How does your garden grow? (Fruit & Veg)

I'm not sure if this has been tried before on AAM.

Post up what you are growing in your garden or allotment, windowsill or balcony, when you planted and then lets see over the summer what we manage to sow, plant, water, feed, harvest and most importantly, EAT

I'll get the ball rolling...
I've got 4 raised beds (1m x 1m), with another being built tomorrow (2.2m x 1m). I rotate my crops every year in each of the four beds and this new 5th bed will house some asparagus as well as some quick growing crops. I also have some established strawberry plants in rows, and some raspberry & black and red currant bushes that were planted as bare roots 18months ago.

I try to use where possible only organic seeds, plants, compost, mulch, manure, feed and so on, and I do my best to stay away from any pesticides, instead using organic methods instead.


5/3/2011
In Ground (Raised beds)
* White Onions - Sturon
* Red Onions - Red Baron
* Garlic - Casablanca
* Peas - Kelvedon Wonder (under cloches)


19/3/2011
In Pots (on windowsill) from seed
* Basil - Sweet Genovese
* Parsley - Moss Curled 2
* Coriander - Cilantro
(I also potted some more Garlic, to see if it grows any different to that grown in the ground)


26/3/2011

* Lemon Thyme in a pot outdoors.

In Ground (raised beds)
* Potatoes - Maris Piper (covered with black plastic as an experiment)
* Carrot - Autumn King 2
* Spring Onion - White Lisbon
* Spring Onion - Furio


05/04/2011
In Bags
* Potatoes - Maris Piper (hoping to have these ones asearlies instead of being a maincrop)

In Ground
* Strawberry - Elsanta

RonanC that is seriously impressive and your much more organised than me! I don't use raised beds, and I tend to intersperse flowers with veg, altho I do use rows for carrots, parsnips, onions (seeds and sets). I rotate as well, use a composter, so I have loads of lovely rich compost from the house. I also collect the leaves in Autumn from house and street (neighbours can say what they like!), it makes a lovely rich leave mould.

• I'm still using Pak Choi that I planted last yr, I will re-sow soon, but the fresh leaves are lovely.
• Likewise some Swiss Chard, again lovely fresh leaves and very tasty, and they lasted right thro the winter. Great in Chinese cooking, or as an alternative to cabbage.
• I have two types of Oregano (can't recall types), green and a yellow leaf varieties, makes good ground cover too in a sunny spot.
• Sowing radish today- French Breakfast. I will intersperse with slow growing runner beans (Scarlet Emperor).
• Will also sow Little Gem Lettuce today/tomorrow; very crunchy, compact variety, and White Crown Parsnips, haven't tried these before. Also, rijnsburger onions and White Lisbon.
• I will start off courgettes (Black Beauty),Cerise Cherry tomatoes and Marketmore Cucumber on window sill & very small greenhouse.
• I bought some black berry canes last month, don't expect anything this yr, but they are very quick-growing. Bought in Lidl, no variety given.
• Planted an edible Cherry (now in bloom) last yr. "Stella" variety.
• Conference pear tree which I keep truncated.
• I have two black table grapes boskoop vitas. Table grape. Looks lovely in the garden. Gives it a continental look.
• I love Maris Pipers too. Grew them last yr in a very large container. Will re-sow again this yr.

Yesterday we planted.

A Cherry Tree, An Apple Tree. Don't know variety. Bought in Aldi.

A Gooseberry Bush, A Raspberry Bush, A Blackcurrant bush. Bought in Aldi.

Carrots, Parsnips, Brocolli, Onion, Cauliflower, Peas, Broad Beans,
Lettuce and Courgettes. These were all grown from seed since February and placed on our windowsills in the house.

We also planted Asparagus, Onion Bulbs. Also bought from Aldi.

We had prepared the soil about two weeks ago by digging in well rotted compost bought in bags from Woodies plus a handful of Chicken Poo.

Because of neighbours cat who likes to Poo in our freshly prepared bed we are in the process of staking the 15' x 10' plot and putting garden netting around the plot with access through a homemade gate.

Last year we were getting anything up to 20 slugs per night in our garden (hand picked). This year we are going to use slug pellets because we are losing the battle.

Planted Maris Pipers spuds yesterday. Some containers & also dug out a new space. I'm trying to use minimum spacing. Anyone else trying this? I saw a garden in the Phoenix Park ex-po last yr with intense use of space. The guy had close-packed Pak Choi, Beets and Lettuce. It both looked nice and was very productive. I'm not stuck for space, but smaller areas are easier to maintain, altho the downside is pests.


PS: I grew Swiss Chard last yr and will def. grow it again this yr. Lovely taste, very flexible uses, extremely good for you, and it over winters well. It also look lovely, with a range of colours, reds and greens etc. Give it a go lads and Lassies !

We bought two small packs of Maris Pipers in Heatons Carrickmines during the week for €5. We are going to plant these here and there around the garden but not in the area where we have our main vegetable patch.

Update: Well I was busy man today with the lovely weather. Managed to pot up some Tomato's - Alisa Craig & Gardeners Delight, some Radish - French Breakfast, some Beetroot - Boltardy and some Lettuce - Little Gem (all from seed). Made some small mini greenhouses from 5L water bottles with the sides cut out and placed over the small pots. Works very well.

Also managed to finished off my new raised bed with some well rotted manure and organic peat free compost. I will be putting Asparagus crowns into this bed and maybe dot some small quick growing crops around the edges.

Next job is to finish off my gravel paths that I put in between the raised beds which means i'm not walking on grass and eventually mud. Looks nice too.

The Potato's I planted in the ground on the 26th March have shoots above ground now and the ones put in bags on the 5th April are just coming to the surface now.

The Garlic and Onions are coming along very nicely. As are the peas which are about 8inches high now. Strawberries are starting to flower already, so I could have some fruit in a week or two. I didnt have any flowers until at least June last year. Black/Red Currants have flowered already. As this is their second year, I'm not sure if they are early as I dont remember anything on them until May last year.

Oh nothing beats the sight of apple trees in blossom. Such a lovely thing in the garden.

Myself and Mrs PH just got an allotment plot last Saturday. Its about 25ft by 60ft so a really good size. So far we have the following in the ground -

Spuds - First Earlies, Second Earlies, Salads and Main Crop
Onion sets
Peas - Main Crop and Sugar Snap (Another line to go in in two weeks time)
Broad Beans (Another line to go in in two weeks time)
Beetroot (6ft drill with two more drills to go in in two and four weeks)
Courgettes (Straight in a manure filled trench at the end of the plot)
Carrots
Parsnips
Shallots

Still to go in - Fennel

I also made a cold frame out of scaffold boards and perspex to bing on some seeds. In here we have -

Cauliflower
Kale
Brussels Sprouts

Then at home we have -
Container courgettes
Chillies (Birds eye & hot mix)
Peppers
Tomatoes (Tumbling Toms)
Rocket
Misc Salad
Plus a whole bunch of herbs

RonanC - we got some of that Lemon Thyme from a local nursery. You have to try it chopped up finely, mixed with butter and stuffed between the breast and skin of a chicken to roast. Put a halved lemon in the cavity too.... Beautiful summer roast.

Slurryslump - is the asparagus still available in Aldi? Was it ready to plant out and crop this year?

Slugs have scoffed most of my lettuce plants already. They have also started on my peas. Killed 9 today.

Tintagel said:

Slugs have scoffed most of my lettuce plants already. They have also started on my peas. Killed 9 today.

Click to expand...

Pick up some horticultural fleece for the lettuce in any garden centre or a polytunnel and cover them if you can. Spread slug bait around the plants too if you want. Aldi have an organic slug pellet repellant at the moment for only 3.99 for a large box. Not sure how effective this is but i'm going to give it a try. Home-made cloches from plastic bottles are very effective in keeping slugs off young plants.

Tintagel said:

Slugs have scoffed most of my lettuce plants already. They have also started on my peas. Killed 9 today.

Click to expand...

You have to have no mercy. Thry hide under bushes, pots etc. I take the hoe to em, it's a quick death. I also use slug pellets. Slugs & snails that stay around the compost bin get to live another day, for the rest it's hasta la vista babe.

Tintagel - if you crush egg shells and spread them around your plants, it will keep the Slugs away. They don't appreciate "stepping" on crushed, sharp shells

Regarding the overall garden thread: I started mine 2,5 years ago when I bought my house. I have normal bushes and flowers in the front garden.

In the back garden I have one apple tree (first year no fruits, last year one apple - fingers crossed more this year), two cherry trees (two planted from Aldi this spring).

I have also Raspberry, Gooseberry (red and green), Currants (black and yellow) and Blackberry bushes since 2009 along the garden fences. Raspberry is growing crazy since and same with blackcurrants. Both have been given fruits (cereal bowl full for each) so far but it looks like there is more to come this year. I also have Strawberry plants in the hanging baskets (the ones from last year came back to life this year) and thyme, rosemary & chives on the other side of the garden.

Lovely day yesterday. The following went in:

• Little Gem Kos.
• Haricot Dwarf French beans. (Lovely, do try these from Lidl)
• Radish
• Early Nantes
• Pak Choi (white stemmed).
• Spinach Border F1
• Rocket ( in pots).
• Beetroot Bolt Hardy
• Onion set Rijnsburger.

Hi

I have to say you are all very productive, great green fingers by the sounds of it, it would be something i would be interested in , I would like to start with chillies and garlic, can both been grown in the house in containers on the windowsill, some websites are saying the need to be kept warm others are saying keep in the dark so im not sure where to start, Any advice would be great thanks,

Put down the Maris Pipers and Homeguard plus a few of our own potatoes that we let go to seed (supermarket bought) just to see the crop. Also put down supermarket bought garlic straight in to the ground today.

Tintagel said:

Put down the Maris Pipers and Homeguard plus a few of our own potatoes that we let go to seed (supermarket bought) just to see the crop. Also put down supermarket bought garlic straight in to the ground today.

Click to expand...

Be careful of these. Supermarket spuds are often treated, and can damage the soil.

@ Petrolhead, you can pick up the Asparagus crowns in Lidl. As far as I know, Aldi are totally sold out of them. Lidl have them for €2.99 for 5 crowns.

@ Finlandia, Chillies should be grown in full sunlight and sheltered, exactly like tomatos. They need heat and plenty of it, so planted in a growbag in a conservatory or greenhouse is ideal. Garlic needs good light and thrives in well drained soil that is rich in humus. It will grow in a sunny spot in the garden, in pots or the ground.

Finlandia said:

Hi

I have to say you are all very productive, great green fingers by the sounds of it, it would be something i would be interested in , I would like to start with chillies and garlic, can both been grown in the house in containers on the windowsill, some websites are saying the need to be kept warm others are saying keep in the dark so im not sure where to start, Any advice would be great thanks,

Click to expand...

Garlic can be grown better outdoors. It doesn't tend to thrive indoors. Chillies indoors or glasshouse. Garlic taken from the fridge is easier to grow; you "fool" it into thinking it is spring. Grow in a sunny spot, It doesn't need a rich soil, so don't feed it. You can plant it alongside roses as well to keep rose pests at bay.

I've not grown chillies, but bear in mind where they come from, so hot and humid would be good. From memory they are big enough too, and quite leafy, so you'll need space. You could also spray em with a water mist. Just use an old spray container, and clean and use with clean water. Don't spray in sunlight. Rich soil will be required.

Companion Planting: I was totally unaware of the theory of companion planting until I read about it a year or two ago and then I found this site which details prefectly what can and what should be grown next to each other, and what to avoid growing together.

Some brilliant companion planting tips:

• Plant Tagetes (French Marigolds) beside Tomato plants to repel whiteflies and Marigolds also kill nemotodes.
• Plant Basil beside Tomato plants to repel greenfly
• Plant garlic near rose and apple trees to repel aphids (greenfly)
• Growing Carrots and Onions (sping, leek and garlic) together helps keep Carrot Fly away.
• Growing Strawberries along with Borage strengthens resistance to insects and disease, and growing Thyme beside Strawberries keeps worms away. You can eat the Borage flowers too!!

Gone in today:

Swiss Chard.(Bright Lights).
Parsnips ( Arrow & Hollow Heart).
Dual Purpose Onion (Rouge long de Florence).
Aubergine (Listada De Gandia).
Little Gem lettuce.
Baby leaf Spinach Borderaux F1 (Pots).
Coriander (pots indoors for later outdoor replanting).
Carrot (Amsterdam forcing).

Paid nearly €9 for a tube of slug pellets in Woodies. I saw same tube yesterday in the Pavilion Garden Centre in Powerscourt Gardens Enniskerry for €4.50. I also see that Tesco has their own brand at €3 each or buy two get one free. So €2 each.