Gardening/Allotmenting 2024

[Drago]

Ordered the bits to build me new raised bed so I can grow some num nums next year.

 

[Drago]

Second water butt fitted. I've room for three more.

 

[Red17]

First picking of greengage today, my absolute favourite fruit. Not looking like a very heavy crop, but taste superb

 

[PeteXXX]

Don't laugh... OK, you can.. My Sprouts have got a bit Cabbage Whited.
Is there any point in keeping them? ie will they actually produce any af the tasty spheres of loveliness for my Christmas Dinner? 🤔

 

[annedonnelly]

View attachment 741003

Don't laugh... OK, you can.. My Sprouts have got a bit Cabbage Whited.
Is there any point in keeping them? ie will they actually produce any af the tasty spheres of loveliness for my Christmas Dinner? 🤔

I doubt it. We had similar problems with all the brassicas last year but not to that extent - and we got nothing worth picking. And that was after I'd protected everything from the pigeons.

 

[PeteXXX]

I doubt it. We had similar problems with all the brassicas last year but not to that extent - and we got nothing worth picking. And that was after I'd protected everything from the pigeons.

My Rocket & Kale has taken a bashing, too, but Chard & Spinach are fine!
If I grow them next year I'll invest in some nets. Or a pea-shooter. 🔫

 

[annedonnelly]

I have various tripwires set up to deter the pigeons at the minute. But the blackbirds have started digging soil out of all the pots - we're storing small trees that are being grown for a rewilding project so there's a lot for them to attack. At least they won't eat the trees.

 

[biggs682]

Hopefully done the right thing on one of our blueberry bushes, they are 10+ years old never been trimmed but the one branch is starting to get a bit leggy and making its way out of the frame, so with lots of fresh growth towards the base of the branch I have decided to chop it off and hopefully the new growth will provide some fruit next year.

The pictures are pre cutting

 

[middle of the road]

I Love to see photos of English gardens. Sadly the weather here is too hot in the summer to grow veg but I have tried tomatoes successfully. The soil is very sandy (just up the road from a quarry) over rock. I had two 30' pine trees die last year because of the heat and dryness.
I enjoy the weather for cycling though, but avoid midday temperatures.

 

[dicko]

My friends Apple trees are groaning under the weight of eating apples, see here. I traid Runner Beans for his eating apples. His Pear trees look the same bumper crop on the horizon.

 

[Red17]

We are also looking at a heavy crop of eating and cooking apples this year. Plums also looking good, although a poor year for quinces for some reason

 

[biggs682]

Had a picking session in the garden earlier enough runner beens for us and next door, a dozen strawberries, enough mixed size and shape tomatoes for us and next door and then enough rhubarb to go with some apples I already had to make a crumble.

 

[Speicher]

Some animal or other has been getting into my compost bins. This afternoon, despite the very cold wind, I went out to clear up the mess they make.

I am not sure who was more shocked when I lifted the lid of the compost bin, and did not expect to see one that close. I think it was a young badger, with a body about 24 inches from head to tail. It could not get out by itself by grabbing the top edge of the bin. Fortunately I was able to offer assistance by lifting its back end with a dustpan.

The little hatch at the front of the compost bin has been barricaded with three bricks on the ground, and some lightweight small branches on top.

 

[biggs682]

@Speicher I bet you were were just as surprised as the badger

 

[Speicher]

@Speicher I bet you were were just as surprised as the badger

Yes, I did not expect a large brown and white head with big eyes to be looking up at me. I thought about digging more compost out so it could get out. Fortunately it decided to try and jump out, which was when the dustpan was used to assist in the escape.