Growing your own veg

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
From memory, Joel Salatin would clean his out in the spring, but leave a bit of FYM behind for the veg. But then he had a mix of pigs and rabbits as well as chickens scratching about (not all simultaneously as the pigs would eat the others) which would be a bit richer than sheep poo
 

britt

Member
BASE UK Member
I grow tomatoes in old cabbage boxes full of muck out of the sheep shed in my green house.
I would turn it over with a fork to let the air in, give it a few days, as the ammonia given of will kill plans if there is not enough ventilation, then plant straight in, should do well in my experience.
 

britt

Member
BASE UK Member
Cheaper than growbags, provides enough nutrients to for the whole season (you don't have to buy expensive tomato "food") and good compost when you chuck it out on the garden at the end of the season.
 

KMA

Member
Location
Dumfriesshire
One of my plans for this week is take some bags of chippings from my hedge over to the compost heaps at my son's place and return with some of last year's sheep sh!t to mix with some cheap compost into the tubs ready for the tomatoes going in in a month or so.
 
One of my plans for this week is take some bags of chippings from my hedge over to the compost heaps at my son's place and return with some of last year's sheep sh!t to mix with some cheap compost into the tubs ready for the tomatoes going in in a month or so.
Wood chipping need 3 years rotting before being combined as they steal nutrients never put fresh chip into good poo. We mix cow poo with straw bedding with tree cuttings (tons and tons). Refer to mixing combinations on the net to make good compost.
 

KMA

Member
Location
Dumfriesshire
After showing the guy at Jamieson bros my tubs he reckons 1 per tub for large tatties or 2 to get mainly smaller salad types spuds and went to on to explain his reasons.

My tubs are just sat on stuff called cow trak which raises them out of the gutters and makes tending them a lot easier. It used to be made by Solway recycling which are based just over the hill from me.
 

SoilMan

Member
Location
Kings Lynn
I apologise in advance because I know I'm a saddo but very excited.

Finished our first year on the allotment. Had varying degrees of success.

It was an absolute tip, mainly 6ft tall weeds and full of scrap/rubbish.

Now almost completely clear apart from fridges and mesh left by previous occupant.

Good crops of potatoes (i know they are easy to grow and generally idiot proof) beetroot, radishes, courgettes (so many courgettes . . . I actually have nightmares about them now), tomatoes, onions, corn on the cob, peas and beans.

Carrots didn't really grow and neither did the cucumbers.

Over wintered a cover crop of mustard, vetch, lupins and buckwheat that worked a treat. Looks much better than the neighbouring plots that just cover ground with old carpet and plastic sheets to "protect" soil over winter.

However an old boy has offered myself and my mate his old double plot. I feel bad giving up my old plot due to the time and effort spent however there is still so much too do and I seem to spend more time clearing out rubbish than actually growing food.

This plot has loads of sheds and greenhouses and everything place to allow us to just concentrate on growing stuff. I also think this plot will encourage our mrs to get involved.

My aim is to grow as much of our own food and when we start a family to get them to understand the importance of where food comes from (only the veg side really though).

Thanks for listening.
 

KMA

Member
Location
Dumfriesshire
Soilman, congrats on getting the new double allotment the old fella has obviously seen your efforts and thinks you're the right person to 'inherit his precious allotment.

I feel your pain with clearing scrub and bringing ground into production, I've just spent 2 months sorting out 90' of tangled, overgrown hedge and it's made a huge difference to the garden. discovered there's a lovely patch of snowdrops at the far end. Drainage and very acidic soil are my main problems and it will take a couple of years to sort out. I know how you feel with some crops doing well and some being a bit of a waste of time. Sheds greenhouses you lucky sod. I've got a 1 small greenhouse that I'm trying to find the spare cash to re-glaze.

Missus got me a very nice little propagator for my birthday so some tomatoes and beans are going in today and so far my garlic and shallots are growing nicely and the tatties are chitting nicely in the basement, also got 12 rasp and 2 gooseberry plants to get into the ground ASAP.
 
I apologise in advance because I know I'm a saddo but very excited.

Nothing sad about you or your post. After about 65 years farming and gardening I still find some things exciting. Yesterday it was seeing the signs of colour on two wild daffodils - the tiny little ones from which cultivated varieties have been developed. The day before it was the first almond flower open. Once you stop being excited about your land, and nature too, it is time to stop.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top