Ziggys' Home Plot

Hi,Ziggs what your idea about planting the plant in your house....

 

Say what ?

 

I grew cardoons last year and was really disappointed. I bound them up to whiten them and cooked according to what I read on various websites, to reduce the bitterness, but they were nasty. The other plants were chucked on the compost. They were more bitter than radicchio.

 

Hi Loofah,

I thought that too, had nasturtiums & wildflowers in them last year.



This year, I have been mostly planting willow.

Was going to pot these up, but thought they might as well go straight in and get established. Make a nice hedge round the plot, and any trimmings can be used to heat the house.

 

That doesn't sound good Liz What sort of soil did you grow them on ?
Wonder if that could make any difference. Might only try one to see what its like then.

 

Do you know, I don't know what the soil is, certainly not clay or sand, though I believe we are actually on green sand. Just looks like 'nice' soil! (You can tell I'm new to this)

 

We were all new at some stage Liz

The soil built up on a greensand substrate is likely to be on the acid side as there is no calcium in greensand.

But it would also depend on the surrounding geology, like if there is any limestone up hill from you etc.

Where I used to live (Guildford) there was a Greensand hill. It had a very thin topsoil & supported Hairbells (an acid soil flower)

On the top there was a ruined 12th century chapel, around its walls I found lime loving plants that were only sucessful due to the lime from the chapels' mortar.

 

Just flicking through my photo album & found a picture of the Garden before I started the conversion. Must have been 2006.



Just thought this might give some hope to those just starting out.



And a more recent shot for comparison

 

And this evening,






Been neglecting the home plot as i've mostly been in Dorset. Will give it a bit of care tomorow morn.

The cabbages are hearting up with bits of next doors fir tree in them :DOH:

 

Keep picking bits of windblown twigs & leaves out, but there will be some stuck in there somewhere. I'm hoping that the middle bit grows from the inside & doesn't involve furling anywhere along the way. Not grown Cabbage on any serious scale before, only brocolli & kale.

 

Cheers John,

I'm plagued by next doors Lelandii, they are the reason I had to go so deep with the underpinning, they shade out the north end of the plot, drop growth inhibiting stuff all over & now they are filling up my cabbages:DOH:

Am I too late to net against catterpillars do you think ? Didn't want to resort to spraying but i've been staying down in Dorset for so long i've got behind at home.

 

Oh joy, just had a look around, the cabbages and the lettuce are also full of ash from next doors bonfire:DOH: