In the garden

[milanbenes]

Morning All,

put in 80 potatoes yesterday, that should keep us going through the winter

we're got 27 garlics in from November

strawberries went in last weekend along with onions

what's left...

runner beans, tomatoes, pumpkins, courgettes, peas

how's it going in your gardens ?

Milan.

p.s. forgot the rucola which went in yesterday

[Paddy]

Morning All,

put in 80 potatoes yesterday, that should keep us going through the winter

we're got 27 garlics in from November

strawberries went in last weekend along with onions

what's left...

runner beans, tomatoes, pumpkins, courgettes, peas

how's it going in your gardens ?

Milan.

p.s. forgot the rucola which went in yesterday

That bloody serpent keeps annoying me and yesterday after eating fruit, I realised I was naked so I put a fig leaf over my bits.

[WTFH]

40 garlic went in before winter.
Apples & pears are bursting into life. Last year's late cider has turned out rather good (16 bottles left)
Strawberries are coming along, the rhubarb is almost ready to pick
Courgettes, beans, peas and various herbs are in seed trays
Yesterday I put in new posts for the raspberry canes - need to add the wires this week then start training. Also put in some new steps up to the raspberry/currant patch and moved a few shrubs around
Greenhouse grapevine in bud. Hopefully we won't lose the grapes to wasps this year. Thankfully we still have 30+ bottles of 2016 wine to go.
We lost a plum tree at the end of last year and three citrus didn't make it through the late snow/frost (along with an acacia tree) so those are all up for replacement this year.
Might have to move one of the olive trees as it's blocking a clear line of sight out my office window to a favourite squirrel spot.

[milanbenes]

40 garlic went in before winter.
Apples & pears are bursting into life. Last year's late cider has turned out rather good (16 bottles left)
Strawberries are coming along, the rhubarb is almost ready to pick
Courgettes, beans, peas and various herbs are in seed trays
Yesterday I put in new posts for the raspberry canes - need to add the wires this week then start training. Also put in some new steps up to the raspberry/currant patch and moved a few shrubs around
Greenhouse grapevine in bud. Hopefully we won't lose the grapes to wasps this year. Thankfully we still have 30+ bottles of 2016 wine to go.
We lost a plum tree at the end of last year and three citrus didn't make it through the late snow/frost (along with an acacia tree) so those are all up for replacement this year.
Might have to move one of the olive trees as it's blocking a clear line of sight out my office window to a favourite squirrel spot.

very nice

wow you're a step ahead of me with the cidre and the wine, I put in 14 fruit trees in the autumn and will put another ten in this year - I guess it'll take a number of years before we get good fruit crops

how many fruit trees have you got

we have all of the berries as well, raspberries, black berries, blue berries, planted last autumn

and a herb garden

you don't grow pumpkins ? my wife makes the most amazing pumpkin soup

what about chickens

Milan.

[WTFH]

very nice

wow you're a step ahead of me with the cidre and the wine, I put in 14 fruit trees in the autumn and will put another ten in this year - I guess it'll take a number of years before we get good fruit crops

how many fruit trees have you got

we have all of the berries as well, raspberries, black berries, blue berries, planted last autumn

and a herb garden

you don't grow pumpkins ? my wife makes the most amazing pumpkin soup

what about chickens

Milan.

4 apple trees - but two produce small eating apples that don't have much juice. The other two trees are probably 40+ years old. I've had to do a lot of pruning to them to get them back under control. They aren't cider apples (one is a cooker, the other an eater), but last year there were a load of apples left on them in October because we had no autumn storms, so I decided to crush & press them. Got about 15 litres out, which went into 3 demijohns with some cider yeast. I never worry about camden tablets, just rinse everything with milton before use. Racked it a couple of times to reduce the sediment and then left them. It's that easy.
I still haven't got a still, but hopefully will get one soon when I get my new shed, and then I'll maybe push on for brandy.
3 pear trees which don't do much - maybe 20 pears per tree, but a lot of them get eaten by birds.
I've got 3 grape vines, although two are outside ones, so don't do much. The best one is planted outside the greenhouse, then grows into it. That one vine will produce 12 litres of juice and plenty more grapes beside. I had a neighbour who had an old vine in their conservatory and it would do 30 litres on its own, but they took it out as vines create quite a mess on furniture.
We've plenty of herbs and tomatoes, but no pumpkins, one of our neighbours grows squashes which are great in soups.
Will soon be sowing radishes and lettuce, I just need to clear one of the veg beds for that.
And yes, we have 3 chickens, rescues from the BHWT. They take care of worms, clover and scraps of food while giving us eggs every day.
We use minimal chemicals - organic fertiliser, horse and chicken manure does a great job.

Most fruit trees will produce a decent crop after 3 years, and then it's down to pruning and managing.

[milanbenes]

very nice top marks

it's amazing, in today's world, how modern living, even in family houses, the properties these days don't have the garden capacity for vegetables, growing your own brings a huge sense of freedom from today's world outside

once my trees start fruiting I'd like to invest in a rudimentary still

Milan.

[WTFH]

once my trees start fruiting I'd like to invest in a rudimentary still

First you need a crusher and a press!
12 Litre Stainless Steel Spindle press and Economy Crusher - Vigo Presses Ltd

Although you might want a bigger press:
20 litre Press - Vigo Presses Ltd

[milanbenes]

First you need a crusher and a press!
12 Litre Stainless Steel Spindle press and Economy Crusher - Vigo Presses Ltd

Although you might want a bigger press:
20 litre Press - Vigo Presses Ltd

over here on the mainland they sells those things in Hornbach (the B&Q equivalent)

https://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_odkw...&_sacat=169128

https://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_no...sse+weinpresse


here's a nice home still

https://www.destillatio.eu/destille/...-100l/a-10980/

Wasserbaddestille "Austria" 30 Liter - bei Destillatio.de online kaufen

nice :-)

Milan

[clearedforlanding]

First you need a crusher and a press!
12 Litre Stainless Steel Spindle press and Economy Crusher - Vigo Presses Ltd

Although you might want a bigger press:
20 litre Press - Vigo Presses Ltd

I have found a purpose for my life.

[Sue B]

Gardeners! yey!

I have only recently discovered a passion for gardening, in the last two years or so, and especially for growing my own veg, but now i cant stop, it makes me so happy!

Spent yesterday potting out the seedlings, last year had strawberries, blueberries, lettuce and tomatoes and also started two grapevines (they dont seem to be very happy though).

This year have added new potatoes, spring onions, beetroot and fennel, plus a full herb garden (which to be honest is more about the cocktail garnishes than the cooking!)

I also have 6 hens.

Everything so far seems to be on track, the only ones I'm not sure about is the spuds..... from your experience, from planting the seed potatoes to first leaves, how long?