Well thank you very much wet Feckin summer. My toms in the polytunnel have blight (not all but most) have been picking off leaves & fruits that have blotches. Thankfully most are in growbags & not directly in the soil. Should I keep pruning or whip them all out?
Con Artist
Prune them out Valencia. Have been picking 4/5 tomatoes a day for the last 5 days or soChilies are also starting to ripen. Red pepper and aubergine still to develop fruit. Have flowered or in the process of producing flowers. Will be interesting to see how they get on. Cucumber in the green house is a bit slow, strangely enough the 2 plants I stuck into old tires outside are doing way better. Sweetcorn beginning to swell.
4 Feb 2011 - Gilmore on the General Election
"Frankfurts way or Labours way."
28 Feb 2012 - Gilmore on a yes vote for the fiscal treaty
"A vote for economic stability and a vote for economic recovery."
I've been picking a couple of tomatoes a day, and the strawberries have finally come through in the big pot. Not one of them has been nibbled either, that copper tape for repelling the slugs is brilliant. The carrots look like being a huge success - thinned them out a bit the other day and got plenty of acceptably sized baby carrots or bigger just from the thinnings, enough to eat over a couple of weeks or so. 90% of the crop is still in the soil though. Took some garlic out of pots as well, as the stalks were shrivelling and I thought there might be a risk of rotting underground. Some of the cloves I planted back in the spring just turned into very large single cloves, whereas others have developed into full heads of garlic. The onions are also looking good, but I'll leave them to grow a bit longer.
One question - I think I heard that carrots can be stored for longer if you leave some soil sticking to them, but should I do the same with the garlic, or wash it now?
Never mind perception because it isn’t real. It’s only what people think. Go out and make them think something else.
- Alan Quinlan on believing in yourself
That's apparently true with carrots Mr Chips alright, not entirely sure about the garlic though, perhaps just gently rub off most of it with a cloth instead of water
Con Artist
Cheers Val.
Never mind perception because it isn’t real. It’s only what people think. Go out and make them think something else.
- Alan Quinlan on believing in yourself
So
Successes: Cauli, Broccoli,Courgettes, Onions, lettuce,Charlotte Potatoes(seemingly blight resistant)
Mediocre Sharpes Express, Kerr Pinks
Poor: Cabbage, absolutely devestated by slugs.
Lessons:
Broccoli and Caulis will survice a savaging by rabbits. Do not skimp on spraying for blight. Set more charlottes.
Overall: great year given the weather.
All my kale has been unscathed since I put that copper tape around the pots and the timber planter box.Originally Posted by The Spoofer
Speaking of which, I've only been snipping off a few leaves here and there and now that they're not as young & tender, I've been cooking them raw than eating them raw. However I have a fair surplus of a crop over & above what I'm eating. How long can I leave kale in the soil, and can I harvest the whole plant to keep over the winter or should I just keep snipping off the leaves as & when I want to eat them?
Never mind perception because it isn’t real. It’s only what people think. Go out and make them think something else.
- Alan Quinlan on believing in yourself
My experience was that Kale is much better after it has had frost. Mine lasted well into winter.
Cheers, that's good to know. I'll keep picking off the budding flowers, as they are delicious eaten straight off the plant - slightly reminiscent of purple broccoli when eaten that way.
Never mind perception because it isn’t real. It’s only what people think. Go out and make them think something else.
- Alan Quinlan on believing in yourself
Hi mr c,
Garlic first - lift when the tops yellow & die/are dieing back; then dry 'em. Continentals dry 'em in the fields; don't think that's possible here this year...! If you have a greenhouse or well-ventilated poly-tunnel you could try hanging 'em up in that, otherwise an open shed or barn. Best not to cut off the tops, just let 'em dry and then trim/cut 'em later if you really want 'em tidy. I leave all loose skin on 'em until use as they seem store better that way. Do not wash 'em............
BTW, looks like you have two different types/varieties of garlic - bunching and single clove.
Here's a link to a useful site on growing and storing the stuff: http://www.allotment.org.uk/grow-you...etables/garlic
Carrots should still be growing; I wouldn't attempt to left 'em for storage until mid-October at the earliest, unless they're getting attacked or are cracking (but that's usually because of alternating too wet/dry...). As regards using them now - I pull every 2nd or 3rd from finger size on; leaves room for the others to fill the gap. Get a way better yield that way. Storage when you eventually lift 'em all: yes, don't wash 'em or they'll shrivel and rot. Store 'em in a cool, slightly moist environment. I used to have a big box and cover 'em with damp sand or peat; or you could risk leave 'em in the ground over Winter unless you've got an infestation of keel slugs.
Kale I treat as a Winter veg and actually like it best early Spring. Of course you can pick the odd leaf now/later without too much problem.
Congrats on your toms; all mine died......
Just set some oriental salad leaves today, its my first time so it'll be v interestng to see how they fair. Supposed to be v robust little plant that will endure quite low temps. I've set Mizuna, pak choi, mustard and a few that look like lambs lettuce. Has anyone grown these before?
Also going to try this now that weed growth has died down http://www.no-dig-gardening.org/
Last edited by trixie; 6th-September-2012 at 16:40.
Ta an draoicht ar ais aris
trixie,
Oriental salad leaves cover a multitude. I've grown 'em in the past (Unwins methinks) and they were mainly types of rocket and mustard. Quite tasty, but I'd prefer to grow different vars seperately now. They usually grow quickly and you just cut bunches with a scissors as needed, need to sow in batches to keep a supply of tender leaves. Found they went to seed (& got tough/stringy) fairly quickly. Mizuna is just one type of mustard - good one though.
Pak Choi needs different treatment, and has a longer season to grow/mature - grow individual heads and harvest when ready. Lovely lightly teamed or stir-fried. Very good for you too.
All these are brassicas and benefit from a rich, well-worked soil. Addition of lime is useful in areas with acid soil. Don't grow repeatedly in the same patch as you'll end up with problems like club-root (attacks cabbage, broccoli and radishes too), or attacks by flea-beetle or cabbage root fly.
Your query on 'no-digging'....? Have heard of a movement of that name and had a guy trying to convince me a few years back; had to give him a hand clearing his jungle the next year.......
Won't work for most vegs we grow here, but you might get away with it for ornamentals and a few soft or top fruit varieties. It certainly won't work with root vegs.
That site is TM'd so they're obviously out to make money from it. There was a 'no-dig' movement in UK (& NZ) about 15-20 yrs ago, which was basically extreme mulching and with a very organic/eco tilt. But it works the exact same as (large-scale/factory) mulching which exhausts the soil, only they use straw (or equivalent) instead of a membrane. In this country (high rainfall anyone...) digging (or cultivating by e.g. ploughing) is necessary for a healthy soil, otherwise you get soil compaction and panning leading to soil that very little will grow in.
You might get away with it small-scale if you firstly dig-in some gravel (vermiculite and/or perlite was also used but I wouldn't recommend), but you'll also have to raise the beds to work here. In other words a lot of cost and effort for something that is supposed to cut down on effort.......
Lidl were doing stainless steel digging forks for €11.99 a short while back; good exercise too.....
BTW, not too late to plant stuff like mizuno or mustard. As u said they're fairly cold tolerant.
I put down some pak choi but every one of them went to seed. I've quite good beetroot though and my late variety strawberries are still fruiting strongly. Very impressed with them as this is their first year.
It's coming to the time to plant berries.I got a raspberry variety called Autumn Bliss last year.They're supposed to fruit until October and even though this is their first year they look very promising compared to another variety,Malling Jewel which is supposed to be main crop but is struggling. I want some early fruiting canes to plant this year,Glen Moy but they don't seem to be available in Ireland. Still,in a month or two which is the time for planting things might change.
It is important to remember that the French have always been
there when they needed us.\" -Alan Kent
Pak choi / bok choy is not as hardy as its relatives...tough one i hear. I remember years ago watching Martin Yan, funny TV chef on Yan Can Cook. Saying.
BOK mean White. CHOY mean ALLLLLL Wedgeable. So...ONE TWO DONE! Bok choy mean white wedgeable.
Arthur,
Raspberries - Autumn Bliss is a good var (& it should be coming into fruit now, and will go to Nov . frosts), but flavour isn't quite up there with MJ. However, MJ does require more TLC and has a totally different care and cropping regime. It is an old summer-fruiting variety, so you prune out old canes after fruiting (early Aug), mulch and feed well then and tie-in in Sept-Oct. AB is a perpetual or autumn-fruiting (I get 2 crops usually - Jun and end-Aug to Nov) may not need staking and if you do prune it should be in early spring. Glen Moy should be widely available (probably the most widely used early commercial variety) here, Lidl had it last year and you could try any good nursery for it. Flavour isn't quite as good as MJ, but it's far more robust and vigorous.
Bolting pak choi is not uncommon if there is any strain on the plant. Don't sow too early, make sure there is plenty of nutrients and soil has plenty of humus and doesn't dry out, should mature in about 2 months from say a May sowing. It grows well for me but I use F1 seeds from a good supplier like T&M or Unwins. They don't transplant well usually, but I know someone who grows 'em well from plugs and transplants out with 2 real leaves.
Is it the right time to move rasberry canes?
February would be better once the hard frosts have gone.
4 Feb 2011 - Gilmore on the General Election
"Frankfurts way or Labours way."
28 Feb 2012 - Gilmore on a yes vote for the fiscal treaty
"A vote for economic stability and a vote for economic recovery."
Wait until they're dormant, i.e. end Oct-Nov right up to March. I prefer to move 'em early (i.e. Nov), some prefer early Spring. Don't do it when ground is frozen or saturated. Same for all soft-fruit (goosegogs, currants, etc).
Sorry this is going off on a major tangent from veg, however is part in keeping with the grow your own / keeping animals dimension. Plus didn't want to start a new thread for this. The subject is GOATS. Where to buy them? How much would you expect to pay? What type is best, Nanny goat etc?? Can you keep them if you have already a dog on the property.
A good friend of mine who keeps a lot of animals. 36 Chickens, 2 Ducks, Cats, Dog etc, is a bit down in himself lately. He has about 5 acres around his house, was thinking of surprising him with a Goat, or 2 depending on price. Will help him keep the grass/weeds down. Anyone knowledgeable on these creatures any advice would be appreciated
Con Artist
Well mrs chips grew up with a few goats around the place along with a couple of dogs, so that shouldn't be an issue. I'll check with her if she has any advice - having said that, I think it was the boys in the family who took more to do with that side of things! I know the goats will eat EVERYTHING that they can, including the rope they're tied with. They're good escapees too, and will reproduce happily, fruitfully and incestuously ... temperament etc may well be down to the breed, but your pal could end up with his hands full!
Never mind perception because it isn’t real. It’s only what people think. Go out and make them think something else.
- Alan Quinlan on believing in yourself
Yup good strong fences are a must.
4 Feb 2011 - Gilmore on the General Election
"Frankfurts way or Labours way."
28 Feb 2012 - Gilmore on a yes vote for the fiscal treaty
"A vote for economic stability and a vote for economic recovery."
He is well able, has all sorts of stuff there, chicken nets, elec fences etc & most important of all lots of space. I thought Goats were generally speaking gentle creatures? Escapologists I'd heard. And something about males needing to be castrated or they'd smell?
Con Artist
I've known a few goat keepers, predominantly they've said that goats spend more of their time trying to escape than anything else. All they want to do is get out of the field/pen.
Cant recommend pigs strongly enough. Not too hard to contain, eat almost anything (bar meat), fantastic meat, clever animals, benefits far outstrip the workload. Not too pricey either
I am the million man.
He is mega interested in pigs and has often talked about getting some. Dom't you need a herd number or something like that to keep livestock? (or is that only for sheep and cattle?)
Con Artist
Just called a Vet I know, yes you need a herd number and to comply with x amount of instructions to keep Piggies
Con Artist
They'll eat meat alright. No issues feeding them it either.
"If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards - checkmate!" Zapp Brannigan
The Piggies are out, from the point of me getting them, as don't have a herd number. That's why I had been thinking of goats.
Con Artist
I wonder how keeping pigs as a pet works then? Can you keep one pig as a "pet" but more than one constitutes a herd?
Teacup pigs were all the rage recently as pets
"If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards - checkmate!" Zapp Brannigan
I saw a 3 legged goat successfully penned once in an area about the size of a "in goal" area. Tall horse fence cemented posts, reinforced with strong wire and mesh. It ate all the grass and had to be fed hay, etc. Fecker hit me in the chest and hit me a couple more times before I escaped the pen. He was fine after - he was just establishing his dominance ;-) I'm a capricorn too! He had a real attitude problem though and an insatiable appetite. The only thing that makes me smile thinking back to that is that I can safely assume he's now dead.
From what I've been reading, all goats may butt, but in the females it is usualy just playfulness. Males goats are probably a different story. Goats I've read make very good pets? As regards keeping the Porkers as pets, it really is cruel, they are by all accounts a very socialised animal and really need the company of others (same for goats), must admit I find them fascinating creatures the more I read about them. Won't stop me from eating sausages though. Love 'em
Con Artist
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