Growing your own food (1 Viewer)

[Goodbye]

ouch. pickling is another thing. out local veg shop sells 5 litre bottles of pickling vinegar.....

I still have my homemade pickling vinegar ready for next year. Full of mustard seeds, peppercorns and brown sugar.

Should be even more rockin in flavor next year

 

[broken arm]

We also do various salads in hanging baskets (to keep out the slugs)and have herbs in pots on windowsill

that is a good idea. I could easily make a double A-frame to hang a few baskets off and wrap copper around both ends of the support beam/pole....

 

[egg_]

We grew raspberries (a bumper crop in summer about half of which got eaten by wasps), rhubarb, courgettes, peas, strawberries, lettuce, rocket, peppers and tomatoes this year.

We also grow hens for their eggs which is best of all cos you get a crop every day

Anyone else have rat problems? Remedies? We have rats everywhere, burrowing into the hen run and eating the hens food. They're not interested in eating poison cos there's so much food around

 

[minka]

We also do various salads in hanging baskets (to keep out the slugs)

that is a brilliant idea!

 

[Squiggle]

Anyone else have rat problems? Remedies? We have rats everywhere, burrowing into the hen run and eating the hens food. They're not interested in eating poison cos there's so much food around

A good dog, or cat, can sort out rat problems. Other than that all you can do is try to make it as difficult as possible for them to get in.

Wire mesh can be useful as it doesn't affect drainage etc.

I grow herbs, in a box outside and in a pot inside. No garden

 

[Kermit McDermott]

Interesting topic. Something I'd love to do.

been considering it meself

 

[frona]

that is a good idea. I could easily make a double A-frame to hang a few baskets off and wrap copper around both ends of the support beam/pole....

The local church has a veggie garden and they had cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets and they looked like they cropped very well. I think I'll try that out next year.

Not that I was in the church you understand!

 

[wild_cat]

We grew raspberries (a bumper crop in summer about half of which got eaten by wasps), rhubarb, courgettes, peas, strawberries, lettuce, rocket, peppers and tomatoes this year.

We also grow hens for their eggs which is best of all cos you get a crop every day

Anyone else have rat problems? Remedies? We have rats everywhere, burrowing into the hen run and eating the hens food. They're not interested in eating poison cos there's so much food around

Hmmm.. could you build a little box and attach it to their roost? or is it a ground floor type pen?

Also VHS tape because of the noise and reflection it makes in the wind... that works for keeping from rabbits away vegetables anyway.

Its best to move your veg to a different place every year if its possible, this stops diseases forming in the ground.

If your going the organic route with your carrots make sure you dont put more than one seed in each little hole! So you dont have to seperate them, the mayfly will have a ball laying her eggs beside them in the disturbed clay if you do . My ma uses the beer and yogurt pot thing for the slugs.


I fucking miss fresh pea's though, straight from the pod deadly!

 

[egg_]

A good dog, or cat, can sort out rat problems.

Do cats kill rats? I don't want to get a terrier (too much maintenance) but a farm cat living in the boiler shed would be ok - if it would actually go after the rats, and not just slaughter all the songbirds

 

[wild_cat]

that is a good idea. I could easily make a double A-frame to hang a few baskets off and wrap copper around both ends of the support beam/pole....

Make sure your using fairly decent clay and compost then, so they wont taste like bionic things from the shop.

 

[Squiggle]

Do cats kill rats? I don't want to get a terrier (too much maintenance) but a farm cat living in the boiler shed would be ok - if it would actually go after the rats, and not just slaughter all the songbirds

Some cats do. My folks have a couple of cats (strays that wandered in) at the moment that are excellent ratters, and one, the mother cat, catches rabbits from time to time too. None of the toms we had were any use though.

 

[Lolo]

whats the difference between free range and organic eggs?

There are stricter standards for organic eggs, the chickies have more space and are fed organic food. And are serenaded with regional folk songs by a farm hand with a ukulele.

 

[magicbastarder]

None of the toms we had were any use though.

even the birds in the garden ignore a friend's tom. one of her female cats used to catch rabbits half her size.

 

[broken arm]

I meant to say that it is deadly that so many people here are growing.

I've already picked up lots of great tips from this thread. -

I will let you know how we get on.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

growing yr own is great crack,me da's been doing it for years and im starting to pick it up now,mostly herbs this year-rocket is piss easy and delicious,basil is a lot harder.done tomatos as well but in my laziness i left them to wither on the plant....anyway go check out irish seed savers,joined them this year only 35 euro or something you get couple of booklets a year on growing different things and they have a huge range of heritage potato varieties and apple trees,you get some free as a member and the others are reasonably priced,always good to have some genetic diversity out there.also look up rossinver organic centre,they do a huge range of courses along these lines and others,not done one yet myself but heard nothing but positive reports.as for slugs just use sand instead of salt,its not gonna kill the lil dudes but it is uncomfortable enough that they wont go near yr babies.also i got a couple of books out here if anyone in town wants a lend and a spare propagator that needs a good home so gis a pm if yr interested

 

[pissypants]

roasted eggshells cuts the crap out of them.
bit mean but works a treat.

beer and carrot shavings - slugs and snails go mad for them.
Place them near your fruit / veg plants as a distraction for them.

Also I've heard a line of ash around you allotment will stop them climbing in too as slime and ash don't go too well together.

Right, that's the 2 things I know about gardening used up. I'm off....

 

[jillface]

b.a's right you know, it is deadly that so many people grow their own. i had no idea.
i wish i had a farm in my backgarden.

 

[magicbastarder]

my mum, who had shunned the notion of growing her own, has started now - partly due to me arriving out with produce, partly to do with the fact that she's minding my niece several days a week, and likes the idea of getting her used to good food. plus, it's more fun anyway. she's growing blueberries, alpine strawberries (or red blueberries, as my niece calls them), tomatoes, and apples.

 

[Diddles]

I'm going to grow my own heroin next year.

 

[broken arm]

there is still loads of prep to do on the allotment - so many bramble roots to dig out it's unreal.

anyway. it's taking shape and our planting is on schedule.... we have only planted an onion bed but that's the schedule....

I think starting with a garden that wasn't an overgrown waste land would have my back hurting less..