The greenhouse is now stocked with many green tomatoes and two bell pepper plants, hopefully we will win the race of ripening with possible disease on its trail!
The thrilling adventures of a gardening novice on a community plot in London.
Thursday 4 October 2012
Thursday 20 September 2012
Its all in the brew
Somehow, our single hops plant produced nearly 1.4kg of hops!
The other 13 growers, averaged just over 200g.
Was it the regular singing to the plant, or highly skilled watering?
It liked growing up a fence, this is the harvest from the one side (anyone could've pinched these!)
It's the weigh in at The Florence! The micro brewery
The Beer will be a pale ale, called Prima Dona and ready for a beer festival on Lordship Lane, East Dulwich on October 6th.
The other 13 growers, averaged just over 200g.
Was it the regular singing to the plant, or highly skilled watering?
It liked growing up a fence, this is the harvest from the one side (anyone could've pinched these!)
It's the weigh in at The Florence! The micro brewery
Some science
1st draft samples ("tastes like Horlicks")
The Beer will be a pale ale, called Prima Dona and ready for a beer festival on Lordship Lane, East Dulwich on October 6th.
Tuesday 4 September 2012
Wednesday 22 August 2012
Tuesday 14 August 2012
A very green greenhouse
Tomatoes plants have grown to a good height, plenty of lovely flowers are appearing, glut of tomatoes on their way?...
Bell peppers appearing and mouse melons have been transplanted to a new home to a large pot with wigwam to climb up.
Bell peppers appearing and mouse melons have been transplanted to a new home to a large pot with wigwam to climb up.
Wednesday 8 August 2012
Tuesday 7 August 2012
Hip Hops Hooray!
The hops are going good, that's assuming two huge bushes climbing higher than the fence is good
There are flowers appearing too...
Hopefully the other Brixton Beer Project growers are going ok too!
There are flowers appearing too...
Hopefully the other Brixton Beer Project growers are going ok too!
Wednesday 11 July 2012
Summer Harvest
I have been busy with moving house, but lack of blog posts dont mean lack of plot activity!
We harvested a small amount of produce a couple of times recently
Broad beans which survived a blackfly onslaught
Peas grew hassle free with not much support (a wigwam system would make it tidier though!) and taste so good fresh.
Beets also grew no problem, tasted great and there's more to come!
We harvested a small amount of produce a couple of times recently
Broad beans which survived a blackfly onslaught
Peas grew hassle free with not much support (a wigwam system would make it tidier though!) and taste so good fresh.
Beets also grew no problem, tasted great and there's more to come!
Tuesday 10 July 2012
Potato no show
After much anticipation, I knocked down the tyres that we were growing potatoes in.
Success was in the form of a huge ant colony.
Failure was in the crop.
I emailed the helpful folks at JBA Seed Potatoes
"Ah growmore is a general fertiliser 7-7-7npk. So the nitrogen levels are too high compared to the potash and that has resulted in tremendous foliage growth but poor crops below as all the plants energy is going into the foliage.
In a normal year I would say that growmore would be ok but with this years lack of sun and excess of rain I think the growmore has dissolved quickly and the plant has taken up the nitrogen and grown you some lovely foliage."
Success was in the form of a huge ant colony.
Failure was in the crop.
I emailed the helpful folks at JBA Seed Potatoes
After a
couple of emails we got to the bottom of the issue, THE WEATHER and that I used Growmore General Fertilizer rather than one high in potash.
"Ah growmore is a general fertiliser 7-7-7npk. So the nitrogen levels are too high compared to the potash and that has resulted in tremendous foliage growth but poor crops below as all the plants energy is going into the foliage.
In a normal year I would say that growmore would be ok but with this years lack of sun and excess of rain I think the growmore has dissolved quickly and the plant has taken up the nitrogen and grown you some lovely foliage."
Thursday 14 June 2012
Growing things & green things
Peas are taking shape
and apples have started too
Hops are going ok, I assume!
Friday 1 June 2012
Sunshine, it works!
During our spell of great weather ('Summer') the peas, broad beans, potatoes and salad leaves all seriously lapped it up and grew loads!
Finally, lots of green across the plot!
Monday 28 May 2012
Thursday 17 May 2012
Hops assisted
A temporary support for the hops, which were hugging the wall till now. Will work out whats best long term next week!
Tuesday 1 May 2012
Peas please!
Peas are shooting up nicely, we will be planting another row soon
The hops, by the wall, may need some support from now?
Thursday 12 April 2012
Hops growing!
Happy to see some change for the good (green leaves and shoots!) after a period of looking at what appeared to be a dead piece of wood.
Read about the Brixton Beer Project here
http://city-farmers.co.uk/?p=200
You can follow the Brixton Beer Project growers on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/107597066037918/
seedlings and spring time
plenty of planting in recent weeks, the flat has hosted the seedlings in their early days.
So we have plenty of tomato and chilli seedlings at various stages, some of the tomatoes are ready to go in grow bags in the greenhouse and some of the chillies ready to go in pots.
Also growing in pots of their own are three red basil plants.
Jalapeño's were planted first, then three mystery types from seeds given to me by dad a little after.
I have scotch bonnets to sow but they need it to be a lot warmer, so they'll wait till summertime.
Plenty of planting at the actual plot too, not so much to take photos of though. Carrots, onions, beetroot, peas and beans are all in the ground. Who knows if they'll turn into food!
So we have plenty of tomato and chilli seedlings at various stages, some of the tomatoes are ready to go in grow bags in the greenhouse and some of the chillies ready to go in pots.
Also growing in pots of their own are three red basil plants.
Jalapeño's were planted first, then three mystery types from seeds given to me by dad a little after.
I have scotch bonnets to sow but they need it to be a lot warmer, so they'll wait till summertime.
Plenty of planting at the actual plot too, not so much to take photos of though. Carrots, onions, beetroot, peas and beans are all in the ground. Who knows if they'll turn into food!
Monday 26 March 2012
First on its way to being edible...
...its rhubarb!
Read about forcing it, so covered plant with a bucket a few weeks ago.
As novices, just looking at the colour and size of it impressed us!
March 11th
March 18th
Brixton Beer - Hops planted at the plot!
We are taking part in the Brixton Beer project.
We'll be attempting to grow a single hop plant, which will be harvested each year and along with other growers hops, will form the collective to brew Brixton Beer!
As with everything else growing on the plot of the Secret Greenhouse, I have no idea what will come of it!
We'll be attempting to grow a single hop plant, which will be harvested each year and along with other growers hops, will form the collective to brew Brixton Beer!
As with everything else growing on the plot of the Secret Greenhouse, I have no idea what will come of it!
Wednesday 21 March 2012
1st Open Day
Success of the day was the lovely beetroot & seed cake, failure of the day was starting at 10am (on a Sunday!)
Thanks for all that donated, we only made a few pounds after factoring the ingredients for two cakes, but it was all worth it!
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Thursday 16 February 2012
Sprouting on up
After a bit of research we bought three varieties of seed potatoes.
Two have the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit while the Rocket are ‘extra earlies’ so hopefully we wont have to wait as long till they are on a plate in a lovely salad!
Rocket (earlies)
British Queen (2nd earlies)
Picasso (main crop)
They’ll be ready for planting around mid-March till then,
the tubers will sit and chit on our windowsill for a bit.
the tubers will sit and chit on our windowsill for a bit.
Tuesday 7 February 2012
Seeds have been sown
On a Saturday that brought snow to London, we were pleased to have something productive to do indoors.
Ian, Sally and I planted thyme, onion, leek and tomato seeds in trays, which are now on my bedside
draws by a window.
Reading up on growing potatoes in tyres it sounds practical for our small space.
Soon to pick a selection of tubers to start chitting (and pick up more impressive potato terms along the way, sure to impress anyone in the pub).
Exciting times are upon us, the seeds have been sown!
Monday 16 January 2012
New Year lull
There has been little to do other than drop scraps off for composting and make plans for the coming month, hence the lull in communication.
Soon we will be sourcing seeds, fertilizer and fresh wood chippings.
We have no hedgehog tenants but as the plot is fenced off and slightly raised, it's tricky for them to even view the place, let alone move in!
Once things need more tending to (and we get more out of our depth), we will be promoting the plot a bit more and hopefully gaining some help.
Soon we will be sourcing seeds, fertilizer and fresh wood chippings.
We have no hedgehog tenants but as the plot is fenced off and slightly raised, it's tricky for them to even view the place, let alone move in!
Once things need more tending to (and we get more out of our depth), we will be promoting the plot a bit more and hopefully gaining some help.
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