Selfsufficientish.com

It will not grow well. Rhubarb plants grown from seed need 2 -3 years to establish before you can harvest anything, and they need a winter chilling to make them go dormant and grow properly in spring. If this doesn't happen they will keep growing and just get weaker. Most rhubarb is grown in the mor...

High spin speed won't add much if anything to the total cost of a wash, so you can spin as fast as the clothes will tollerate. If I'm hanging it outside to dry I use a lower speed to lessen creases (c 1,000), if I'm hanging dark or easily faded things inside, I go for medium (c 1600) which also avoi...

Squirrels (non-native grey ones before anyone freaks out)- I can recommend them spatch-cocked and bbq'ed with a marmalade and orange juice marinade. They do look kind of like rats when you've prepared them, but don't let that put you off, they taste like rabbit. Any veggies, please don't take offenc...

This is easily my favourite topic on here, I almost want mine to go wrong so I can attack it with a spade. Do you have any more projects lined up?

They are good to eat too, so don't waste them......

Yes, 1810 is a high grade stainless steel (used for cutlery, saucepans etc.) I have an unhealthy obsession with it. I won't have aluminium, non-stick or plastics due to health concerns, but mainly I just like stainless steel- it lasts for ever and is recyclable. I'm sure a lot of people on here woul...

There are a lot of synthetic pyrethroids which are based on compounds that occur naturally in various daisy relatives. Mind you, derris is based on compounds found in Derris elliptica, a legume. There aren't many totally organic and completely harmless pesticides. Soft soaps etc. (e.g. Savona) are a...

You could try keeping it in the fridge (dry it first in a dessicator with silica gell or similar) or leave the open pack in the fridge, then after a few weeks seal it in a plastic lunch box or similar - do this bit very quickly as cold seeds out of the fridge will attract moisture. Whatever you do, ...

I've got a Maytag (which are re-branded Asko's- a scandinavian make obsessed with build quality, longevity and economy) and that also tells you how much time a selection will take. However, I know mine basis this time on how long the programme took the last time it ran (this may even be the system d...

Chive seed can take a couple of weeks to germinate. One thing to be wary of is that chive seed, like all other alliums, is not long lived and easily damaged by environmental conditions, so needs to be stored dry and cool, and should be sown ASAP.

Yes, you can prune it hard (when it is dormant in winter)- if you need to cut it back now, I'd be gentler. The vines are incredibly vigorous, so make sure you plant it somewhere it will have room to grow. Note that Kiwi's are usually seperate sex plants so you'll need a male and female- one male wil...

Thanks for the GBP, a vey generous amount considering you've only charged for postage. Watching it takes me right back to my childhood in my grandmother's kitchen.

Greg

Assuming it's a winter variety, the stem will go corky and the skin will harden so when you knock it with your knuckles it will sound kind of hollow (like a wooden bowl). Butternuts are winter ones, but as this is a hybrid, I'm not sure. There's no reason you can't eat one now anyway, they sound lik...

They don't, but they might be willing to supply them or allow you to collect, if it's a not-for-profit project

You can use malt vinegar instead - malt is better for preserving due to it's higher acid content. I never worry too much about following chutney recipes exactly- all that really matters is using the correct porportions of fruit & veg to sugar and vinegar. You can use any type of sugar, darker on...