Bobs 2012 Dairy

Forgot what happened last year - maybe it's here!!
Americanlady
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by Americanlady »

The flowers are so pretty -- and so are the vegs.
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HappyBob
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by HappyBob »

Got Swedes and turnip sown today. Also sown a pot of spring onions in a 6inch pot these will grow on under glass until they are well on, then taken out of their pot in one clump and planted out side. I started growing radish the same way last year because of the problem of flea beetle and it worked a treat. a pot full sown every week kept a constant supply available through out summer.
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Stef
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by Stef »

You look well organised there Bob!

I can only dream of having the time - I sort of have some of the space.

I'm potting up a lot of stuff this year too - carrots, radish, spring onions. Onions because we have soft nose rot in the ground and others as I want to crowd them onto the well top outside the back door for ease of picking - big veg are through the chicken enclosure!

Your flowers remind me of what I have completely forgotten :shock: I can feel a trip to the garden centre coming on!
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HappyBob
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by HappyBob »

Thanks Stef, I dont have the space at home, but thankfully I do have a lot more time these days.
It must be nice to have veg to hand from your kitchen door. I find I grow a few more flowers every year, they are great to look at while sat having a pot of tea, and they smell lovely. Good luck with your own garden plans Stef.
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HappyBob
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

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Yesterday got some beetroot and leeks planted out, and finished giving the comfry its first cut of the season, half went in the comp bin, the other half left to wilt for a day or two and used as a mulch on potato,s and broad beans.
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HappyBob
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by HappyBob »

The comfry cut that I took a few weeks ago and put in a drum was ready to run some extract off. A few pics of the process..

The comfry weighted down by a few bricks has dropped it level quita lot which is an indication that the extract needs running off.

Image

Running off the extract..

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Then its run though a rough filter to out anything that may block my watering can up..

Image

End result 9 ltrs,s of liquid gold..

Image

This is then used at 10-20:1 to feed everything from toms to beans etc. Its commercial equivalent would cost a small fortune
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Richard
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by Richard »

Interesting Bob, thanks for posting that.

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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by HappyBob »

Just realised I havent updated for over a month. Well most things are planted out now, Swedes,turnips, celeriac, turnips, kohl rabi, sweetcorn, perpectual spinich.

Tomatos, are finally in the greenhouses after a very slow start as are the chilli,s, basil, and one solitary cucumber, all planted since my last update and probably a few other things that I forgotten. Harvested my Garlic today and was very pleased with quality of the crop.

I dont dry my garlic I simply liquidise the cloves in olive oil and pour into icecube moulds, freeze them then pop them in a freezer tub to use as and when, I have held ten of the largest bulbs back to replant in November. I,ll put a few photo,s up when I buy some batteries for my camara from market tomorow.
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Spreckly
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by Spreckly »

Just shown OH your post about comfrey, Bob. He wonders if you drink it as well, there are beakers in your photo. )run(
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HappyBob
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

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Spreckly wrote:Just shown OH your post about comfrey, Bob. He wonders if you drink it as well, there are beakers in your photo. )run(


Haha Its too precious to drink Spreckly. That batch has been drunk by my plants, I have another gallon and half ready to run off in th enext few days. :-D
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julie62
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by julie62 »

My grandad used to boil up comfrey and wraps the leaves around his bad knee - he swore by it for aches and pains )t'
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HappyBob
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

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julie62 wrote:My grandad used to boil up comfrey and wraps the leaves around his bad knee - he swore by it for aches and pains )t'


Comfry was used a lot in the earlier years for such symptoms. It was also considered very good for helping fractures to heal and was sometimed referred to as "Knitbone"
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by Mallard »

Ran short of comfrey this year. so I'm trying nettles. No idea if it's any better but the stink is just the same! )sh
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HappyBob
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

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Mallard wrote:Ran short of comfrey this year. so I'm trying nettles. No idea if it's any better but the stink is just the same! )sh


I,ve never used nettles Mallard, i,d be interested how you get on with it. I planted a lot of comfry when I got my plot as I do use a lot during a season. This season i,m feeding quite heavy as I,m now totally paranoid that all this rain is washing all the nutrients out of the soil. :-D
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Re: Bobs 2012 Dairy

Post by vegalot »

My comfrey looks a little sad this year too, I think I may have over-harvested it last year. :oops:
Nettles, as far as I know, are higher in nitrogen so it's better for leafy veg.

This year I have a small tub of comfrey, a tub of nettle and I'm trying dandelion, which is meant to have more minerals than either of the other two, the daughter and I spent a wet few hours collecting the leaves from a farmers field.
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