Live at the “Which?” trials

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root and fruit

I’ve been using the biodynamic method of sowing seeds for over a year now, I’ve had the odd moment when I’ve ignored it and put the seeds in on “wrong” days but mainly stick to Maria and Matthias’ Sowing and Seed Calendar. The book cost us a about a fiver and the rest is free, just sow your seed on the appropriate Root/Leaf/Flower/Fruit days and that’s it. It’s bonkers and a bit “out there”and works for me but just for fun I’ve set up a quick seed trial. That is, sowed some Carrots on a “Fruit” day (8.8.13) then on a “Root” day (10.8.13) and did the same with some Spring Onions. As there is only a couple of days difference, by rights there shouldn’t be much variation. Come on the Moon, do your job!

Is it working yet?

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So life’s been railing against us again what with WordPress giving up the ghost here but we’re back!

up our straßeI picked up a great book from the library last week, Veg Street (Grow your own community) – Namomi Schillinger – Short Books which is well suited to us at weeds. There’s stuff on how to set up a community gardening group, front garden vegetable growing and lots of tips and tricks in a shoestring style. It goes over the basics, soil types, pricking out, composting, gardening terminology etc in a no nonsense style, making it perfect for the beginner grower or someone who knows a bit too. I was so influenced by the idea of recycling mad things as plant containers (there’s pictures of suitcases and even tennis ball tubes as veggie plant pots!) I got the old cat basket out of the loft, lined it with an old multi-purpose compost bag and stuck some pea seeds in it for some late season pea-shoots (another influence from the book.) Have a look for it as it’s inspiring! cat basket Also I’ve been going into various Robert Dyas stores of late who are doing all their seeds half price as it’s at the end of the season. I’ve been sticking in spring onion, carrots and even beetroot now as you never know what the weather will be like in weeks to come and you’ve nothing to lose. At worse you’ll get baby carrots and small spring onions and even if the beets don’t form at least you can use the leaves in a salad. Keep em peeled! cheap seeds cheap seeds

Full Circle (Part 2)

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Woo hoo! After a couple of weeks of no wordpress at weedsuptomeknees HQ, we’re back! And here’s the first of a couple of posts this week, a bonkers Garage/Cramps style Peruvian corker from the early 60’s found by accident at work on Friday. One to pull out Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria) to!

Larry Levan’s Paradise Cabbage

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Cabbage patch_Doll

Pulled up this beauty Sunday afternoon after walking past it a few times this week trying to think of what to have with it! Sausage and Mash was the choice in the end. This is the first time I’ve really had a decent Cabbage as the plants usually get eaten earlier on or bolt. These were started as seed in the spring and I stuck them in and forgot about them and as you can see they look half decent. Success!

cabbage patch_2

Everything is looking good in the garden (okay things are a few weeks late), apart from the runner beans are terrible and god knows what’s happening to my blackberry bush, it was looking great with lots of berries on it now it’s turning yellow, it’s not lack of water as I’ve been giving it a nightly hose. Help! Any ideas?

Also a big up to Paul W for sending us this article. You can sell some courgettes to your neighbours but don’t let the taxman find out our he’ll nick your strawberries as payment!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/jul/26/making-money-allotment-gardeners

Full circle

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once there was spuds..

Gardening’s great innit? Last week my wife pulled out the spuds from the plant that was growing in an old sack which gave us enough for a posh family tea (new potatoes, fish fingers and beans!) The seed potato cost me 5p from the Sydenham seedy sunday event earlier this year, a big bag of multipurpose peat-free compost was less than a fiver from Shannon’s and the sack was given to me free. All I had to do was water the plant and feed it every now and again with some diluted comfrey liquid. Cheap as chips, no pun intended!

After harvesting the potatoes I was left with the top of the plant, a rotting sack and a mound of used compost. No problem! The plant went on the compost heap, the sack put to use behind the pond to stop weeds growing and the compost reused again. I’ve filled some old plastic pots which were found in the street and split some pineapple and eau de cologne mints and giving them away to mates. Keeps the old circle going around as they say. I do love receiving seeds and stuff from me gardening mates so it’s nice to repay the favour sometimes!

old sink and mint

Talking of Shannon’s I popped in there the weekend and got myself some more seed potatoes to stick in now so they’ll be ready for christmas unless they get blight but that depends on the weather, just like a lot things to do with gardening! Big up the ‘umble spud!

Candid Camera

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honour oak garden

A photo of the great front garden up the road from us clandestinely taken on the way home from work. It’s not your normal boring front garden as it’s laden with all sorts of fruit and veg if you look hard enough. There’s even some Bob Flowerdew endorsed upside-down wire refrigerator trays to stop the birds and some beer traps for the slugs. Big up non-conformist front gardening!

Burning hot!

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Two Richie Stephens sizzlers to go with the bonkers weather here in the UK! Can you believe it’s 30 odd degrees in London today, madness! Big up David Rodigan on his excellent BBC 1 Xtra show for these and a lot more classics! If you ever hear that the great Mr Rodigan needs any Tomato plants or his Comfrey liquid is running low put him in touch with us and we’ll do our best to oblige!

Find of the week

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cloche

Found this mad cloche outside a house with a “take me” note the other night (it will need a few air-holes drilled in the top). Typically I was knackered and had a full bag of shopping with us so it was a bit of a bind carrying it home (it’s well heavy as it’s glass and quite large) but I reckon it’ll be worth it’s weight in gold!  The day after I thought I had another touch when I saw seed potatoes for a pound to clear in Robert Dyas. On closer inspection they were the unhealthiest seed potatoes I’ve ever seen! They all looked like dried prunes and the chits had grown into sprouts that looked like twigs and were well dried out. The only use for them would be the compost heap. Watch out for those so called bargain offers!

do they owe us a living?

Talking of composting, the other day I found the above mad article by chance which mentioned Dial House home of the punk band Crass. It’s a review of a two day compost toilet building workshop, brilliant! Question: Do they owe us a living?…