Gardeners Question Time

I'm just getting into planting mode, have been avoiding the garden for most of the winter, will look into this. I get the feeling the fartichokes I just planted will be fine but other stuff could do with a helping hand. I do tend to start most things off in the house or greenhouse, I imagine this would work better when sowing or planting straight into the ground?
antdad said:
no point worrying about cycles if its freezing or you have planted seed in a bog.
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Any tips for getting rid of boggy ground? The very back bed in our side garden spends much of its life looking like a paddy field - I made an effort to dig it over well last year and planted some totties, in the hope they would further break up the earth, but they never sprouted and it's as bad as ever.
 
Proinsias said:
I'm just getting into planting mode, have been avoiding the garden for most of the winter, will look into this. I get the feeling the fartichokes I just planted will be fine but other stuff could do with a helping hand. I do tend to start most things off in the house or greenhouse, I imagine this would work better when sowing or planting straight into the ground?
antdad said:
no point worrying about cycles if its freezing or you have planted seed in a bog.
Click to expand...
Any tips for getting rid of boggy ground? The very back bed in our side garden spends much of its life looking like a paddy field - I made an effort to dig it over well last year and planted some totties, in the hope they would further break up the earth, but they never sprouted and it's as bad as ever.
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You have three options I can think of.

Try and improve the soil structure by digging in free draining material like sharp sand, straw, well rotted manure etc,

Create some raised beds and use better quality top soil.

Do nothing and plant bog loving plants like Jerusalem artichokes, rice, celery and a few others.
 
Very interesting.

I have used a worm farm for years for plant food. I feed all of our veggie waste ( limit the onion, garlic & citrus waste it gives the worms bad breath ) The final product is the best compost/feed for plants & veggies.
 
Utilising ancient planting guides isn't so much as how well it works as what it DOESN'T do. The world faces increasing starvation from multiple causes. One is the reduction of food crops to wheat,corn( maize) rice monocultures with even diversity in those 3 grains disappearing. Agribusness grows a less nutritious and palatable crop reuiring ever more chemical fertilizers, incecticides,fungicides, matricides, genetic engineering and massive machinery so removed from the land I doubt anyone actually walks it anymore.

So plant by the moon. People who took generations to observe one aspect in the night sky may have been on to things we simply do not see.'Organics' have exploded in popularity in the US even as debates over what constitutes an organic product and what advantages they have rage.

Fixes a spring salad mix with fresh figs, dried cranberries and a olive oil and vinigarrette for lunch with a glass of wine and homebaked bread from the oven.
 
Kav said:
Utilising ancient planting guides isn't so much as how well it works as what it DOESN'T do. The world faces increasing starvation from multiple causes. One is the reduction of food crops to wheat,corn( maize) rice monocultures with even diversity in those 3 grains disappearing. Agribusness grows a less nutritious and palatable crop reuiring ever more chemical fertilizers, incecticides,fungicides, matricides, genetic engineering and massive machinery so removed from the land I doubt anyone actually walks it anymore.

So plant by the moon. People who took generations to observe one aspect in the night sky may have been on to things we simply do not see.'Organics' have exploded in popularity in the US even as debates over what constitutes an organic product and what advantages they have rage.

Fixes a spring salad mix with fresh figs, dried cranberries and a olive oil and vinigarrette for lunch with a glass of wine and homebaked bread from the oven.
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An excellent book that discusses this further is:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Omnivores-Dilemma-Search-Perfect-Fast-food/dp/0747586837/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1278966225&sr=1-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Omnivores-Dilem ... 225&sr=1-1</a><!-- m -->

We seem to be at a turning point for agriculture. Do we go back to basics or much further forward i.e. GM modifications, greater intensiveness? This book generally argues towards going back to a more traditional way of agriculture. I have recently heard voices advocating how technology, if seen through to a conclusion, will eventually make a better world for everyone, all six billion of us and counting. Not sure where I stand on this now but this book's certainly well worth a read.
 
Pig Cat said:
An excellent book that discusses this further is:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Omnivores-Dilemma-Search-Perfect-Fast-food/dp/0747586837/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1278966225&sr=1-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Omnivores-Dilem ... 225&sr=1-1</a><!-- m -->

We seem to be at a turning point for agriculture. Do we go back to basics or much further forward i.e. GM modifications, greater intensiveness? This book generally argues towards going back to a more traditional way of agriculture. I have recently heard voices advocating how technology, if seen through to a conclusion, will eventually make a better world for everyone, all six billion of us and counting. Not sure where I stand on this now but this book's certainly well worth a read.
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"I have recently heard voices" . . . what, in your head?
 
:lol: Er...oh dear that makes me look a bit strange. Not again!! :shock: What I meant to say was that there have been a couple of occasions on Radio 4 I think of scientists giving a view that I'm unfamiliar with. Generally the technological progress of the human race is regarded as bad for the planet, but these 'voices' :roll: said that we should be pushing technology as far as possible because ultimately it will be our saviour. I think one chap said that the dream of 'a Ferrari for everyone on the planet' is feasible. I wish I'd made a note of his book as this is all quite interesting to me. For ages I've held the view that Man is fucking up the planet and it can only get worse as we progress and consume more. Maybe there is hope...
 
Pig Cat said:
I think one chap said that the dream of 'a Ferrari for everyone on the planet' is feasible. I wish I'd made a note of his book as this is all quite interesting to me. For ages I've held the view that Man is fucking up the planet and it can only get worse as we progress and consume more. Maybe there is hope...
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Those negative waves Moriarity....

Think more positively about the Italian GDP figures! :lol:
 
Where one stands will be a literal question with the exponential population growth. :?
This was a compelling reason I returned to a double edge. Aside from a lousy shave and skin issues, millions of disposable shavers going into dustbins is wrong.
 
Currently enjoying this year's crop of home grown potatoes... :D

Also enjoying home-grown parsley, coriander, rocket and chillies. Next year - goats. Okay just kidding.

A-haha.
 
Growing chilies myself.
Starting a few C. Chinense under lights at the moment to see if i can get em ready for overwintering.. nice early start for next year.

Rest of the quick growth varieties will go in mid Jan.
 
Haven't grown much this season except a few toms, beetroot and and beans...not too late to sow overwintering greens.
 
Our annual tomatoe deluge is picking up speed; in fact I might try the tomatoe only diet that I remember reading the queen was on years ago. Not enjoying the string beans which I keep telling HWMOM every year not to grow again next year; a pain to prepare, and they just get stringier and stringier. But I think he likes the fact that they grow like weeds, so something is always guaranteed to succeed if you have a few wigwams of those in place. Sweet corn doing well this year for a change, but haven't checked yet whether any are going yellow yet. Scallions (spring onions to you) have outdone themselves, and really should be entered in one of those giant vegetable competitions. Chillies are not hot. Courgettes still limping on, not too many giant marrow situations this year, although one or two may be lurking in the undergrowth. Sweet peppers looking very pathetic and tiny. Coriander and pak choi bolted overnight, but will use the coriander seeds....and for some reason no lettuce at all.
 
soapalchemist said:
Not enjoying the string beans which I keep telling HWMOM every year not to grow again next year; a pain to prepare, and they just get stringier and stringier. But I think he likes the fact that they grow like weeds, so something is always guaranteed to succeed if you have a few wigwams of those in place.
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Do you mean runner beans? If so the secret is to pick them before they get too big and, if you want to be completely sure of no stringiness, run down each edge with a potato peeler before slicing up.

If you get a glut then you can boil them for 2-3 minutes then quickly cool them under running water before freezing them. They can then be used whenever you like. Just call me Pig Cat Flowerdew!!
 
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