Search found 372 matches

by madasafish
Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:47 pm
Forum: Seasonal tips
Topic: Mayan Gold 'Legacy Potatoes'
Replies: 16
Views: 8922

On SUnday's "The Food Program" on Radio Four.

You can listen from the BBC website...
by madasafish
Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:39 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Currants
Replies: 11
Views: 4815

I'm afraid I mistreat our current bushes: never feed them prune every 2-3 years or when I can be bothered. shade them with other shrubs. use no fungicides/insecticides don't bother to net them take cuttings anytime. cram them close together Despite that we get about 2-3kgs of fruit per bush...
by madasafish
Sun Oct 08, 2006 6:50 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Again it's woodlice.
Replies: 8
Views: 6002

Before I dig in any compost, I spread it one th ground the day before. The blackbirds/robins/sparrows then eat their fill of worms/lice/ants and when I dig it in, there is no trace of any living insect left...
by madasafish
Sat Sep 30, 2006 11:03 am
Forum: Seasonal tips
Topic: What's my asparagus up to?
Replies: 15
Views: 7778

Mine are still growing strong.. so I've done nothing: waiting for the first frost.

It has been so warm in September that our perennial poppies are flowering again: unheard of..
by madasafish
Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:48 pm
Forum: Tools and Machinery
Topic: Lightwieght Petrol Mower - best buy?
Replies: 2
Views: 3145

I recommend Hayter. I own a 1973 one (from my father),it's easy to use, reliable and when it does need spares (I had to rebuild the carburettor after 30 years use), parts are available.

It also cuts the grass well!
by madasafish
Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:10 pm
Forum: Harvesting Q&A
Topic: which is the sweetest/best tasting,variety of tomato ?
Replies: 9
Views: 5733

I have been growing Nicholaevna Pink Tomato from

http://www.seedfest.co.uk/about/about.h ... aevna-pink

They are the sweeest large beefsteak tomato I have found. This year average weight was just under 15ounces per tomato.. they are superb either raw, microwaved, fried or in soup..


Grown them for three years so far and no problems..
by madasafish
Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:30 pm
Forum: Harvesting Q&A
Topic: Ripening Outdoor tomatoes
Replies: 8
Views: 7415

I believe ripe fruit - especially bananas - gives off a gas (forgotten name - old age!) which helps green tomatoes ripen.
I leave on aplate in a window with one ripe tomato under a pile of green ones: appears to work a treat....
by madasafish
Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:27 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: spent tomato grow bags
Replies: 8
Views: 9224

Like the previous poster we have heavy clay soil. I use the peat from old growbags as a mulch for my raspberry canes and as a soil improver for my strawberries.

After 20 years it has made a significant difference to soil texture:-)
by madasafish
Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:44 am
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Slimly slugs
Replies: 22
Views: 10884

We keep ALl our eggshels and find that crushed eggshells strewn round strawberries make an excellent deterrent. I don't bother trying to kill them as our garden is surrounded on 2 sides by a very wet (complete with marshy bit) 20 acre field so it would be apointless job. And in the autumn the wood p...
by madasafish
Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:36 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Loganberries
Replies: 7
Views: 3502

I have grown loganberries,tayberries , Himalayan Giant and other blackberries. Apart from the Himalayan, I gave up on the rest as the flavour is not as good as rasps and you tend to get the cores stuck in the berries imo.. (we have 4 rows of rasps and pick around 25kg each year) Soil treatment for a...
by madasafish
Fri Sep 08, 2006 7:35 pm
Forum: Seasonal tips
Topic: Cheap Soluble feed.
Replies: 0
Views: 1900

Cheap Soluble feed.

Tesco are selling off their own soluble feed for 1kg at 44p instead of the normal £1.80p or so. I use it and it is very good. At 44p it's an end of season bargain.

Hurry as they will soon be all gone at those prices. (I save and use it next year)
by madasafish
Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:36 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: blueberry bush - which one
Replies: 3
Views: 2597

Thanks for that advice which I read. I've just ordered a Chandler bush from them: apparently they grow to around 1.7 metres tall and crop very well. I have 5 other bushes planted this year - soil+compost + azalea feed.. plus more compost in garden. So far doing v well