Thursday 13 January 2022

Getting The Baths And Fish Boxes Ready For Spring.



It's been dry here for the last couple of days and I spent half the day in the veg plot today.   

I've been weeding and digging in the compost heap and mulching the plastic fish boxes and baths.

You can't buy a pallet compost heap like this from B &Q.  It's held together with rope and old baling twine.  I dig out the compost with my trusty four prong pike and fill up and old poultry manure pellets  bucket with it.


Fish boxes topped up with compost make very quick and easy raised beds.       I am using builders plastic to smother the weeds.  I think this is called sheer mulching? It's  an easy way of clearing ground without digging off any vegetation.  The only thing is the slugs and snails love to live under it in warm and humid conditions.  I will no doubt cover the plastic with my ever growing shrubs and perennials collection.



Here's my Japanese onions freshly weeded and mulched with our home made compost.


Have you started work on your veg plot or allotment?   

We don't grow so much vegetables these days especially when you can buy cheap vegetables from most supermarkets for only 49 Cents.  We have never used any chemicals on our homegrown veg and you can't buy that freshness can you? But cheap vegetables are better than nothing especially during the hunger gap before your fruit and vegetables are ready!





10 comments:

  1. I am always impressed by your horticultural prowess, Dave. I love those fish box beds. Very ingenious!
    I wish our supermarket veg was as cheap as yours. I really need to check out the prices at the Saturday Farmers Market as they may be cheaper.

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  2. Thanks JayCee. Fish boxes make great raised beds planters and they have drainage holes. All the supermarkets over here are now being competitive with the likes of Lidl and Aldi on their vegetables prices.

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  3. Our ground is still too wet to do anything with. It has rained constantly for months, so we've not had the lovely autumn clear up that we normally manage. There will be branches and twigs to clear, grass to cut, veg plot to clear and spread compost on and the other heap to clear. That's on top of giving the greenhouse a good clean out. I'm feeling weak just thinking about it!!

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  4. Hi the veg artist. I think raised beds/fish boxes,cbaths are definitely the way to go for heavy and wet ground like ours. I often strim or mow with out the grass box on the highest cutting height when conditions allow. My polytunnel is my garden friend in winter when we get such damp winters. I feel good that I have made a little bit of progress the last couple of days. Thanks.


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  5. It's far too cold outside with an icy wind to even be thinking about gardening. The lettuces are ready to be picked but I don't feel like salads just now.
    Your gardening as ever is an inspiration. I am filling up my compost and have started another pile. There are plenty of orange skins, ash and coffee grounds.

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  6. Hi Linda. Seaweed, lawnmower clippings orange skins, wood ash, leaves, coffee grounds..? Anything natural and organic will make great compost.

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  7. My, you have been busy. As a scout leader I have the authority to award you a gardening badge. Wear it with pride.

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  8. Our biggest problem w/ the plastic is that it provided cover to mice and chipmunk as the tan up and down the rows nibbling little plants.

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  9. Thanks Debby. Suppose the field mice will be warm and out of sight under the plastic sheeting. I will tell Domino and Little Miss to look out for any rodent activity. Every Homestead or Smallholding, veg plot needs a Feline patrolling service.😊

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