DaveH
Striker
Or look for some links on ebay. Some people look like they have bought up the 50m rolls, cut them into sections for gardening and then sell them for a few quid each.
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Guitar Man
Midfield
My tiny raised bed plot is probably 4m x 3m.
I will be planting potatoes, carrots , onion, spring onion , tomato , chillie and possibley strawberries .
Is there any order i should plant ? Or keep certain varieties away from each other ? .
@DaveH mentioned earlier sew onion next to carrots (which i will do) to keep pests off the carrots.
Thanks to everyone for your advice .
And any recommendations for easy / pest free potatoes to plant ?.
I will be planting potatoes, carrots , onion, spring onion , tomato , chillie and possibley strawberries .
Is there any order i should plant ? Or keep certain varieties away from each other ? .
@DaveH mentioned earlier sew onion next to carrots (which i will do) to keep pests off the carrots.
Thanks to everyone for your advice .
And any recommendations for easy / pest free potatoes to plant ?.
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DaveH
Striker
4m by 3m is a decent size. If you make a second plot then I would not go any wider than 3m, then you don't need to climb into it to weed, plant and harvest.
My raised beds were originally made from old fence boards, when they rotted I went to decking boards. I think I have had to do them twice, so just spent the cash and did sleepers. They are great, because I can now sit on the edge and lean over, which really saves my knees.
Did you lose the plot marra?
Kent_Mackem
Striker
Next few days I am planning to dig over our veggie patch down to the clay. It's less than a foot deep in some places which isn't great for growing things like potatoes and carrots. Although sweetcorn does well as the roots don't go deep. Going to get the boy brats working for their pocket money. No lolly-gagging around with their picks and their shovels. The lad with the field next door found a plesiosaur limb bone when he was digging in the clay. Fingers crossed. They'll need to be digging out the clay to get paid. Got loads of well rotted compost to stick back in.
DaveH
Striker
Have you considered raising the beds?
I'm in heavy clay and although I dig in a lot of sharp sand and compost, worms and rain seem to gradually work that all deep down and I end up with the soil getting heavier. Once I started building them up raised, I have had a lot more success.
Kent_Mackem
Striker
I hadn't thought of that, but is't a cracking shout as I will have extra soil that I otherwise need to get rid of from somewhere else. I guess I just need some sort of wall around the patch - sleepers, or something similar sized but cheaper maybe?
DaveH
Striker
I said a bit about it in my post above. Decking boards held in the corners with a 44mm cross section fence post will likely last about 5 years. Sleepers will hopefully last me 15-20 years.
if you have an easy source of pallets that is a cheap source of wood, but untreated will not last as long as decking boards.
FC United of Manchester
Striker
Bit of advice but don't buy carrot plug plants, they don't transplant well as it damages the tap root. Always sow carrot seeds directly into the bed.
Plenty of time for sowing carrot seeds anyway, I've not even sown my early carrots yet.
If you’re not too fussed about looks, pallet collars are usually knocking around for about £10 a pop and do a job.
You can stack them for double height if needed.
I think you’re down south but there’s some here on
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at Bish Vegas for £6 a pop.
Kent_Mackem
Striker
Nice one fella, thank you.
I do know somebody with a massive pile of pallets and I'm sure he'd be happy for me to grab a few.
I’ve not stopped this morning, sowed more cucumbers,peas, leeks and 5 rows of various types of carrot, connected my irrigation system up in the greenhouse so watering has just been made a whole lot easier.been a very productive few days 
Kent_Mackem
Striker
I’m still battling away with the grass. I have another 45 mins or so before I need to make dins then i’n out at a meeting after that.
I cut it down without the box on and it has been drying in the sun fast. Takes bloody ages to take up though.
I cut it down without the box on and it has been drying in the sun fast. Takes bloody ages to take up though.
DaveH
Striker
I keep thinking I need to get my carrots and parsnips sowed, but we did have a light frost this morning.
Plenty of time. In recent years it has been pretty warm into October and I have still had outdoor tomatoes giving the odd fruits at the start of November. The growing season is always longer than I think.
Hansel
Striker
I've not done parsnips for a few year but always used to start them in February. My neighbour (sadly now deceased) was a very experienced veg man and he advised me on the best way (in his opinion) to grow them. Basically it involved sprouting the seeds on damp paper towel in a Tupperware box then transferring to a toilet roll filled with compost and keep in the greenhouse until a bit warmer. It always used to work well but I gave up on them as they were always ravaged by a brown canker.
DaveH
Striker
I usually just dow the seeds in March or later if still a bit chilly. Straight in the ground and under fleece. They usually do pretty well.
I always think of planting the parsnips as the start of my Christmas dinner prep.
I think I’ll build more irrigation today for my potatoes and flowers out front, I also bought a couple packets of spring onion seeds and have sown them in cells about 10 per cell. I have absolutely no luck with spring onion(this be the 5th attempt now)hopefully they actually grow, going in containers this time…
Few more things to go and I’ll be fully planted out.
Gonna construct a barrow/flower stall and sit it outside the house and hopefully sell some petunias, marigolds and the odd tomatoe, I live in a decent spot for parking a stall up.
Few more things to go and I’ll be fully planted out.
Gonna construct a barrow/flower stall and sit it outside the house and hopefully sell some petunias, marigolds and the odd tomatoe, I live in a decent spot for parking a stall up.
Guitar Man
Midfield
Do you think this weekend for carrots and onions from seed under a fleece will be o.k ?
Any tips ?.
DaveH
Striker
Probably, it depends on what the weather is going to do, and I'm in Kent where it is a few degrees milder.
Onions I tend to start in modular pots and these days buy onion sets. Carrots and parsnips, I just create a shallow drill using an onion hoe similar to the link below. Rather than rake the soil back over, because I have a lot of clay, I often put a link of compost over. It probably helps the seeds gets started, is easier for the sprouts to push through and it makes it really easy to see where I have sown the seeds if I'm coming back later to put something in the rows between. It also makes it clear that any little shoots not on the compost lines are likely to be weeds.
For carrots they are best when not sat in the ground for ages, so depending on how many rows you are going to do, it would be worth doing one row now and waiting a couple of weeks before doing the next. If the second one grows and the first doesn't then you know you planted too early.
These hoes are pretty good for weeding with between rows of stuff. When you have tiny weed shoots coming up, it can be a right pain to pick out each one by hand. I just gently hack that into the ground trying to hit the roots. Some of the weeds will re-root themselves and it means you have to go over again a week later. But it is the difference between going down a row in 5 minutes two weekends in a row vs 45 minutes every three weekends.
