Mick's Veggie Patch 2011

[mick]

Yeah, not sure how many slugs the toad/frog consumes but by the size of his belly he's not been going short - unless he's been simply sipping the Guinness

I've been reading up on how to attract (and keep) hedgehogs in the garden as they're reported to be excellent at getting rid of slugs. I've seen hegehogs in the garden on several occasions but they're obvioulsy just visiting rather than looking to move in permanently at the moment.

[mick]

Not really relevant to any of my threads but as a record of lifes daily progress here's a before and after shot of the garden earlier today.

The small area of garden at one side of my house has never been useful for anything due to the fact that there was a neighbouring tree blocking out the light - not to mention the fact that it was in extremely close proximity to the properties and that the ground had started lifting due to the tree roots. Fingers crossed that there won't be any structural or drainage problems now that it's finally been taken down. Look - even the sun's getting through now

I'm sure that we could have taken advantage of the cheaper services offered by one of the 'knock on your door' handymen but hey, that's my shed in the foreground and I didn't want that, or anything else, getting damaged. We contacted Marcus Taperell, a local tree surgeon, and we've had to wait a few weeks before he was finally able to get to work but how easy did he make it look! The whole tree taken down bit by bit and the whole lot taken away, and by the time they had cleaned up after themselves you'd barely have known anyone had been - other than the fact that there is now light where once there was only shadows. I'm happy to provide the earlier link for anyone in need of a similar highly professional service in this area.

[drmalesis]

Hi Mick,

I've has several tree cut back / down by professionals, and they do make it look easy. We had a couple cut down in the garden just after we moved in because they were blocking light into the house.

Earlier this year we had to spend almost a grand having overgrown trees along the road cut back as the council were receiving complaints from various farmers that the tops of their stock wagons were getting clouted as they drove past. This was a problem we inherited from the previous owners who seem to have done very little in the way of maintenance to the property or the land that came with it...

But it's not too bad as we have a wood burner and the logs will always come in handy.

regards

Duncan

[mick]

I would imagine that logs and wood chippings provide an excellent subsidiary business for a tree surgeon. I notice from the website I listed that he actually advertises logs and chippings for sale. I'm just pleased to see it all gone and so good luck to him.

We had originally considered the idea of cutting the tree down ourselves (can you believe that - older we get the dafter we get eh?) and would undoubtedly have decided to, or had to, use ladders. The tree surgeon used a kind of pulley system, suspending from a rope - with not a ladder to be seen. We'd most likely have seriously injured ourselves and/or caused some major damage, and looking at the 'before' photo I can't believe we even thought for a single moment about doing it. There aren't many things I wouldn't have a go at but I'm just so glad that on this occasion common sense prevailed.

[traingeekboy]

Beautiful garden and plants. I will have to take some pics of my Chaos Garden as comparison; yours is very tidy, mine is whatever grows let it grow. he he he

Potatoes... My sis told me that you can plant potatoes in hay bales or something like that. this year I had some store bought potatoes that had roots so I planted them, but only two came up. One is a massive beast and I have started mounding over it's lower branches to inspire it to make more food. It is my first attempt at potatoes. I am glad to have anything at this point. Although plans are already in for next year to do a lot more potatoes, the plants are just so pretty.

I may have to do some test plants to see if I can get those tubs to work. It looks very promising. Thanks for the tip.

I love the green house. very nice looking kit.

It is too dry here for slugs thankfully.

[mick]

Don't let the photo's fool you - the garden's not quite as neat and tidy as it seems and other than a few vegetables there are very few plants of note. I am trying to dispose of as much clutter and rubbish as possible in order to deter slugs and snails but yes, the damp weather here doesn't help with their control. The cheap lager on the other hand certainly does.

I've seen potatoes grown in bales of straw too but I'm okay with the tubs providing I can get hold of cheap compost. The plastic garden dustbins are ideal and a much cheaper alternative to the commercially produced potato barrels. I would highly recommend growing potatos in tubs with a supply of clean compost for a trouble free harvest free from pests and disease. Extremely satisfying.

The greenhouse is just a different climate.....

[traingeekboy]

Maybe you need to dig a moat around the veggie patches.

Since you have a green house, but also as an option outdoors, have you ever seen how people use spent plastic coke bottles to grow tomatoes upside down. They grow the plant out the screw cap hole and cut the bottom off. Or else they cut a small hole in a paint bucket. It helps keep pests off the tomato plants apparently. You might try some over the potted ones in the green house and see how they do.

[mick]

Yes I've heard about the fashion for growing things upside down and it would certainly save on some space in the greenhouse. Makes you wonder how people come up with these methods though? Do they just suddenly think, hey, I know, lets grow them the wrong way up this year Don't expect to see my potatoes upside down anytime soon.

[mick]

I've got a long list of jobs to do before I can think of starting work on the alterations to my garden railway viaduct - many of these jobs involve work to improve access around the veggie plot and greenhouse and to provide standing areas for my potato planters. I've made a start so it shouldn't take long.

Another task awaiting my attention is that of fitting a downpipe to the greenhouse guttering to connect to my recently obtained water butts. A fiddly job but I think I've got the parts I need.

In the meantime, I'm a firm believer in getting crops out of the ground as soon as they're ready to eat rather than leave them in the ground with an opportunity for something else to start eating them before I do. We've been taking the occasional bunch of carrots recently to test them and they've been really tasty and so today I pulled up the remainder ready to be stored in sand until required. There's not a lot of them as I was a bit concerned about the threat of carrot fly so only planted 4 short rows but having had them covered with fleece fabric from the date of sowing until quite recently when I removed it, I needn't have worried at all as they are almost unmarked. The fleece certainly did its job.

While certainly not of show quality, and with a number of contorted shapes (some of them extremely rude ) they are, all the same, a smashing crop of carrots which I am very pleased with.

Even produce purchased from the supermarket doesn't last very long once you get it home and so I'm hoping that after a good clean up, burying the harvested carrots in sand will help to preserve them for a number of weeks. There's hardly enough to keep us going throughout winter but there are a good few meals to be had.

[mick]

I hadn't intended posting any photos of the mis-shapen carrots but I couldn't resist taking a photo of this one to share with you!

[traingeekboy]

I was just out in my garden viewing my small harvest, and I thought I would pop on the computer and see how your garden is getting along. I have a food grade eggplant I am watching grow. Tons of zinnias. No carrots though. I never have luck with carrots. It seems your carrot has legs and a tail. Pretty funny looking.

My big trauma is a large infestation of aphids or mites on my kale. Someone suggested spraying with eco safe detergent diluted in water. I'm about to arm myself for battle.

Sooo... does the new green house go with you when you move?

[mick]

I'm hoping to take the greenhouse along. After the number of years I've waited to finally get one I can't believe that within a few weeks everything would have changed and we'd be in the position of having to make such a decision. Anyway, the decision has been made and it's time to move on. The entire veggie patch will have to be started again

My brussel sprouts have had an infestation of mealy aphids and although I've tried a 'safe' spray as recommended elsewhere, I have found that a diluted mix of water and plain washing up liquid clears them away better. A good blast with the hosepipe shifts them too but it needs doing at frequent intervals. I'm not keen on spraying chemicals and am happier with the water/detergent mix. The plants themselves appear not to be harmed at the moment but the aphids sap the plants of strength until they eventually succumb if not treated.

[traingeekboy]

I noticed something was up on my plants because the leaves started curling up and were smaller. Then I looked underneath and it was just full of little grey bugs.

Thanks for the tip on multiple sprayings. I will go out for round two of war on aphids.

Good to hear the green house gets to come along with you.

[mick]

Sadly, the imminient move of house spells the end for my less than one-year-old veggie patch, but what a thoroughly enjoyable few months we have had from just a few square feet of garden. We've enjoyed some wonderful home-grown vegetables but it's going to be touch and go as to whether we manage to savour any of the brussel sprouts before contracts are exchanged and its all got to be left behind.

It's unlikely that 2012 will see a replacement vegetable patch with so much work to be done elsewhere, but potato seeds are already on order for next year and will continue to be grown in barrels and bins as before.

It's strange how our directions in life can change so suddenly and in many cases so unexpectedly. I purposely named this thread with a 2011 year ending so that I could follow on with another thread the next year - doesn't look like that will be required now.

[traingeekboy]

Don't give up too soon on the veggie patch. I'm sure you'll do something like tomatoes and potatoes. You might try planting garlic this fall as they produce in the spring after growing all winter. I just buy garlic and let it sit till it gets to sprouting then stick it in the ground.

Funny about the word garden as in garden railway. Here in the Us a garden is where your veggies or flowers are, the rest of it is your lawn. The whole thing is your yard. I get the feeling you guys say garden meaning the whole thing.

I had the sad realization that we got an unexpected frost last night. My egg plants, or eggers as I like to call em , got pretty wrinkled as did my tomatoes. I'm going to run out and try covering things tonight so that I can preserve them a bit longer, but it's definately not summer anymore.