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Calling SMB veg growers

  • Thread starter Deleted member 5265
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Do you both grow comfrey?

I'm sure I remember someone on the radio saying if you have an open pot of it or something in your greenhouse, it gets rid of aphids and greenfly.
 

Do you both grow comfrey?

I'm sure I remember someone on the radio saying if you have an open pot of it or something in your greenhouse, it gets rid of aphids and greenfly.

It was already on my plot when I got it, I think almost every plot on the site has some, the variety is Bocking14 as it's sterile and wont self-seed but I've split mine and now have two patches of it. If you know someone who has it on your site ask for a piece of root and plant it out where you want it. I don't know of any other properties myself, other than as a feed.
 
It was already on my plot when I got it, I think almost every plot on the site has some, the variety is Bocking14 as it's sterile and wont self-seed but I've split mine and now have two patches of it. If you know someone who has it on your site ask for a piece of root and plant it out where you want it. I don't know of any other properties myself, other than as a feed.
I've got a couple of plants that I grew from seed ordered online. It was supposed to be the sterile one but I've still ended up with a few rogue plants in other parts of the garden. I did think at the time how can you get seeds if its sterile so maybe I was done. Its been in about 15 years though and as I said has only resulted in a couple of self seeded plants. Certainly not spread out of control. The bees absolutely love the purple flowers.
 
Do you both grow comfrey?

I'm sure I remember someone on the radio saying if you have an open pot of it or something in your greenhouse, it gets rid of aphids and greenfly.
Yes.
Bocking 14 as already mentioned.
It doesn't spread.
I have taken root cutting for a couple of mates over the years.
I usually get 3 cutting over the growing season.

The Allotment guru John Harrison extols the use of Bocking 14 comfrey.

 
I'd chitted some peas in the house and transplanted them into modules in the greenhouse just yesterday. Got in from work tonight and went to check everything and all the peas are dug up by something.
Mice or a rat? Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
:evil:
 
I'd chitted some peas in the house and transplanted them into modules in the greenhouse just yesterday. Got in from work tonight and went to check everything and all the peas are dug up by something.
Mice or a rat? Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
:evil:
More likely, mouse, they love peas.
 
I never get peas to grow. Put a bunch down 2 weeks back and seeing one sprout so far. No doubt it'll be gone by now.
 
Wasn't going to grow any tomato plants this year but a mate has just dropped over 4 plants. No idea what they are other than 3 are indeterminate and 1 determinate. Never grown a bush variety before. They are a bit leggy but that's salvageable on a tomato. Could do with some warmth mind. Crap for may this. Hope they are 4 different types, be a nice surprise seeing what I get.

Mrs probably going to knack me when she realises I have put them on the front windowsill.
 
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Already lost 2 tomato plants and a chilli plant, pepper is looking a bit iffy too. They've been in the greenhouse but I think the frost/cold nights has got them.

Aye these night of 2 degrees will do that. Terrible for may. I found a few strategically dotted about tea light candles underneath a terracotta plant pot helped last time we had a slow start with my peppers. You can get ones that last about 8 hours.
*obviously that isn't going to heat a greenhouse but if they are dotted around some young seedlings it seemed to be able help with the cold stress.....unless it was just coincidence.
 
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I'd chitted some peas in the house and transplanted them into modules in the greenhouse just yesterday. Got in from work tonight and went to check everything and all the peas are dug up by something.
Mice or a rat? Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
:evil:
I'd chitted some peas in the house and transplanted them into modules in the greenhouse just yesterday. Got in from work tonight and went to check everything and all the peas are dug up by something.
Mice or a rat? Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
:evil:
mice, they love peas. When I had an allotment years ago I had this problem A old lad in his 80's advised soak the dried peas in paraffin before sowing them.

It worked.
 
I'm trying an experiment.

Slugs are a huge problem for me. A couple of years, they had eaten almost anything I have put down. New seedlings as they sprout or even hardier plants like squashes or sunflowers, they just chew through the stalks soon after I plant them out.

This year, my peppers have done really well. I planted multiple seeds in each of a 12 module seed tray insert, and have 20 seedlings from it I have just potted up. I have put some of that blue organic nitrate based stuff on half of them, as that usually does a pretty good job. On the other half, I have sprinkled some old out of date instant coffee granules. Apparently slugs hate it and people use fresh coffee grounds to keep them away. We only buy coffee when my mam is visiting, so I have a big jar of it.

I will let you know how it does. Hopefully I have not moved them too soon from the warmth of the kitchen windowsill to the cold at night greenhouse.
I'd chitted some peas in the house and transplanted them into modules in the greenhouse just yesterday. Got in from work tonight and went to check everything and all the peas are dug up by something.
Mice or a rat? Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
:evil:
Get plastic propagators.

I had that a few years ago, as if they had suddenly discovered the greenhouse. Anything that was a substantial sized seed (pea, sweetcorn, beans and even marigolds) were dug up and eaten. Now I start everything in propagators, the lids keep them out.

When I first had problems, it was lockdown and everyone was suddenly trying veg gardening. You could not get propagators anywhere and I only had a few for starting stuff off. I did have some success by making a 'wall' of a few sheets of newspaper, folded over and wrapped around each seed tray. I'm sure a determined mouse could get over that, but it seemed to work as a stop-gap.

Now if only the people who make seed trays, propagator lids and plastic inserts, made the inserts slightly smaller. When you use those module pots, you can not get the lids on properly. It is enough to keep out mice but does nowt to make life difficult for slugs.
 
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Ate you using bins or a heap ?
It's a bin along the lines of the one in link below. Mainly veg peelings and orange and banana skins collected since last summer. I also hoy in a smattering of grass clippings shredded cardboard and the tops of annual weeds (no roots or flower heads).

 
It's a bin along the lines of the one in link below. Mainly veg peelings and orange and banana skins collected since last summer. I also hoy in a smattering of grass clippings shredded cardboard and the tops of annual weeds (no roots or flower heads).

It looks like good stuff that you are making
 
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