How does your garden grow?

[filsgreen]

That's a turnip for the book, Keith, well done.

[Silver-Haired-Hippy]

Phil!

They do look good Keith!


Loretta

[Bonesy]

Picked this big boy this morning




Keith

[Silver-Haired-Hippy]

My, yours is the biggest I've seen Keith! ( my friend grows them!)

Loretta

[Bonesy]

Loretta


Keith

[Ernie Jackson. (Bunty)]

Anyone heard of TPS also called botanical seed?

My potato crop has produced large bunches of green tomato like bunches on the stalks above the ground. .

I initially cut them off and threw them away not knowing what they were but Google research has shown they are potato seeds and I can use them for next years crop.

It hasn't affected the crop as each plant has produced several potato's each up to eight inches across and one spud is enough for a meal for two compared to last year when we used four or five.Seems that the advertised seed potato's are not worth buying as almost any shop bought spuds, stored correctly, do the same job. This year I have used spuds from last years crop and they have done better than the 'seed potato's' I used to buy.

I used to throw 'bedding out' plants away at the end of the season but my 'bedding out' begonias are now it their third year and produce more flowers than ever. I stored the hanging baskets and pots in the greenhouse with a little heat to avoid frost, a little watering every two or thee weeks. They looked dead but. have all survived well.

[filsgreen]

That's good to know, Ernie, glad you're still alive and kicking.

[bjones]

Good to see your post and thanks for the spud tip Ernie. We'll be sure to try those green potato seeds next year.
We put our spuds in late this year as it took a while to relocate the shrubs from the allocated planting plot. By the time we were ready the only seed potatoes we could find were on a reduced cart at Wilko. We bought 3 bags for about tuppence 'apenny. Picked our first lot last week and they're great. Looks like we'll be feeding the neighbours though... they've already shared the lettuce mountain.
Next up will be the carrots which along with parsnips are looking good. Cauli's and cabbages not so good as they haven't form hearts; don't know if it's the heatwave in July or just that our soil is so rubbish.

Note to self; take more notice of what Keith said a few months back;
"We certainly learned from last year. We planted far to many tomatoes and in the end couldn't give them away. We also learned to only plant what you enjoy to eat."

[ALAMO2008]

They love this time of year and flower non stop everyday till next spring.

[ALAMO2008]

The Fuschias love this time of the year also.

[ALAMO2008]

[ALAMO2008]

[Silver-Haired-Hippy]

Looking lovely Alamo! My garden is clay so few plants I have are in pots, mainly sunflowers tall and small! One (and only!) tomato plant which seem to try to compete with the sunflowers it grew so big! Amazing how many large tomatoes I have got and last few ripening now. No idea what kind it is as it was given to me. I am no gardener, I stick whatever into a pot and hope for the best, seems to work most of the time!

Loretta

[ALAMO2008]

Mushroom Season on our Lawn

Appropriately 12 inches tall and still growing.

[Sheelagh Tequila]

Vegetarian toilet brush

Sheelagh

[Silver-Haired-Hippy]

Sheelagh!

Loretta

[BossHogg]

My garden has a new addition, the final resting place of my last guinea pig.

[Silver-Haired-Hippy]

Ah shucks, so sad

Loretta

[BossHogg]

All gone, 13 guinea pigs and 5 rabbits over the last 18 years. The shed has been cleared out, no more beasties will be housed in there.

[Dan]

Times October 26 2021.

[Silver-Haired-Hippy]

Beautiful! What hard work they have put into it, obviously enjoy their gardening very much!

Loretta

[Elaine Goulding]

When I first looked at this photo I thought it had been posted in the wrong place. I was thinking it was a jigsaw puzzle!!!!!!
Absolutely stunning.

[bjones]

Hiya Elaine, good to see your name on here.
Wow it really does look like a jigsaw box cover; a lot of hard work's gone into that plot.

Meanwhile in my sandy patch, the flippin' squirrels beat me to every apple and fig off the trees as soon as they were ripe enough to pick but we did managed to get a few pears. Carrots and parsnips look like some alien sub-species and so far only one cauliflower with a heart big enough to bother. Haven't given up on the sprouts and cabbage yet though.
Note to self; remember to get plenty of gunk into the beds to improve the soil over winter.

[Bonesy]

We've had a poor show this year Bee. Buckets full of runner beans which were very welcome, turnips and radish that's about it. We did get around 80 apples off the tree which we are munching our way through.
We planted leeks early on but they still look like blades of grass. I reckon they will be ready in about 2025

Bee what is the "gunk" you mentioned ? As I think we need some.


Keith

[bjones]

Keith,
The "gunk" we use is what we also call Paddy's poo The woman who owns the field next to my kids' house has a huge pile of manure from her horses and sheep. It's really well rotted and my Paddy has permission to go in with his wheelbarrow whenever he wants. He barrows it to our car and tips it into bags for us. We also spread our own compost but the quality of that isn't so good.

About your leeks; did you put them in too early perhaps? My old dad was a bit of a champion leek and onion grower and I'm sure he put them out when they were about the size of spring onions. You have to make sure you mound the soil or mulch up around them and dad used to put a collar around the blanch (the white bit) as they grew. This was to keep them upright and white. (I think). Try again next year, don't be discouraged; I won't be!

[Bonesy]

Thanks for the tips Bee.
The stables by us bag your "gunk" and leave it outside their gate for free, so I'll pick some up next time I see them.
Re the leeks, we grew them from seed in the conservatory, waited till they where about six inches tall and planted them late May.
They are now about twelve inches.
So will the frost kill them off?

Keith

[bjones]

Keithos, I don't think the frost bothers leeks, they're a winter veg and I think harvested over the next few months. Yours do sound diddy though so perhaps you were late putting them out. I remember that they they need lots of water and feeding too. Have a google, you're bound to find out loads of info as leek growing is a big deal in some places. I think Yorkshiremen are very keen.

On the subject of feeding... if it's the same stuff at your local as at our stable the bags are put out directly from mucking out and as well as being largely hay it's too fresh to use straight away. It's best stored for about 6 months before you use it, I seem to recall that fresh manure can burn the plants.

[Bonesy]

Thanks again Bee


Keith

[bjones]

Well we've just come to the end of our spud crop and sadly won't be eating home grown sprouts on Christmas day . Had been nurturing the few plants that came up but storm Arwen took them right out of our sandy ground. It's great living close to the river .....until the wind blows!
How's everyone else done this year?

[Bonesy]

Definitely a poor show this year except for the runner beans. We have blanched and frozen enough for Christmas Dinner.
Heads up, from today Lidl has bags of
carrots, shallots, sprouts, red cabbage and
mini roasting red skinned potatos on offer at
19p a bag can't go wrong with lidls veg.


Keithmas

[Bonesy]

Bee, saw the fantastic video about planting hacks that you posted on another site.
Tried to find it on You Tube to post here but couldn't , but found this one.Keith



Thanks for posting the other one bee, I'm definitely going to have a go at making the cling film greenhouse


Keith

[Bonesy]

@ Bee. You mentioned a while back bee about adding "gunk" to your veg patch.
Out walking yesterday and passed a local stables with a dozen bags of horse manure
(Gunk) for free.
Do you add it direct from the bag or let it rot down for a while ?


Keith.

[bjones]

The gunk in these bags is usually from mucking out stables so will contain a lot of straw. Try to pick the heavier bags as they’ll have more poo and less straw. Ideally let it rot for about 6 months as fresh manure can burn your plants.
Everything springing up in our garden at the mo: loads of daffs, crocus and hyacinth bulbs have come up and the big old camellia is dripping with blooms. Harry’s out grass cutting so it’s starting to feel like spring

[Bonesy]

Thanks bee, thought as much but not about it burning the plants
Good tip about the heavier bags, will get down there today.
Our camellia is also bursting out with blooms at the moment, looking fabulous.


Keith

[filsgreen]

The gunk in these bags is usually from mucking out stables so will contain a lot of straw. Try to pick the heavier bags as they’ll have more poo and less straw. Ideally let it rot for about 6 months as fresh manure can burn your plants.
Everything springing up in our garden at the mo: loads of daffs, crocus and hyacinth bulbs have come up and the big old camellia is dripping with blooms. Harry’s out grass cutting so it’s starting to feel like spring

You're the font of all knowledge, Bee.