After a very good start to my Blogs, I have not done very well for the rest of the year so far, so I thought it was about time I gave you an update. The only sad thought is, I don’t have all the pictures for you, as some of the crops have finished. Never mind next year.

Kale or borecole

First time I have grown this veg, in terms of growing, this has got to be one of the easiest veggies to grow, below is a picture this is just two plants.

the next question is, how did it taste? as a veg on it own, I am not over keen, but I am sure other people would love it. Had a hunt around for some recipes, we found a few and settled on two.

Kale soup – this was one of the best soups I have ever had, so full of goodness and flavour.

Kale Stir Fir –  very quick and easy to do, again so tasty and full of flavour.

Strawberries

Lost a few from the snow last year, but most of the babies grow, great crop as normal, starting first babies for next year.
See Picture of first baby

Pea (Oregon Sugar Pod)
Sorry no picture as they have finished now, truly a great crop, the taste was amazing

Climbing French Bean (Fasold)
Limited crop, no real problems, may or may not grow next year

Leek (Jolant)
Crop growing well, first time I have grown them, so pleased with results so far, see picture

Lettuce (Salad Bowl Red)
Great Crop
Lettuce (Iceberg)
I failed could not get them to grow, will try again next year
Rocket
All the Lettuce and Rocket are now finished, great crops except Iceberg, just could not grow them. Will not grow them next year so that I have space for other variates

Runner Bean (White Emergo)

Had various varieties in the past, but this has got to be one of the best runner beans that I have eaten, so will be on my list next year – See Photo below

New addition this year is our Blueberry Bush with it’s own recycled wood planter, had a few Berries, but it is now very happy and growing well, see photo

Hope you like the update, generally very pleased with crops, by for now, talk latter

Most of my seedling are now out in the garden, and are looking good, my main problem is water, my water tank is now dry, could do with a nice drop of over night rain.

Tomatoes

attached is a picture of the second recycled planter that I made containing my healthy tomato plants, interestingly to add at this point, I read on a web site that the nettle feriliser encourages leaf growth not the tomatoes, they recommend the use of adding potash for fruit growth, so will keep an eye on them.

Tomatoes in Planter

Carrots and Pansnips

First planter I made with the seedlings

Carrot and Parsnip Seedlings

Strawberries

Growing well, made frame for the netting, so the birds don’t eat the fruit like they did last year, was told to cut off surplus leaves to encourage fruit, which is really working.

Strawberries

Sugar Pods

Given them a good sunny position, which they appear to love and plenty of water, so far so good.

Sugar Pods

Runner beans

I had a bit of a slow start as I think I planted them outside too early, so they have taken a while to get established in their new home, but now looking good.

Runner Beans

Lettuces

Happy with them, looking very good, no problems so far.

Lettuces

So all in all, a good start, will sign off now, talk soon

It has now been a month,  I am so excited, my first home made 100% organic (even the water I added was rain water not tap water) fertiliser is ready. Now for some of things they don’t tell you on the web sites.

1.)    The mixture is not just smelly (they tell you this) it is extremely smelly, it really gets to you, so make sure you are outside, so that the air can dilute the smell.

2.)    Most of the mixture is very slimy, except for the remaining leaves on the top, so it is very evident that the mixture will have to be filtered, if you don’t, it will defiantly clog up your watering can.

3.)    How to filter, I used a two stage approach:-

a.)    Using a large colander from my kitchen (don’t use one of your kitchen utensils, I will tell you why a little later)  you can filter your liquid, so here we have the next problem you need another large container to put your filtered liquid in!!. Found a suitable container via my next door neighbour and filtered all the mixture into the  new container.

b.)    Next I used a medium size sieve (again don’t use one of your kitchen utensils) to filter the mixture in to your smaller containers, (make sure they have a screw top sealable lid) I saved my 4 pint plastic milk bottles which are just great.

4.)    I got 24 pints of liquid fertiliser from my original 32 pints (4 gallons) that I put in; the remaining 8 pints were absorbed in to the leaves. So waste not want not, all the remaining mixture went into the compost. I cleaned out the container ready for the next batch.

5.)    When filling my watering can, I put in the liquid (ratio 1 part fertiliser 10 parts water) then stated to fill with water, don’t fill to fast as it creates very nice white foam.

6.)    Allow 2 hours to do this complete process.

7.)    Lastly, after spending time cleaning the colander and the sieve, 3 times I cleaned them, the smell would not go, so had to soak them in bleach for 20 minutes then rinsed and clean again, so finally the smell had gone. So be careful what you use, don’t use your kitchen utensils!!! I am going to buy some new ones to use only for the fertiliser.

As for the results of this, too early to tell, so I will let you know how the veggies grow in later blogs.

Hi Everyone,

Have been reading all about the goodness of Nettles, so I thought I would share my finding with you.

Nettle leaves can be used to make an easy to use, if somewhat smelly, plant food. Best of all it’s free!

To make your nettle fertiliser you will need only five things:

1.) Nettles! – obviously.

2.) A watertight container – a large bucket is adequate.

3.) Water – Rain water is best, if you a have a water Butt

4.) Time for it to brew

5.) Gloves

First collect your nettles. These are best as young stems but can be taken at any time. Quicker results are obtained if the nettle stems and leaves are bruised.

Then crush them, this can be done by scrunching the stems in gloved hands then chop them up with an old pair of scissors

Put the crushed stems and leaves into your container, and compress the mixture with your hand or a brick etc. Fill the container with water sufficient to cover the nettles. Place the lid firmly on the container.

Leave to brew for three to four weeks, make sure the lid is on firmly as I am told the brew gets very smelly.

The mixture should be diluted until it is tea coloured – usually around 1 part liquid to 10 parts water. Water liberally around on the plants and see the benefits.

Repeat until winter. Continue to top up your container with more leaves and water through the year. As autumn sets in put the remainder of the feed and the sludge in your compost heap. Give your container a rinse and store for next year!

Benefits

Many of the benefits are due to the plant’s very high levels of minerals, especially, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, silica, iodine, silicon, sodium, and sulfur. They also provide chlorophyll and tannin, and they’re a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and B complex vitamins. Nettles also have high levels of easily absorbable amino acids. They’re ten percent protein, more than any other vegetable.

This makes it ideal for plants such as lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, flowers, lawns, houseplants etc. but virtually all plants will receive a welcome boost.

Eating nettles or drinking the tea makes your hair brighter, thicker and shinier, and makes your skin clearer and healthier all good for eczema and other skin conditions. Commercial hair- and skin care products in health food stores often list stinging nettle as an ingredient. Nettles have cleansing and antiseptic properties, so the tea is also good in facial steams and rinses.

Happy Brewing

Been busy planting my baby Pea (sugar pod) plants, made a frame with some cross ties to support them as they grow. Also planted out the lettuces and the Rocket.

The tomatoes, yuki and the leaks needed re-potting into individual pots, again very slow to do, so have decided that next year I am going to plant everything into individual pots, so that when they are big enough I can plant them directly in to the ground.

Watered them all in, lets hope they grow well, put some slug pellet around them, I was not taking any chances.

just a short update today, talk soon

Some further good news, the following are now germinating:-

Caraway, climbing french bean, leak, tomato and courgette, which is great

This weekend was the start of making my Carrot and Parsnip planter, it will be made from as much recycled products as possible. All the wood is from old fence panels, nails and screws came from a boot fair, I bought a large wooden box full for 50p about 5 years ago which I am still using. I will post some pictures once finished.

I am so pleased for all the materials were in my garage, I did not buy a single item. I then finished it off with 2 coats of left over green fence paint that I bought 3 years ago.

Attached is a picture.

So decided this was going to be my Carrot and Parsnip planter, got the rest of the seeds, filled the planter with compost and planted two rows one of each. These will be additional veg to the ones I have already planted.

Now for an update on the Rocket and lettuces, after replanting them, they have now grown so much I have decided to thin them out so that the strongest can get stronger. I think they will be ready for planting outside next week, so am looking forward to that.

My major concern are the peas, they are now 5 inches high so need to be planted outside, so will do this in the next few days.

I have some sad news my iceberg lettuces were growing well, and were about 1 inch in height when they decided to keal over and die, so need to do some research on why this has happed. Will let you know my finding in due course.

One other fruit that I have not mentioned are my strawberries, I have 4 * 1 meter plastic planters that got badly hit by the snow and frost, spent some time clearing out the dead one, removing the brown leaves, added some new compost, they are now looking quite good. The other good thing was that I grow 24 babies and 11 made it through the winter, so was able to replenish my planters.

attached is a  picture

I have been told they like seaweed, but am too far from the sea, a friend said you could use banana skins instead, so will check this out and let you know.

talk soon

So Rocket and the Salads are taking over their pots, I have limited space in the garden for them to grow, so transplanted them in to individual pots. Very time consuming, so some of them I have replanted individually and the other are in groups of two/three so when they get bigger I can thin out the smaller ones.

Have now planted the remainder of the freebies, so had to make more space in the conservatory.

So as promised have done some work on the unknown seeds that I received. The info below has been taken from the Internet, so to the best of my knowledge is correct. But please advise if not, so that that I can make any corrections.

Wormwood – is the common name for Artemisia absinthium whose aromatic oil is used to make absinthe

But the otherwise ordinarily-looking wormwood plant holds a secret: its aromatic leaves and flowers are naturally rich in the terpene thujone, an aromatic, bitter substance believed to induce an inexplicable clarity of thought, increased sense of perception, enhanced creativity, inspiration and the ability to “see beyond” — as all the famous absinthe drinkers amongst nineteenth century poets, writers, painters and other artists discovered.

Very important you must not grow them next to anise, beans, caraway, fennel, peas and sage

The most interesting piece of information that I found is:-

To Make Wormwood Tea:
8 ounces wormwood leaves
4 pints of water
1 teaspoon castile soap
Effective against: Aphids, caterpillars, flea beetles and moths.
Putting dried sprigs of wormwood in the garden along side carrots
and onions will mask their scent, confusing insects in particular the
carrot rust fly. The dried wormwood will not have the growth inhibiting
effects of the fresh herb.

1.Simmer wormwood leaves in the water for 30 minutes. Stir, strain, and leave to cool.
2.Add the castille soap to wormwood mixture and use to spray.

I have a lot of roses and I always have an Aphid problem so will try making this mixture for next year.

Kale or borecole is a form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group), green or purple, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms.

Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties; kale is considered to be anti-inflammatory.
Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to a frost.

Kale is a leafy green vegetable that is a member of the Brassica family. Kale is related to collard greens, cabbage and brussel sprouts, all of which are becoming more popular as people learn about their health promoting, sulfur containing phytonutrients. Kale also has alkalizing effects on the body.

Kale is available year round, but it is best in the winter and colder months as the cold temperatures help to make the leaves sweeter. This is especially true with locally grown kale.

When shopping for kale, look for a healthy looking long bunch with dark green leaves that are curly around the edges. Avoid buying kale that is wilted or yellow.

Pepermint

From what I have read, it is best used as Pepermint tea, it is also widly use in touthpast, mouthwash and chewing gum, so I will stick with the tea.

Peppermint is a general stimulant. A strong cup of peppermint tea circulates quickly and acts more powerfully than any liquor stimulant. This herb has a long history as digestive aid and as a treatment for the symptoms cough, colds, and fever. It kills microorganisms that can cause food poisoning, relieves the pain of sprains and strains, and helps freshen lingering bad breath. It also is good for nausea and vomiting.

Here is a link to a Website to make fresh peperment tea

http://www.ehow.com/how_5239471_make-using-fresh-peppermint-leaves.html

Caraway

Caraway is a biennial plant that thrives on moist soils. In the first year of growth, the plant produces leaves that look like carrots and grow to about two feet tall. The root develops to look like a carrot’s or parsnip’s. Then in the next year the plant will grow flowers. The white flowers grow at the ends of stems in an umbrella like formation or in umbels and umbellets, much like that of Queen Anne’s lace. Caraway plants blossom in June.

Uses of Caraway
Culinary: seeds are used with pork, goulash, sauerkraut, cheese, breads, cakes, and many other dishes; shoots and leaves are added to vegetables, salads; roots are eaten as a vegetable; essential oil is used to flavour candy, gin, pickles, meats, and ice cream.

Culture
Propagation: Germination takes about 10 to 14 days. Seed is best sown on early autumn. Direct-seed in rows 10-50 cm apart and thin to 15 cm between plants. To grow caraway as a root crop, thin to 20 cm apart. Caraway roots are comparable to a small, thin parsnip.
Soil Type: Should be in full sun with fertile, well drained soil with a pH of 7.5. This crop will tolerate most soil types but seed germination can be poor on clay if the soil surface crusts.
Cultivation: For an acceptable flavour caraway should be grown in full sun. A complete fertilizer or composted manure should be applied in the first year before planting plus an additional sidedress in the second year.
Harvest: Caraway is a hardy biennial. It will grow to 20 cm in the first year and 60 cm in the second year. Harvest seeds just before the first seeds fall. Harvest roots in the autumn of the second year. Caraway can tolerate light frost.

The most popular use for caraway seeds is in rye bread and caraway seed cake. So it looks like the seed cake wins, looking forward to it.

that was a long blog, talk soon

This is my second post, so nearly up to date.

Veggies are growing fast now, with Pea (Oregon Sugar Pod), Climbing French Bean (Fasold), Leek (Jolant), Lettuce (Salad Bowl Red), Lettuce (Iceberg), Rocket, Borecole (Free Packet) and Runner Bean (White Emergo), germinating after only 2 weeks, I have attached a few pictures.

Hi Everyone,

I am new to “Bloging” so be patient with me, I would like to say from the start that, I am always willing to learn, so any help, offers of support, Ideas are very very welcome. The plan is to learn as I go, so here goes. I am 2 weeks late starting the blog, so sorry for the catch up.

My first attempt in 2010 to grow my own veggies was met with mixed success, so I am determined to have at least a 50% improvement on 2010. All of my seeds had been given to me, so first port of  call (I was told) was to check the dates on the seeds, what dates? I thought seeds could last for years. So off I go checking all the dates, my god 2003, 2004!! my friends must have raided all their old garden sheds, so decided out with the old lets gets some new seeds.

So what do I grow? how much space do I have?, how much do I grow? where do I buy them from?

So many questions, where do I start? well I can not do anything without some seeds, so I need to buy them. Had a good look on the net and found vegetableseeds.net, loved the site, excellent prices.

Now to decide what to grow!

Decided to grow, some traditional veg plus a few herbs, so placed order for 10 plus I got a free packet, nice one. I will list the Veg and herbs on the next up so you can see how they are progressing.

Order arrived within 3 days, excellent, then blow me down got an email itemising all the seeds I had bought, giving me details of how to sow them with some hits and tips, absolutely brilliant, what a really helpful idea.

Most of them were to be sown in March with a few in April, so as we still had some frost decided to use the conservatory window sill and sow all of them now, to try and get ahead of the game. so on the 01/03/11, I sowed my seeds in lots of little pots and carefully labelled them.