Garden activity

Food, Nutrition and Agriculture
British Red
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:45 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by British Red »

jennyjj01 wrote: Sun Apr 17, 2022 12:14 pm Awesome Asparagus. That's a demanding long term crop isn't it? Two years from first sowing to first harvest?

Onions from seed, I just don't understand them. Those seeds are blooming tiny so it can't be possible :) !! When did you sow those seeds to get them that big? I see sites saying to sow seeds in autumn for harvest late the following summer? Or to keep sowing seeds for transplanting as others get harvested?
Do you think we amateurs can grow seedlings to set sized and then suppress them for later sowing? Maybe similar with garlic, which is another one that flummoxes me?
Asparagus takes time. Three years ideally, but then you can cut for twenty years. Like planting an orchard, it's an investment in the future.

The onions were started in heated propagators in January and moved out to one of the greenhouses in March.

I'm going to conduct an experiment in late Summer sowing and over Wintering but yes, it works. I know this because I seed save and spilled seed if I am late collecting germinates and those baby onions over Winter fine.

Garlic is super easy. Throw the books in the bin. Plant in September. The pointy end should be just above the surface. Water in well. Neglect completely until weeding in the Spring. Harvest in July.

ImageGarlic and shallots by English Countrylife, on Flickr
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jennyjj01 »

British Red wrote: Sun Apr 17, 2022 6:24 pm Garlic is super easy. Throw the books in the bin. ...Neglect completely until weeding in the Spring. Harvest in July.
Onions, Garlic, Leeks: I agree about neglecting and forgetting them all. They take so very long before being ready to harvest, but that means they happily sit in the ground, ready to harvest almost any time many months after. Worst case scenario is they bolt, but with onions that just means more seeds.

But can somebody please tell the supermarkets to stop selling veg for 20p a Kilo. It's disheartening.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
British Red
Posts: 428
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:45 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by British Red »

Those days will soon be gone. Called in on a farmer friend tonight to take his wife some.plants. He told me of one of his fields that's not even getting ploughed let alone planted this year. Fertiliser prices mean it's just not worth it. Doubtless there will be lots of people looking to blame the farmers, or the government, or the fertiliser company when food returns to its historic normal price of one third of average income. That's why I grow food, for the future.
jansman
Posts: 13622
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jansman »

British Red wrote: Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:38 pm Those days will soon be gone. Called in on a farmer friend tonight to take his wife some.plants. He told me of one of his fields that's not even getting ploughed let alone planted this year. Fertiliser prices mean it's just not worth it. Doubtless there will be lots of people looking to blame the farmers, or the government, or the fertiliser company when food returns to its historic normal price of one third of average income. That's why I grow food, for the future.
One of my customers is a potato farmer,and he says the same ; it’s gonna cost more.

That’s going to be a big shock to the Millennials and even many Generation X folks, the former have known only cheap,the latter have largely forgotten the old days.

It’s interesting though,how much how much food a household needs,or doesn’t need. Wastage is an issue that must be addressed ,as we all know. We will have to start getting creative,and use food up,and not buy so much in the first place. It’s different when a household has a young family,especially teenagers - we had to buy everything in industrial amounts, back in those days - but I know that for two of us ,our consumption is quite moderate.Families though,will feel the pinch .

Back to the garden: We have reduced ours to more manageable levels. However,I am not trying to grow everything ( as I used to), so if we want an aubergine,or melon,we will buy them. I sowed perpetual spinach yesterday,along with rainbow chard ,which is the same thing really,but the colours are stunning. The beetroot plants are established,and my Scotch kale is ready for transplant,so that’s the ‘leafy green’ bed sorted.More than sufficient for two of us.
The perpetual onions are as reliable as ever,rhubarb is ready to eat when we need it,and the Jerusalem artichokes are now poking through. You have to love perennial vegetables.
There’s half a row of radish that’ll ready at the end of next week, broad beans are racing on,and there are a few lettuces to put out when I can be bothered. Later on today,I will put my Gardeners Delight tomatoes in their forever home in the greenhouse.I shall only grow four plants,as it’s a nice Summer treat to eat warm tomatoes from the greenhouse! Plus we don’t want to be overwhelmed.

End of the month - ish I will think about squashes and climbing beans.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jennyjj01 »

jansman wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 8:00 am It’s interesting though,how much how much food a household needs,or doesn’t need. Wastage is an issue that must be addressed ,as we all know.
Where is all this food waste? Rotting in the field? Dumpster behind the supermarket? In the home?
I reckon probably far more in the supply chain than in the home. Demand only the wonkiest of veg with the yellowest of price stickers! :!: :!: :!: Embrace the Too Good To Go App etc :!: :!: :!:
However,I am not trying to grow everything ( as I used to), so if we want an aubergine,or melon,we will buy them.
I'm afraid of getting a glut of stuff and it will break my heart to waste anything I grow. Have already broached the idea of crop sharing with both next door neighbours, so we hopefully get variety. If I can be self sufficient in onions, tomatoes, garlic and one more crop each year, I'll be a happy bunny. Nowhere near there yet.
... tomatoes in their forever home in the greenhouse.I shall only grow four plants,... we don’t want to be overwhelmed.
LOL. Just as I prepare for a total tomato forest, you tell me YOU'RE reining back. I feel stitched up, what with you and British Red. :roll:

Thanks for your continued guidance.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
GillyBee
Posts: 1047
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2020 6:46 am

Re: Garden activity

Post by GillyBee »

My goal is to be self sufficient in tomatoes, beans courgettes over the summer months. Anything else is a bonus. We definitely won't be self sufficent in plums this year as our 4 year old Victoria plum has had a strop and only produced 2 flowers in total. The Opal is the same age and flowered fine but I am not sure how well it has pollinated without the Victoria.
I don't have the space to grow onions, carrots parsnips etc These are both cheap and UK grown so ot worth it. I am trying to get some bulb fennel going this year - expensive to buy, popular with the family and the herb version grows like a weed rond here so it should do well.
jansman
Posts: 13622
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jansman »

jennyjj01 wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 9:47 am
jansman wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 8:00 am It’s interesting though,how much how much food a household needs,or doesn’t need. Wastage is an issue that must be addressed ,as we all know.
Where is all this food waste? Rotting in the field? Dumpster behind the supermarket? In the home?
I reckon probably far more in the supply chain than in the home. Demand only the wonkiest of veg with the yellowest of price stickers! :!: :!: :!: Embrace the Too Good To Go App etc :!: :!: :!:
However,I am not trying to grow everything ( as I used to), so if we want an aubergine,or melon,we will buy them.
I'm afraid of getting a glut of stuff and it will break my heart to waste anything I grow. Have already broached the idea of crop sharing with both next door neighbours, so we hopefully get variety. If I can be self sufficient in onions, tomatoes, garlic and one more crop each year, I'll be a happy bunny. Nowhere near there yet.
... tomatoes in their forever home in the greenhouse.I shall only grow four plants,... we don’t want to be overwhelmed.
LOL. Just as I prepare for a total tomato forest, you tell me YOU'RE reining back. I feel stitched up, what with you and British Red. :roll:

Thanks for your continued guidance.
Food waste is most prevalent in the home ,according to the office for National Statistics.An average of 9.5 million tonnes per year in the UK.

https://wrap.org.uk/resources/report/fo ... urvey-2021

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environm ... 2021-11-01
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jennyjj01 »

jansman wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:22 am
jennyjj01 wrote:Where is all this food waste? Rotting in the field? Dumpster behind the supermarket? In the home?
I reckon probably far more in the supply chain than in the home.
Food waste is most prevalent in the home ,according to the office for National Statistics.An average of 9.5 million tonnes per year in the UK.

https://wrap.org.uk/resources/report/fo ... urvey-2021

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environm ... 2021-11-01
Amazed. :/
I waste almost zero food. Maybe a colander of thin peelings per week to the composter.even with my poor rotation.
If consumers waste their own food then I have no sympathy when they become skint.
..
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
jansman
Posts: 13622
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jansman »

jennyjj01 wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:38 am
jansman wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:22 am
jennyjj01 wrote:Where is all this food waste? Rotting in the field? Dumpster behind the supermarket? In the home?
I reckon probably far more in the supply chain than in the home.
Food waste is most prevalent in the home ,according to the office for National Statistics.An average of 9.5 million tonnes per year in the UK.

https://wrap.org.uk/resources/report/fo ... urvey-2021

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environm ... 2021-11-01
Amazed. :/
I waste almost zero food. Maybe a colander of thin peelings per week to the composter.even with my poor rotation.
If consumers waste their own food then I have no sympathy when they become skint.
..
Amongst those links was a statistic that showed over 54 year olds were far less likely to waste food. :D I guess those manky carrots; couple of slices of bread etc.all add up. As prices increase,then perhaps there will be a reverse in that trend . Apparently,COVID and resultant shortages and lockdowns DID reverse food wastage.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Garden activity

Post by jennyjj01 »

GillyBee wrote: Mon Apr 18, 2022 10:52 am ..onions, carrots parsnips etc These are both cheap and UK grown so not worth it.
that was very much my attitude.
But I succumbed when I found some carrot seeds.
I was annoyed as I filled my basket of 20p veg
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong