Gardening, the simple metaller's simple pleasure

[Mr Moonlight]

Got a bag full of meadow seed, far too much for the garden. So somewhere is gonna get meadowfied in the coming days.

[Eoin McLove]

https://youtu.be/WmJCnNuMg3Y

[M.Hopkins]

A lot of the seeds in those meadow mixes would be biennials (including foxgloves and some poppies) so will put on some green growth the first year, overwinter and then flower in the second year. Often recommended to plant these on the autumn to shorten time between sowing and flowering.
In theory I don't see benefit of seedbombs as it means numerous seeds germinating in a very confined space and immediately being in competition for water, nutrients and then light. Great for lashing into somewhere that can't be reached easily I suppose. If working on your own spot  better to clear a bit of ground from grass, weeds etc and scatter mixed seeds.

[Eoin McLove]

Might indeed give that a go next year of our current experiment doesn't work out.  It's all a bit of trial and error.

[Trev]

I cleared a big patch down the end of the garden last week and bought a few packs of different wildflower seeds...and forgot to check the planting dates. Most of them were March/April til May/June. Reckon if I just lash them down now anyway they'll still take?

[Giggles]

Great for lashing into somewhere that can't be reached easily I suppose. If working on your own spot  better to clear a bit of ground from grass, weeds etc and scatter mixed seeds.

You're right. I don't have my own garden and I live in a small coastal town so just gonna fire these about the place. I reckon I've far too many seeds in these yokes... but like McLove said, trial and error 

[M.Hopkins]

Most seeds can keep for a few years easily if kept  dry and somewhere fairly cool although germination rates might drop.
Sowing  annuals late shouldn't be a problem really as they should get to flowering stage fairly quickly. Depends on how quickly they germinate and then when the first frosts arrive.
Now is a great time so sow seeds for next spring ie wallflowers, bellis, honesty , forget me not, pansies, violas etc and also perennials which will flower next year like delphiniums and biennials like California poppies, foxgloves etc

[blessed1]

i planted these seeds called night scented stock.
these things are deadly!
they are just little flowers and during the day they are all shrivel'd up and look dead but in the evenings they open up and release a really powerful perfume thats kind of sweet lemon smelling.
i planted 6 pots of them and i now have them by the font doors and windows of the house and the smell just blows through the house.
probably one of the best plants ive come across yet!

[Bigmac]

Does any one have any experience using seaweed as a mulch?

I find the soil drying out in the raised beds quite a bit on these warmer days, so figure a bit of mulch will help retain moisture, and also feed the veg as it rots.

There seems to be conflicting advice regarding the salt content, some folks say that it's nothing to worry about, others say it's best to wash it first. That sounds a bit laborious and wasteful of water to me.

Anyone have any practical experience using it? I'm pretty close to the sea, so if I can just pick some up and dump it on the beds, it sounds like it's a pretty handy goldmine for feeding the garden while I get my composting up to scratch.

I'm also currently using some of that liquid feed stuff for my tomatoes, but don't like the idea of relying on buying it to feed some of my plants. If I could also just dump a load of seaweed in the poly tunnel, it'd be a step further towards a bit more self sufficiency.

[jobrok1]

There seems to be conflicting advice regarding the salt content, some folks say that it's nothing to worry about, others say it's best to wash it first. That sounds a bit laborious and wasteful of water to me.

We live in Ireland...
Just leave it out on your lawn or somewhere open for a couple of days and let the rain wash it before using it on your beds.

[StoutAndAle]

I'm winning the battle against the back garden - 7 years after we bought the house. I have nearly defeated all the ivy - though it was touch and go for a while.

The old lady who owned the house before us planted ten Leylandii trees in the garden - grand if you happen to have a 50x25 metre garden but not if you have a standard issue city-sized yard. What the fuck she was thinking is a mystery. I cut down 8 of these trees as soon as we moved in - with the aid of my father & father in law - and split the timber into logs and left it to season - I haven't paid for stove fuel yet. I had to get a tree surgeon in for the last two a few weeks ago - I didn't feel like accidentally dropping a 30 foot tree onto the roof of the people behind me. The guy did a brilliant job and cut it into rings for me to split with my maul. The only thing is that he stacked it all (very neatly) into a corner of the garden that I had spent 12 hours the previous Saturday sweating my bollocks off clearing so I could plant a few things. 

Yesterday, I started clearing a corner that I have been using to throw all my cuttings and stuff for the past few years. I have accidentally created the most fertile patch in the whole yard. I think I might get have to grow veg now.

[Bigmac]

There seems to be conflicting advice regarding the salt content, some folks say that it's nothing to worry about, others say it's best to wash it first. That sounds a bit laborious and wasteful of water to me.

We live in Ireland...
Just leave it out on your lawn or somewhere open for a couple of days and let the rain wash it before using it on your beds.

Yeah very true! Think I'll lash some down and see what happens. Hopefully I don't kill everything.

Been eating loads of potatoes and peas the past while, onions and garlic are ready to lift, tomatoes are ripening and chillis are coming along. Started harvesting and pickling loads of cucumbers too. So far so good this year.

Seems my peas might have got some fusarium wilt though. Will harvest what I can now, and try again next year.

What are some good winter crops? I've eaten all my new potatoes, so that bed is free. I was thinking of popping some kale and radishes in there. Also when my onions and garlic are lifted, I think I'll try some turnips. Seems it's not too late to sow still.

Anyone have anything in particular they'd recommend for winter?

[M.Hopkins]

Re winter planting you could do turnips, cabbage, winter lettuce, broccoli, chicory, onion, garlic, etc depending on variety. Still time to plant quick crops like radish and rocket and some salad leaves. Getting towards bare root season (from October) for fruit trees and soft fruit much cheaper than pot grown.

Re seaweed as mentioned you really should wash the salt water before using. The rain of late should do the job nicely. Use as a mulch, should be no need to work in to the soil as it will break down. Can be used to make liquid feed too.
Most commercial liquid  seaweed feeds are fantastic. Most are organic and the nutrient content is more balanced than tomato feed etc so a much better all rounder rather than just for fruit / flowers . Most can also be used as a foliar feed directly on the leaves for quick absorption also. 'Tis the best of stuff

[Bigmac]

Cheers, appreciate the suggestions! I had done a bit of reading in the meantime, and I've two types of turnip started in some module trays, along with some kale. Also picked up some radish and rocket, which I've sown direct. Next year I'll be a bit more proactive, and sow them in the trays about a month before the potatoes are ready to harvest, so they're ready to go straight in when the bed is freed up.

I was looking into things like inter cropping too, so next year I think I'll plant radishes in between my potato rows, as they'll be ready to harvest before the potatoes block them out. So many fun ideas like that to learn.

Yeah I think I'll go with the seaweed and lash a load down to break down over winter, leaving the beds ready to go again come spring time. Finally bought a compost bin too, so I'll get stuck into a bit of composting soon. Reckon I'll pick up two more and try that three bay system. A wormery looks like a fun addition too.

[jobrok1]

As for composting... It's easy enough to build one from pallets and stuff.
But we had a redundant coal bunker which I just cut the arse out of and use that.
You could probably pick one up on free ads somewhere.

Being fully enclosed, it's practically a wormery. And I should have put chicken wire mesh under it to keep rats out, but to honest... they'd find their way in eventually anyway.