could be a frost tonight - esp in the North East!

 

[User482]

We have a modestly sized garden, but you can still grow a fair amount in a small space:

potatoes
rhubarb
rocket
little gem
various herbs
tomatoes
onions
garlic
strawberries
raspberries
gooseberries
blackcurrants
apples
loganberries

And we have two hens. At certain times of the year, it's possible to eat a Spanish omlette and salad using produce solely from our garden. Very satisfying!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

When we moved in 18 months ago, our garden was 80' x 20' of concrete, spread over three terraces. Now after a lot of hard work with six rubble buckets, a 16lb sledgehammer and a pickaxe, we've got some soil and we're growing

onions
broad beans
runner beans (two types)
tomatoes
peppers
three types of chillis - scotch bonnets, cayenne and paper lantern
lots of herbs
leeks
aubergines
courgettes
raspberries
stawberries (well, they grow themselves - I pull them up when Ms RT's not looking)
two apple trees
sloes
blackcurrants
gooseberries

Last year we had most of these plus peas and sweetcorn, but so far this year I've not managed to get peas in and I don't think I'll bother with sweetcorn. We've also got two tubs of salad on the go, with rocket, watercress, three sorts of lettuce and spring onions. If you'd told me two years ago that I'd be into gardening I'd have laughed at you!

 

[User482]

Thanks for the reminder RT, I'd completely forgotten to plant the runner beans!

 

[summerdays]

I've tried watercress and not succeeded ... what are you doing to grow it RT?

 

[rich p]

I've tried watercress and not succeeded ... what are you doing to grow it RT?

Plant it in the bath?

 

[Glow worm]

Onions and garlic are doing well so far here. Also planted radishes and spring onions. Strawbs and Raspberries are in flower and the last of the leeks are ready to pick. In the cloche nearly ready to go out are runner beans, courgettes, tomatoes and lettuce. One problem- we had quite a bad frost here last night which looks like it's killed all the potato shoots that were above ground. I hope they'll recover but it's not looking good and tonight will be even colder

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I've tried watercress and not succeeded ... what are you doing to grow it RT?

It's at the tiny seedling stage at the minute, but I've got it in a tub with a space under the soil which you fill with water. Whether or not this'll work long term I have no idea ...