Search found 72 matches

by WigBag
Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:05 am
Forum: General chatter
Topic: First Broad Beans....... ever!
Replies: 10
Views: 3089

DD, after a while you will find yourself eating them straight off the plant while working! I look for small broad bean pods to steam whole, from my first peas I select a few as 'mange tout' to eat raw or to take back and steam or stir fry. The problem is that you must not take too many - no matter h...
by WigBag
Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:05 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Egg shells in Compost?
Replies: 6
Views: 3221

Egg shells in Compost?

Along with my winter caulies, the other highlight to my season start was my compost! For the first time it looked like the books describe it should, dark, moist, crumbling and without smell. There were a few twigs from the base but nothing could stop my unalloyed joy - what a sad man I am. Anyway, I...
by WigBag
Wed Jun 04, 2008 10:35 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Jersey Royal Potatoes
Replies: 34
Views: 10315

My experience is similar to yours lurganspade, with the exception that I grew Lady Christl for the first time as my early earlies. The first pick were simply OK, no explosion of flavour that the first new tatties from the lottie usually bring. Subsequent pickings have improved both size and flavour ...
by WigBag
Tue Jun 03, 2008 11:56 am
Forum: General chatter
Topic: BUSY PERIOD? What is everyone up too?
Replies: 40
Views: 11816

At work this weekend, my day off today but heavy rain in the Vale of York!! Confined to the potting shed, extra sowing and a little 'housekeeping', maybe a visit this evening in wellies to pick some earlies for me tea.
by WigBag
Wed May 28, 2008 5:55 pm
Forum: Seasonal tips
Topic: ONIONS
Replies: 9
Views: 5149

Its been pretty dry on the Yorks Plain, yesterday was the first rain since the last week in April. It appears to have set off a high number of bolting amongst the onions all over the lottie site, my loss is 25% and I think that is typical for our site. The rain has been beautiful and soft to start o...
by WigBag
Mon May 26, 2008 4:07 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Risk Assessents on allotments - help needed!
Replies: 5
Views: 2321

Don't be distracted by the foolishness surrounding H&S stories, you assess risks every day of your life. There are three areas to consider: 1. The children. Are they able to follow guidelines? Will there be clear supervision? 2. Access. What are paths like? Are there facilities for them? 3. Acti...
by WigBag
Mon May 26, 2008 3:48 pm
Forum: Growing places
Topic: right type of netting
Replies: 18
Views: 7997

Just a word of warning from my experience. I "inherited" a large section of black netting that although plastic was very soft. Having under estimated the partiality of rabbits, pigeons and other migrant grazers to my brassicas in my first year at the lottie, I decided to use it in my secon...
by WigBag
Fri May 23, 2008 5:14 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Vegetable Art
Replies: 13
Views: 3698

I have never seen the like before Chantal, where did you find them?
by WigBag
Thu May 15, 2008 8:12 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Spuds question.
Replies: 24
Views: 7706

I use 4" lengths of down pipe sunk up to 1" in the middle of two rows of spuds( I have 5 of them standing like sentinels along each of my potato beds). I water with a lance attachment into each pipe during dry spells. It prevents too much water on leaves, it keeps the top soil dry but keep...
by WigBag
Wed May 14, 2008 5:46 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: I think all the 'clouts' have been 'cast' !!
Replies: 41
Views: 9085

I think all the 'clouts' have been 'cast' !!

I know its been hot but I can't believe what I am seeing down at the lottie! Blocks of sweetcorn; mounds with courgettes, even Tomatoes and we are not even half way through May. Is it me? Have I missed something? Looking at the Met forecast, it reckons on some seriously single figure temps coming up...
by WigBag
Thu May 01, 2008 8:24 am
Forum: General chatter
Topic: allotments help
Replies: 16
Views: 5773

My lottie had been left fallow for a number of years, so had 6" teasels, thistles, rampant couch grass and bindweed plus pockets of blackberries and a huge swathe of jerusalem artichokes. It also was in the path of creeping elder which was progressing from other 'fallow' sites. Working full tim...
by WigBag
Thu May 01, 2008 8:00 am
Forum: Seasonal tips
Topic: Planting out Parsnips
Replies: 10
Views: 4594

Mine were sown in kitchen roll inners, (it seemed a good idea at the time!) but I found that my dibber (broken spade handle)was too narrow in diameter for the tubes. However I inherited some galvanised pipes with concrete/cement inside them which I only ever used as weights for my fleece, and these ...
by WigBag
Thu May 01, 2008 7:49 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Feeding Seedlings (?)
Replies: 3
Views: 1626

Thanks guys for the replies, I have been away again so only now able to acknowledge .
I am a 'pragmatic' gardener, with aims rather than a slave to any 'system', so will try the chempak while I brew up some 'tea' for later batches.

cheers
by WigBag
Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:04 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Feeding Seedlings (?)
Replies: 3
Views: 1626

Feeding Seedlings (?)

Currently my seedlings (Tomatoes, Peppers, Celery etc)are establishing themselves nicely in their 3" pots. However I don't envision the outdoor types being planted out for some while yet and depletion of the nutriments in the compost will no doubt occur. For a number of reasons I can't pot up t...
by WigBag
Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:13 pm
Forum: Seasonal tips
Topic: PLANTING / S0WING NOW?
Replies: 52
Views: 18017

Busy autumn plus shed requirements, (see 'shed envy' thread), has meant that I am late. However in between catch up tasks: Sowed 126 Mods of Red Brunswick onions & 126 Mods of Bedfordshire Giant onions begining of Feb. Sowed True & Tender Parsnip into 34 kitchen roll inners, mix of sand and ...