Selfsufficientish.com

When you get it from China there are many bamboo-miles causing it to be unsustainable. Grown locally, it's fine, I would say.

Cheers on the jelly, bugger on the pumpkin. I've never had anything stolen from my patch when I had an allotment, but I'd have been hugely discouraged if that had happened.

That sounds great. Not sure... I assume you do have to pay something?

Hi tulip,

Usually not a good idea since you are likely to cover the point where the fruiting part of the tree is connected to the root stock (sorry, English word escapes me right now).

You can give the tree compost, but keep a circle around the stem free of it.

Good luck.

I have used bought compost, but my potatos and tomatoes have been (and are) just fine.

So I think it is the strange weather we had this spring, rather than anything in the soil...

Mine have been growing weirdly. Many not developing further than tiny (then yellowing) and some making a bottle shape. Also the plants are already deteriorating fast and I have not had even 1/4 of my normal yield in 'proper' courgettes.

Interesting debate. This is an oversimplification of a complicated debate. You can make it as complicated as you wish. I don't think vegetarians by necessity consume more strawberries and asparagus than meat eaters. Of course it can be efficient use of resources to grow meat on inarable land. And it...

I think this is a very interesting development. The fact that it isn't perfect NOW shouldn't discourage people to stop researching this avenue. As a people on this world we are too numerous to stop researching. I rather they research this, than mega-bio-intensive-rearing techniques! Even if you are ...

In our garden, DH lifted up the pavement stones in the driveway to the garage*. There was 30 cm of packed sand and gravel underneath... So used pavment stones to build raised beds. Drainage is a bit too good, even whenfilled with soil and compost, but otherwise really glad to have them. (*Garage bei...

Welcome back!

That looks extremely tasty! Makes my mouth water.

Thanks for clarifying. I can imagine that, with such results, you are eager to expand. I'm currently doing an aquaponics experiment. Just got 17 grass carp in a fish tank and a growbed in the greenhouse. So far it has been oodles of fun setting things up, building the system etc. Playing with plumbi...

Tony, that's impressive! May I ask what feed you use and what it costs? I've always understood that the nutrients for hydroponics are quite expensive. I'll have to read back in the thread to check what diameter tube/duct your are using. Haven't you had isuues with clogging by roots? with the plants ...

Excalibur is top of the bill. I got a Stöckli, which is not quite as good, but certainly effective. Got it for €50 secondhand. I like the fact that it has a thermostat, since keeps the temp constant, independent of how much stuff you have on it. A wonderful thing would be for it to switchoff the hea...

Got it