tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post8954626204494236722..comments2024-03-28T09:25:14.379+00:00Comments on Veg Plotting: Vegetable Growing: What I Would TeachVPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-49724304656301316272009-11-30T11:48:58.705+00:002009-11-30T11:48:58.705+00:00Hi everyone - I thought I'd responded to your ...Hi everyone - I thought I'd responded to your comments already, but now I remember my computer crashed towards the end. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.<br /><br />Commonweeder - sadly community gardens and CSA seems to be a much more developed concept in the USA than it is over here.<br /><br />Helen - sharing with Sarah sounds a very good idea, especially if both of you are limited for space.<br /><br />Scattered Gardener - I've made a much better use of my gluts this year and aim to do even better next!<br /><br />Moonstone Gardens - welcome! Generally freezing stuff doesn't last as long as canning (aka bottling on this side of the pond) either. I think we'd have problems with dehydrating here though as it would take fuel to do so and we don't usually have the weather to do it outdoors.<br /><br />Soilman - only too pleased to do so!<br /><br />Karen - yes, succession sowing's the thing! Or choosing varieties which crop over a long period, they tend to be little and often too.<br /><br />Susan - good point. A similar thing happens with most people taking on an allotment: they go at it great guns trying to clear everything, get tired and give up before they reap the rewards :(<br /><br />Angie - thanks for the link. I've reformatted it so that people can go there <a href="http://forageoaklandmanifesto.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">directly</a>.<br /><br />Flighty - I think we all need to learn to have more patience, I know I do!<br /><br />Anna - good points.<br /><br />MMD - it amazes me too. It's bl**dy important! Sounds like you'll be one of the few that are prepared :)<br /><br />Juliet - I wish I'd had your success with tomatoes this year!VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-7849414284541214372009-11-29T00:05:02.583+00:002009-11-29T00:05:02.583+00:00I couldn't think of anything to add when I rea...I couldn't think of anything to add when I read this last night, then I went to bed and immediately thought -<br /><br />Don't sow all the seeds in the packet at once!<br /><br />Now I knew about this in relation to things like carrots, where you get 400 seeds in a packet, but as a flower grower I thought 30 tomato seeds weren't very many - well, they were a freebie - maybe 15 would germinate, I'd discard the weaker half, 7 or 8 plants would be about right to fill my patio planters ...<br /><br />You guessed it - 28 germinated, I ended up with 22 big plants, gave away 8 of them, had to hunt for pots to put all the spares in!<br /><br />On the plus side, we now have a freezer full of tomatoes for winter sauce-making :)Juliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14861589817615423847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-50682115717475959902009-11-28T15:16:57.022+00:002009-11-28T15:16:57.022+00:00It just amazes me that this kind of thing isn'...It just amazes me that this kind of thing isn't splashed across the news every night instead of some kid not in a balloon. It's sad that our news media fail to focus on the important issues facing us all & our future. I've started trying to grow edibles mixed in with ornamentals as you are doing with the herb edging. It just makes sense.Mr. McGregor's Daughterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05911409327006498766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-82252351096998153112009-11-25T21:25:55.881+00:002009-11-25T21:25:55.881+00:00A most thoughtful post VP. My advice would be to d...A most thoughtful post VP. My advice would be to do little but often and get together with other like minded folk to keep the cost down.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10794392333038962798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-85361170658178302382009-11-25T19:53:16.598+00:002009-11-25T19:53:16.598+00:00Interesting post! I agree with all three bits of a...Interesting post! I agree with all three bits of advice, and I would also say...It all takes time, don't expect instant miracles...as people seem unable to wait for anything and want it now! Flighty xxAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-62773181988001767312009-11-25T09:28:36.935+00:002009-11-25T09:28:36.935+00:00I like what they do here http://forageoaklandmanif...I like what they do here http://forageoaklandmanifesto.blogspot.com/Angiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03837499893218903655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-89349017126869308342009-11-25T01:32:14.671+00:002009-11-25T01:32:14.671+00:00I'm not much of an expert at veggie gardening,...I'm not much of an expert at veggie gardening, but I guess if I had some advice, it might be to start with a small garden. A little failure won't discourage you so much that you won't try it again, and a little success can breed the confidence to keep going. <br /><br />But if you start out with a big garden, you are faced with this: A lot of failure can discourage you forever, and a lot of success leads to forcing excess zucchini on random strangers at bus stops.Susan Tomlinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01532464326705599296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-58218921316381478002009-11-25T00:30:42.424+00:002009-11-25T00:30:42.424+00:00PS -
Sorry I should also have mentioned Matron'...PS -<br />Sorry I should also have mentioned Matron's great post on the topic too.<br />Worth reading, together with the comments.<br />KKaren - An Artist's Gardenhttp://www.artistsgarden.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-58164032715828889542009-11-25T00:25:37.794+00:002009-11-25T00:25:37.794+00:00What a great post VP and - I have also popped over...What a great post VP and - I have also popped over to Soilman's and read his post as well.<br /><br />I think my biggest tip for a new veg grower would be sow little and often ... everywhere and anywhere. Have seedlings waiting in the wings to pop in the ground when a space becomes free.<br /><br />Oh, and here in Wales (well this year and last year anyway) invest in lots and lots of umbrellas.<br />KKaren - An Artist's Gardenhttp://www.artistsgarden.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-72203402910531895002009-11-24T19:14:35.530+00:002009-11-24T19:14:35.530+00:00Delighted to see the topic taken forward!!Delighted to see the topic taken forward!!Soilmanhttp://www.soilman.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-72120284526892816862009-11-24T18:52:39.857+00:002009-11-24T18:52:39.857+00:00I grew up on a farm where we pretty much raised ev...I grew up on a farm where we pretty much raised everything we ate. I remember a lot of fruit and berry plants. We froze and canned all of our excess, but I agree with Scattered Gardener about being a little nervous of freezing produce. All it takes is a few days of no electricity and everything in the freezer is spoiled. I'd teach dehydrating and canning over freezing. I have a friend who set up a stove outdoors in the shade which makes canning much more comfortable than heating your house up on the hottest days of the year.Moonstone Gardenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00590896950287118355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-72546715834352442012009-11-24T18:12:31.420+00:002009-11-24T18:12:31.420+00:00I'm glad you mentioned preserving - a good way...I'm glad you mentioned preserving - a good way to store any gluts and use them later. Once the oil/fossil fuels have gone, we may not be able to freeze things; I see pickles, salting coming back in a big way. No I don't have these skills - just jam making. Remember my mum salting down runner beans to have at Christams one year, I must ask her about it:-)Scattered Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09036280727246164559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-71189439156381450502009-11-24T17:52:05.043+00:002009-11-24T17:52:05.043+00:00Sharing is excellent advice. Our own allotments ar...Sharing is excellent advice. Our own allotments are eensy weensy -- I have two 4'x8' plots, and square footage disappears quickly when a zucchini (aka courgette) starts making itself at home. My sister and I are going to be much more strategic about our collective veg plantings next spring.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14527649631254016576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-53022539996945202262009-11-24T15:52:20.943+00:002009-11-24T15:52:20.943+00:00Food security is a big issue in our region as well...Food security is a big issue in our region as well, with lots of talk about community gardens in the village. We have a growing number of small farms in our area, but I have to say that I am so glad I have a piece of land that could feed our extended family if it came to that. Especially if some of them came over to weed. Planting what you like to eat is one of the best pieces of garden advice I could give.Commonweederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10913336590036045901noreply@blogger.com