Lesley Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Wow! hidden treasure at this time of year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 That's how I feel as well Jackie. I look at all the things we've spent years building up and we're going to have to leave most of it behind Oh poor you. You can bet we're just stuffed full of sympathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spott Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 hello, i have just joined, got my chickens yeaterday, but i have a sqaure foot garden, too. we have a plague of cats (i shouldn't say that, i know) in the neighbourhod, someone breeds persians, and the have used my nice little garden as a litter tray since i started it. so i got really discouraged last, but now i am going to have to chicken proof it this year anyway. i have only one 4'x4' square, so not that much room. what grows well, do you think i had a bumper crop of speinack last year, and my lettuce was nnot too bad either, i am trying to plan what to grow this year, any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Hi Spott - try growing tall stuff in the two furthest squares - make sure the plants won't shade the smaller ones at the front. Try climbing french beans and/or cucumbers. Use 4 canes to a square and tie in at the top to make a 'wigwam'. There are some great cucumber seeds available at the moment - I think the one I've got is called Pepito - it grows small - 3" - cucumbers. You could also try 6 sweetcorn plants in one square. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 I've grown cucumbers before in a small pot and aubergeines. They were Lovely!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 I have Enviromesh over hoops covering my plots and it pretty much keeps the chooks and the cats out. It's also very easy and light to take off when I want to work on it and it lets plenty of rain/water through so ne need to remove at other times. Can't get anything planted out there yet though as it's much to wet, busy getting seeds going in the mini greenhouse though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spott Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 funnily enough nime is not wet at all... only part of the garden that isn't. must be all the stuff i shovelled onto it lat year. i was told lots of organic material improved drainage and friability (if that is a word?) so now lovely loose soil and not boggy. got a new compost bin, too, soo this is the plan junkmail >shredder >nesting box >compost bin >garden talk about preventing identity fraud... i can't quite picture the would be thief diggin under chooks' bottoms to get my bank account details... hubby thinks i am crazy.. well, maybe. off to strat planting the gaden now.. will post pics of new, improved, chookproof, catproof garden. later... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggtastic Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 i am trying to plan what to grow this year, any thoughts? I had the best success last year with salad type things - it was just so fresh. The best successes were: * little gem lettuce, 4 to a sq ft (sown monthly) * loose leaf lettuce (pack of mixed), 4 to a sq foot (cut and come again, but fresh sown every now and then for newer plants) * rocket, 1 to a sq ft (cut and come again, but fresh sown every now and then for newer plants) * gardeners delight tomato, 1 to a sq ft (had 150 tomatoes on the one plant) * radishes, 16 to a sq ft (sow 1/2 a ft and then the other 1/2 in 2 weeks) It was also nice having onions planted (sets at 16 to a sq ft - led to nice small mean sized onions, although this year going in at 9 to a sq ft) which meant that they were on stand by whenever i ran out while cooking! Things i learned last year: * Put courgettes in pots. It really does need some 9 sq ft otherwise it shades everything (new yet-to-be-used pots in the background by picnic table) * Same goes for potatoes I spent a lot of time tying back foliage and trimming them back to avoid them shading other plants. I've made a start this year, but everything is kept under fleece still at the moment (most of the time). Tall things generally go in the back rows and down the right hand side of my rows to avoid shading. Some of broad beans and peas are starting to come up. I've used crop netting all around the beds which has kept off the cats and the chooks. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 That looks great! I like using raised beds too and I have the Square Foot Gardening book. I'm looking forward to putting it into practice soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 I have the book...but that's as far as I got! Its a great book! I'm a virtual veg gardener at this stage! Too much decorating to do.... Maybe start in Autumn! Good luck one and all with your growing this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 We've got the book too - but as our back garden is North facing and full of chickens we dont tend to grow anything (particularly grass.........) We do have a small enclosed garden to the side and grow containers of potatoes, tomatoes, chillis, salad, garlic, strawberries and, hopefully this year raspberries and blueberries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Just bumping this up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Cheers Lesley! Better get reading.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I have just ordered LOADS of seeds etc from this place http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/ I cant wait to get going but the vegy patch needs building first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I used them last year Emma and tey were great. Happy gardening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I just hope i have room for them all Trish!!! Spuds in bags, strawberries & blueberries in pots to save some room i think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 We made a temporary veggie plot for last year just after we moved in in May - we grew plenty in it but decided it was too far from the house and I felt a bit vulnerable This year's veggie plot is a 30 ton heap of topsoil just outside the back door I need a large dose of timber now to make the raised beds and a trip to the tip to see if I can pilfer any cardboard sheets to use as a mulch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I have just ordered LOADS of seeds etc from this place http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/ I cant wait to get going but the vegy patch needs building first! I like your style Em! I have just done the same, plus MSN'd OH with a picture of the raised beds he's going to build us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Nice one Annie - Guess what our OHs will be doing for the next few weekends!!! Mo wants to use wood to retain the soil in the beds but i'd like to use bricks as its a bit more 'cottage garden'. If i just stacked two or three bricks do you think they would retain the soil ok or just fall over? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 They'd fall over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 It took a while to convince OH that this is what he is doing in Feb half term, when he has taken a week off work, but now we have sorted that out OH in true style has decided square beds are too "common and boring" so he has now designed his own: "to match the style of our garden". This is one square one, and two triangular ones, in front, giving the illusion of a curve..... So, even if the veggies are an unmitigated disaster, at least "structurally", it will look good. Hidcote, eat your heart out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 I can just see him getting fed up with faffing about with the different shapes and going back to the square idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Oh no, trust me, he won't... this is the man who spent 4 hours making one piece when he was building our kitchen and it snapped as he was fitting it, so he said "oh dear" and started all over again... He's an absolute perfectionist. Drives me nuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 I call it sheer bl**dy mindedness, but credit to him for the staying power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
