The Poultry Keeper

Clucky · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 2182 Location: Shropshire

My OH is always on about wanting to grow things like onions, coriander etc. Now I have a bit of experience with growing plants, but not much and although he is qualified as a conservation and eco systems manager, he has no idea about growing plants.

So my questions are:

Can you suggest which veg/fruit would be best to start off with.

When would we start preparing the gound for that veg/fruit

And what do we have to do to start and maintain them

I grew up with a huge veg plot in our garden and I remember the rotation my dad did and I also remember the rows and rows of veg that grew. I loved the digging up of potatoes. We grew radish, potatoes, cabbabe, sprouts, runner beans, tomatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce...phew LOADs but can I remember anything about growing them now!

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

There's no reason why you can't start to prepare the ground now. digging it over and getting the weeds out. I believe there are also onions that you can put in to over winter. If you don't want to overwinter the onions you could leave the ground fallow for the frost to get at it and make it more friable.

poultry poofs · Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:47 pm Post subject:

There is always stuff you can grow right through the year especially if you have a greenhouse or polytunnel.I have a go at growing anything I fancy even if its not the 'season' even if its just growing new potatoes in a tub for eating Christmas day-its fun Very Happy

The RHS encyclopedia of gardening and the RHS A-Z encyclopedia of grden plants will tell you virtually everything you need to know about plant /fruit/veg varieties suitable for the conditons you have in your area and soil type.Expensive but well worth the money.I've wasted loads of money on gardening books and these two are the only ones I bother with and a decent seed catelogue like suttons to find the right varieties to sow in the conditons you have in the garden.Its not rocket science, give the plants the right growing conditons and control any pests the plants will do the rest Very Happy

mrsjmd2000 · Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Cardiff

Hi, We have a v small garden but this year I managed to grow about 3lb carrots in a tub (ok not really worth shouting about in reality, but I took a photo of them cos I was so chuffed!!!). I also grow lettuces and stupidly planted seeds of onions in May (doh!!) so we had 'spring onions' on Quorn burgers last night!!!! I have just literally yesterday planted some potatoes in containers - for Christmas day!!! I have frozen my carrots, so come Christmas we will be having homegrown carrots and potatoes (hopefully!) for dinner.Now I can grow carrots and lettuce which surely must mean I am now a fully paid up gardening expert Laughing

I now am asking OH to dig up a patch of garden so I can have a go at other stuff over the coming year. Apparently you plant onion sets in October for harvest next summer - so watch this space, although in terms of garden space there wont be much as we now have chooks as well!! just about enough garden left for a couple of chairs to sit and admire eggs and carrots. Oh well if nothing else around on Christmas day we can have a potato and carrot omelet!!! It is good fun - look forward to sharing success and disaster stories!!!!!

poultry poofs · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:25 pm Post subject:

We dont have time or the health to labour too intensively in the garden so its a case of do what you can when you can.If we feel well enough a bit of digging ,preparation or weeding gets done but most of the time things are left to their own devices.Biggest nuisance is having to water it all in the hot weather.(long since departed Sad

)And keep the chooks,cats and pests from ruining things Evil or Very Mad

We have had loads of potatoes and still loads left from a patch 8x4.loads of strawberies amd rubbarb from a plot the same size.Runner beans,french beans,carrots,raddish, lettuce,onion-spring and cooking,broccoli,spinnach and various herbs from a bed 16x8 and peppers and tomatoes to drown us from the 8x6 greenhouse.Also marrow and courgette planted around the greenhouse and Apples and raspberries from various spots amongst the flower bedsNot to mention lots of cut flowers to brighten up the house so all in all its well worth a small amount of effort a few hours a week.
I am looking forward to moving and getting a big poytunnel to increase the amount of produce and extend the growing year too.Its a very rewarding and fairly inexpensive hobby if you keep things simple.
good luck

rich

Clucky · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Posts: 2182 Location: Shropshire

Well OH is planning the garden after the car port and the corner for his seating area, pergola and chimnea....so maybe this time next year I can tell you about all the disasters we have tried to grow.

We actually went blackberry picking yesterday, well walked the dog and came across some so got home and and apple and blackberry crumble....yummy....always tastes better that way don't you think...we may not have grown the apples but at least the berries were wild Smile

poultry poofs · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 10:19 pm Post subject:

which reminds me I must go picking tomorrow the hedges here are heavy with some super fruit -plums and blackberries.I think a jam making session is due Laughing

nigel · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 6:08 am Post subject:

I've been looking at the sloes and the rosehips. I was thinking Gin and syrup.

Heather · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 7:40 am Post subject:

mmmmmm Sloe Gin
Think I am going to make hip & haw jelly with my rosehips Smile

I Love this time of year !

poultry poofs · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:56 am Post subject:

A recent visitor told me he made sloe vodka which I must admit sounded quite nice but the best part was what he did with the sloes afterwards.He drops them in melted chocolate and makes liquer chocs with them which sounds different.Anyone else done anything like that?
Heather, have you got a recipe for your hip and haw jelly you can post on here,theres loads of 'hips' here. Never tried that before.

rich

Heather · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 1:33 pm Post subject:

I'll see if I can find it Rich - not sure if it was Jelly or Jam but imagine with all the Rosehip seeds probably jelly - haven't been to look at the hawthorns yet though

mojo · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:16 pm Post subject:

hey nigel make sloe gin then make jam with the fruit /........super

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2474 Location: South Cumbria

I have just made sloe gin, also going to try Blackberry brandy this year same idea just replacing gin with brandy and sloes with blackberries might even do some Damson gin as well as jam as there is a good crop this year

mojo · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 6:07 pm Post subject:

for real good sloe liquer get a big screw top jar fill with pricked all over sloes fill with favorite tipple put lid on one turn and put in the dark for a month.............strain bottle and drink on winter nites...............if you are going to make blackberry brandy poach the blackberries GENTLY in a sugar syrup for 5 mins or so then spoon into a jar and cover with brandy as above..........handle the berries very gently so they dont make the liqueur too cloudy.........try with very ripe pear slices.....cut up dried apricots..........skinned peaches ..........nectarines........and ione lemons jice to three blood oranges juice

poultry poofs · Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:01 pm Post subject:

Just to illustrate the point i have just picked 14 pounds of cherry tomatoes from the 8x6 greenhouse and loads more left to ripen.Who says gardening is boring Laughing