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Post by mifflto on Apr 13, 2008 19:27:28 GMT
Hi there, I am an enthusiastic meddler in the garden and now and like to try a bit of fruit and veg as well as plants. I'm hoping to dabble a bit more this year, though I haven't got around to any seed sowing yet this year so had better get my skates on!
My garden is about 5m x 10m and very clayey, about half grass and half borders including 2 x 1m square raised beds for the veg, which my cat seems to think are litter trays for him and keeps digging up my seedlings! I have a baby apple tree with 3 types of apple on it, and a new plum which may be too young to do anything this year but will soon find out!
I had rather too much success with some autumn fruiting raspberries called Autumn Bliss, which I started out with 4 canes of 3 years ago, but by their 3rd summer there were 57 of them and spreading out of the borders into the lawn - they seem to like the clay as this did not happen with the canes I gave my parents and sisters for their gardens! I'm going to try growing them in pots this year..
If anyone has any particular suggests varieties of veg that I should try, or avoid, they would be most welcome. One thing I am going to try this year is sweetcorn - yum!
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Post by loutigger on Apr 13, 2008 19:37:07 GMT
Hi! when you try the sweetcorn ive been told only to plant one variety away from another, and those that you plant are best planted in a block and not a row, aparently this does 2 things... stops them crossing with each other and the cobs failing and aids pollination, will be trying for the 1st time this yr so dont know wether it works but fingers crossed!! ofb the veg im trying were going for simple and easy like beans and courgettes which as long as you pick them are meant to be prolific, and potatoes are meant to withstand most things (save blight) so weve planted those (you "chit" them 1st... ie leave them somewhere till they get sprouty bits, never bin those sprouty spuds!) carrots sound fiddlyer but weve put some seeds in anyway, and as we didnt clear the stones are expecting some funny shaped carrots in a few months time all being well! erm as for anything else not entirely sure being new to it myself, but as ive got an allotment to play with hopefully ill be of more use... the other "allotmenteers" seem to know a lot so ill be watching them all closely! if you have any spare raspberry canes btw... kids love them! have some strawberry plants if you like those i think with the raspberrys youre meant to cut them down in the autumn and restrict theyre roots so pots sounds like a great idea! but as ive yet to try again i wouldnt really know, but everyone says "pot!" when i mention raspberrys, lol, oh veg to avoid, again, so im told, would be cauliflower, its fussy, celery, also fussy, and cant remember what else... hope all goes well with the sweetcorn! ove been told its best eaten straight off the plant or within half hr of picking!! doesnt sound like itll make it to the dinner plate....
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Post by mifflto on Apr 13, 2008 20:13:44 GMT
Thanks Lou - had heard that about planting sweetcorn in blocks but not to plant 2 different sorts, cheers. I've tried and failed cauli before so I'll give up on that for now then! I grew a courgette a couple of years back - it got huge, to over 2' spread so if you're trying a few make sure they're well spaced! They were indeed prolific, one plant made more than just little me could keep up with! Mangetout are another thing that don't make it to the plate - so crunchy, juicy and sweet I can't help eating them as I go along! Sadly I tried to dig out all the raspberry and just kept a few in pots as it was fighting everything else. I do have strawberries too (thanks though) but they are much more polite! Good luck with your leggy carrots and your sweetcorn and all
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