Re: What have you done in the garden today?

by Dandelion 4th June 2010, 1:12 pm

I've planted out most things - I'm waiting for my early potatoes to be ready and dug up to plant the last few things, which are in large pots/modules now. It's just a case of watering things and keeping tabs on the weeds (so deciding which things live and which things die!!) When it's not so hot will sow more beetroot so that I can pickle lots in the autumn.
What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 523221

What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 523221

by AngelinaJellyBeana 4th June 2010, 7:58 pm

Rain stopped play this evening. But at least it means all the squashes I put in last night will get a good watering

by Sparhawk 4th June 2010, 11:47 pm

Finished bean frame today & dug over bean plot, & I can honestly see how compost has changed the soil, when I built the raised bed I was anticipating one double row of beans & put a compost bin full of stuff into a trench, well I have now decided to double the amount of beans I'm going to have & the difference in the soil in the two trenches was incredible...

Put first strings up for tomatoes & cues...

Got second lot of nettle tea on the brew...

Learned that contrary to conventional thinking giraffes can probably swim although it would be in a most bizzare manner unlike any other animal, but they don't seem to bother as they don't like paddling out of their depth...

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by Compostwoman 4th June 2010, 11:54 pm

sparhawk wrote:Finished bean frame today & dug over bean plot, & I can honestly see how compost has changed the soil, when I built the raised bed I was anticipating one double row of beans & put a compost bin full of stuff into a trench, well I have now decided to double the amount of beans I'm going to have & the difference in the soil in the two trenches was incredible...

Put first strings up for tomatoes & cues...

Got second lot of nettle tea on the brew...

Learned that contrary to conventional thinking giraffes can probably swim although it would be in a most bizzare manner unlike any other animal, but they don't seem to bother as they don't like paddling out of their depth...

told you so..........

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What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 142796

What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 928403

by boobiejuicemama 5th June 2010, 3:03 pm

You all must have such fun with your veg gardens, I am a bit sad as the house I am renting has been sold so we have to move and the small bit of dirt I have been preparing for veg will be left behind to overgrow with weeds once more Sad

I have a number of lovely pot plants that will come with us but I don't seem to have much luck with veg in pots. The summers are very harsh and lately quite dry and this has also hindered me. However I have been inspired by stories in this thread and will investigate further as to what would be best to grow in pots in sunny qld. off to bed for me now (midnight here) see you all on the sunny side What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 816574

What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 816574

by Guest 5th June 2010, 5:11 pm

Perhaps you need to make a new thread b-juice-mamma! Are you in Queensland? Sorry if I've missed your intro...but my cousins grows food there. Always mulching - never any bare soil, behind trees for shade and lots of squashes and things, as long as you have a good water supply.

It would be interesting to hear your temperature ranges etc!

by Dandelion 6th June 2010, 6:04 pm

I spent a happy hour this afternoon making comfrey liquid feed. I've grown comfrey for years, but have always used it on the compost heap. The longest part of the procedure was finding a suitable container (I re-recycled a very old Ikea rubbish bin which was being a pot for badminton raquets and had to ad-lib a lid out of bits and pieces) and finding a recipe. They ranged between the exact and the vague: I went for the 'Self-sufficientish Bible' recipe in the end, which was basically 'fill up a bucket with leaves and cover with water.' The chickens helped by sitting on my lap as I pulled the leaves off, and the bin is now gently marinading at the bottom of the garden. Now, just how smelly is this stuff supposed to be??

by Compostwoman 6th June 2010, 6:36 pm

Oh dear, remind me not to drive /walk past your house for a bit....

its THAT smelly!

by AngelinaJellyBeana 6th June 2010, 7:36 pm

Managed to plant out my runner beans in between showers

by Chilli-head 7th June 2010, 9:53 am

My comfrey attempt was so smelly I've not done it again - but then again, I did use a tub which had formerly held pig slurry samples ...

by Adrian 7th June 2010, 11:28 am

Gardening is on hold here. After 4 days of solid rain, two of which were heavy thunderstorms, the soil is a hard rain compacted pan. And it looks like there is yet more rain to come.

I will have to wait for some good hot sun to crumble it up and release my poor seedlings.

by Dandelion 7th June 2010, 7:06 pm

It's really wierd - we must have completely different soil Badger, as we have been desperate for some rain to crumble up and soften the soil! I needed to put some bamboo canes into the soil yesterday to tie the new tayberry shoots to, and resorted to a mallet to bang the canes in with because the soil was so solid.

by Guest 7th June 2010, 8:53 pm

Hoeing on the fine days between the heavy rain as the weeds are loving it!...but so are the "wanted" plants. Even the melons are growing now.
Must make some comfry stew for the tomatoes! The broad beans are getting well washed with soap solution to kill off the black fly being farmed by the ants.

by Dandelion 7th June 2010, 9:14 pm

My broad beans are also hosting blackfly (I forgot to pinch out the tips when the beans had started to grow which didn't help). I'm trying a Bob Flowerdew trick - he suggests putting some jam in a container near to the beans. The idea is that the jam is sweeter than the honeydew from the blackfly, so the ants leave the blackfly and go to the jam. They then start to kill the blackfly who are also interested in the jam. Haven't noticed any jam wars going on yet, but it's early days. (I 've also sprayed with soap to be on the safe side!)

by Guest 7th June 2010, 9:18 pm

Its bad enough the blackfly and ants are eating my broadbeans...they are definately not getting MY jam too!!! What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 Icon_biggrin

The soap is all they are getting.

Perhaps we need an alternative remedy section?

by Compostwoman 7th June 2010, 11:05 pm

Mmm bear in mind it is illegal in the UK to suggest remedies which work as pesticides, which are not "officially " tested out and licenced....... What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 Icon_rolleyes

could think of lots of stuff there, but would not be allowed to say them.... What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 Icon_evil

by Sparhawk 8th June 2010, 1:28 am

Compostwoman wrote:Mmm bear in mind it is illegal in the UK to suggest remedies which work as pesticides, which are not "officially " tested out and licenced.......

could think of lots of stuff there, but would not be allowed to say them....

Is it illegal to suggest in the U.K. or is it illegal to use?

(Genuine question?)

I'm not suggesting the use of anything at all, but I came accross this website sometime ago & I have kept a note just incase at some time in the future I may be able to suggest some remedies that have been tried in places other than the U.K. & may have found to have worked...

http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html

by Guest 10th June 2010, 5:35 pm

Compostwoman wrote:Mmm bear in mind it is illegal in the UK to suggest remedies which work as pesticides, which are not "officially " tested out and licenced.......

could think of lots of stuff there, but would not be allowed to say them....

Arrrrgggggggg!!!!!!!!!!! What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 528665

(in summary)

by Compostwoman 10th June 2010, 7:06 pm

officially....only pesticides and herbicides which have been tested can be promulgated, ,

Don't shoot the messenger Zoe! I didn't make up the rules...

by Guest 11th June 2010, 5:08 pm

Don't worry CW I don't think you are the forces of evil!!!!
Actually you can buy liquid soap solution as a pesticide in UK - I heard Pipa Greenwood say on GQT - so it is the right strengh etc. Even she admitted on air you can make your own though.
And that is what I have been doing in the veg plot today...washing the broad beans (again, and again) between heavy rain and creating a hazel tipi thing to support the gerkins plants that have decided its time to grow. I've learned from experience to keep them off the ground and very visible as the actual gerkins grow very, very fast. So to pick them small for pickerling they most be not allowed to hide! I hope the dill is going to be ready when they are.

by danksshady 11th June 2010, 5:09 pm

I've just tied all my toms and cues to canes as the yare getting rather tall now

by Compostwoman 11th June 2010, 5:29 pm

I intend to spend ALL DAY doing gardening related stuff this weekend because I HAVE FINISHED MY ASSIGNMENTS ( unless some bounce back)

by Dandelion 11th June 2010, 7:30 pm

sparhawk wrote:

I'm not suggesting the use of anything at all, but I came accross this website sometime ago & I have kept a note just incase at some time in the future I may be able to suggest some remedies that have been tried in places other than the U.K. & may have found to have worked...

http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html

Thanks to that website I have found out that diatomaceous earth is fatal to blackfly. Must, in that case, be very careful not to get it near the braod beans in case there are some fatalities.

by Jaded Green 11th June 2010, 7:53 pm

Felt VERY CROSS and What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 97169

at what some cat has dumped on the soil in my front garden. It was all ready to plant. I have got some gorgeous stuff from the garden centre today, mostly perennial and bee friendly. I will plant it in the morning once I've got the stomach to remove the cat mess.

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What have you done in the garden today? - Page 10 260653

by polgara 11th June 2010, 8:00 pm

I just looked at the garden when we got back. Quite impressed

by Compostwoman 11th June 2010, 8:17 pm

Dandelion wrote:
sparhawk wrote:

I'm not suggesting the use of anything at all, but I came accross this website sometime ago & I have kept a note just incase at some time in the future I may be able to suggest some remedies that have been tried in places other than the U.K. & may have found to have worked...

http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html

Thanks to that website I have found out that diatomaceous earth is fatal to blackfly. Must, in that case, be very careful not to get it near the braod beans in case there are some fatalities.

it is actually licensed as a pesticide, as it is used as such on
chickens.....

it works on ants in the house as well as fleas and
mites...I have dusted Fudge's cage before now to kill off mites...but
not him as I think it might upset his respiratory system.

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