Hi Mike, interesting what you said about darkmar I hadn't grown these before, till this year . If the sprouts have blown already they wont make any tight button sprouts later which is a shame. i should just eat what you've got now and enjoy! Better luck next year.
Gracie

Thanks for your thoughts Old Herbacious I think it could maybe to do with a dry spell and their roots not being happy, I know sprouts like to have a good deep root run and plenty of moisture. Sometimes you never really know what the problem is but better try again next year!!
Graciex

I have been growing sprouts for the last 12 years and so far have not had a failure till this year!! I planted really healthy plants out in mid April one row of Montgomery and one row of Darkmar. The plants have failed to thrive and are only half the size i would expect for the time of year. Some pl...

Thanks Alan, its an interesting thread but unfortunately it wouldn't help with my problem. I would love to connect the mains tap again but the headmistress says it isnt an option! ( Don't think she realises how much water tomatoes need!)
Gracie

I help to run a school vegetable garden and we have an 8ft x 12ft polytunnel. Recently our outside tap was cut off and i need quite a large amount of water to water the polytunnel (mainly tomatoes) during the summer holidays. Does anyone have any ideas about collecting water from the polytunnel roof...

I run a school veg garden as well my own and last year the head made me do a three sisters bed, its great in theory but the corn does not grow quick enough to support the beans and as already been said it wont be tall enough. I ended up putting canes in, which defeated the object really. All three v...

I run a kitchen garden at my school, I work as a mid-day supervisor and we do the gardening at lunch times. It is so popular with the children and has been a great success. We try to use the crops in the school kitchen or any surplus get sold for a small fee. We've had various grants of small amount...

Dear Tracie, sorry you have a rat problem, I hate them!! If you wanted to go down the poison route there are some really affective bait traps available from farming supply shops. i noticed that you live in chesterfield and I'm not too far away you can buy large buckets of bait and the dispensers in ...

Hi Plumpudding I think I've sprayed them every couple of weeks since they were about 6" high. but it wasn't alot of work I just kept a bottle of spray next to the carrot row. I do agree Johnboy that it seems alot to do when you can cover the row with enviromesh but I always seem to get alot of ...

I've been growing carrots in my garden for the last ten years but have always been plagued by carrot fly. I've tried various methods to combat the dreaded pest -companion planting and covering the crop with fleece. However earlier this year my dad met a vegetable grower who gave him this method- Tak...

Dear Primrose, I have used loo rools with varying degrees of success, often i found that the loo roll failed to degrade. I then heard Bob Flowerdew on the radio who said he'd had problems with toilet rolls not breaking down in the soil and when he looked into it found that now the loo rolls were spr...

They may just be having a rest period all need a few weeks off. But if they are free ranging they may be laying away, I should sit and watch where they go to, hens are very crafty and often prefer to find their own nest rather than the nest box.
Regards gracie

Yes chickens can definately swim!! well some can any way. Last year when we had the floods in July my garden (an old mill pond) was about three feet under water in places, I'd rescued most of my hens many had flown to higher ground but I was trying to rescue a black leghorn called Kathy and she just...

Thanks Beryl that sounds like a really good idea will give it a try
Gracie

The variety is white versailles, I had thought of making jelly but they aren't as tasty as red currants and I suppose not as pretty!
What does Sarah Raven reccomend them for? Maybe wine is the best thing to try.
Thanks Gracie