Vegetable Growing 2024

Thank you @Drahcir,
more for those that worry about themselves!! When you add up all the factors, its a wonder any of us survive...., although its the aggregation of worry that does the harm.

 

While microplastics and plastic pollution overall is a major issue, and one I think we need far harsher restrictions on (as it is, plastics are practically unregulated: "Polyethelyne" for example doesnt mean much at all, since some degrade within months, some never at all, some releasing toxic plasticiser decomposition products, others not, etc.), I do suspect it is an over-hyped *human health* issue. Even in a worst case scenario I can imagine say, a 10% lifetime increased risk in cancer.

When one remembers that everybody above the age of 30 in the UK was being blasted with aerosolised lead every day from cars, I am personally not too worried for my own health.
I am more worried for the seemingly endless accumulation of rubbish that is polluting by their visual existance, by animals eating them, and so on. Microplastics on this level are rather irrelevant.

You might hear of deep sea plastic pollution too, which is gross, but... Half of all microfibers in the deep sea are... cotton! turns out nothing biodegrades in freezing temperatures without any light. The daily exposure to mercury, lead and other industry and coal related pollutants is a bigger worry for fishies too.

Id advocate for rubbish incineration which I believe we do in hampshire. Recycling plastic IMO is almost a scam, I just isnt economical and wont ever be. Plastic is oil, and so is our energy, burning oil to recycle an oil product is...

The result of major pushes without economic incentives for anyone to actually process it was the big recent EU scandal, where it was found a third of all our "recycled plastic" was recycled as chinese and indian river pollution. China banned imports of plastic waste. Why cant we ban exports?
That doesnt do anything for microplastics though. Only a major reduction in plastic use will fix this.

 

Just list the plastic containing items you encounter this evening and the material which you will replace it with.

 

You cant beat a bit of Bakerlite, we really are going backwards these days.

 

Well you can, but it flies away in little pieces!! Casein
is the future....

 

Casein reminds me of a glue I used about 50 odd years ago.
I seem to remember it had something to do with milk.

 

Difficult but there are some replacements possible: Soil can be transported in reusable barrels (eg. you can take your own pot and just have take soil by weight) plastic pots can be ceramic, waxed wood, waxed cotton, sure they wont last quite as long and the cost is higher but thats the entire issue.

Cutterly is obvious, as are plates, glasses, the hulls of machinery. Its just a little more expensive and less convienient, though how convienient are some plastic goods when they dont last a tenth as long. Ive got handmedown gadgets from the war that with some polishing are almost new.

That said, there are some very very easy changes. Go into a grocery story and count how many goods are served in plastic. Then remember that things resembling grocery stores have effectively existed for millenia and plastic really came about in ww2. Some are rediculous: Parsnips and carrots last LONGER if you have them in paper or open air, because the sugars in them inside sealed plastic cause them to rot rapidly. Many plastic bags even have holes in them now... whats even the point then.

A change in the plastic itself can often help: Most seeding trays and tags are made of a very cheap but fragile plastic that turns brittle and smashes into dust eventually, however you can also get firm solid polypropelyne that might last my entire life time and doesnt easily smash into dust: polypropeylene also decays from dust better than most plastics.
Here is one I purchased a few years ago, still in fantastic condition, and made in north england too so its better for our economy than Chinese disposables:
40H Deep Long-Life Propagation Tray (40 cells) - CONTAINER WISE

 

Unrelated:
I went to check on my cucamelon tubers I was trying to overwinter. I kept them in dryish soil somewhere cold but frost free - all dead and rotted Maybe they did yet frosty, maybe they got eaten by something, idk. Next year ill try in a plastic bag indoors. At least I saved seed!

 

It was a glue call Casco, Cascamite is a synthetic resin.
But we often referred to Cascamite as Casco for short.
I don't think casein is in Cascamite but I might be wrong.
Urea formaldehyde comes to mind.

 

I remember Cascamite from childhood I liked it because it had two Shire horses trying to pull two bits of wood apart on the label.
The downside was that it was very hard and brittle.

 

I tend not to worry about nanoplastics too much as there is nothing I can do about them, they are there and increasing all around regardless of what I do.
I try and avoid plastics, especially single use, difficult with food packaging though. I recycle where practical and possible and use things until they fall apart.

 

'casco' means 'hull' in portuguese, possibly wood glue from medieval boat building ??

 

It was always considered not waterproof, but perhaps because by then it had been superseded by Cascamite.

Anyway, veg growing, bought a packet of aubergine seed and watermelon seed and some canteloupe seed.
I'm thinking 2024 could be a year of failures if we don't get three months of decent weather.

 

Kale and radishes have gone in. Purchased some sugarsnap peas from real seeds to fill the vacancies. Exciting! Ill also try some parsley and coriander outdoors, perhaps I can get seed this time: it turned to mush by winter :(
At 90p for a handful they seem quite worthwhile growing.

 

Both coriander and parsley like warmth (25 deg C ) to germinate, you probably only need a successional pinch of each, so I'd sow a 4" pot and when 75mm tall, sow again . Parsley moss curled can take weeks to show, flat blade (Italian) is more reliable.