Re: Food excess in Britain

MM wrote:
On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:42:14 GMT, Palindrome <me9@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

®i©ardo wrote:
MM wrote:
On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:00:25 +0100, "AndyW"
<Andrew.whitelaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"MM" <kylix_is@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:en6n74hqi2uq2atm5s3ce0h8vavli5glpg@xxxxxxxxxx
I'm making blackberry *jelly* this year, as the pips in the jam
alternative can be a little "crunchy". If we ever get any summer sun
and the tomatoes actually thrive I plan to bottle some in Kilner jars.
Not available at Tesco's, but are available in my local high street
"everything bar the kitchen sink" shop.
My tomatoes are struggling a bit this year as well but my winter veg is doing very well. Peas are not doing so well same as my French beans. Root crops are fine and my new trial of watercress is superb this year well chuffed at that.
Saldy I am having a disaster with sloe bushes this year and my slow gin looks to be a little dodgy.
My local factory shop sells all sizes of kilner jars so I fill up my garage sheves with bottled summer including brandy preserved summer berries - well worth a trial as it makes a spectacular Summer Pudding especially if you are not driving :-)

Andy
All sounds delicious! I have only dabbled with potato growing so far,
so when should I plant them, and should I use proper seed potatoes or
is it sufficient to let some everyday cooking potatoes sprout, then
plant them?

MM

Looking at what happened in my compost bin not even that. Just cut off the sprouting bits (poisonous anyway) with a bit of the flesh and plant those.

I use a big old barrel, with no bottom to it. Plant the spuds down the bottom in just 4" of soil. Then, as it grows up, keep adding more soil, to just under the leaves, until the barrel is full. Then just keep watering it, as needed.

To harvest, pull the barrel over and empty from the bottom.

I need a wheelbarrow to take all the spuds away - several sacks full. The stems become roots, once they are buried and produce spuds all the way from bottom to top of the barrel..

Bloody hell! That sounds REALLY cool! Does one plant the spuds with
the sprout(s) pointing up or down? Or doesn't it matter?

MM

Well, for my compost bin bit it was just a case of slinging in the peelings and all sorts of other compostable stuff on top. No method involved, even my wife could have done it! It certainly wasn't planned, but it was nice surprise to find a lot of excellent potatoes some months later.

--
Moving things in still pictures!
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Food excess in Britain
    ... and the tomatoes actually thrive I plan to bottle some in Kilner jars. ... so when should I plant them, and should I use proper seed potatoes or ... Plant the spuds down the bottom in just 4" of soil. ... Then, as it grows up, keep adding more soil, to just under the leaves, until the barrel is full. ...
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  • Re: Food excess in Britain
    ... so when should I plant them, and should I use proper seed potatoes or ... I use a big old barrel, with no bottom to it. ... I need a wheelbarrow to take all the spuds away - several sacks full. ...
    (uk.legal)
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