Sowing and planting, Bits And Bobs.

[vegpatchmum]

OH, it could just be a case of familiarity - ie: they've got so used to 'seeing' the forum they don't 'see' it (if you know what I mean) and so it is overlooked

Really busy day yesterday with weeding the veg patch while hubby painted the fence in a veg friendly blue wood stain (looks amazing now ) and then I finished off the potting on I had started on Friday and then planted a load more seed

Sun is shining again already

VPM
x

[Monika]

Thanks for the S+S answer, OH. I might give them another go one day - this year I am growing Hamburg parsley after a gap of a few years.

And, yes, I have noticed the absence of the forum contributions in the KG magazine. In fact, I don't think the website or forum are even mentioned in the last few issues which seems a shame because more and more people are turning to computers, even amongst the oldies. i wrote to the forum editor to this effect some time ago, but there was no response.

[oldherbaceous]

This constant sun gets you down. doesn't it!

[alan refail]

We've just had the first three hours so far this weekend.

[Ricard with an H]

This seems an appropriate thread for my question and my questions are usually trivia that hardly require a new thread.

I have just had a eureka moment with fleece, oh-yes, I bought fleece last year but you do have to use it to get a result.

Rather than buying supports I thought you people probably use a whole variety of methods. I just used a collection of old steel-wire coat hangers that have been cut and bent but they are now too small for both my onion, garlic and broad-bean.

My choices now are to invest in some steel wire or plastic tubing, what do you you people use that is the most effective and cost effective ?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/jg-speedfit-1 ... 10mm/19844

[Primrose]

I shall be intrigued to see the responses to this one because I'm just trying to work out the easiest way of using fleece to cover/ wrap around some early climbing beans I planted out today. The poles are too tall to throw the fleece over and fastening the fleece to / around the. poles is a bit problematic. as the poles are too thick to fasten something like washing line pegs to with the fleece. These are the kind of practical issues I would like to see Monty Don demonstrating on Gardeners World!

[Ricard with an H]

Ok primrose, i'll start the ball rolling by suggesting hoops made out of 10mm plastic plumbing pipe. It works out at £1 a metre for a 25 or 50 metres roll. I propose they are cut to the optimum length for the 10mm diameter. The optimum-length will be greater in 15mm so i'm guessing that 10mm will form an eight-inch hoop without kinking if you cut the lengths to 31 inches. That should give enough to push into the ground and strong enough to hold them upright.

I can get fencing wire from the farmer Co-op but it's in massive rolls and I don't think it'll be as stable as 10mm plumbing pipe.

You can get this stuff delivered from Screwfix or buy it from your local builders merchant/plumbers who will probably charge you more.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/jg-speedfit-1 ... 10mm/19844

[Ricard with an H]

Cheapest is from Toolstation, I just figured that 25 metre won't get me far. It's windy today and although my broad-brans are getting some shelter from the sea buckthorn a fleece tunnel supported by 10mm tubing will take ten pieces per row. Then I have to protect my carrots from my dog and stop my dog treating my onions as a resting place so i'll do hoops all the way around my raised beds.

More expense and i'm not spending any more money this year.

50 metres should be perfect, I tested 15mm tube, it's Ok if you want a two foot hoop.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbin ... 143/p39121

[Johnboy]

Hi Monika,
I haven't grow Hamburg Parsley for a good few years but if sown quite thickly down the row the resulting thinnings give masses of flat leaved Parsley if pulled fairly young but if left too long they become rather tough and tasteless.
Roasted like Parsnips, Hamburg Parsley has a superb flavour and in many ways finer than Parsnips.
JB.

[Shallot Man]

Re plastic plumbing pipe. Know a chap who used it. Put a plug in one end, then filled with dry sand, then another plug. Swore it made the system more secure.

[snooky]

Good Morning Ricard with an H,

the link below may give you an idea or two:-

http://www.veggiecare.com/howto.html

Primrose,
You might be able to source a large roll of industrial clingfilm and wrap this around your poles to protect your plants.(This is the type of clingfilm which is wrapped around palleted goods for delivery).

[Ricard with an H]

Good Morning Ricard with an H,

It's Richard to you and thank-you.

I have recommended 10mm tube but only for small hoops to cover a single row of plants about a foot high. As the hoops get larger you'll need a larger diameter in order to keep the hoop stable. I have some one-inch polypipe I tested, you can't get the diameter of the hoop much smaller than three foot without kinking it and I found the reflex so strong thin this size/diameter that the bent hoops may push themselves out of loose soil. You have to get the right diameter tubing for whatever diameter hoops you intend or they will be difficult to handle.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I use hoops of plumbing pipe stabilised with garden canes tied to their tops for covering the strawberries and two hooped pipes crossing over and tied in the middle for covering individual currant bushes etc. both with bird netting over them and held down tightly along the base so the birds don't get tangled. I push 18" lengths of metal rods into the ground and put the pipes on them. You can push the plastic pipes into the ground a bit too to get them the length you want.

[Ricard with an H]

What size pipe do you use and what diameter hoops do you make ? I just thought, the fleece I have comes in a regulation folded width. Presumably this has some influence on the hoop size or do you cut off what is excess.

I hate throwing stuff away.

Right now and for the next few days my broad beans are surviving under fleece supported by wire coat-hangers but the hoops aren't big enough so the bean plants have their heads on the ceiling.

Better than loosing them to the wind.

[Motherwoman]

I've used pipe for hoops that's about 10mm that someone was throwing out from an irrigation system, it's been in use for about 10 years without any sign of deterioration. My allotment soil is stony so I cut lengths of bamboo canes (about 9") and pushed them up the ends leaving 4-5" sticking out. Makes them much easier to push in and keeps the hoop rigid. Mostly I use net over it to keep mice and birds of of new sowings. Conventional net pegs are fine as it doesn't catch the wind like fleece.

My beans are still tucked up in the greenhouse as I know my allotment is a windy site, they won't go out for a fortnight yet as I've been caught out before. The forecast is for 60mph winds on the island today... batten down the hatches chaps!!