Anyone ever tried growing them and if so from seed or bulbs?
Allotment and Edible Gardening
This allotment and edible gardening group is to talk to like minded individuals about their experiences and plans, to exchange ideas, get advice, sharing of seeds, plugs, etc. - essentially, anything to do with allotment or edible gardening. I am also hoping we can meet up, perhaps in turns, at each other's plots. This group is open to anyone anywhere with an allotment or a keen interest in learning about allotment culture and edible gardening. As it is a relatively new group, we will also need to see how it evolves organically - very much my style of gardening, as chemical free and organic as possible :-) So far, so good ...do sign up, you'll be most welcome.
Open Loop 66
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This method of seed sowing was featured on GW this week from a viewer’s allotment and I’ve also seen it on Instagram. It’s an interesting method and has the advantage of saving space, useful for anyone without a greenhouse. It also seems to be good for developing a good root system for seedlings. Has anyone tried it? You can find videos on YouTube or watch Friday’s GW. PS I like the name of this website😉
https://ministryofthefence.me/2024/03/31/snail-seedlings/ -
Allotment Social to Exchange Seeds, Ideas, Fun, etc.
Hi All
Hope your allotment/edible gardening is going well.
I'm sorry I've been rather absent in times past but I'm hoping/planning to post a regular link to increase ideas/knowledge/tips for gardening and it would be great if people could then add/share their own experiences.
I'm also thinking of organising a social for our group to help us get to know each other and increase getting motivated - real face to face contact is good for health and wellbeing!
This can be anywhere and in different rotational places in the London area - let me know or PM if you are interested.
If anyone would like to come and visit me at my allotment, which is in Barnet North London, please get in touch.
Have a great week, happy sowing seeds of fun, hope, prosperity, all things good :-)
Niche -
Just discovered we’ve got a resident badger and a muncjac on our allotment site , both partial to some home grown veg!
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Chiswick House kitchen garden.
Saw this featured on London news last week.
https://chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk/2024/01/24/free-entry-to-the-kitchen-garden-in-2024/ -
March - Spring is on the horizon - hooray!
Hello All
How are you?
Time to come out of hibernation and start sowing our seeds for summer harvest.
@maire - you are doing amazing
How is everyone else getting along?
I'm hoping to get going this year within a more respectable timeframe! -
Welcome to All New Members and Hello to All Members
Hope you are still gardening despite the cold and frost and rain!
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My plot neighbour was going away for a fortnight just as this heatwave started. He covered some of his more vulnerable plants with fine fleece stretched over some canes. I watered for him 2 or 3 times but noted that the fleece did help to protect them from the worst effects of the sun and heat, I imagine in the same way it helps to protect from the ravages of frost in winter. I’ve made a mental note to try this out when I go on holiday.
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My allotment plot has had this weed for a while but this season it’s become more invasive. It’s a terrible weed to get rid of as the roots can be very deep and hand weeding simply breaks it off but the smallest piece of root left can regrow. I hate using chemical weed killer but I may have to resort to using it at least on the paths between my beds which are mostly raised. Anyone had experience of this pernicious weed?
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Now that Spring and warmer temperatures have arrived what have you started growing? And anyone trying something different or unusual? I’ve started tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, squash, peppers, pumpkins, courgettes, chillies, corn, French beans. Herbs including coriander, parsley and basil. I’ve got seed potatoes ready to plant out.
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Had an email from our allotment secretary saying someone had left a trap on one of the paths on site and a squirrel had been trapped and died. They don’t know who’s laid it and have asked if any members have any knowledge of it. Besides it surely being illegal to set traps for wild animals many of the neighborhood cats wander freely, and some members take their dogs on site ( though they should be on leads) In addition there are some feral cats which some members have adopted and feed. I’ve had a plot for about 18 years and some have had plots for decades but this is unprecedented. I was very disturbed by this.
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What edibles can be sown successfully in December and January?
Hello All
I'm wondering what you are all growing during the winter?
What gardening/allotment activities are you doing?
Have you started sowing seeds for next spring/summer?
It'll be great to hear from you - we have 75 members and it would be great to hear from more peeps on here.
Let's try to energise this forum and hopefully reflect here what we are doing outdoors.
I'm hoping to get started by doing some more clearing and general tidying and get to the garden centre in the coming weekend to buy some winter sets - onions, garlic, etc.
I'm not sure whether I'm too late, so I will have to delve into my gardening books, catalogues, etc.
Enjoy the week ahead and may it be a fruitful one :-) -
Anyone planted any? I’ve done garlic, Japanese onions, broad beans. I’ve still got chicory, rocket and chard growing well which seem to grow all year round. Will try some winter salad onions.
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Hi All
Hope all is well.
Apologies for going AWOL - long story but I was also locked out of my account but I have managed to access it again!
I'll try to catch up but at a glance it seems like you are doing well with your gardening activities.
All the icons and functions seem to have changed and I'm totally ignorant how to use them, so can't endorse any comments at moment.
Have a lovely weekend all
Niche -
Chilli peppers (Edited)
I had a bumper crop of these Habanero peppers. I had much more than I could use. They were a bit too hot for me. Gave a lot away. Anyone tried growing them?
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New moderator - titles switched back on (Edited)
Hi everyone. As Niche cannot be contacted at the present time I have stepped in as the second moderator. I have altered some settings and whilst the group will remain open to new members .Anyone posting spam may be removed from the group .
I hope the group will now resume and be helpful to members . Hopefully Niche will return to us shortly. -
Hope this Instagram link works. This charity does fantastic work saving food from being wasted. Wonderful to see growers donating fresh produce and enthusiastic volunteers picking and transporting it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSJ7_VyIpIQ/?utm_medium=share_sheet -
Anyone had great success with their fruit and veg? Or sadly any failures?
So far had a good crop of autumn sown onions and garlic, in fact the onions grew a bit too big and some bolted but generally a success. Broad beans were not bad though did suffer a bit with blackfly and something else eating them. Potatoes seem to have done well. Courgettes are good and squashes pumpkins and cucumbers coming along.
Failures: climbing French beans decimated by something eating them. Have sown more straight into the ground. Lettuce and rocket has been good. I don't know what went wrong with my sweetcorn, it's only grown a metre and looking very puny and sick though my plot neighbour's is lush and tall!! Peas didn't really germinate.
Tomato and potato blight have started on site so don't hold out much hope for the toms as there are early signs but hope my spuds have escaped ( have never had potato blight before)
My apple trees are laden and just picked a load of cherry plums from two very old trees in my garden.
My strawberries started off well ( new raised bed started last year) but I think they were too close together and I think the rain caused many to go mouldy plus the leaves started to curl and change colour.
How are your crops? -
Has anyone tried this no dig method?
How did you do it?
What were the results?
Would you recommend? -
Welcome to All New Members and Hello to All Members
Hiya
I hope you are all enjoying your allotment and edible gardening activities.
Keep posting and sharing.
I am super behind but I'm thinking positively and thinking I'm super ahead.
As Monty also said, when our plans do not materialise in line with our hopes, the seasoned gardener knows there is always next year!
Take care, keep safe.
Niche x -
Having watched Monty Don remove these from the top of his garlic I did the same today. He suggested that they can be cooked. I haven't tried that so must look it up. Anyone tried?
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How are you fruit and veg plots doing? Anyone wish to share their food growing experiences/photos? I must admit I got impatient back in those dark February days and sowed seeds too soon so had to hold many plants back which I fear has set some back. Potatoes, onions, garlic looking healthy , tomato plants and sweetcorn looking scrappy, some beans and cabbages looking decimated😥
Will post some photos later.ooking forward to anyone sharing theirs. -
For the Gardeners (Edited)
Shared from Anything group.
https://www.scooploop.com/thread/for-the-gardeners-2 -
Petition to save an allotment site.
https://www.change.org/p/redbridge-council-save-redbridge-lane-west-allotments-from-cadent
I appreciate this is a local issue but there's nothing to stop people signing it on principle as it could happen anywhere and could set a precedent. Cadent want to take it over as a car park for their vehicles and equipment however what is the likelihood of it being reinstated after that period? And any of you allotmenteers will know that it can take years to get a plot to a manageable state, not to mention the cost in time and money. Please consider signing and sharing. Many thanks -
An allotment neighbour told me about this technique and is experimenting with it. I'd never heard of it. Our site is on heavy clay and prone to flooding as it's close to a river. Soil levels drop and one needs loads of compost and manure to try to build it up especially if making raised beds and trying the no dig method. There is never enough manure or home made compost and it would be costly to buy enough.
The advantage with this technique is that there are lots trees on the periphery of our site so plenty of dead branches and logs and a local tree surgeon also delivers this as well as wood chippings. You can even use scrap wood. I found it interesting. She started by experimenting just with a big plastic bin with a wood layer at the bottom and is now making a full bed in the ground
https://www.growveg.co.uk/guides/how-to-make-hugelkultur-beds-for-growing-vegetables/ -
Sowed some Swift and Red Duke of York on my plot today. It might be a wee bit early but figured the Irish traditionally sowed them on St Patrick's day and here Good Friday though the latter is a moveable feast. Hopefully they'll be ok. I've had the leaves hit by frost in the past but the tubers have survived. I have some Pink Fir Apple and Charlotte salad potatoes to go in but will probably wait a week or so.
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Using veggy cooking water for your plants.
I read that water from boiling potatoes was good for spraying whitefly. I then read it was also good for watering your plants as the starch spurs the release of plant nutrients in the soil. In fact most veggy cooking water is good for your plants including pasta water and water from boiling eggs which contains calcium. However added salt is not good for them but I don't add salt to potatoes anyway. I do save some veggy water for stock and gravy but will definitely use any surplus for my plants.
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only two vegetables to grow which ones would you pick? Difficult choice but I think I'd have to say tomatoes and potatoes.
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Has anyone had success with these? I've always grown them from sets but the varieties are quite limited. Was tempted to grow some more unusual ones from seed like the lovely Italian Tropea ones.
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Soil Association meeting, Grow Better Together (Edited)
Soil Association meeting on-line, Thursday 21st January 2021, 5.30 - 6.45pm. Here is the link if anybody is interested. You do have to register to be forwarded the link to join.
https://www.crowdcast.io/e/grow-better-together/register -
My Raspberries are a mystery?!! Any Raspberry experts out there?
1)Is the new green growth in the photo to be welcomed or snipped off? I know-I`m a bit late pruning this year!
2)Why have I developed `autumn-fruiting` canes-I didn`t plant any?
3) Why are some canes giving me yellow berries?! There were a few last year and more this year! (They taste the same.) -
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I have a greenhouse for the first time and started all my seeds in it this spring. It's not a large one and doesn't have beds inside, just shelves and it's on paving slabs. Any ideas on what a greenhouse novice could grow in it over winter in pots or troughs?
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I wrote this on an old thread thinking it would be bumped to the top but it didn't so starting a new thread .My Marshmello bare rooted strawberry plants grew well but produced very little fruit. I'd read there wouldn't be much fruit first season, plus I didn't put a net over so I think birds got at what little fruit there was. I now have healthy looking plants and loads of runners both in the raised bed and trailing outside it. Should I try to root all the runners to increase my stock? Is there anything else I should do now to prepare for next year? I'm a strawberry novice!
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Autumn veg planting (Edited)
I usually sow garlic and onions in Autumn to over winter. I have also shown broad beans at that time in the past. Has anyone grown anything else successfully around this time ? Anyone grow veg in a greenhouse over winter? I'm going to try winter spring onions and perhaps some potatoes for Christmas but any other ideas gratefully received.
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Hello everyone. It's been quiet on here , must be that we are all so busy growing veg! Hope everyone is keeping safe and well and in good spirits.
I was given this plant and it has produced quite prolifically but I don't know what it is. I assume it's in the squash family. As you can see it's a dark yellow, skin slightly rough the size of a large grapefruit only pear shaped . I don't know if it's edible or one of those ornamental types. If it's edible how to cook it? Any ideas? -
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Welcome to All The New Members
Welcome to All the New Members to the Group - I hope you find it enjoyable, inspiring and informative.
Lara @LaraRice
Kraft @Kraft
I have not logged in for ages but a personal welcome extended to anyone else I have likely missed.
Be back more actively very shortly...work life has taken over...but I hope all our members are keeping safe and well and enjoying their gardening whatever the results! -
Mine are doing really badly and daughter’s are too. Anyone else having problems?
Also spinach gone immediately to seed. Noticed all the spinach plants in garden centre also the same. -
Does anyone know of any vegbox delivery schemes locally?
Companies or Farms who deliver vegetables in season/fruit locally?
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Has anyone found his videos on YouTube? His knowledge on veg growing is amazing and his videos are so clear and easy to follow. I can thoroughly recommend them. I think he has written books too.
Hope all your plots are flourishing. Mine is getting there . Will post some pics soon. Would love to see some of yours.
PS I'm so glad to have this group as a safe haven (like my garden and my allotment) away from some of the "controversial" groups on Scooploop -
Does anyone have any advice how to prevent foxes from digging up my potatoes??
It happened last year that they continually dug around in one of my potato beds on my allotment in SE London so that I lost half of my main crop. It has just started again and I am totally fed up with them... I've got so much else to do and now I need to spend ages trying to repair the damage and somehow do something to deter them....😠😠😠 -
Welcome to the Group (Edited)
@CraigLawrie
Welcome to the Edible Gardening Group, I hope you enjoy it.
Do please join in and share your experiences.
What have you grown this season? -
A late frost killed my climbing French and butter beans over the weekend on my plot. I'm gutted😢 as I'd nurtured them from seed. Undeterred I've sown more indoors though I did contemplate sowing direct in the ground.
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Fenugreek (Edited)
Does anyone grow fenugreek?
I usually do but much later in the summer.
I tried earlier this year and I've been pleasantly surprised that it germinated within 3 to 4 days.
Here's a picture. -
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Salad and herb seedlings to give away for free if anyone is interested. (Edited)
If anyone lives near or in the N13 area and would like some salad (various varieties) and herb (only sage at present) seedlings, please message me.
I have lots going spare and, if you are interested, I can sort out a little 'basket' of these for you to collect - at a social distance of course!
They are easy to grow on in containers, so ideal to house in small or limited space.
When I my harvest is ready, I shall advertise again, to give excess away, as deliberately growing more than I need, to help out the most needy and vulnerable, especially at these worrying and uncertain times.
Meantime, I want to encourage those who can, to grow their own as it is not only money saving but a rewarding and therapeutic activity, well worth the time and effort. -
Welcome Lynne to the Allotment and Edible Gardening Group; it's lovely to have you join us.
I hope your gardening season is going well.
I look forward to sharing gardening techniques and experiences.
