Gardening, the simple metaller's simple pleasure

[jobrok1]

We've a langer load of Raspberries, Currents and Strawberries on the go.

Strawberries spread like weeds. Raspberries need to be contained properly, unlike ours which are literally shooting up all over the lawn and neighbouring beds. 

Onions, Beets, Spinach, Carrots and Courgette are all on the go at the minute.

[Nebula]

We've a langer loaf of Raspberries, Currents and Strawberries on the go.

Strawberries spread like weeds. Raspberries need to be contained properly, unlike ours which are literally shooting up all over the lawn and neighbouring beds. 

Onions, Beets, Spinach, Carrots and Courgette are all on the go at the minute.

What are you going to do with all the berries? I've a similar plethora of fruit. There's only so much jam a and smoothies a person can make. I'm thinking of doing wine or some some sort of cider from them..
..

[Trev]

Pulled a few up by hand earlier, going to get one of those remover tools now. Found it infinitely more satisfying seeing them ripped up and gone then just spraying and waiting for it to work

We've a few blackberries out the back, going to try and add some strawberries and raspberries soon. I could happily eat them all day so if they spread all over the place I'll be delighted!

[jobrok1]

I've 3 kids, so as soon as the strawberries ripen they'll be devoured every time they're outside playing. They are one of the hardiest plants ever and literally run riot once they take hold. If they didn't produce such a sought after fruit they'd be on everyone's kill list.
Same for Raspberries. We've early and late varieties, so from next month we'll be picking them daily until early November.
Only noticed today the apple trees have a tonne of fruit forming already, too. Can't wait for them.

We'll eat, juice, and preserve as much as we can. Plus! My Missus runs a healthy dessert/cake business, so we make great use of pretty much everything we grow.


As for weeds...
Picking them is always the best.
Especially couch grass, docs and fucking buttercups. No other way around it if they're coming up in the veggie beds. No way I'm spraying anything, even organic weed killer, in the veggie beds.

[Eoin McLove]

I'm liking the talk of berries.  Might throw a few in the garden bit try to keep them isolated (dreaming!)

[Bigmac]

I planted about 12 strawberry plants out in the front garden myself last year, got decent harvest from them, but over winter I wasn't sure what to be doing with them and they got very tatty and shit looking. Figured they were doomed, but low and behold, once the sun has come out, I can see them come back to life, and there's some strawberries on the way.

They even spread to the bed were I have the perennial herbs like rosemary and thyme etc. They seem to be getting along fine so I'll leave them be.

I was always under the impression that strawberries are quite delicate and difficult to grow. Nice to see they're actually hardy fuckers.

For those with other types of berries, what would you recommend? I quite like blackberries and raspberries, did you just buy some plants or grow from seed? Would love a bit of rhubarb out there too.

[Circlepit]

I always was under the impression that raspberries were hard to grow and quite delicate.
How do you stop the bugs eating all on sight?

[Eoin McLove]

Yesterday's deluge fairly hammered the garden.  A lot of what I've planted hasn't matured yet as it is only in a couple of months so we'll have to see what survives and what will have to be replaced.  I'm actually looking forward to buying more plants,  if I'm being honest 

Looking forward to a bit of extreme pottering over the long weekend.

[jobrok1]

A good dump of rain should do wonders for the plants. But if they're pretty young shoots it can be disastrous alright.

Raspberries are tough enough, too.
Just keep picking the ripe ones as soon as they're ready. Bugs shouldn't really bother them. It's birds are the enemy when it comes to raspberries.
Cover with netting if it's not to big an area. Otherwise just beat the fuckers to the fruit.
Put up something to scare them off.
Old CDs hanging from string on a line works to a degree. They don't like the flickering light as they twist in the wind.
Cats are good too, but then they'll piss and shit all over your beds as well.

[Bigmac]

Speaking of piss and shit, I was finding turds in the beds where I have my potatoes. I assume cats or foxes smell the manure I spread, and decide that it must be a class place to drop their own load. Got one of those ultrasonic repellent things, and it seems to have done the trick.

I  originally heard that urine could keep them away, kind of like marking your territory. It was only while strolling around the back garden with my lad in my hand, merrily fortifying the beds, that I thought it probably would have been better to piss into a bottle in the privacy of the house, then pour that around. No complaints from neighbors though thankfully.

Spent the evening making a bamboo/net thing for my peas to climb up, should hopefully do the trick.

[Bigmac]

Watching some videos about composting, and stumbled across Charles Dowding and that epic parsnip I mentioned previously.

12kg of parsnips from one small row is fuckin impressive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WDk0U0oLa0

[Giggles]

Anybody ever make Seedbombs?

I was listening to a Blindboy podcast and he talks about mixing native wildflower seeds, compost and clay together to form golf-ball sized balls and let them dry out. Then you just fuck them anywhere on a vacant lot, or in ghost estates, and wildflowers will grow and it will help the bees.

[Eoin McLove]

The missus bought beebombs, which are the same thing.  I fired them around the garden a couple of months ago but no joy on them yet.  I'm sure in time they'll begin to emerge,  though.  We have left a portion of our garden to go a bit wild and see what happens but I have introduced poppies and foxgloves which I expect will spread their seeds all over the gaff.  If they get into our lawn section I might have to sacrifice the entire garden to the rewilding cause 

[Giggles]

Months? Fuck I was hoping for a couple of weeks 
Just made some there and they're drying out now. Fingers crossed.

[Eoin McLove]

I'm hoping it is just down to whatever combination of seeds are in the bombs.  They may pop out in late summer or in the autumn.  Failing that they might emerge next spring. If not, it's war.