This week in your Kitchen Garden.
- Thread starter Mrs Magpie
- Start date
prunus
Tick tock.
If I can find out where Prunus's garden / allotment is, I'll be sneaking around there under cover of darkness and pulling up all his plants
You will be killed by my army of ninja foxes.
fogbat
The Talibum
My samurai badgers will cut them to pieces.
sheothebudworths
Up the bum - no babies!!!
FUCKING CATS!
Shoot em. And hang their remains out as a warning. It could be the only way
I'm quite enjoying balcony gardening now. No squirrels, no cats, no stinking cat shit in spadeloads and NO SLUGS. Seedlings are safer than a safe thing.
Only one pigeon has breached the height based defences, squashing a serrano chilli sapling. Not bad though
I'm quite enjoying balcony gardening now. No squirrels, no cats, no stinking cat shit in spadeloads and NO SLUGS. Seedlings are safer than a safe thing.
Only one pigeon has breached the height based defences, squashing a serrano chilli sapling. Not bad though
prunus
Tick tock.
I'd like to see them try. No, really, I would - it'd be way cool.
I have to rethink my cat strategy. Im being terrorised by one fat ginger bastard and his little grey mate.FUCKING CATS!
Ginger is the facetiest cat EVER. So fucking insolent.
We've had brief skirmishes of increasing intensity since I recently dug up the entire garden.
These have largely ended in me yelling murdereous threats before bending down to scoop up massive piles of shit.
Yesterday I actually caught Ginger squatting on my newly raked lawn bed.
While I faffed about finding the key to the French doors, he smiled at me through the glass and finished his shit at his leisure; all the while never taking his eyes off me.
The fucker stared me down.
I finally got out there and he strolled down the garden calling me a cunt as he went.
fogbat
The Talibum
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Apropos of nothing really ...
Here are 3 pots of mixed lettuce at roughly 3 week intervals in terms of age.
All grown under lights - not remotely cost-effective, but the waste heat takes the chill off my room at night.. and my whole garden project is something of a luxury .
These will have to go into the greenhouse as soon as I've persuaded my brother to give me a lift to B&Q ...
Here are 3 pots of mixed lettuce at roughly 3 week intervals in terms of age.
All grown under lights - not remotely cost-effective, but the waste heat takes the chill off my room at night.. and my whole garden project is something of a luxury .
These will have to go into the greenhouse as soon as I've persuaded my brother to give me a lift to B&Q ...
Attachments
free spirit
more tea vicar?
right, I'm experimenting with intercropping my leeks in the middle of my spinach and lettuces coz I figure by the time they're any size at all I'll be into thinning the lettuces out to eat anyway, and then they'll maybe even shade my lettuces a bit late summer to stop them growing so much or something, and come the autumn the leeks can have the entire plot to themselves.
also, it reduces the area I have to keep slug free.
this year I'm even dibbing them 6 inches into the ground with my excellent dibbing implement aka a bit of 15mm copper pipe now that I've learnt what dibbing in means.
also, my runner beans and corgettes that I planted out 10 days ago are doing fine other than the odd bit of slug damage (for which the slugs got the scissors treatment).
also, it reduces the area I have to keep slug free.
this year I'm even dibbing them 6 inches into the ground with my excellent dibbing implement aka a bit of 15mm copper pipe now that I've learnt what dibbing in means.
also, my runner beans and corgettes that I planted out 10 days ago are doing fine other than the odd bit of slug damage (for which the slugs got the scissors treatment).
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Garden still not ready and moar seeds haz arrived in the post 
"Armstrong" runner beans
"Blue Lake" climbing froggies
rainbow chard - as much for ornamental purposes as for eating.
Romanesco broccoli - couldn't resist - half of front garden is now for veggies.
(And 3 more smelly plants to enhance the outdoor living experience :- nicotiana affinis, night scented stock, and wallflowers for next year)
"Armstrong" runner beans
"Blue Lake" climbing froggies
rainbow chard - as much for ornamental purposes as for eating.
Romanesco broccoli - couldn't resist - half of front garden is now for veggies.
(And 3 more smelly plants to enhance the outdoor living experience :- nicotiana affinis, night scented stock, and wallflowers for next year)
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
All new seeds sown - including the gold rush courgettes - probably not as good flavour as the green ones, but I always liked to have them in the mix.
I still haven't got the hardware I need to finish fixing the greenhouse and salad bed, but I couldn't afford the space and electricity to indulge my salad indoors any longer so I've moved the big pots into the PVC greenhouse inside the half-finished greenhouse. It will be an interesting experiment to see what I can get from growing salad in buckets.
Hopefully I will shortly be cadging a lift off my brother to fetch all the materials I need - including a bale of hay for my wee wee recycler, and boards to make raised beds in the greenhouse to match the ones outside - though the tomatoes and peppers will still be going in automatically-watered buckets.
I seem to have left it too late to plant gooseberries, so the "fruit bed" will have to get used for kale, and perhaps leeks ...
I still haven't got the hardware I need to finish fixing the greenhouse and salad bed, but I couldn't afford the space and electricity to indulge my salad indoors any longer so I've moved the big pots into the PVC greenhouse inside the half-finished greenhouse. It will be an interesting experiment to see what I can get from growing salad in buckets.
Hopefully I will shortly be cadging a lift off my brother to fetch all the materials I need - including a bale of hay for my wee wee recycler, and boards to make raised beds in the greenhouse to match the ones outside - though the tomatoes and peppers will still be going in automatically-watered buckets.
I seem to have left it too late to plant gooseberries, so the "fruit bed" will have to get used for kale, and perhaps leeks ...
Got over my brassica aversion and sowed both green calabrese and purple sprouting broccoli.
They take up so much room for so long... But now Ive decided to grow some veg in my borders alongside my shrubs*, hopefully I wont be so pissed off watering the lazy things for a year.
Repeat sowings for spring onions, salads and carrots.
Also cleared out my cold frame- turns out the slugs were having a total free for all. They were quite striking patterns and colours actually. I've salted everywhere and laid out grit and egg shell.
And Im taking the war to the Ginger moggy; Ive covered my soon too be lawn beds in chilli and tumeric powder.
*Like Alys
They take up so much room for so long... But now Ive decided to grow some veg in my borders alongside my shrubs*, hopefully I wont be so pissed off watering the lazy things for a year.
Repeat sowings for spring onions, salads and carrots.
Also cleared out my cold frame- turns out the slugs were having a total free for all. They were quite striking patterns and colours actually. I've salted everywhere and laid out grit and egg shell.
And Im taking the war to the Ginger moggy; Ive covered my soon too be lawn beds in chilli and tumeric powder.
*Like Alys
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
My quince is in bloom. One of my best additions to the garden. I've still got stewed quince and apple and in the freezer from last year's bumper crop, and it's such a beautiful tree.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Is that the Japanese variety or the big ones ?
I used to have a Chaenomeles, until it got surrounded by tall fences and walls. I always had the fruit lying around, but shamefully never actually cooked with them...
I used to have a Chaenomeles, until it got surrounded by tall fences and walls. I always had the fruit lying around, but shamefully never actually cooked with them...
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
It's going to take a while to get used to this veggie business.
It's been over 10 years, and I never had such an effective seed starting facility. I appear to have over-produced pepper and tomato plants by a factor of 3.
Since I live so far from gardening urbanites, and only have a pushbike, I'll probably have to pot them up in the plastic pots I need to get shot of, and leave them on the garden wall.
Hopefully today with the soil nice and damp, I'll rearrange the anemones in my front garden ready to take veggies later... though I don't plan to use salad as a catch-crop - due to the cats, pigeons, rat, and occasional dog.
Worryingly, the veggie bed is sort of cross shaped - so I will be careful not to plant anything red ...
It's been over 10 years, and I never had such an effective seed starting facility. I appear to have over-produced pepper and tomato plants by a factor of 3
.Since I live so far from gardening urbanites, and only have a pushbike, I'll probably have to pot them up in the plastic pots I need to get shot of, and leave them on the garden wall.
Hopefully today with the soil nice and damp, I'll rearrange the anemones in my front garden ready to take veggies later... though I don't plan to use salad as a catch-crop - due to the cats, pigeons, rat, and occasional dog.
Worryingly, the veggie bed is sort of cross shaped - so I will be careful not to plant anything red ...
sheothebudworths
Up the bum - no babies!!!
But they are pretty good givers once they're going and also SO DELICIOUS!
Anyway - I have an urgent query!
Growing seeds 'on their side' (squash/courgette/melon in this case).....errrrrr...which 'side'?
Flat side or thin side, iyswim? Had put them flat side down, but then it occurred to me that it probably means the opposite! Am just potting them up now, so will have to re-do the first six if I'm wrong (which I suspect I am
). A Google has given me no help!
Anyone?!?
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
It's only done for ease of planting - confirmed on Gardener's World last week.
You can put them in flat if you like. I've always instinctively planted them by pinching them and pushing them into the compost - so on the edge.
Plants have ways of knowing which way up they are - right from the start.
You can put them in flat if you like. I've always instinctively planted them by pinching them and pushing them into the compost - so on the edge.
Plants have ways of knowing which way up they are - right from the start.
sheothebudworths
Up the bum - no babies!!!
That's no answer! 
Although I deduce from what you did say, that FLAT is not the SIDE!
Why is it 'easier' though, iyswim?!?
I would leave the patty pans be in that case though - as an experiment - but I've only done six seeds (so instead I'll delve back into the cells and probably irritate them no end and fuck it all up that way instead! 
)!
Cheers, gg!
Although I deduce from what you did say, that FLAT is not the SIDE!
Why is it 'easier' though, iyswim?!?
I would leave the patty pans be in that case though - as an experiment
- but I've only done six seeds (so instead I'll delve back into the cells and probably irritate them no end and fuck it all up that way instead! )!Cheers, gg!
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
I don't make a hole first, I pinch the seed and push it into the compost - if I pinched it horizontally, it would displace half the compost.
Imagine if you had to sow hundreds of them in really small cells.
fogbat
The Talibum
But they are pretty good givers once they're going and also SO DELICIOUS!
Anyway - I have an urgent query!
Growing seeds 'on their side' (squash/courgette/melon in this case).....errrrrr...which 'side'?
Flat side or thin side, iyswim? Had put them flat side down, but then it occurred to me that it probably means the opposite! Am just potting them up now, so will have to re-do the first six if I'm wrong (which I suspect I am
A Google has given me no help!
Anyone?!?
I planted some squash seeds last week and had the same vexation. I settled for doing half-and-half. I can't say I've actually noticed any difference in germination rates.
sheothebudworths
Up the bum - no babies!!!
I did three of each in the end! Not that I marked them, so if only three germinate, I'll not actually know which way was successful anyway, just that there is a difference. Keeps things interesting I suppose! 
I'm glad I wasn't the only one though, foggers! And pleased to see you've not noticed any difference! gg - Funny you say that, because I found it much more awkward to put them in on the thin side! Flat side was just...place on compost, push, cover....thin sides were much more fiddly!
Another question!
Someone gave me some hyacinths in a pot, which bloomed and have now died. Do I keep them? Plant the bulbs out in the flower beds? Dry the bulbs? (How? ) Chuck them (and if so, in the compost, or not - I've been sticking all the dead flower heads in there, but then read that the seed heads create weeds in the compost )?
I'm glad I wasn't the only one though, foggers!
And pleased to see you've not noticed any difference! gg - Funny you say that, because I found it much more awkward to put them in on the thin side! Flat side was just...place on compost, push, cover....thin sides were much more fiddly! Another question!
Someone gave me some hyacinths in a pot, which bloomed and have now died. Do I keep them? Plant the bulbs out in the flower beds? Dry the bulbs? (How?
) Chuck them (and if so, in the compost, or not - I've been sticking all the dead flower heads in there, but then read that the seed heads create weeds in the compost )?IIRC most potted hyacinths have been 'forced,' using all their energy to flower at natural times.
Most people chuck 'em.
However I suppose you could plant them off to one side in some well composted soil and hope?
But it'll take a long while to replenish its resources.
Most people chuck 'em.
However I suppose you could plant them off to one side in some well composted soil and hope?
But it'll take a long while to replenish its resources.
sheothebudworths
Up the bum - no babies!!!
Bin then!
(I'm not too disappointed, tbh - one less job and more space on the window sill hehe!)
Hey Melinda - I took the advice of Alys and bought a shop packet of dried peas for pea shoots, only I discovered when they arrived (online delivery) that they're quick soak peas (Batchelors, no less lol)!
FUCK YOU AND YOUR CASUAL DEVIL-MAY-CARE MANNER, ALYS! Have stuck a load in a tray, just incase!
fernhill heath
New Member
the seeds can be put in the soil anyway you like, they are seeds they care not which way they are planted.
prunus
Tick tock.
Bin then!
Hold off the bin for a moment! I planted some indoor hyacinths outdoors under my apple tree after they'd finished their indoor stuff - several years later they have spread themselves round the garden and give a lovely show each spring.
