Tamiyacowboy Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 Thats a cool harvest happylad. maybe chitt the baby ones and plant out for a early winter crop ?. my 4 tattys are going wild. i really should have planted mine direct into the garden to help me with digging. have been removing flint stone all day yesterday, and double digging the plot over again. also have to dig out 6 x 15 inch deep post holes good thing is the flint will be used as backfill and pounded into hole the posts in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattr Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) "How does your garden grow"........ everythings growing like weeds. Except the lawn. Have a small forest of potatoes, ditto radishes, onions, carrots, strawberries, the rhubarb seems to be immortal (wife chopped it back to (almost) the roots on friday, we now have 10-12 cm of fresh growth)........... think we might get a good crop this year! Just need to sort out the bare patches on the lawn.......... again! Edited June 8, 2011 by mattr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) "How does your garden grow"........ everythings growing like weeds. Except the lawn. Have a small forest of potatoes, ditto radishes, onions, carrots, strawberries, the rhubarb seems to be immortal (wife chopped it back to (almost) the roots on friday, we now have 10-12 cm of fresh growth)........... think we might get a good crop this year! Just need to sort out the bare patches on the lawn.......... again! Hi matt welcome to the gardeners corner. rhubarb can be forced, stack a couple of old car tyres ontop of each other and place over the rhubarb, should help bring back new growth ready for crumbles and preserves. even works over winter too , yes lawns are taking a big hit from the very dry months we have had. maybe a weed and feed mix will help bring some color back. also may want to adjust the mower to give less of a trim so the grass does not get scorched so much weeds we all have. i am ashamed to photograph my garden. it has been left for around 15-20 years. have a lovely selection of bind weed, thistles, bramble, bindweed, bindweed and did i mention some more bindweed. to deal with this either means 2 years treating with systemic weedkiller, bringing in a JCB and skimming the first 12 inch of soil away and replacing. or the hard way like myself digging and double digging with digging every day for 3 months for half an hour a day. that is just to remove the couch grass let alone get to the bindweed root systems. at this moment i am on my tea break, have just dug out three of my post holes using a breakers bar ( crow bar / jimmy bar) to get past the two years worth of flints and builders rubbish burried under my soils in garden, before you ask no i have not found any roman coins or a very rare hoard, but i have found an old cows leg bone with some cut marks. also sourced two mid size gooseberry bushes cost me £5 the pair Edited June 8, 2011 by Tamiyacowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 Garden Tools: what tools should i have so here we are you have your plants in and growing well, with a small handfull of gardening tools. but you would like to know what tools are a must for the gardener. hand fork / trowel : these are good around the raised beds and handy for planting up. Dibber : a round short pole tapered at the end and used for planting seeds. some have markings at set intervals for seed depths. Digging spade : the kahuna of gardening tools used to dig those trenches post holes etc etc. digging fork : ideal for turning over the soil in the beds and the compost heaps. grubbing matlock : a more refined tool that resembles a pick axe, used for trenching and working very heavy stome baound gardens/plots Hoe : no not those street ladys, but a tool we use to keep the weeds at bay, long handle allows for a simple hoe'ing action to cull down the growing beds. Rake , garden and grass, a garden rake is used for tilling the soil and raking the beds fine for seeding and keeping the plots tidy, a grass rake has an adjustable head and is for raking over the grass the shape of the head resembles a open hand with long wire like fingers, unliek the garden rake that has a more sturdy look. these are the basic tools you may require or have to hand. they will make your job more easy and more pleasing than back breaking grafting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyLad Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 maybe chitt the baby ones and plant out for a early winter crop ?. The compost that I was growing these in.... Could I reuse it?? I noticed there are quite a lot of very thin roots from the potato's - but if I put it all in a compostor, could I reuse it next year?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) The compost that I was growing these in.... Could I reuse it?? I noticed there are quite a lot of very thin roots from the potato's - but if I put it all in a compostor, could I reuse it next year?? you can re-use it buddy. take most of the roots out and use as a mulch around other plants in raised beds, then one all died back and around october /nov dig into the raised beds. or even replant a new second run crop from the same bag, if you do you will want to mix some new compost with it from the bin. also give your compost in the bin a turn get some air into it and help break down with this hot weather we have you can also break it up and throw into the composter with the old potato leaves and other green waste. should be ready to re-use next spring as a main compost or even mulching Edited June 8, 2011 by Tamiyacowboy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) The Mystery Tour : Above is the mystery bed, contains lettuce , strawberrys, pea's , beans , tomato's The Tomato bed, here are cherry / sun dry / moneymaker plants some in flower some still only a couple inch high, this bed should produce all the way to october/nov The Potato Box, this small box is 2ft x 2ft square and about 2 to 3 foot high. these tattys are already in flower and are last years baby tattys. i kept the smaller tat's i had grown and let the chitt over winter stuck them in around a month or so ago in pure home made compost. Dead bed, here you can see how much a change from above raised beds. this one has had a bad time, the beans died off also the peas that filled it. the basil died and the parsley is just hanging on. the pepper plant is alone in the centre of the bed and has its first open flower. The irrigation units i made will be used in the greenhouse i made these from 1 inch pvc water pipeand will be trenched in between the rows of plants around root depth to conserve water lost from evaporation. and 1 inch water pipe for the outside beds. i also will be using old plastic drain pipes cut in half to grow onions and seed's hanging above the main beds in the greenhouse, so to maximize space i have to grow with and use. Feel free to add your own bed's, flowers, and handy tips or even idea's Edited June 8, 2011 by Tamiyacowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibo Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Hi all greenfingers.. I have just moved into a new build house and I havent a clue about plants,what Iam after is some kind of fast growing bushes or climbing plants to cover all the fence and lattice work all advice would be most appreciated. The mrs said no to a bashing track she said the park at the back will do. lol.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 17, 2011 Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) Hi ibo depends on the type of cover: H helix ( english ivy and hybrids) is a popular plant for climbing and coverage, and also honeysuckle, we have this on a fence and the smell is amazing, plenty of bee's and flutterbys ( because they flutter by )will enjoy the blooms, maybe a hive to and some honey if you fancy some to try i can get a couple cuttings into plugs and send them to you. willow can be cut and placed into the ground, it will take root and grow allowing you to sculpt it into shapes and designs ( idea for the lady and her artistic flair) it can be grown to fill in the space where the trellis is, but should be tied to and not woven in the trellis, its fast growing can soon break the treliss. Rasberrys and or fruit trees like apricot, pear, apple,plum and cherry can be nice and at the same time an added fruit on the table some smaller gooseberry bushes will soon stop anyone jumping over and into a bed of thorns new build yards are cool lets you sculpt them yourself. path making can be a pain, marking it out a big chore but there is an easy way, your hosepipe makes for a perfect curving line to chalk along, also imagining your garden when everything is mature also is a hard task, so here the camera and the pc or plants cut from magazines allow you to age the garden and see it as a adult mature garden. this will really help with design and look and allows you both to place ideas into the photograph, it is what the pro's do so why not us. find a someone you know who keeps horses, or your childs /wife's friends. this stuff is awesome to use and gives newbuild gardens a health boost of plant matter and a nutrient boost. just spread it around the base of plants and dig in when planting. plants have different needs, some like shade and others love full sun. a south facing garden is always the best and always gets the most amount of sun. do not be afraid to plant veg amongst the flower beds, and some flowers are edible to and go great in salads at bbq's and dinners alike. also becomes a talking point. do not expect things to grow like super fast, you cannot rush nature but you can cheat nature slightly and give plants the best start and care. you have a nice flat canvas, i would go a willow or ivy for your trellis, the rear fence can be covered with say raspberry trellis to give a fruity spring and summer. infront a couple of small box hedge have these growing for a year/two then start sculpting to a cloud shape. some spring bulbs will give the snow covered ground some cheer in the spring and daffs following with snowdrops and likes. simple and easy they are left to there own. the hedge will need a prune here and there, the ivy will be required two ends and centre of fence, problem is bird life will suffer from food source to close to a nesting source. stay away from privit, coniffer and likes, ornimental silver birch and likes are in to as features and shading in a corner, weeping willows make for cool pagoda's in a nature's own way. a entrace can be crafted to gain entry under the canopy huge ideas and a cool playground have fun and feel free to throw questions, we will try help our best. Edited June 17, 2011 by Tamiyacowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibo Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Thanks for the info there, it looks like a trip to a few garden centers.. Will put some more pics up of the rest of the garden when it stops peeing down,have pm you my addy for those plugs. Thanks again for the advice and tips most appreciated.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatNav Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Thanks for the info there, it looks like a trip to a few garden centers.. Will put some more pics up of the rest of the garden when it stops peeing down,have pm you my addy for those plugs. Thanks again for the advice and tips most appreciated.. Garden centers, By us we have what is called the RAGC (Rural activities garden center) http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=20281 . It is basically a place where people with profound learning disabilities and challenging behavior go to spend time instead of being stuck in residential care or day centers. Most of there stock is grown/potted on site or donated by larger companies and is very very reasonably priced, much cheaper than common every day garden centers. I always use them now and would never go anywhere else and any plants I've bought from them have thrived and grown well. I know this place is specific to my area but maybe there is something near to your location offering a similar sort of service. Brett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibo Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Garden centers, By us we have what is called the RAGC (Rural activities garden center) http://www.hillingdo...articleid=20281 . It is basically a place where people with profound learning disabilities and challenging behavior go to spend time instead of being stuck in residential care or day centers. Most of there stock is grown/potted on site or donated by larger companies and is very very reasonably priced, much cheaper than common every day garden centers. I always use them now and would never go anywhere else and any plants I've bought from them have thrived and grown well. I know this place is specific to my area but maybe there is something near to your location offering a similar sort of service. Brett Good idea will have to make some inquirey"s.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibo Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 (edited) Few more pics,run out of money so will finish turff off later.Most of the plants I brought from my old house, there was hell of a drop at the bottom there, but a few beers for the builders and hey presto 6 dumper loads of soil.. Edited June 19, 2011 by ibo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 19, 2011 Author Share Posted June 19, 2011 (edited) looking great Ibo, i mean a huge change just with the greenery going down. all grass ? or you going to add a small paved seating area. and do not forget a young garden matures, the back fence will fill out with those you planted out already. i bet the lady o house already asking for gazzebo's outside jackoozies, austrailian sized BBQ's. you will find next year they garden will start becoming more filled out and i would says 3-4yr time a fully maturing back fence covered. as for bargins : check places like pre-loved and gumtree, one mans rubbish becomes another mans gold and tends to be well under the normal shop asking price. have a word with site foreman, ask him for large sized old broken paving slabs and some old wooden pallets. the slabs can be used as pot stands and the wooden pallets break down to make nice raised bed sections and/or a compost heap. good news from the labour side, having a few dumper loads come in good call there buddy and i see you made a nice slabbed area for 4x4 crawling lol Edited June 19, 2011 by Tamiyacowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 (edited) Rain at last: well east england had a nice little soaking for a couple of days, on and off. not enough really but has done us a world of good, well norfolk is one of the dry'est regions in the UK. went out to check the potatos, something funny going on. these monsters are so big they are blocking the light to the tomato's. these things are huge i mean nearly 4 foot high. So i take my time and move some of the leaves aside so i can view under the canopy, omg no no no went through my head. i had not bulked up soil and remembered when the frost caught them i topped up just over the green to protect. so only around a foot deep of soil they have, good news i do have potatos, you can clearly see the soil mounding up in areas and every couple of days the soil seems to be growing lol. the Bigga dried Pea's have come on in leaps and bounds thanks again to tesco's for having them dried,this is the first season i have had them growing all other season have failed. have around 7-9 pea plants from the 40 i planted, not good but something. my lisbon spring onions are having a field day, these also become bad croppers very spindley and very weak growth. this year they have gone wild and i have a lovely parade of soldiers. strawberrys doing well, last years seed has grown to mature strawberry plants with plenty of fruit and a constant stream of flowers, i will say " tempation" are a lovely strawberry and a good cropper. the greenhouse has been on hold as the rain was needed. the base has settled and i am ready to skin the beast. soon i should be growing a month before everyone else, thats the good thing with the greenhouse i get a warmer soil before others around here and my tomato's fly for 50p-£1 a plant. i need a little tool box/seat in the gh while i work so another pallet will bite the dust, hmmm deckchair stle pallet seat Edited June 20, 2011 by Tamiyacowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyLad Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 nice I harvested a couple of my early tato's on Saturday. Not a massive amount tbh, but they tasted good. Had them with pork shnitzel and peas for dinner yesterday. Going to leave the remaining earlies another couple of weeks to see if we can get some more tuber growth. Beans are rocketing up - some are topping out over 6ft now. Lettuce and beetroots coming on strong, but spring onions are v.weak. one of my Chilli plant has about a dozen or so fruit on it, and one of the peppers has a couple fruit coming on. Tomato's are about 4ft high and very bushy - 2 or 3 flower trusses on each, but no fruit yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 (edited) nice I harvested a couple of my early tato's on Saturday. Not a massive amount tbh, but they tasted good. Had them with pork shnitzel and peas for dinner yesterday. Going to leave the remaining earlies another couple of weeks to see if we can get some more tuber growth. Beans are rocketing up - some are topping out over 6ft now. Lettuce and beetroots coming on strong, but spring onions are v.weak. one of my Chilli plant has about a dozen or so fruit on it, and one of the peppers has a couple fruit coming on. Tomato's are about 4ft high and very bushy - 2 or 3 flower trusses on each, but no fruit yet yes tomatos like the heat so keep plugging on with them, same with chilli's and peppers, they will rot before they turn the deep red you expect. the chilli's will be nice even when green, i find them nice when about the length of your finger. you can hasten tom's to gain fruit, you best friend is a electric toothbrush, it vibrates and acts like a bee's wings, stimulating self pollenating. its funny a device for oral health also becomes nature's cheat yes same with my spring onions weak and spindly things, but this year i planted them where i had my tomato crop bed, just gave soil a turn and planted the seedings i had grown in windowsill. speaking of potatoes i went out to check mine again, moved no more than a quarter inch of soil and had lovely salad sized desirre (sp) main crop. i also have some chitted maris peer second earlys i want to throw in. got them from the local tesco's and they have all started to chitt within two days purchasing. the best thing to to for tattys main crop, is wait until the flowers die off, or even better when the plant dies back you will have big fat healthy tubers for the eating. i will take a photograph of the 2x2 tatty box full, and the crop that comes from it to. and dont forget you can get three seasons from tattys, early - second earlys - main crop Edited June 20, 2011 by Tamiyacowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyLad Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Actually....... We do have some tomatoes fruiting The Mrs pointed them out to me when I got home this evening. Not many yet, but they are definitely there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 Actually....... We do have some tomatoes fruiting The Mrs pointed them out to me when I got home this evening. Not many yet, but they are definitely there... there we go, some tom's is better than none, glad they are coming on. have a couple flower treliss myself with some fruits on, not many but a few. mind you once these tattys go in the weekend the sunlight will soon start the others flowering and fruiting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 (edited) So today i pulled up the small 2x2 foot potato box. only planted four very small potatos (desire) but not a bad crop, all together from the four plants and in 1ft of soil they produced 2.3KG of tubers. i had tubers just under the soil all teh way down to the landscape fabric. all from a couple of potatos from tescos supermarket i also right away planted seven more potato's in hope they will be ready by october /november. these are maris peer a second early. i also have some man crop to put in around november have peas in the pods now with melons. once your melon has atleast 4 true leaves, take out the tip. yes take the tip out, now be ready for side shoots to appear and start to train them up and along a trelis, will not take long before the plants puts a growth spurt on and you should start to see your first FEMALE flowers, and those baby melons you so need. remember to pluck the male flowers from the plant, we do not want these to taint our female and turn our fruits bitter water them well they are nearly 75% water themselves, keep they topped up and cradle fruits with fruit hamocks ( ladys bras / panty hoses (tights) or some kind of soft cradle so not to damage them ripening melons Edited June 26, 2011 by Tamiyacowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 One of the female water melon flowers i have. you can see the young melon forming and covered in fine hairs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Cloud Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I have a young plum tree which produced abaout a dozen plums last year. This year it has only one. When I was looking at it today I noticed it had to two clusters of new blossom on one branch, That just seems so strange at this time of year. Anyone got any knowledge of fruit trees? I was thinking it might be due to the harsh winter maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HootMaRoot Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 well i know where i live in the NW lot of friut seem to produce fruit from about now and be ready to harvest middle to the end of august. also dont think the harse winter help much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamiyacowboy Posted July 1, 2011 Author Share Posted July 1, 2011 (edited) I have a young plum tree which produced abaout a dozen plums last year. This year it has only one. When I was looking at it today I noticed it had to two clusters of new blossom on one branch, That just seems so strange at this time of year. Anyone got any knowledge of fruit trees? I was thinking it might be due to the harsh winter maybe. it is only young and our weather is somewhat on and off, so growing seasons can be affected somewhat. i would not worry, when the young tree becomes more mature it would have had a lot of time to become a good strong tree. younglings will always produce less fruit than a mature tree. most tree's will like a harsh winter here and there, helps them build strength. my poor victoria plum tree was culled. neighbour complianed to council, they told me loose it or else. then month later told tree had broken pipes. drain specialist came took one look and said " lol the tree WAS NOT the problem it is the cooking fat, these are plastic pipes ". council never said sorry and i lost a plum tree i planted as a 15yr old boy ( now 40). Edited July 1, 2011 by Tamiyacowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Cloud Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Not to worried about the lack of fruit as my apple tree has just about died and my mature cherry has little if any cherries on it so it just seems to be a bad year for tree borne fruit. At least my plum trees are growing well and look really healthy. It will be interesting to see if the late blossom produces fruit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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