Re: What have you done in the garden today?

by Dandelion 24th April 2014, 10:58 pm

TamaraNicole wrote:So i have planted 12 green salads and 18 onions. Looking forward to some delicious salads soon!

Do you have problems with slugs where you are?

by TamaraNicole 25th April 2014, 9:02 am

Yes we have lots of slugs down here but i am hoping the raised beds and stone surrounding Will help solve the problem.

by Dandelion 25th April 2014, 12:56 pm

I thought that chickens would be the answer, but I very soon learnt that they eat the plants as well as the slugs! Now they have their own bit of garden and we're all happy!

by Chilli-head 25th April 2014, 1:31 pm

freebird wrote:I used all homemade for the first time last year, and it proved very successful (so long as I kept it weeded!). I had wondered if I should mix it with anything else - do you CH?

For seed compost I use sterilised leafmold with sharp sand (builder's concreting sand is fine) and perlite to open it up a bit and improve drainage. For potting compost I use garden compost with about 1/6 perlite and 1/6 vermiculite, and a sprinkle of seaweed meal.

I have heard it said that tomatoes like nothing better than growing in the decayed remains of their fallen comrades, and it does seem to be true !

by TamaraNicole 25th April 2014, 6:24 pm

Dandelion: Haha!

Chilli-head: wow! I wish i were Such a good gardener!

by Ploshkin 26th April 2014, 1:16 pm

Despite the fact that we live in one of the wettest parts of the UK I don't have too much of a slug problem. It may be because we have loads of toads. I start most things off in the greenhouse too.

by freebird 26th April 2014, 6:58 pm

Today I've put a second coat of preservative on the arbour before it is assembled. Then put half a dozen plants into my new flower-border-to-be. Hoping I've put enough protection around them to stop the dog and foxes stomping all over them. Trouble is the dog loves to chase the foxes out the garden, but in her enthusiasm, joyfully splats all my plants.

by TamaraNicole 6th May 2014, 6:26 pm

On sunday i planted carrots, spring onions & radish. Hope it grows!

I also planted my squash and melon inside, they Will go outside mid-may.

by Dandelion 6th May 2014, 7:18 pm

Which kinds of squash are you growing, Tamara?

by TamaraNicole 8th May 2014, 6:37 pm

I planted butternut, Patty pan and "potimarron", which is a small orange pumpkin (sorry i couldn't find a translation)

by Dandelion 8th May 2014, 8:00 pm

I've also got some butternut squashes and patty pans coming up as well as some Italian courgettes. The Green Bush courgettes are very slow - it was some older seed so I may have to accept defeat!

by Ploshkin 8th May 2014, 11:11 pm

I grew Potimarron last year, very successfully. They are also called Uchiki Kuri or Red Onion Squash. I got 6 good size squashes off each plant & they stored well through the winter. I am doing them again this year.

by TamaraNicole 9th May 2014, 1:19 pm

Oooh, Ploshkin, thanks for your comment, i hope i can get as many! My son loves them and i do too!

by Dandelion 9th May 2014, 4:08 pm

I've tried for two years to grow them and have had only one over the two years. It must be climate/soil. I'm growing things which for me are more reliable this year

by freebird 9th May 2014, 7:37 pm

Dandelion wrote: I'm growing things which for me are more reliable this year

That's pretty much what I've decided too, Dandelion. This year I'm growing very few veg anyway, to give me time to work on the rest of the garden. But I think when I do go back to it, I will jettison things that I struggle with, or are as cheap as chips in the shops anyway. I'm really pleased with the asparagus in its first cropping year, and I would always grow runner beans and courgettes. But I'm going to abandon carrots and calabrese although purple sprouting stays. I'm certainly reviewing what I do to get the maximum benefit out of the space and my time.

by TamaraNicole 24th May 2014, 8:20 pm

Well i'm almost done in the garden (except maintain and harvest of course).
I planted my seedlings of squash, bought and planted seedlings of tomatoes, zucchini, melon, pepper and mint.
I had already added leeks, tarragon and cucumber.

I am pleased with my terrassed garden. It make everything so much easier.

Can't wait for the harvesting part!

by TamaraNicole 29th May 2014, 7:15 pm

So my squash seedlings have not Made it. I guess i Will be off to buy some in the next few days...

by freebird 29th May 2014, 9:48 pm

Oh dear, what happened to them Tamara? Did they get eaten?

by Dandelion 30th May 2014, 11:47 am

Mine are looking a bit yellow and pot bound, so even though the weather isn't brilliant I'll be planting them out this weekend. Hopefully you'll be able to find some ready to plant, Tamara.

by TamaraNicole 31st May 2014, 9:36 am

I think the seedlings were a little frail. The stems were very long and thin before any leaves appeared and they just didn't take the hot sun and storm that followed.

I went and got some pattypan but found no butternut or potimarron. Will have to look further.

by Dandelion 31st May 2014, 8:03 pm

Hope you get some - have you got any neighbours or friends who might have some spare?

by Chilli-head 31st May 2014, 9:44 pm

My squashes were starting to yellow a bit, having outgrown their pots, so they had to go out. The lotty is pretty wet, but some soil conditioner inn the form of well rotted wood chip off the paths helped to lighten it up a bit. I also planted out french beans and sweetcorn; not the classic three sisters, but squash and beans in one bed, and squash and sweetcorn in another - all three together never give a happy result for me !

I need to re-sow my carrots too. Last weekend l had a lovely row of carrots - now there are two left. A very sluggy year. The rather expensive nematodes need to get on with their job !

by TamaraNicole 1st June 2014, 8:53 am

You must have a pretty big garden CH! And i do agree, slugs are expensive Wink

!

Dandelion, found everything except for butternut, all out. So i'll have to make do with "rouge d'Estampes" and "musquée de Provence".

by Dandelion 1st June 2014, 3:10 pm

Rouge d'Estampes sounds...red!

by freebird 1st June 2014, 6:36 pm

Today I planted my runner beans, at last and harvested the only potatoes I got around to planting. They were kitchen potatoes that had sprouted, and they went in the greenhouse planter near the beginning of February. Planted in homemade compost - not the good stuff I had sieved, but the spoil left from the sieving. Then I forgot I had them, as I've not done much veg this year, so they were very neglected. We've just eaten them tonight - I'm not complaining as they cost nowt and took about 5 minutes of my time.

by Ploshkin 4th June 2014, 9:02 am

Yesterday I finally managed to get something into the garden. I sowed carrot seeds and put in a couple of courgette plants that have done very well in their pots. I had to buy some brussel sprout plants because germination of my seeds has been pathetic & left them by the shed overnight & found that a huge slug had decimated half of them (unless it can swim it is now an ex slug).
I seem to be failing completely so far with peas & beans, inside & outside.

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