Learning to grow food

alternative-energy · Post by **alternative-energy** » 09 Mar 2006, 15:18

If you plant your onions now they may bolt before lifting time... best to plant at end of march... Carrots can be stored without peat but they must be cold, dark, clean and most of all dry. Old paper potato bags are best for this. There is of course the freezer. if its big enough... blanche first though

DamianB · Post by **DamianB** » 09 Mar 2006, 23:37

AllanH wrote:Anyone know any better ways to store vegetables?

You could try clamping:

In the days when people had large families and often survived by what they grew it was common to store root crops such as potatoes, carrots, Swedes, beetroot and celeriac in clamps. Clamps are probably not the best method for storing the smaller amounts required by a small family or couple.

The first thing to ensure is that the crop will be kept out of standing water. Choose a dry spot in the plot and then dig a trench around the storage area. This will help drain any water and provides soil you will need later.

Next place a layer of straw, bracken or even shredded paper on the ground and then place a layer of your crop down. With carrots, you could try a circular pattern, thick end to the outside, then place another layer of your packing material or sand to level up. Carry on adding layers to form a cone shape. On the outside of the clamp, place six to eight inches of straw and make a little straw spike at the top. This will allow excess moisture to escape,

The soil you removed from your drainage trench can then be used to cover the clamp. I?ve not actually made or used a clamp and would be interested to hear from anyone who has.

allotment.org.uk

You can actually leave some of them in the ground - I did this with parsnips and celeriac this year. Leeks are ok too.

One thing though, don't wash produce until you are ready to use it or it will go mouldy. If you dig it up wheen its raining, be suree to thoroughly dry before bagging

AllanH · Post by **AllanH** » 13 Mar 2006, 16:15

Thanks, I'll look into those methods but clamping doesn't seem convenient as it's just for me & the amounts involved would be small. By the way, if storing carrots/potatoes, etc in sand/peat in boxes would plastic boxes do rather than wooden ones? as I could probably get plastic boxes & they'd probably be more watertight.

AllanH

Ballard · Post by **Ballard** » 13 Mar 2006, 20:23

Plastic with holes in...

Your carrots need to breeeath, man.

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 20 Mar 2006, 11:13

My heirloom seeds seem to be failing, I did sow them in a greenhouse 2 weeks ago but it was very cold a couple of days later. Some of the peas have germinated (about 70%), NOTHING else out of carrots, onions (I've bought sets now), leeks, broadbeans, parsnips, tomatos.

I've got more seeds in case its just that they've rotted from the cold and damp. Feel a bit stressed about it.

Prepared a plot for planting potatos in 2 weeks time, built a bigger composter.

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 20 Mar 2006, 13:03

You've done the same as me - planted too early. I've had a few peas come up, and a couple of onion sets, and some garlic, but nothing else. I too have bought some more seeds, "just in case".

Most of my seeds say to plant out from March onwards, so it's hardly surprising really. It will only be my second proper year of trying this stuff, and I was surprised last year how late some of this stuff comes up out of the ground.

I'll be keeping a tally of yields this year, so I can compare year-on-year from now on. Could be interesting. I reckon it will take me years before I really know what I'm doing!

Ballard · Post by **Ballard** » 20 Mar 2006, 13:45

I use a propagator on my kitchen window sill for growing the seedlings when it?s cold, then transfer to pots on my drainer, then into the ground when it gets warm enough.

Due to the cold weather, the drainer is getting a bit crowded now however.

Post by **mikepepler** » 20 Mar 2006, 14:29

extractorfan wrote:My heirloom seeds seem to be failing, I did sow them in a greenhouse 2 weeks ago but it was very cold a couple of days later. Some of the peas have germinated (about 70%), NOTHING else out of carrots, onions (I've bought sets now), leeks, broadbeans, parsnips, tomatos.

I've got more seeds in case its just that they've rotted from the cold and damp. Feel a bit stressed about it.

We have to get used to this - setbacks will happen and we need to be ready for them. At least practicing now should help. When people screwed up on this stuff a few centuries ago they probably risked starvation. It might be a while before it's that bad here, but if in 10 years time you're counting on food growing to balance your income, things could get tricky...

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 20 Mar 2006, 14:40

It is indeed better for me that I'm a bit stressed rather than a bit hungry from it. ?10worth of rotted seeds because I was impatient is a pain in rear.

This year, although I don't need to out of necessity, I want my little plot to provide food from late spring to early winter AND to provide some income then I can see the activity as a hobby that pays for itself. I'm not deluded though, I have a lot to learn, as do most of us it seems.

Another thing I've noticed is I'm a lot healthier now, so amongst some failings I'm still getting a benefit. Still could have done with that ?10 though.

I'm going to copy ballards idea for the time being. The forecast is for more cold weather.

son of ballard · Post by **son of ballard** » 21 Mar 2006, 09:18

Ballard wrote:I use a propagator on my kitchen window sill for growing the seedlings when it?s cold, then transfer to pots on my drainer, then into the ground when it gets warm enough.

Due to the cold weather, the drainer is getting a bit crowded now however.

It's about now that you should be hardening off the seedlings. Buy yourself one of these mini greenhouses:

http://www.twowests.co.uk/TwoWestsSite/ ... /PGMPG.htm

Position the greenhouse in the sunniest spot and put the seedlings out in the mini greenhouse during the day. That way you begin hardening them off and they get lots of light. The greenhouse gets nice and warm in the day even on an overcast cold day.

Bring the seedlings in around five or six o'clock and as it's getting dark anyway it doesn't matter where they go. You can put them on the kitchen floor overnight and then take them out again the next morning. You'll need to do this for about the next four to six weeks.

In the meantime put some cloches on the ground where you're going the plant out. These are the ones we use:

http://www.rootrainers.co.uk/supplies/c ... opupcloche

If put the cloches out soon they'll warm the ground and once you've hardened off the seedlings you can plant out under the cloches for a few weeks to help protect against late frosts.

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 24 Mar 2006, 09:45

Thanks son of ballard, I've been hardening off Peas and, well, Florida Butter Beans. I thought they had died but they sprouted Tuesday I think. I don't know how well they'll do in tropical Luton but I've got a mini polly tunnel so it will be interesting.

One of my tomato seedlings has germinated, so I wont give up all hope on the others.

Chitting my potatos at the moment, should be planted on 29th March.

More digging tomorrow, I need some kind of cheap cover to stop the weeds, can't afford paving and don't want to use carpet like the others do because they leave bits of rubber everywhere. Any ideas?

Blue Peter · Post by **Blue Peter** » 24 Mar 2006, 09:53

extractorfan wrote:I need some kind of cheap cover to stop the weeds, can't afford paving and don't want to use carpet like the others do because they leave bits of rubber everywhere. Any ideas?

Newspaper, or similar. See Rob Hopkins' blog (mentioned in a thread on here this week) for piccies,

Peter.

Bandidoz · Post by **Bandidoz** » 24 Mar 2006, 09:59

extractorfan wrote:More digging tomorrow, I need some kind of cheap cover to stop the weeds, can't afford paving and don't want to use carpet like the others do because they leave bits of rubber everywhere. Any ideas?

The book "The Permaculture Garden" mentions a number of techniques for this I believe.

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 24 Mar 2006, 10:06

I need some kind of cheap cover to stop the weeds, can't afford paving and don't want to use carpet like the others do because they leave bits of rubber everywhere. Any ideas?

I've used some bits of cardboard I had hanging around. Think it will be sowing into my raised beds this weekend.

I want to get some natural wildflowers going around my little network of two ponds, found a good source for seeds:-

http://www.naturescape.co.uk/acatalog/v ... _only.html

I'm trying to get a bit of biodiversity going in my small garden as well as just food plants. Helps to keep the pests down, apparently, and makes for a generally pleasant environment.

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 24 Mar 2006, 11:11

Thats a great link

I've got loads of cardboard, cool. Looking for Rob Hopkins blog now.