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broncobarb
Joined: 01 Jan 2008
Posts: 12
Location: Kent
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 Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 11:02 pm Post subject: ploughing the old fashioned way! |
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Hi newbie here
got a single horse driven plough for Christmas, very pleased with my Christmas present and I have a pony to drive but not sure what to plant as not particularly green fingered need something easy to grow,can dedicate about half an acre to my project in well drained sandy soil any ideas anyone?  |
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milkmaid
Joined: 19 Apr 2005
Posts: 6806
Location: isle of lewis
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| Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:46 am Post subject: |
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| have fun it's hard work ,done it a few times with a mule ,we used to plant toms ,not in this country in italy |
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Duckie
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 198
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| Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 10:14 am Post subject: |
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it depends on what you can se locally I reckon - not much point growing half an acre of something which then rots in the field! If you can use it or can sell it to someone who can, some type of biomass crop would probably work since there are fewer issues with delivering quotas and harvesting windows.... otherwise you might be able to find someone to buy a crop of pumpkins or similar off you.
If I had a spare half acre I think I'd go for Christmas trees, and a large dog to guard them  |
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broncobarb
Joined: 01 Jan 2008
Posts: 12
Location: Kent
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| Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Thank you for your replies, pumpkins great idea! we normally have a local shortage. Have heard they are easy to grow any tips? |
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Duckie
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 198
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| Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:13 am Post subject: |
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never grown them myself but from what I remember its lots of water and leave them well alone until they're ripe!
Not sure of the regulations of selling small scale foodcrops though (even if they'll mainly just be used for lanterns) - you might need to do something special to be allowed to sell them. |
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Esther.R
Joined: 03 Jan 2008
Posts: 75
Location: Shetland
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| Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Not sure what to grow but thats a great present! I want one for my ponies. |
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broncobarb
Joined: 01 Jan 2008
Posts: 12
Location: Kent
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| Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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| good point about regulations, think I might see how successful my crop is first! I visualize 200 seeds = 2 pumpkins if I'm lucky |
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Old Man of the 80's
Joined: 22 Apr 2006
Posts: 303
Location: Wittering, UK
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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Ha ha, think again my friend. A couple of years ago I planted about 6 seeds thinking along the same lines as you. I ended up with more pumpkins than I could shake a dirty stick at!!
One thing I'm going to try this year is growing some square pumpkins. Grow the fruit in strong perspex boxes and they will grow to fill the box. I heard about some square (ok, cubic) watermelons that were grown a few years ago and thought the same must be true to pumpkins.
Certainly something novel to corner the market in. |
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Loudmouth Schnook
Joined: 01 Nov 2005
Posts: 1586
Location: Back, Isle of Lewis
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| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Well as it's horse drawn and sandy soil - potatoes, onions or carrots! The plough should make good deep drills for the potatoes and then you can earth up. If it's carrots, don't put down manure fresh, it needs to sit like a year or you'll get forked roots. |
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