Gardening 2015

It's time for the new thread ...

Well, this time last year the thread had been going a month ...

― djh, Sunday, 22 March 2015 20:26 (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The last of our snow just melted late last week. I have not planted a goddamn thing yet, but plan to get radishes, greens, and snap peas seeded this week. I also ordered some strawberry plants, which I'm putting in a different spot (sunnier) after last year's failure.

Garden related: reserved two hens from rent a coop dot com for May-July! I only had them for a month last year, and they were a blast. Gonna put them to work turning the compost pile for me.

― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Sunday, 22 March 2015 20:59 (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it's autumn here, so just getting the last of the season's strawberries ripening (though my alpine strawberries seemed to have died a death) and early season apples have reached the edible point

and on the chicken tip: hopefully i'll have the run i've been putting in all set up and ready for some real live chickens by the time spring arrives

& xposts to the slug debate, there's always the beer and saucer option! (never tried it but was recommended by my permaculture-inclined hort tutor)

― no lime tangier, Monday, 23 March 2015 06:46 (10 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I have had some early potatoes in for a couple of weeks but with no real signs of life, but then ground temps have been unseasonably low with a couple of late frosts. Thought they were gone so planted out some onions over the weekend. Oops.

Quite a lot of things germinating in the greenhouse - caulis, rocket, radicchio - so I decided to move the chili plants I overwintered out yesterday and repotted them. Again, time will tell whether the frost makes that a mistake but at least 4 of them have a decent bit of growth so I have reasonable hopes that some of them will make it. Herb garden refreshed and some of the woodier plants replaced.

Weekend after Easter will see the beetroot/carrot/parsnip/radish seeds going in. Desperate for signs of life from the asparagus, but there's time yet.

― the bowels are not what they seem (aldo), Monday, 23 March 2015 08:14 (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Also we are experimenting with nematodes to kill the slugs, will update if/when there are any results.

― the bowels are not what they seem (aldo), Monday, 23 March 2015 08:16 (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

On pause for this year, or at least initially, but I will be following everyone's efforts with interest!

will be interested in hearing how the nematodes work out, think we only covered them as a plant pest rather than as a pest parasite.

forgot to mention: masses of ripening pears, cept the tree is a massive fastigiata variety so you have to wait for windfalls to get any (preferably before they get nabbed by possums/hedgehogs)

Yesterday I bought a big tray of tiny little succulents that I'm looking forward to potting tonight. Trying to focus as much as I can on drought-tolerant plants because I know this summer is going to probably be as rough as last summer was.

Also, the tulip bulbs I planted just bloomed! Yay.

nematodes work pretty well ime, though you do have to keep applying them throughout the season

Semi-garden-related: my hens have arrived! They were delivered in their coop with an egg already laid!

They are now fucking up my mulch, but they are so cute and awesome that I don't care.

It's quiet this year.

Anyway ... any lawn mower recommendations? (Small-ish garden, UK)

i'm completely psyched abt chiles that a family member in a warm/hot place is growing for me. they're sprouted but not yet in the ground. . .
a trinidadian superhot called 7 pot douglah. pic is at the bottom of page:
http://www.thechileman.org/results.php?find=7+POD&heat=Any&origin=Any&genus=Any&chile=1&submit=Search%2F

I would like to go back in time 20-25 years and advise the woman who planted monkey grass ALL OVER THIS DAMN PROPERTY to not do it. To not even think about doing it. There is so much of it. If you dig it up, it comes back. If you zap it with poison, it doesn't die. It is evil.

Chard and arugula that i initially seeded 3 years ago has returned voluntarily again! The raspberry canes we got from lxy and jergins back in March are thriving and covered in ripening berries. And mr. Jaq threw some basil plants into a raised bed last weekend and they are still clinging to life. That's been it for our gardening efforts though.

Nothing exciting to report. Courgette/tomato plants are not dead but not exactly thriving either. Replanted lettuce/chard/beetroot after the slugs got the first batch. Beans look happy enough.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/birdnestsoup/IMG_0819.jpg

^ this little guy came and sat next to me while i was doing a spot of weeding at my allotment this evening. a family of them have dug an earth under my blackcurrant bushes. hadn't been up there much over the last couple of months and nature hasn't been slow in reclaiming the place.

Direct sown seeds in the veggie bed not as dependable as seedlings or direct sown seeds in pots on the deck.

Snap pea seeds went in late and went from nothing to too-hot-I'm-dead seemingly overnight.

Strawberries looking good but not really fruiting, but this is there first year so idunno.

Put the pepper seedlings in earlier than advisable, but they seem to be getting on OK despite looking pretty rough for a while.

Tomatoes looking good. Five plants, all over three feet high and flowering. Sungold has started setting fruit.

Part-shade butterfly garden (I know, right, why am I trying this) doing OK.

Need to put in a bunch of shade perennials in the fall.

Chickens putting out eggs on the regular, and cute to boot.

Keep that fox away from my hens, is what I'm sayin'

I know this doesn't really relate to the garden but do any ilxors have any experience of growing their own (edible) mushrooms? Keen to start

Is it worth it, do they taste good or should I just stick to paying the 95p down at Aldi?

Did you know elephant ears bloomed? I sure didn't!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/WilliamCrump63/12046582_10154217045118709_3306336283659022651_n.jpg

Does anyone feel audacious enough to start a 2016 thread?

let's do it