Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Growing for me and the animals  (Read 4659 times)

DenisCooper

  • Joined May 2016
Re: Growing for me and the animals
« Reply #15 on: February 17, 2018, 09:55:21 pm »
im fairly central in Staffordshire

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Growing for me and the animals
« Reply #16 on: February 17, 2018, 11:51:58 pm »
I start my brassicas off in pots - 2 1/2", then on into 4" - but I do it to avoid club root which is in our soil.  By growing them so large before planting them out in the soil, it gives the plants the chance to grow a good root system before they get attacked.  You really have to watch out for the plants getting root bound because they don't like that. The mix I grow them in is multipurpose compost mixed with seaweed meal, wood ash, fine manure of some sort, and this year worm casts.


 If you have no club root in your soil and you are in an equable climate, (and you can keep the flea beetles off  :D  ), then you are better to sow brassicas in a well cultivated seed bed, then plant them out into their final positions when they have about 4 true leaves.  Apparently the slight trimming of roots caused by moving them gives them a growth boost.


The brassicas I grow are PSB - purple sprouting broccoli, summer and winter - caulis sometimes, sprouts sometimes, dwarf green curled kale always, Pentland Brig kale (because it's Scottish and nearly fell off the official lists a few years back), also Brukale, which has various names like Petit Posy, but is basically like a blown Brussels sprout, but crops away like mad.  I grow savoy cabbages, but I find all cabbages here are badly affected by slugs, and it's too cold to use a bio remedy, and if they survive the hens get them.  I don't grow any crops for the sheep, but they get any overblown brassicas, which they love. Our sheep don't eat carrots!
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Growing for me and the animals
« Reply #17 on: February 19, 2018, 03:22:47 pm »

Our sheep don't eat carrots!


Neither do mine! But the goats go crazy for them and get them every lunchtime during the winter. I have found that it is more economical for me to buy a bag of pony carrots at 2pounds per bag, as getting carrots to grow is a bit of a difficult job here - slugs mainly.


But any kind of kale - see if you can get some kind of "feeding " kale, not sure of the varieties available in the UK, my seed comes from Germany (it is called Markstammkohl and grows enormous), in the UK I think one variety mentioned in old goat books is "1000head". I have found kale reasonalbly easy to grow, but it needs protection from pigeons in winter, so I use mesh for the first wee while and once it gets too big (and any caterpillars are gone) I rig up a tall mesh tunnel. Snow is a problem though.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS