Lost the Plot ?????

[alicat]

Spent a couple of hours down the lottie today and managed to get the second R/bed in the ground - what a pig it was, or is it cause, i'm just a girl.
Also got 6 bags of muck to put in the bottom of the R/beds, 3 of which are in the first R/B. Then the topsoil and homemade compost will go on top.

Back down tomorrow to finish the R/B I put in today and also extended the potatoe bed as Rob want's to grow more spuds. (while getting the muck I bought a bag of King Edward potatoes 3kg = £3.99) - we'll have spuds coming out of our ears at this rate. But as Rob says if only the spuds and Beans do well it'll be great.

[maggyd]

I get the B bit Ali what is R for? and your sleep walking again 12.04am. J has made me a box thing as well for my leeks not sure what I need to put in it though soil wise.

[Biggles]

Raised (I think)

[maggyd]

Of course it is I knew that !!!!

[alicat]

LOL - Yes R/B stands for Raised beds.

Looks like I'm sleep walking again tonight, this is the first time I have had a proper sit down all day.

Great news about your leeks box As i'm still learning about veg, I checked my book (Dr.D.G.H ) Quote Leeks will grow in any resonable soil provided it is neither compacted or badly drained. Crops will be dissapointing if the soil is starved of nutrients and humus. Add compost or very well rotted manure if this was not done before. Choose a sunny spot, Incorporate a general fertilizer a week or two before planting.

If it was my box I would use some garden soil mixed with compost (homemade or bought) and a little well rotted manure. if your soil is Alkaline you might need to add some lime. But make sure there is at least a 2 week gap between adding the lime and the fertilizer. If I've got it wrong maybe Sleepy or Farmersboy will correct me.

Fingers crossed you have a good leek crop.

[maggyd]

Thanks for that reply Ali it is very helpful ;D I suppose I could put up with a small!! bag of manure ;D I hate the smell of the stuff I will have to dig it straight in as well or a certain DOG I know will roll about in it! lol

Im using the box more as a fence Ali to keep little b'gger off Ill just work the garden patch and put this round it I might have to add a bit of something on top maybe a bit of chicken wire or something decorative I dont want hi investigating oh and the cats will be in as well they love my garden.

I dont know how you get up in the morning to get the bairns off to school !! you need to get to bed before this. NAG NAG NAG.

[Sleepy]

Mar 19, 2009 2:03:36 GMT 1 @alicat said:

LOL - Yes R/B stands for Raised beds.

Looks like I'm sleep walking again tonight, this is the first time I have had a proper sit down all day.

Great news about your leeks box As i'm still learning about veg, I checked my book (Dr.D.G.H ) Quote Leeks will grow in any resonable soil provided it is neither compacted or badly drained. Crops will be dissapointing if the soil is starved of nutrients and humus. Add compost or very well rotted manure if this was not done before. Choose a sunny spot, Incorporate a general fertilizer a week or two before planting.

If it was my box I would use some garden soil mixed with compost (homemade or bought) and a little well rotted manure. if your soil is Alkaline you might need to add some lime. But make sure there is at least a 2 week gap between adding the lime and the fertilizer. If I've got it wrong maybe Sleepy or Farmersboy will correct me.

Fingers crossed you have a good leek crop.

You are correct Ali. I always applied compost in the Autumn and lime in the Spring. They don't like being applied at the same time.

[maggyd]

Mar 19, 2009 11:57:52 GMT 1 Sleepy said:

Mar 19, 2009 2:03:36 GMT 1 @alicat said:

LOL - Yes R/B stands for Raised beds.

Looks like I'm sleep walking again tonight, this is the first time I have had a proper sit down all day.

Great news about your leeks box As i'm still learning about veg, I checked my book (Dr.D.G.H ) Quote Leeks will grow in any resonable soil provided it is neither compacted or badly drained. Crops will be dissapointing if the soil is starved of nutrients and humus. Add compost or very well rotted manure if this was not done before. Choose a sunny spot, Incorporate a general fertilizer a week or two before planting.

If it was my box I would use some garden soil mixed with compost (homemade or bought) and a little well rotted manure. if your soil is Alkaline you might need to add some lime. But make sure there is at least a 2 week gap between adding the lime and the fertilizer. If I've got it wrong maybe Sleepy or Farmersboy will correct me.

Fingers crossed you have a good leek crop.

You are correct Ali. I always applied compost in the Autumn and lime in the Spring. They don't like being applied at the same time.

I think Ill go for the compost though and forget about the lime

[alicat]

Mar 19, 2009 11:50:41 GMT 1 @maggyd said:

Thanks for that reply Ali it is very helpful ;D I suppose I could put up with a small!! bag of manure ;D I hate the smell of the stuff I will have to dig it straight in as well or a certain DOG I know will roll about in it! lol

Im using the box more as a fence Ali to keep little b'gger off Ill just work the garden patch and put this round it I might have to add a bit of something on top maybe a bit of chicken wire or something decorative I dont want hi investigating oh and the cats will be in as well they love my garden.

I dont know how you get up in the morning to get the bairns off to school !! you need to get to bed before this. NAG NAG NAG.

Maggy I'm going now - well as soon as I have posted this anyway ;D I just wanted to see if anyone had got the answer yet to my question. - WELL DONE BIGGLES.

Well rotted manure should not smell at all of manure but more like compost and resemble compost too. - I agree too it's a good idea to cover it from any animals that might like to use it as their toilet. You only need to add lime if your soil is alkaline.

Thanks Sleepy.

Right off to bed now, Topsoil arriving 9am today. .

Sorry I haven't been on much this week just had loads to do and the weather has been great for gardening. Hope you have enjoyed it too. Catch up soon. Take care.xx

[alicat]

What a great weekend.

Well the topsoil arrived bang on the dot at 9am.Thankfully the secetary was there to open the gate for him. While we were chatting somehow we managed to organise some leaf mould to be delivered , and that arrived on the same day too. Wish i'd taken a photo of it cause it was such a big pile but we were too busy barrowing it all on to our plot. Anyway we spent the whole day there barrowing and filling up the R/B's this is how it looked at the end of Friday.







Rob also made me a small R/B for flowers.



Part of the leafmould pile we barrowed, some is in the beds already.



I'm not sure about how good the topsoil is, some of it looks like it's come off a building site and it's in funny pelleted/ball shapes instead of loose soil. – can't see any weeds though so thats something.

Saturday 21st march 2009

Didn't go down the lottie, both Rob and I were aching from all the barrowing. Instead I spent the day sowing seeds. and Rob went shopping with the kids for Mothers Day.

Veg

chilli – Cayenne
Sweet pepper
Tomatoes -
- Red cherry
San marzano
Sub Artic
Garden Pearl

Flowers

Coreopsis
Cosmos
Solenopsis
Nemisia
Poached egg plant
Marigold – Naughty Marietta, Petite mix and Pot Marigold.

Sunday 22nd March 2009.

Had a great day, lie in in the morning with presents to open then off down the lottie for a BBQ and bonfire. Did a little bit of digging but not much and Rob put up a new Bean support, using old washing line posts and a piece of wood. John our neighbour gave us some Chives and Rhubarb. which I have planted temporarily in the flower bed.







Finally our frogs have grown and we now have 4. ;D



I'll post yesterdays pictures later as I haven't got them into photobucket yet.

[emseypop]

Ali, you've worked so hard! it all looks great, all you need now is there weather to improve and your seedlings to go in think of all the yummy for you'll be getting this summer. Are you haveing any fruit shrubs? Or strawberrys to go with your rhubarb?

[Biggles]

Phew--You make me tired just reading about all the hard work you and Rob have done--

It is looking great--Looking forward to the next lot of photographs--Bigs

[ladygardener]

Absolutely fantastic plot you have Alicat. Your raised beds are smashing, lucky you. It's really hard work for you but it'll surely be worth it.

[alicat]

Hi Em - I can't wait to start sowing, as you say just need the weather to warm up a bit. - I'm thinking of covering the soil with plastic to speed things up. Everything that has been dug so far doesn't even have any annual seeds coming up - They always say it is a good indication when the annual weeds start germinating you should start sowing.
Fruit - Yes i'm hoping to grow some but don't know what yet, they will be going in the area thats still to be dug. I've been given Raspberry cuttings and have Strawberry and Blackcurrent bushes at home to take over. Not sure what else we will grow yet, as we are not pudding/ jam eaters.

Thanks Biggles - I'm tired everytime I get back from the lottie but it's a very good tired.

Thanks Ladygardener - the R/B's came from home - Rob made them 2 years ago. Hopefully he's making 2 more for the third section. Hope all the hard work pays off in the end.

[karenwl]

Wow Ali you have done great keep it up

[maggyd]

All that lovely soil just waiting to be planted your going to have a very satisfied feeling when you get your plants in Ali.

Ive seen them covering the beds with black plastic to warm the beds up before they plant on G.W. have you?

[alicat]

Ok so this is the Third section I finally got dug on Tuesday - the soil was so hard due to being clay and lack of rain, it took me a lot longer than I expected. : The pile of soil is waiting to go into the raised beds.






The kids bought me these numbers for the shed door for mothers Day. ;D




And all my spuds chitting ready to go in.

From left to right. - 11 x International kidney, 5 x Rocket, !10 x Desiree, and 34 x King Edward. Rob wants to have loads of spuds to keep in sacks over winter. ;D

[alicat]

Sorry both the computer had a Freddy.

Thanks Karen - can't wait for you to come down and help with the digging / rotorvating at Easter

Maggy - If all the plants we intend to sow/plant do well, I will be the happiest bunny ever.

I haven't seen them using plastic on GW. But seen it on lots of other programmes.

[karenwl]

I cant wait to come down 2 and i will be bringing my new toy with me.
Cant wait to see your plot for real, i must remember my fork and spade oh and my gardening gloves.

[alicat]

Not long now ;D It's been manic here so you will have to take us as you find us, Keep trying to tidy up but it keeps going to pot - thats kids for you. : ;D I haven't managed to get down the lottie this week to clear the next section so I'm not sure whether to use the Roto or not, I really want to see it in action though. Oh and B***** rain is forecast for the rest of the week.

I promise to update this thread asap, but with everyone home for Easter it's hard to get hold of the computer : We've had a good week though - loads of family time We even had a trip down to London and went to the Natural History Museum and Science Museum - watched the film about going up in space to the space Satellite in 3D, it was just like being there with them, I fully recommend it.

Hope your all well. Ax

[karenwl]

Seen th plot for real and it looks great
Sorry we never got to use my toy but i know you have done a lot since i came down
Keep up the great work

[alicat]

Apr 26, 2009 3:32:11 GMT 1 karenwl said:

Seen th plot for real and it looks great
Sorry we never got to use my toy but i know you have done a lot since i came down
Keep up the great work

Thanks Karen.