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I thought I had some healthy looking courgette and butternut squash plants to plant out a few weeks ago but the local slugs seem to like them more than anything else :( I don't use slug pellets because we grow organically and although putting beer out for them to drown in did catch a few, it didn't ...

I suppose this artificial meat has the potential to be more efficient to produce since there are no animals needing to grow, managed and fed. They also quoted that they wouldn't take up so much grazing land. As has already been said, I believe growing the right crops on the land to be eaten by human...

It's our first year here in Scotland but it looks like our first runner beans are doing extremely well, don't know if it's because we have a lot of bees or because I planted late I started them off in the greenhouse. Maybe just lucky

Welcome back

I have had to try and clear as much ground as possible in our first year here just to get a few crops in, so haven't had the luxury of time to cover with anything. Just using (as Clanpowell said) the 'double-dig' method, but probably wouldn't have managed it without a rotavator, making light work of...

Thanks everyone for those suggestions it gives me a few things to try. Like the 'French midges' comment from Clanpowell. :iconbiggrin: We do have some lemonbalm growing already in an area where we don't seem to get midges, had just thought it was the location in the garden but maybe the lemonbalm he...

This is mainly for 'ishers in Scotland but suggestions from anyone gratefully received. Are there any plants I could grow that might deter midges, and has anybody heard of a natural insect repellent, preferably one I could make myself? My plot that is well sheltered from the wind and has a stream do...

Hi, welcome to the forum. As long as you are prepared to learn and keep learning I am sure you will be fine, after all the worst thing that can happen is you end up in the same position as your average member of the public, working 9 to 5 and eating commercially produced food!

Hi there, welcome to the site. Like your idea for a community, hope you manage to achieve it, forums like this may well be a good source of info and potential members. I am in the southwest what part of Scotland are you in and is that where you hope to establish the community? Good luck.

Our garden is on a steep slope so i am thinking of making my own polytunnel, but because the garden will be terraced it will be half one built against a vertical part of the terrace (if that makes sense). The back will be a heat sink and will hopefully provide some extra strength that a conventional...

Welcome from the other end of Scotland, good to see the members north of the border increasing. Looks like you have got quite a challenge with 7 acres, we only have half an acre that's keeping us very busy!

Hi there, welcome to the forum and good luck with the garden, any advice you might need, there will be someone on here who will who will be willing to help.

Hi Mike, I have just bought a book on composting that you might find interesting, it's one of a series of 'Bob's Basics' organic gardening books by Bob Flowerdew. I got mine secondhand from Amazon for just a few pence! I think there are still some available.
Robin.

I don't understand it either but I'm not going to complain! Great way to buy books, just need to make some more bookshelves to cope

Thanks alot for all your help and words of encouragement. I have found a copy of the rhs pruning book on amazon secondhand for 1p plus postage! I have bought several books s/h from there for just a few pence, it's almost as good as buying from a charity shop, but you have the advantage of finding th...