Gardening Forum?

[Drazyl]

Good call. I find chillies are fun but incredibly hard to eat if you are doing the lethal variety! Try cooler ones you can throw in salads.
Cherry tomatoes, both red and yellow are fun for kids.

I'm planning on doing a mix of demon reds and some milder (i.e. medium-hot) ones.

I should clarify when I say kids, they're in their 20s

 

[schweik]

A suggestion. Spuds take a lot of effort in soil preparation and are cheap anyway. Try runner beans, easy to grow and more of a show.

Courgettes - very easy to grow, take almost no looking after, continue producing over a long period, Have lovely large flowers that the kids might enjoy looking out for and discovering each time a new courgette is on the way, and are delicious cooked and covered in butter.

Edited to add that I have just seen the above on the kids’ ages. Maybe they won’t get quite so excited when a new flower appears!

 

[pimpernel]

A suggestion. Spuds take a lot of effort in soil preparation and are cheap anyway. Try runner beans, easy to grow and more of a show.

Spot on. I was told grow things that are expensive to buy and fun to grow. That said its lovely to pop in the garden and pick your own, makes you feel good when your food miles is less than 20 feet!

 

[pimpernel]

Courgettes - very easy to grow, take almost no looking after, continue producing over a long period, Have lovely large flowers that the kids might enjoy looking out for and discovering each time a new courgette is on the way, and are delicious cooked and covered in butter.

Edited to add that I have just seen the above on the kids’ ages. Maybe they won’t get quite so excited when a new flower appears!

Mix in with a few yellows, I find them sweeter than the green variety.

 

[goodoldboy]

Talking of compost, could I ask advice please?

I have two bins, one started in October 2019, the other last Summer. I put in kitchen peelings, garden pruning (soft), tea leaves, and some paper. Himself occasionally puts wood ash from the woodburner in there.

The first bin still hasn't fully decomposed at the bottom. It seems full of worms when I lift the lid, and I was hoping that the compost would be ready for my new raised bed, and for mulching the old ones.

What am I doing wrong?
Thank you

It helps if you turn the heap with a garden fork every couple of months and, if you've got plenty of strength, empty it after six months then put the compost back in with the oldest stuff on top. Keep a bit of old carpet on top to keep it warm and try to keep the rain out. If you have plenty of worms in there you can't be doing to much wrong. Tear up used paper and put inter-layers of that in too. The key is to get a good mixture of 'stuff' in there including tea bags, sawdust, peelings, yard and shed sweepings, pet hair but not too many lawn clippings. You can even put on cut-up bits of old woolly clothes that don't contain man-made fibres! If you want to cut up green compostable matter (especially leaves) and have a rotary mower, lay the bits on the grass, put the mower blades high, put the grass box on and 'mow'it. I know I'm talking rot and rubbish but hope that helps!

 

[TamtamPWRR]

It helps if you turn the heap with a garden fork every couple of months and, if you've got plenty of strength, empty it after six months then put the compost back in with the oldest stuff on top. Keep a bit of old carpet on top to keep it warm and try to keep the rain out. If you have plenty of worms in there you can't be doing to much wrong. Tear up used paper and put inter-layers of that in too. The key is to get a good mixture of 'stuff' in there including tea bags, sawdust, peelings, yard and shed sweepings, pet hair but not too many lawn clippings. You can even put on cut-up bits of old woolly clothes that don't contain man-made fibres! If you want to cut up green compostable matter (especially leaves) and have a rotary mower, lay the bits on the grass, put the mower blades high, put the grass box on and 'mow'it. I know I'm talking rot and rubbish but hope that helps!

Yeah, turning it adds air to the composting and means you'll have compost that's ready in about a year instead of nearly two. I try to get my gardens to have an area with at least three compost bays, one being added to, one composting down and one that's ready to use.

 

[schweik]

It’s surprising how many tea bags contain plastic. There’s nowt wrong with loose leaf tea, although I tend to drink that at the weekend when I have more time to prepare it, and to dispose of the tea leaves.

The attached article (while it seems is part sponsored) contains a list of plastic free tea bags

The best plastic-free tea bags update February 2021 – Drink Tea Hub

www.drinkteahub.com

 

[Grownup_Rafbrat]

if your compost bin is wiggling with worms you must be doing something right, they vote wiggling on their tummies. I have three plastic compost bins that take the peelings and Boccashi in line, as one is full I start on number two ect, once the bin material is at an advanced stage of decomposition, and will no longer attract little furry characters, I transfer it to my open topped wood compost bin to let it turn into nice brown crumbly compost ready to dig into the flower beds and veg patch. You could ask his Majesty to take a pizz over the edge to speed things up.

This morning I took a load out from the bottom of the bin and gave what was left a good stir round and loosened it up. Hopefully a bit of aeration will help.


Himself is muttering that he can't hit the compost bin from the bathroom window!

 

[A signaller]

Himself is muttering that he can't hit the compost bin from the bathroom window!

With what, and why?

 

[A signaller]

I use a .22, from my bathroom window, shooting from above means if I miss, the slugs hit the ground, and does not go through the panel fence, and into next doors green house.. Mostly for tree rats mooching about looking for seed over-spill from the bird feeders, and occasionally, rats from the canal, that is but yards from the house. Our enclosed home made compost bin attracts mice, and so there are a few traps set, they catch about 2 each week.

 

[Tappet]

As this seems to be the most appropriate place - any ideas where I could get a decent wooden 10' x 5' shed from? It's an odd size, and there aren't many about. It doesn't have to be the most robust thing, as it'll be in a sheltered corner - but that is the maximum size I can fit in line with my garden master plan.

Unfortunately, I have neither the tools, time or ability to self-build - though I will probably insulate/waterproof the inside when I have it up.

I'm not too bothered if it is an Apex or Pent shed, but it needs to have windows on one side and a door on the end.

We currently have a rotten 7x5 thing that has to go - I don't think it was ever treated once it was put up so has suffered from the weather terribly.

 

[goodoldboy]

As this seems to be the most appropriate place - any ideas where I could get a decent wooden 10' x 5' shed from? It's an odd size, and there aren't many about. It doesn't have to be the most robust thing, as it'll be in a sheltered corner - but that is the maximum size I can fit in line with my garden master plan.

Unfortunately, I have neither the tools, time or ability to self-build - though I will probably insulate/waterproof the inside when I have it up.

I'm not too bothered if it is an Apex or Pent shed, but it needs to have windows on one side and a door on the end.

We currently have a rotten 7x5 thing that has to go - I don't think it was ever treated once it was put up so has suffered from the weather terribly.

See 'The Wheelhouse' on FB - they will build whatever you want...

 

[kiwidoug]

Yes, what you can do is dig trenches in the raised beds and back fill with peels and other green compostable items. It then apparently acts as a slow release for nutrients.

Thanks for your advice. I trenched and backfilled, then put a foot of compost on top.
No more peel to be added, although she will be adding broken up eggshells.

 

[pimpernel]

As this seems to be the most appropriate place - any ideas where I could get a decent wooden 10' x 5' shed from? It's an odd size, and there aren't many about. It doesn't have to be the most robust thing, as it'll be in a sheltered corner - but that is the maximum size I can fit in line with my garden master plan.

Unfortunately, I have neither the tools, time or ability to self-build - though I will probably insulate/waterproof the inside when I have it up.

I'm not too bothered if it is an Apex or Pent shed, but it needs to have windows on one side and a door on the end.

We currently have a rotten 7x5 thing that has to go - I don't think it was ever treated once it was put up so has suffered from the weather terribly.

This looks to fit your spec.
I rather like using and supporting local timber merchants - we have Blenheim up the road who are great for bespoke stuff.

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[goodoldboy]

Yes, what you can do is dig trenches in the raised beds and back fill with peels and other green compostable items. It then apparently acts as a slow release for nutrients.

The problem is that the top of the soil subsides as the back fill decays, meaning that you have to top it up. The soil shift also upsets the roots of the growing plants. Additionally the peels can root if they are fresh (especially potato, swede and carrot) giving you new plants where you don't want them. Best things to back fill, if that's what you want is paper, cardboard or straw. Sorry.

 

[pimpernel]

The problem is that the top of the soil subsides as the back fill decays, meaning that you have to top it up. The soil shift also upsets the roots of the growing plants. Additionally the peels can root if they are fresh (especially potato, swede and carrot) giving you new plants where you don't want them. Best things to back fill, if that's what you want is paper, cardboard or straw. Sorry.

Have been doing it with the contents of my green bin for years, padded out with egg cartons and straw and it seems to do the business. If done early pre growing ie the runners then it seems to hold OK. Our soil, if you can call it that is heavy-ish clay well mixed with horse poo and years of compost.
Back now to Ed Flowerdew in the greenhouse!

 

[Gluteus Maximus]

The problem is that the top of the soil subsides as the back fill decays, meaning that you have to top it up. The soil shift also upsets the roots of the growing plants. Additionally the peels can root if they are fresh (especially potato, swede and carrot) giving you new plants where you don't want them. Best things to back fill, if that's what you want is paper, cardboard or straw. Sorry.

Or boil the peel first.

 

[goodoldboy]

Have been doing it with the contents of my green bin for years, padded out with egg cartons and straw and it seems to do the business. If done early pre growing ie the runners then it seems to hold OK. Our soil, if you can call it that is heavy-ish clay well mixed with horse poo and years of compost.
Back now to Ed Flowerdew in the greenhouse!

Sounds good as you've got the right soil - unlike mine which is light and sandy! Happy growing...

 

[kiwidoug]

The problem is that the top of the soil subsides as the back fill decays, meaning that you have to top it up. The soil shift also upsets the roots of the growing plants. Additionally the peels can root if they are fresh (especially potato, swede and carrot) giving you new plants where you don't want them. Best things to back fill, if that's what you want is paper, cardboard or straw. Sorry.

no worries. It's only orange and banana skins she's using, so little chance of rooting, and there isn't that much.

 

[StBob072]

Good to see you all keeping this thread going.

I'm currently after advice from an arboriculturist who might advise about my Taxus Baccata Fastigiata Robusta.

In other words, my ornamental yew, to which I have a certain emotional attachment, has gone all brown!

I first noticed this towards the end of last year, and it seemed to come after a couple of weeks of very hot dry weather last summer. Could it simply be the result of "sunburn"? Would pruning it back do any good? Or do these ornamental cultivars simply have a shortish lifespan and the poor thing is on its way out? (It's probably about 15 years old, was about 3ft tall when first planted, and is now about 10-12 ft).

Thanks in advance for any advice.