Search found 7251 matches

by alan refail
Wed Feb 14, 2007 5:33 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: RHUBARB
Replies: 16
Views: 6600

If you know roughly where it is you should find it emerging already. I don't think you will harm it by moving it a bit late, so long as you give the crowns a year to re-establish before pulling. Rhubarb is tough old stuff.

RHS advice http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1105/rhubarb.asp

And when you've moved it make sure you remember where it is :!:
by alan refail
Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:21 pm
Forum: Tools and Machinery
Topic: Hen house lighting
Replies: 10
Views: 6692

Alison All I recall about isinglass is that when I was very young (wartime) our eggs were preserved in a large enamel bucket of the stuff. They were foul to eat Just consulted my wife who had the same experience, and she remembers the resulting eggs being "chalky". Her advice is to use fou...
by alan refail
Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:10 pm
Forum: Cooking tips
Topic: Smelly hands
Replies: 9
Views: 6634

I'm trying this tonight :!:

As for how it works, if you put stainless steel onion smell into Google, you'll get some helpful (:?:) results.

Alan
by alan refail
Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:43 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: If you could only grow one...
Replies: 12
Views: 5626

Any Long Cayenne - unadventurous, but reliable and a heavy cropper..........

Well, I was going to leave it at that till I found

http://www.chileseeds.co.uk/hot_chili_pepper_seed.htm

Now you have a big choice.

Alan
by alan refail
Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:02 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Okay, what's this then?
Replies: 25
Views: 10086

Malk If you want poetry, here is Wordsworth on the celandine. He wrote two more Perhaps we should not dig it up, but paise it. PANSIES, lilies, kingcups, daisies, Let them live upon their praises; Long as there's a sun that sets, Primroses will have their glory; Long as there are violets, They will ...
by alan refail
Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:53 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Advice on Potato seeds needed
Replies: 12
Views: 5129

Granny We have blight every year here in NW Wales. The only way to avoid it is to plant and harvest as early as possible. This does not work with Pink Fir Apple as they are so slow to chit and require a very long growing season. I have not found any way of pushing them to chit earlier, not even keep...
by alan refail
Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:12 am
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Okay, what's this then?
Replies: 25
Views: 10086

Much appreciated

Alan
by alan refail
Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:57 am
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Okay, what's this then?
Replies: 25
Views: 10086

Message for oldherbaceous

My book also tells me that Lesser Celandine is known as Crowpightle in the fair county of Bedfordshire.
Can you shed any light on this?

Before you ask - we call it Llygad Ebrill or Melyn y Gwanwyn (which mean April's Eye and Spring Yellow)

Alan
by alan refail
Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:38 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Growing anything new this year?
Replies: 45
Views: 17682

Image

Will this be OH next year if he does?
by alan refail
Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:28 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Advice on Potato seeds needed
Replies: 12
Views: 5129

Hi It depends what you mean by "pots/bags". I have always grown all potatoes in open ground, but I can appreciate your problem - potatoes take up ground that could be used for more productive summer crops. As for your varieties I have grown them all. Orla - an excellent cropping early Inte...
by alan refail
Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:13 am
Forum: Seasonal tips
Topic: Growing Mouli
Replies: 7
Views: 4281

OH
Short answer - both, but for cooking I'd stick to slicing thinly and stir-frying.

Chantal
Like your mother, I tend to find them rather hot and don't grow them now.

Alan
by alan refail
Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:16 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Okay, what's this then?
Replies: 25
Views: 10086

OH
I have a brain like a dustbin (or compost heap), also know my way round Wikipedia :!:

Alan
by alan refail
Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:13 pm
Forum: Seasonal tips
Topic: Growing Mouli
Replies: 7
Views: 4281

We live and learn, OH. MOOLI is a large radish, old in Asian shops. Known as DAIKON in Japan. http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r30/alanrefail/mooli.jpg Primrose I used to grow Minowase and April Cross until I moved to my present stony soil. I reckon you should be OK unless your stones are large. T...
by alan refail
Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:01 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Okay, what's this then?
Replies: 25
Views: 10086

It it definitely Lesser Celandine. Brilliant photograph - identical to the new leaves appearing in our field. Dig it up, making sure to get out all the tubers/bulbs. Or you could cultivate it to cure haemorrhoids. One of its old names is Pilewort. Wordsworth was very fond of it, though not for the a...
by alan refail
Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:46 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Growing anything new this year?
Replies: 45
Views: 17682

After further research, I have come across this in "The Vegetable Garden" by Vilmorin-Andrieux (English translation 1885) Persian or Odessa Melon A rather vigorous growing plant, with long and somewhat slender stems. Leaves of medium size, tolerably lobed and cut on the edges, and of a liv...