Right back where we started from

Posted on March 3, 2019 by onedeckpete

It’s blowing a right old gale outside tonight so let’s turn our minds to bit of indoor gardening for a few minutes. Big shout to our good mate Ciarán over in Vancouver for sending us pics of his chilli seedlings and judging by the ones at the top they’re looking well healthy at the moment unlike ours which didn’t even germinate!

Here’s what we’ve got on. There’s some pea shoots, herbs and some sweet peas just poking through on the tray to the right. Send us pics of how you’re getting on with your sowings. Roll on the warmer weather!

After the sun has gone

Posted on April 12, 2017 by onedeckpete

Last weekend was a corker when it came to sunshine as on Sunday the temperature in London reached 20 odd degrees. The lawn was cut and a good load of jobs were completed and we even gave the seedlings (tomatoes, brussels sprouts, peppers and walking onion) that are on their way indoors a bit of a break in the sun.

Very much influenced by (episode 4 of) Jane Perrone’s On The Ledge podcast combined with the fact that in our seed tray were a few dealer bags with a tiny amount of seeds in them (cress, peas, beetroot, lettuce, coriander, basil and more) that needed to be sown, we filled a large pot full of multi-purpose compost and threw them all in. Come a couple of weeks time we’ve have some micro-greens to accompany our dinner!Traditionally this week (Good Friday) is the time for putting seed potatoes in (so the late great Joe Maiden used to say on his radio show with Tim Crowther). We aren’t too sure if we’ll be doing ours as it’s still cold out and as someone once told us at a potato fair, as soon as it’s warm enough to put your hand in the ground for ten seconds without it feeling cold that’s when you should put your spuds in. Sounds like good advice!

And while you’re waiting for your ground to heat up here’s a nice bit of mix-up business from one Mr Andrew Weatherall on Rinse FM the other week (8.04.2017).

Cork it Kojak, cork it

Posted on February 12, 2017 by onedeckpete

mc-demijohn Today a chap collected some demijohns that were finally put on ebay last weekend after throwing in the wine-making towel a few years ago. There were more failures than successes making vino, including once ending up going to bed early one Saturday evening feeling “well woozy” after a bottle of white wine made from a Boot’s kit. The attempt at making mead using cheap honey procured off a man who sold unfridgerated ham, cheese and european varieties of sweets you’ve never heard of in a market in Farringdon ended up “displaying a intense battery acid type flavour” and was duly tipped down the sink cleaning the U-bend out in the process. Sometimes you have to let go of things. hidden-chitting-and-propagator On a happier note it’s mid-way through February and there’s a little bit of gardening action at Weeds HQ. More seeds have been procured from Shannon’s today (sweet pea and night scented stock) and there’s spuds chitting underneath a table. The plastic plant propagator in the back room has a few pots with peppers and tomatoes in them and after listening to a tip from Christine Walkden on Gardeners Question Time the other week some foil was stuck on the back of the propagator to reflect any light so the seedlings don’t automatically lean towards the window and hopefully don’t grow on the leggy side. Roll on spring!

Up on the roof

Posted on May 15, 2016 by onedeckpete

Jochen_2016_1 A couple of years ago we featured the great garden of Jochen from Splintercell Sound from near Bielefeld, Germany (more about Jochen and his garden here.) He grows veg and fruit in a greenhouse and various pots on top of his carport, how brilliant is that? Jochen_various fruit

Jochen pots pre planting A big thanks to Jochen for sending us some pics the other day, the pots have been prepared and the gardening season over in Bielefeld has now started! Jochen_2 Above, a selection of the potatoes that are going in; “annabelle”, red potato, “bamberger hörnchen” ( aka “Bamberger (City) Croissant,” a great name!) and a blue variety. A nice old array of potatoes. More on the different varieties of the ‘umble spud here. Jochen_cucumber_tomatoes In the greenhouse there’s peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers. Also has peas, beans, potatoes, strawberries (around the greenhouse – below left,) rasperries, gooseberry, currant and a kaki tree (persimmon fruit) that’s got flower buds after four years (below right.) There’s a cherry tree and apple trees in the small yard between the house and the carport too. Jochen_Strawberrys_Kaki

Jochen_various fruit_2 Jochen is also involved in the club Feel Like Jumping (music policy, reggae from rocksteady, rub a dub, dancehall, ragga to modern roots) in Münster and looks like a great night with some fine flyers too! Jochen_FLJ flyer

A big up to Jochen for the pics again and picking this fine tune from Wayne Jarret. Further proof that good music and gardening do mix!

Harvesting in harmony

Posted on August 27, 2015 by onedeckpete

Thanks to our good friend Phil Harmony of the Dubnight Radio Show out of Berlin for sending us this Greenhouse Classic. It’s a tune in a suitable vegetable growing vein from Israel Voice called Farm up the land. It’s a tune and a half and one for blaring out whilst out in the garden!

As well as DJing and producing some rather fine tune-age, Phil grows his own produce organically on his 2.5m x1.50m (approx) balcony outside his flat in Berlin (see last year’s post here). For a small space it’s great how much he grows which includes peppers, raspberries, strawberries beans, basil and tomatoes. Phil Harmony Balcony_1

Phil Harmony_balcony2

And a ginger plant started from a sprouting root from his kitchen, look at it now!

Thanks again Phil for the great greenhouse classic and the brill balcony gardening pics!

International gardening round-up

Posted on May 16, 2015 by onedeckpete

Thanks to a couple of good mates of ours for sending in some great gardening pics this week. First is from our good friend and musical collaborator Paul Greenstein formally of the East Dulwich parish now based in Melbourne, Australia of his (Jap or Kent) pumpkin harvest from only two plants, how good is that? Brilliant stuff Paul, hope you’ve got some good recipes to use them in!

And also to our fellow dub gardener Phil Harmony in Berlin for sending us pics of his tomato (from the free Heinz seed offer earlier this year) and peppers seedlings that he has on the go at the moment. Great stuff Phil, they’re looking good!

It’s never too early for “earlies”

Posted on January 17, 2015 by onedeckpete

It’s definitely that time again! I popped into Shannon’s today as I had a day off work and procured a small pack of first early seed potatoes, Pentland Javelin. Just like the last couple of years I’ve stuck my seed spuds in an egg box with the blunt end of the tuber upwards (the end that has the “eyes”) to give them a head start come the spring (aka “chitting”).The process of “chitting” encourages the seeds to sprout before planting them outside. We’re not talking the long pale shoots that you see when potatoes have sprouted after being stored in the dark, but ones that are short and sturdy.

The important thing with “chitting” spuds is to make sure the container is in a cool position with natural light and where’s there’s no risk of frost. I’ve stuck mine next to the propagator on the floor in the back room by the patio doors.

A couple of years ago we were emailed a great tip from Shirley Calgary who said “Actually you do not need the whole potato – I have cut the potatoes in 2 or 3 pieces as long as you have a sprouted or sprouting eye you are all set.” Great stuff!

More on chitting here.As for the propagator (post here), the seeds I put in last week have started to come through. How good is that? I know it’s early and I’ll be left with leggy tomato and pepper plants on the kitchen windowsill in the spring but why change a habit of a lifetime?

I’d rather be working

Posted on August 20, 2014 by onedeckpete

Caribou – Can’t Do Without You – City Slang
A couple of tunes for this nice afternoon. Stuck on the weeds all-in-one music centre last night by our good mate Maz, a lovely tune from the great Caribou on the great City Slang label (some great free downloads from the label here.)

The 2 Bears feat. Stylo G – Money Man – Southern Fried

This one was on the mighty David Rodigan show this week, a nice chilled out reggae type thing from The 2 Bears with Stylo G. Great stuff, making two tunes for dossing around in the garden to, while taking photo’s of your crops, when you should be at work.
Below: Second attempt at growing Corn and I can see one cob coming at least!

(Below) And, this Pepper on the right, I’ll be having for me tea tonight!And below, a nice old Sunflower in a pastel yellow style, taken last night!

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Weeds up to me knees

Madtone, gardening and life

Tag Archives: Peppers