Any fruit/veg growers?

grant965 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 02 Mar 2011 Karma :

Hi all, anyone else on here a keen gardener or just has fruit bushes etc in their garden?
Today I set up a 3m plastic tunnel complete with 16 strawberry plants (10 Elsanta 6 Cambridge). Then along side 2 raspberry stems and a grape vine, hoping to get some decent fruit this year out of the strawberry plants and to just grow the rest to produce next year.
Any tips or tricks that you use?
Grant
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Current Bike: '02 Suzuki TL1000R

Clanger · Stirrer Joined: 27 May 2004 Karma :

Yes... see here...
https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=179642&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 Mr. Green

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Poseidon · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Aug 2008 Karma :

Teeny tiny garden at my place (new build mid terrace). I built some raised beds of sorts for peas and broad beans. Got some rainbow chard and mixed salad leaves growing in front of them. Wife has a gooseberry bush and I've got 10 florence strawberry plants in troughs out front of the house (south facing, full sun all day).

Can't give any tips as I'm pretty new to it all myself. Just going to see what works this year and try to improve my lot for next year.
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- · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Oct 2013 Karma :

Yes, I got into growing my own veg as a way to unwind a few years ago.

I currently have leeks, put in late last year, ready to crop. Winter garlic almost ready to harvest and have had sprouting broccoli. I seeded tomatoes, chillis, sweet peppers, melons and cucumbers back in Feb in the airing cupboard.

I've had a couple of crops of asparagus already, which is very early. I bought Aldi fruit trees for £3.99 each a few years ago so have 2 x cherry, pear, apple, plum and a peach. I also have blackcurrant, raspberry, redcurrant, rhubarb and blackcurrant.

I have 3 grape vines which produce about 6 bottles a year each too.
This year I have around 40 strawberry plants too, most of wich will make jam.

I've been doing this for a few years now, what do you want to know?
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Ariel Badger · Super Spammer Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Karma :

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

Having a herb garden at home is very excellent. Mr. Green

hellkat · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

I have a mahoosive garden and woods, with some boxed off for a vegetable garden, but as its my first year here, I am leaving my whole garden department to see what grows ... see whats already planted there.
(that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it)

So I tinkered with seeds etc., sprinkled some rocket in a windowbox next to the back door, where I already have (yet another) branch of parsley, and a scraggy old bit of thyme.

(Although I have architectural plans for the thyme, rather than culinary)

And keep fucking up sprouting cucumber and spring onion seeds by not being around to keep them moist *sigh*

Not very greenfingered personally, although it seems as though all stuff here grows like mental*, no doubt due to being regularly wafted with fertiliser off the nearby fields of rape and rye.

But ... I have inherited the dogs bollocks of a compost heap Cool

Been chucking stuff on top of it all winter, just prunings, twigs and rotting food, etc. not really giving it much thought, but I was poking round in the bottom of it this weekend, and O.M.G. its beautiful, fresh, moist brown compost.

*including nettles, fucking spikey little bastards they are
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grant965 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 02 Mar 2011 Karma :

Would love to grow something like melons or pumpkins,
whats easiest way to go about it?
Also got some chilli seeds (4 varities from B&M bargains), any tips?

The grape vine was planted today, its about 5-6ft, am I right in thinking the first year I just leave it to grow, cut any developing fruit off or do I just leave it as it is?
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Current Bike: '02 Suzuki TL1000R

Ariel Badger · Super Spammer Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Karma :

Quornholio · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Jun 2011 Karma :

I grow tomatoes, peppers and chili's in the greenhouse. Got some ready to be repotted, which I need to do soon.

Got some oxheart lettuce which I grew from seed, they've been planted in a 'bed'. Also sown some spring onions, mixed lettuce leaves, and some other stuff. It's sprouting for the most part. Very Happy

Also have two whopper cooking apple trees (Bramley), a dessert apple which I can't remember the name of, two pears (one conference and one Williams bon Chretin), a dessert cherry, 'Victoria' plum tree, 4 blueberry bushes, about half a dozen raspberry canes, a young gooseberry bush, a redcurrant bush, and in bags I'm growing one bag of 'Charlotte' potatoes (8 tubers), and two bags of 'King Edward' (4 in each).

Oh, and I grow my own comfrey for fertiliser (just liquid at the moment Thumbs Up

Will use leaves as mulches etc next year.)
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Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

hellkat · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Quornholio · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Jun 2011 Karma :

Quornholio · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Jun 2011 Karma :

https://i.imgur.com/q58k9X7.jpg

https://imgur.com/q58k9X7

Top bucket has water in to crush the leaves. Second bucket had holes drilled in bottom and filled with leaves. Bottom bucket is to collect the squeezed juice.

I will be diluting it, probably 10ml per watering can.

Grrr, fucking images.
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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Got winter squash, basil, parsley, chives and various chillis at a good stage just now.

Current best success is purple sprouting broccoli. you plant it one year to harvest the next. I can't harvest it fast enough just now. Just saw how much it's going for in the shops and I'm feeding it to the wifes pet rabbit!...

I only grow stuff it's either impossible or very expensive to buy.

I do like my winter squash and would suggest it to anyone who has room. Grows like a triffid and fruits prolifically when everything else is dying back.
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GetawayDj · Spanner Monkey Joined: 19 Nov 2011 Karma :

Picked up a packet of peas and iceberg lettuce seeds about 2 weeks ago. Just as something to do and actually see with the little sister. Started coming up nicely so far. also got some beansrouts but they just get kept in water so nothing special about them really.

Wouldnt mind starting on some other stuff so be good to see some tips
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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Lidl sells packs of "living salad" for a pound.

Split it into six clumps and plant it out. Wait a fortnight then wonder why anyone would buy lettuace seeds.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

GetawayDj · Spanner Monkey Joined: 19 Nov 2011 Karma :

Will give it a shot, I just saw beginner packets in b & q when I was there so picked them up, be good to have something with quick results though
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Quornholio · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Jun 2011 Karma :

Seeds are as good, if not better. You can control what you plant that way. Plus, you can pick packs of seeds up for under 50p, and you get a fuckload.
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Chinaboy · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Jan 2007 Karma :

I do a bit of growing, I do rice and onions. Onions in the photos, but we are now growing Pumpkins on the same bit of land. After the Pumpkins we are thinking of Peanuts.

Onions being sorted.
https://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/Discusboy123/IMG_1072_zpse4a491cc.jpg

ended up with 487 sacks
https://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/Discusboy123/IMG_1069_zpsff24471c.jpg

Me checking them about half way through growing
https://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/Discusboy123/701_zps52ea674d.jpg

This is how we prepare the land.
https://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/Discusboy123/042_zpsbc48d712.jpg

Sewing the seeds.
https://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg188/Discusboy123/040_zpsa8b28697.jpg

andyscooter · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 May 2009 Karma :

i grew a carrot once

started as about 50 but only one grew Laughing

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Howling TerrorOutOfOffice · Super Spammer Joined: 05 Dec 2008 Karma :

Looks like Steve knows his onions. Smile

Can't offer the OP any advice about gardening. However, I am a dab-hand at reverse gardening (different to up-hill).

Our garden is too small for fruit and veg so my g/f joined a garden share scheme and has 29 different fruit n veg on the go. Either that or she's playing away and nips into the market on the way home. Thinking

slowlydoesit · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 14 Oct 2012 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Quornholio · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Jun 2011 Karma :

Thyme is a piece of piss. I've got some in a border which is in shade, and it's thriving, alongside the rosemary, chocolate mint and lavender.
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