Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
I think organically grown stuff is stronger...things that have been 'oomphed up' with loads of chemical fertilisers are definitely floppier and more prone to pests and diseases.....
The vegetable growers thread
- Thread starter Mrs Magpie
- Start date
aqua
made of cheese and gin
well I'm suitably impressed I have to say 
and distinctly chuffed to bits with my efforts
will get the camera out tonight and update the photos (http://www.pbase.com/aquasphotos/garden)
and distinctly chuffed to bits with my efforts
will get the camera out tonight and update the photos
(http://www.pbase.com/aquasphotos/garden)
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
Well up to a point Mr Bishie....it's about vareties grown too....a non-organic 'Gardeners Delight' tomato is still going to taste better than an organic 'Moneymaker' tomato. Although I'm hardly comparing like for like.
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
zenie said:Wow it sure is expensive hun £9.00 for 5 bulbs
Presumabley you get a massive yeald which you can then keep replanting can't you?
Erm.... well would have done if we had had enough land to plant all the 5 bulbs in the first place...
(as opposed to planting 1 and eating the others) Admittedly it would have been cheaper to buy the garlic ourselves rather than plant it... but this was the first thing I ever grew, so I didn't mind the expense and for some reason I really wanted to grow garlic. Apparently you can't replant it in the same place for 6 years anyway, so that's the end of my expensive garlic habit.. (BTW.. I bought them from there as someone - on this very website I think - warned against buying supermarket bulbs as apparently they're very disease prone. However, if Mrs M recommends supermarket bulbs, then I would go with those.. I'm just a complete novice.)
prunus
Tick tock.
Courgettes (2 plants in a big home-made wooden trough about 12"x30", 24" deep), growing strongly but only just now showing signs of female flowers - so only about 10mm long! Hopeful.. I've always had best results in the past growing them in the ground rather than pots, but no space...
Tomatoes, 2 plants in an 18" diameter 12" deep pot, about 5 foot tall, total about 10 trusses with about 10 toms on each, but all very small (marble size) and green - along with others hoping for a long hot late summer.
Autumn raspberries - 7 canes in the ground along a fence, fruit forming but nowhere near ripe yet.
Apples - loads! not ripe yet
I know they're all fruit, but anyway, that's my lot
Oh and a load of herbs in pots: Thyme, oregano, sage, tarragon, chives, rosemary, parsley, fennel, basil.
Yum!
Tomatoes, 2 plants in an 18" diameter 12" deep pot, about 5 foot tall, total about 10 trusses with about 10 toms on each, but all very small (marble size) and green - along with others hoping for a long hot late summer.
Autumn raspberries - 7 canes in the ground along a fence, fruit forming but nowhere near ripe yet.
Apples - loads! not ripe yet
I know they're all fruit, but anyway, that's my lot
Oh and a load of herbs in pots: Thyme, oregano, sage, tarragon, chives, rosemary, parsley, fennel, basil.
Yum!
Gavin Bl
terrible awful baaad
we moved into our new place a few weeks ago, so I'm planting late for the summer/salady stuff
my dwarf french beans seem to be getting on with it, as it the rocket and the radishes. Spring onions look very weak and weedy, the carrots seem to have gone the way of all things. To soon to eat any of it though.
What should we be planting now - for winter like? If I planted brussel sprouts now, would they be alright for crimbo?
my dwarf french beans seem to be getting on with it, as it the rocket and the radishes. Spring onions look very weak and weedy, the carrots seem to have gone the way of all things. To soon to eat any of it though.
What should we be planting now - for winter like? If I planted brussel sprouts now, would they be alright for crimbo?
Cakes
back in town
Best crops this year are easily the lettuce, kale and spinnach. Squash, cucmbers and courgettes are doing ok now but I really wish I'd been allowed to put down slug pellets as we'd had had at least twice as many 
I have only saved 1 pumpkin which has a hex on it so no slugs have dared go near it. It's an Atlantic Giant and I have dreams of car-sized fruit!!
Worst crop is the carrots. I tried to grow them 3 times = 6 thousand seeds and have 7 carrots!!
Plant of the year award goes to this poor wee tomato that blew over and almost completely snapped it's stalk. We gaffa tapped the snap closed and caned it back upright, it is now the largest tomato plant we have! What a little trooper!
I sowed oninon seeds on Sunday to go overwinter and be ready for spring. White somethings they were called, and I sowed hundreds so I can thin out by picking em when they're small.
I have only saved 1 pumpkin which has a hex on it so no slugs have dared go near it. It's an Atlantic Giant and I have dreams of car-sized fruit!!Worst crop is the carrots. I tried to grow them 3 times = 6 thousand seeds and have 7 carrots!!
Plant of the year award goes to this poor wee tomato that blew over and almost completely snapped it's stalk. We gaffa tapped the snap closed and caned it back upright, it is now the largest tomato plant we have! What a little trooper!
I sowed oninon seeds on Sunday to go overwinter and be ready for spring. White somethings they were called, and I sowed hundreds so I can thin out by picking em when they're small.
aqua
made of cheese and gin
just to bump this for my own interests
someone told me you could grow brussel sprouts in tubs - is this right?
also I looked in the supermarket last night and they had no UK garlic (even the organic stuff was from spain!)
I'm taking this as a sign to order from Isle of White
what about spring onions too - how do I do those?
someone told me you could grow brussel sprouts in tubs - is this right?
also I looked in the supermarket last night and they had no UK garlic (even the organic stuff was from spain!)
I'm taking this as a sign to order from Isle of White
what about spring onions too - how do I do those?
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
Spring onions are dead easy. I think White Lisbon is the best and most easily found variety to grow from seed. Regarding garlic, I've only ever grown the supermarket type (always from the IOW) and never had any problems. I don't bother growing it myself any more though. I don't really have the space for very much veg. I will get an allottment one day.
Earlier on there was a grape question....if you want fruit, you need sun. Morello cherries do well in a north-facing spot though.
Earlier on there was a grape question....if you want fruit, you need sun. Morello cherries do well in a north-facing spot though.
madzone
Physically unfavourable
I think it was me who said don't plant supermarket ones as I keep reading that they're prone to disease etc. But I've come to the conclusion that it's propganda paid for by the companies who sell expensive garlic for cultivationgaijingirl said:
I'm going to try supermarket garlic this autumn as we must have spent 30 quid on 'special' garlic over the last 3 years only to end up with a couple of bulbs if we're lucky 
moon
I tried some moon planting last year in the garden I no longer have . I feel sure that planting by the moon phases does work, the lettuces we grew were much bigger and more tasty than the non moon phase grown,I also felt the plants were stronger and more pest ressistant, also the cycles produce a more even spread of produce throughout the summer, I would reccomend the moon cycle plantingand dont remeber any requirement to plant at night.lizzieloo said:Anyone tried moon planting. I know folk that swear by it, not so sure meself
aqua
made of cheese and gin
madzone said:I think it was me who said don't plant supermarket ones as I keep reading that they're prone to disease etc. But I've come to the conclusion that it's propganda paid for by the companies who sell expensive garlic for cultivation
does it matter which country they come from?
madzone
Physically unfavourable
Cider and painkiller induced fug meant I didn't really understand your question - still don't
I was just thinking about you aksherly. I was thinking about the tomato seeds I sent you, did I send one type or two. I've just remembered that as they're heritage seeds we ought to save some. I think tomatoes stay pretty true to type and don't cross pollinate but maybe Mrs M will know more.
I was just thinking about you aksherly. I was thinking about the tomato seeds I sent you, did I send one type or two. I've just remembered that as they're heritage seeds we ought to save some. I think tomatoes stay pretty true to type and don't cross pollinate but maybe Mrs M will know more.
aqua
made of cheese and gin
you sent 2 types (orange banana and aunt madge) and you've just stolen my next tomato related thread
they were more difficult to get to germinate that my other seeds but I have 2 plants of each sucessfully growing and they are both fruiting well so am happy to save seeds
but haven't got a bloody clue how to go about it (which was going to be my next thread )
I don't think they cross pollinate, they're self pollinating aren't they?
they were more difficult to get to germinate that my other seeds but I have 2 plants of each sucessfully growing and they are both fruiting well so am happy to save seeds
but haven't got a bloody clue how to go about it (which was going to be my next thread
)I don't think they cross pollinate, they're self pollinating aren't they?
davesgcr
Reading books
Nothing beats leeks for the easiest crop going - and even in the depths of winter (covered in frost) - you can pick yuour own for a meal. Good comfort food is own sourced leek / potato and garlic soup.
Green beans going well this year - again dead easy to grow.Bought the "wrong" courgette plants so have yellow ones !
Green beans going well this year - again dead easy to grow.Bought the "wrong" courgette plants so have yellow ones !
