Growing own food

[Andrew]

I've got no garden. Cant have a window box. I was bored and started regrowing my spring onions

Heres 4 days growth. One is only a days growth.

Got me thinking if taking it a bit further though with stuff that can be done indoors just for s***s and giggles though really and for something to do.

Anyone any suggestions?

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[Nige Johns]

I’m trying spuds this year,nothing fancy bought a bag of ready to grow spuds from the garden centre for £3
Filled a large deep plant pot with compost and planted them in that,we’ll see the results come September

[Andrew]

I’m trying spuds this year,nothing fancy bought a bag of ready to grow spuds from the garden centre for £3
Filled a large deep plant pot with compost and planted them in that,we’ll see the results come September

I seen one of the schools around here had a load of bags filled with soil a while ago all lined up along the fence. Just seen em yesterday and they are actually growing tatties in them. Very cool project imo. All we got in school was bloody water cress that got binned just as they began to develop. Peas too. they just showed us them sprout them never bothered to plant them.

[davelumb]

Guinea pigs?

[Stewlaws]

When I walked a lot more and had my dogs I would often through Oct to spring cut off willow sticks by the armful and build structures, I use to find boggy areas and push them into the ground into different shapes. circles/crescents and straight lines interweaved... most were destroyed by deer but some are large standings now.

Use to grow garlic outside on various field or valleys by simply breaking a garlic clove and pressing in.. amazing how and where these would grow.Not quite in the house but if you don't mind urban guerilla gardening there is plenty of opportunity to grow outside, have used manure piles to grow pumpkins as well then harvest in Oct.

[Cyprio]

I’m trying spuds this year,nothing fancy bought a bag of ready to grow spuds from the garden centre for £3
Filled a large deep plant pot with compost and planted them in that,we’ll see the results come September

I seen one of the schools around here had a load of bags filled with soil a while ago all lined up along the fence. Just seen em yesterday and they are actually growing tatties in them. Very cool project imo. All we got in school was bloody water cress that got binned just as they began to develop. Peas too. they just showed us them sprout them never bothered to plant them.

I’ve got 7 bags placed on a pallet growing tatties. Started them off from damaged potatoes in bags I had purchased from s’market. They do require regular feeding compared to crop in ground but the yield has been good so far and the tatties taste so much better.
The downside to growing them in flower beds is they keep on giving even when you think you’ve removed all trace from the beds
When their ready you can feel them through the bag and just pick them out before cooking

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[Mike J]

I've got no garden. Cant have a window box. I was bored and started regrowing my spring onions

Heres 4 days growth. One is only a days growth.

Got me thinking if taking it a bit further though with stuff that can be done indoors just for s***s and giggles though really and for something to do.

Anyone any suggestions?

20220624_143309.jpg

I do that but I leave a lot more of the top on. You need to change the water regularly and keep an eye on them incase one goes a bit iffy.
You can keep ginger fresh if you store it in pot filled with damp sand, but not to damp or it will start growing
Ive grown chillies in a pot in the window sill, they flowered and produced chillies I could use, they didn't need bees to pollinate either. The past winter was dreadful for indoor chillies, lots of us suffered from hoards of greenfly that seemed to appear from nowhere, I tried an organic spray which cost me £10 and that did more damage than the b g'fly



Stews urban gorillas could be a real menace but what many of them didn't realise was that the plants they grew produced a flower that was like nothing else in the countryside making the plots easy to locate. In the right location some plants would grow to 8ft or more with leaves like dinner plates.

.

[zodiac]

I started a veg garden in my limited space as a lockdown project when covid just hit. I've grown all sorts in my raised beds, carrots in buckets, tatties in garden flexi- tubs, onions in a big basin. anything big enough for a carrot to take root was used, pots, plant pots, biscuit tins. Some more successful than others but all grew to some extent. I scatterd carrot seeds in a big terracotta pot and left them without thinning, got hundreds of wee carrots, the biggest about the size of your thumb. The kids loved pulling handfuls out and eating them whole, dirt and everything! Kale was also successful and easy to grow, nice in soups and stews, but attracted butterflies.

[Steve Dennington]

I’m trying spuds this year,nothing fancy bought a bag of ready to grow spuds from the garden centre for £3
Filled a large deep plant pot with compost and planted them in that,we’ll see the results come September

September?

What variety are they? If they're first or second earlies they should be ready in as little as 2-3 months

[Nige Johns]

I’m trying spuds this year,nothing fancy bought a bag of ready to grow spuds from the garden centre for £3
Filled a large deep plant pot with compost and planted them in that,we’ll see the results come September

September?

What variety are they? If they're first or second earlies they should be ready in as little as 2-3 months

Only planted them 4 weeks ago Steve from seed potatoes they’re about 12’ tall at pres,apparently when they flower they’re ready

[Steve Dennington]

Only planted them 4 weeks ago Steve from seed potatoes they’re about 12’ tall at pres,apparently when they flower they’re ready

Blooms are a good indicator, but have a feel around if you've got them in a pot. Timing is the thing with earlies - I left mine a little too long this year - very tasty, but a bit on the large side! Still loads in the ground, but they make amazing chips when they're allowed to grow large

[zodiac]

I’m trying spuds this year,nothing fancy bought a bag of ready to grow spuds from the garden centre for £3
Filled a large deep plant pot with compost and planted them in that,we’ll see the results come September

September?

What variety are they? If they're first or second earlies they should be ready in as little as 2-3 months

Only planted them 4 weeks ago Steve from seed potatoes they’re about 12’ tall at pres,apparently when they flower they’re ready

I think they're inedible until they flower, but that doesn't mean you can't leave them for a bit after flowering.

[Mike J]

I’m trying spuds this year,nothing fancy bought a bag of ready to grow spuds from the garden centre for £3
Filled a large deep plant pot with compost and planted them in that,we’ll see the results come September

September?

What variety are they? If they're first or second earlies they should be ready in as little as 2-3 months

Only planted them 4 weeks ago Steve from seed potatoes they’re about 12’ tall at pres,apparently when they flower they’re ready

I think they're inedible until they flower, but that doesn't mean you can't leave them for a bit after flowering.

You can keep potatoes all winter in a clamp.
Clamps are just a store made when they are lifted, covered with straw and sealed over with more soil.
I used to stores fresh chestnuts in an old barrow covered with dry potting compost and stood in the shed, just a clamp in a mini form.

.

[Cyprio]

You can keep potatoes all winter

Sure can.
Last year I used those bags as above. I filled them with some of that modern peat free compost with a layer of garden soil at the bottom. The green beans I was growing along side were crying out for nutrients with leaves turning yellow. I fed them all but when I checked for potatoes two bags were empty and two had some. The remaining two I couldn’t feel any and the foliage had gone so I left them.
Come April and I went to tip them out both had bumper crops in them that had over wintered.
This year I tipped tomato grow bags in them and they are doing well already.
Here’s what had over wintered.

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[Nige Johns]

Only planted them 4 weeks ago Steve from seed potatoes they’re about 12’ tall at pres,apparently when they flower they’re ready

Blooms are a good indicator, but have a feel around if you've got them in a pot. Timing is the thing with earlies - I left mine a little too long this year - very tasty, but a bit on the large side! Still loads in the ground, but they make amazing chips when they're allowed to grow large

This is what mine currently look like growing in a builders bucket,then seem to be growing well enough

BFF21F2A-F844-4B23-8DF8-E4CBDC53BF8D.jpeg

[Steve Dennington]

Only planted them 4 weeks ago Steve from seed potatoes they’re about 12’ tall at pres,apparently when they flower they’re ready

Blooms are a good indicator, but have a feel around if you've got them in a pot. Timing is the thing with earlies - I left mine a little too long this year - very tasty, but a bit on the large side! Still loads in the ground, but they make amazing chips when they're allowed to grow large

This is what mine currently look like growing in a builders bucket,then seem to be growing well enough

BFF21F2A-F844-4B23-8DF8-E4CBDC53BF8D.jpeg

Looking healthy. You'll get a nice return from that

Just had Jersey Royals (well, Suffolk Royals actually, but same variety - International Kidney) fresh from the garden. Can't beat it.

Peas will be coming along in a glut in the next two/three weeks and the beans. The sweetcorn has a long way to go yet, but I'm hoping for early September.

[Nige Johns]

Only planted them 4 weeks ago Steve from seed potatoes they’re about 12’ tall at pres,apparently when they flower they’re ready

Blooms are a good indicator, but have a feel around if you've got them in a pot. Timing is the thing with earlies - I left mine a little too long this year - very tasty, but a bit on the large side! Still loads in the ground, but they make amazing chips when they're allowed to grow large

This is what mine currently look like growing in a builders bucket,then seem to be growing well enough

BFF21F2A-F844-4B23-8DF8-E4CBDC53BF8D.jpeg

Looking healthy. You'll get a nice return from that

Thanks Steve,I think I put too many seed potatoes in there (8) but I’ll see how it goes
Will they get much taller Steve and should I be supporting them in as they fall over ?

[Steve Dennington]

Only planted them 4 weeks ago Steve from seed potatoes they’re about 12’ tall at pres,apparently when they flower they’re ready

Blooms are a good indicator, but have a feel around if you've got them in a pot. Timing is the thing with earlies - I left mine a little too long this year - very tasty, but a bit on the large side! Still loads in the ground, but they make amazing chips when they're allowed to grow large

This is what mine currently look like growing in a builders bucket,then seem to be growing well enough

BFF21F2A-F844-4B23-8DF8-E4CBDC53BF8D.jpeg

Looking healthy. You'll get a nice return from that

Thanks Steve,I think I put too many seed potatoes in there (8) but I’ll see how it goes
Will they get much taller Steve and should I be supporting them in as they fall over ?

Don't worry about the foliage, that can fall over and it's no problem

[Stewlaws]

Pickled 7 jars of pickled walnuts .. usually make these every 2 years for the cheese n port over winter, done them this year with Aleppo chillies and fresh ginger with cumin seeds.

[Nige Johns]

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Picked a few new potatoes this morning,some variation in sizes but I guess that’s just normal
Looking forward to see how these taste later

[ChrisWales]

I've just had a brick planter built, its about 10'x 2' and the soil depth will be 18" over clay.
I can make a cold frame type thing to sit on top if necessary.
Suggestions?
(Other than pond line it for pets)

[Mattjb]

I've just had a brick planter built, its about 10'x 2' and the soil depth will be 18" over clay.
I can make a cold frame type thing to sit on top if necessary.
Suggestions?
(Other than pond line it for pets)

Stuff that has a high yield but doesn’t take up much room would be good.too late for this year but when I grew veg I found climbing French beans very good. They have a good yield over a decent period,freeze well and can be used in different meals. Red sun shallots were also good ,you plant one and get 5ish usually.plenty of other options like lettuces, you could grow those now probably as they don’t take long especially if you start them in a seed tray on a windowsill indoors then plant them out.

[ChrisWales]

I've just had a brick planter built, its about 10'x 2' and the soil depth will be 18" over clay.
I can make a cold frame type thing to sit on top if necessary.
Suggestions?
(Other than pond line it for pets)

Stuff that has a high yield but doesn’t take up much room would be good.too late for this year but when I grew veg I found climbing French beans very good. They have a good yield over a decent period,freeze well and can be used in different meals. Red sun shallots were also good ,you plant one and get 5ish usually.plenty of other options like lettuces, you could grow those now probably as they don’t take long especially if you start them in a seed tray on a windowsill indoors then plant them out.

Cheers
Im going to let the mortar cure for a liitle tbh before piling in some soil.
I think i need some organic compost too

[Steve Dennington]

Cheers
Im going to let the mortar cure for a liitle tbh before piling in some soil.
I think i need some organic compost too

The price of compost these days!

I'd either set up a compost bin or find somewhere with free horse manure. Enquiries at paddocks will generally get the result - they're very happy for you to take it away! I get mine by the trailer-load locally

[Steve Dennington]

B556F928-B7BD-44F7-9D1D-85E7E1300AEA.jpeg

Picked a few new potatoes this morning,some variation in sizes but I guess that’s just normal
Looking forward to see how these taste later

Yes, size variation is normal. Bet they tasted better than shop-bought ones

[Nige Johns]

B556F928-B7BD-44F7-9D1D-85E7E1300AEA.jpeg

Picked a few new potatoes this morning,some variation in sizes but I guess that’s just normal
Looking forward to see how these taste later

Yes, size variation is normal. Bet they tasted better than shop-bought ones

Indeed steve,with a knob of best butter

[Steve Dennington]

B556F928-B7BD-44F7-9D1D-85E7E1300AEA.jpeg

Picked a few new potatoes this morning,some variation in sizes but I guess that’s just normal
Looking forward to see how these taste later

Yes, size variation is normal. Bet they tasted better than shop-bought ones

Indeed steve,with a knob of best butter

A container of home-grown mint is a great addition too. Very easy to grow - in fact it grows like a weed if it escapes the pot. It smells nice when I do the strimming around my greenhouse though!

[Chris Hammond]

When I walked a lot more and had my dogs I would often through Oct to spring cut off willow sticks by the armful and build structures, I use to find boggy areas and push them into the ground into different shapes. circles/crescents and straight lines interweaved... most were destroyed by deer but some are large standings now.

Use to grow garlic outside on various field or valleys by simply breaking a garlic clove and pressing in.. amazing how and where these would grow.Not quite in the house but if you don't mind urban guerilla gardening there is plenty of opportunity to grow outside, have used manure piles to grow pumpkins as well then harvest in Oct.

That's a really interesting MO Stew and funnily enough one I've been playing round with a bit too. I planted my own Oak treehenge last year but some animal, most likely a tree rat, must have dug most of it up.

And I have been considering the idea of growing veg in a few 'wild' areas for quite some time.

...as a youngster I did quite a bit of illicit gardening out of doors.