Gardening with Platypus

platypus · 27 Apr 2009 at 16:41

WillyNelson said:
An OcUK online veg show in the summer perhaps?

Haha, an ocuk rolling road meet...for vegetables

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[DOD]Asprilla · 27 Apr 2009 at 16:43

platypus said:
Also, and whilst again I say I'm no expert, I believe you're too late to seed a new lawn now, due to the heat (yeah I know its not that hot!). You might have to settle for turf.

Is there any difference ibetween the preparation for turfing and the preparation for seeding?

Edit - answered my own question and the answer is no.

Plus turf will need watering for at least two hours per day for the first month, same as from seed. I've got 170sqm to do so seeding will be a lot cheaper than turf.

platypus · 27 Apr 2009 at 16:49

Fair enough - I was just warned that it might be too warm to seed now.

Wiggins · 27 Apr 2009 at 16:51

Platypus, may I suggest (if someone else has not already) that you get some form of structure made with bamboo cane so that the bean plants can grow up them. They grow very high so need this structure.

Something like this:

Oh, latercomer2, April is one of the best months to start seeding lawns and will take several weeks to show it's best. Keep watering!!

[DOD]Asprilla · 27 Apr 2009 at 16:53

WillyNelson said:
*chokes on coffee* Full of what?!! Explain please to save me googling & getting fired as a result of my IE history.

Cockchafer

It's the grubs that are annoying. They live between 5 and 50 cm below the surface, coming up in spring summer to feed on the roots of anything they find.

We did some salad veg last year (radishes, lettuce, spring onions) and it all failed. The I dug it all out I found loads of these fat buggers sitting underneath.

My current pest control is digging them out and either hitting them with a spade or leaving them to dry in the sun on a special sacrificial paving slab.

When I've dug the lawn over I'm going to get biological on their asses.

Mat · 27 Apr 2009 at 16:54

The crows here at Trinity make a real mess of the pristine College lawns by tearing up the turf looking for the cockchafers...

platypus · 27 Apr 2009 at 16:56

Wiggins said:
Platypus, may I suggest (if someone else has not already) that you get some form of structure made with bamboo cane so that the bean plants can grow up them. They grow very high so need this structure.

I've been told broad beans don't need structures?

Mat said:
The crows here at Trinity make a real mess of the pristine College lawns by tearing up the turf looking for the cockchafers...

I sing opera with the head gardener of Trinity. I'm starting a few hours a week spare time job to learn the ropes from him

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Wiggins · 27 Apr 2009 at 17:17

Ah their broad beans.

I thought you had planted runner beans.

platypus · 5 May 2009 at 10:44

Well just to show willing and that it's not all about vegetables, I put some plants in this weekend. Can't remember what they're called though

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