The "Grow Your Own" Thread

[lemonjelly]

Todays planning for the forthcoming armageddon saw me planting seeds. Tomatoes, parsnips, thyme, basil, lettuce and beans. Going to need to get some compost. Need a few new seeds too. Flowers will be later this week, and another round of crops will be in about 3-4 weeks.

Noticed the buds have opened on the blackcurrant. The blueberry plant has buds, and some raspberries are starting to grow.

Sometime this week I'll get the first bulbs out the shed, as they are starting to sprout.

Spent a productive day hoe-ing the soil. Got the strimmer out to make things look a little tidier.

Not looking forward to scarifying the lawn with a hand rake! usually borrow my dads electric one, but he's in the vulnerable group so can't access it.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Weeded the veg beds today & about to plant various things as the sun has finally come out.

Grass is ankle height now as the lawnmower has finally packed up (still have had it for 16 yrs so got good value for money) - replacement should arive tomorrow. Then again I've never been that obsesseive over what it looks like.

 

[sycophantia]

Weeded the veg beds today & about to plant various things as the sun has finally come out.

Grass is ankle height now as the lawnmower has finally packed up (still have had it for 16 yrs so got good value for money) - replacement should arive tomorrow. Then again I've never been that obsesseive over what it looks like.

I spent part of the weekend digging over our veg patch and getting some chicken shit dug in ready for the missus to get sowing next week

 

[Johnny75]

Todays planning for the forthcoming armageddon saw me planting seeds. Tomatoes, parsnips, thyme, basil, lettuce and beans. Going to need to get some compost. Need a few new seeds too. Flowers will be later this week, and another round of crops will be in about 3-4 weeks.

Noticed the buds have opened on the blackcurrant. The blueberry plant has buds, and some raspberries are starting to grow.

Sometime this week I'll get the first bulbs out the shed, as they are starting to sprout.

Spent a productive day hoe-ing the soil. Got the strimmer out to make things look a little tidier.

Not looking forward to scarifying the lawn with a hand rake! usually borrow my dads electric one, but he's in the vulnerable group so can't access it.

He could always leave it in a safe place and you could pick it up?

 

[Pablowolf]

For those that live nearby, the donkey sanctuary on Jenny Walker Lane (near Perton) does, well, shit. They ask for a donation to the charity.

 

[lemonjelly]

He could always leave it in a safe place and you could pick it up?

wasn't quick enough, was I?

Anyhow, the beans are sprouting

 

[darlowolf64]

So over the last few weeks me and the missus have been trying to put the garden in order.
The bush in the front garden has been cut back and I mean REALLY cut back, it is a fast grower and gets out of control very quickly!

We have also given the greenhouse a good clear out and clean so that this afternoon we've done some seeding and planting. We've done 2 potato bags, planted lettuce and done Basil, Corriander, peas, beans, hot peppers, onions tomatoes and cucumbers.

We didn't bother last year but, with everything going on now, we thought we'd get back into it

 

[lemonjelly]

planted peas, leeks, tomatoes, marigolds and lettuce today. going to plant some cress and more marigolds as well as sweet peas in the week. Mowed the lawn for the first time this year. spent 30 minutes just picking up branches that have fallen off the trees at the bottom of the garden in the winds. did some general tidying, and made a big list of garden jobs to do over the easter weekend. got some of the big plant pots with bulbs in out into the sun, as they started sprouting. Definitely going to have a lot to do next weekend. despite me being aware of the request for no garden fires, at least 3 neighbours have had one this week. It's annoying, as I could really do with having a fire to get rid of a load of garden waste.

edit - annoyed to discover i didn't seem to keep any sunflower seeds from last year! They were good for free bird food, as well as planting a couple.

 

[Pablowolf]

It's taken 4 days of weeding and turning over of soil but I've finally cleared the patch at the side of the house. Filled a tonne bag with weeds!

Thing is, the patch looks much bigger than I need for veg, so I think I'm going to see if there anywhere that'll deliver a couple of dozen standard roses.

 

[Pablowolf]

Mowed, scarified, aerated, mowed (again), seeded and fed. That's the back done, just need a replacement back and I can do the front tomorrow.

 

[Kenny]

That's the back done, just need a replacement back and I can do the front tomorrow.

Beauty salons closing ruining your normal routine?

 

[Pablowolf]

Something like that. I may have to do my own back, sack and crack at this rate.

 

[lemonjelly]

First toms have sprouted. Just need the slugs/snails to keep away now. Beans are kicking in, and looks like the peas are sprouting. Also, think the basil is starting off.

Some extrenly kind person sent me an envelope that arrived in todays post. I am planning my easter weekend planting session this evening

 

[Parkins left foot]

Struggling to get supplies at the moment - all centres are closed & online stuff are either restricting access or charging stupid prices for delivery that I am not going to pay.

Should have sorted things out earlier, but we are where we are

 

[Pablowolf]

First toms have sprouted. Just need the slugs/snails to keep away now. Beans are kicking in, and looks like the peas are sprouting. Also, think the basil is starting off.

Some extrenly kind person sent me an envelope that arrived in todays post. I am planning my easter weekend planting session this evening

Use eggs shells in the soil. Slices them slugs and snail up, proper.

 

[lemonjelly]

egg shells go in the composter mate.

I got the big plant pots out the summerhouse yesterday. Some of them have signs of sprouting. The asian lillies are already kicked in. Hopefully we'll be able to split some of the bulbs this year into extra pots. I could hear train horns when in my back garden for the first time since living here, which suggests how much background noise has quietened down. I'm 2-3 miles from any train track.
I then fixed a couple of slats on a fence, and tidied up the aforementioned pots. In doing so, I found what appear to be seed pods for the balloon plants! result!
I mowed the lawn, then started scarifying the lawn by hand/rake. Usually I borrow my dads electric rake. I found this exhausting and boring, so planted some sweetcorn seeds, lettuce, and sweet peas.
I noticed there are baby fish in the pond (at least 5), and the amount of frogspawn is growing. The cherry blossom has kicked in. I started raking the lawn and quickly realised THIS WILL KILL ME. I have spent 2 days raking the lawn and am a quarter complete.


I sowed those balloon plant seeds in the hope something happens, as well as cucumbers. I cleared the weeds from the slabs in front of the shed and summerhouse, leaving the vast and very weedy slabs in front of the house that actually need doing. Again, I will feel bad about this later.

Sadly, I broke my dads half moon grass edging tool that is at least as old as me. Luckily, I have the time to attempt in vain to fix it somehow.

I think the beans will need planting out before I go back to work.

 

[lemonjelly]

I managed to finish raking the lawn. The first day was hellish. the 2nd and third days were better, as the usual medicine of having music on eased some of the burden. that said, I am NOT doing that again.

I also planted sprouts, peas, peas waverex (whatever they are), more basil, more thyme, loads more marigolds. On tuesday looking up in the sky I saw a plane, and that was a shock. downloaded freedar, and spends loads of time monitoring air traffic...


I managed to fix the half moon tool! found a craft knife, so sat in the sun whittling down the old handle so it'd fit! I started weeding the slabs in the garden, and threw loads of old poppy seeds around the raspberry bush area, as I can't mow there. We'll see if any poppies come up.

 

[lemonjelly]

quick check of the greenhouse elicited the following:
first batch of toms have mainly sprouted. looking good. no snail/slug casualties.
Cucumbers planted only about a week ago have mainly all sprouted.
the first marigolds are starting.
growth is appearing in the tray of basil done early.
the sweetcorn has sprouted!
almost all the first lot of peas I sowed have sprouted.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd lettuce are all going. 4th and 5th also on the go.
beans are now out the greenhouse. got the bamboo canes out friday morning and will probably plant out the beans this weekend.
think there are signs of life in the sprouts, and the first thyme also appears to be comng into fruition!
Think a couple of leeks are also sprouting finally!

still waiting for the 2nd batch of marigolds to weave their magic. the 2nd lot of peas, and also the pea waverex are taking their time. the 2nd toms have only 1 plant sprouting. The 2nd lots of basil and thyme haven't been out long enough yet. No sign of any parsnips at all either.


Some of the sweet peas have sprouted. these are the one crop that appear to have suffered some slug/snail damage.
The balloon plant seeds haven't come to anything yet, but the old balloon plants are sprouting in their pots.
Most of the bulbs that were in pots last year have the first signs of growth. An asian lily that I split last year (looked like it was dying when I bought it in a tiny pot) will likely flower at the end of this month, and I'll probably be able to split them again at the end of this year, or early next. There's also an african lily which I split, and we only had 1 flower last year, but looks like we could get a few this year, and that will be ripe for splitting this autumn.
Noticed the lilies have flower stalks coming too. Plus a pot with mystery bulbs in planted last year has 2 ploer heads. We wait to see what we can't remember buying...

I continue to have a huge long list of jobs to do in the garden. the composters are full. Think raking the lawn and weeding the paving has put me off starting anything else. Have been slowly pruning some ivy, and there is a hedge out the front needing pruning, and I've a load of stuff that is really dry and needs a garden fire. However the current advice is to avoid having one (though loads of neighbors have had fires).

 

[lemonjelly]

beans planted out over the weekend.
also repotted a fuscia, and sowed lettuce, leeks, and peppers. put some more parsnip seeds in, though not hopeful, as nothing sprouted from the first batch yet.

 

[Pablowolf]

I've decided not to bother with veg this year. Got some roses and other bits in and it looks nice and it's a lot less effort than fruit and veg.

Despite doing everything correctly (or so I thought), the takeup of grass seed has been utterly shite. It's had 3 weeks and it's getting mowed in a fortnight, regardless.