Alan4711

Compost heaps and rats

Hi Grandma, last year our covered compost heap revealed a large rats nets with some of the  the contents of my compost darlek stored  nicely in the nest,i found they had dug under the darlek and i eventually placed it on breeze blocks and when i used the heap they vacated not to return ,there's plenty of other sources of food on the other allotments so preventing them getting to the kitchen waste they gave notice ,paid up and left and good riddance, hope this helps

Alan4711

Runner Beans.

like Verdun my bean frame is permanent the same idea, 7 foot wooden poles from the farm suppliers at ?? 1.50 with chicken wire across and also the pea frame ,2 x 4 foot poles from the farmers supply shop at ?? 1 each and chicken wire across , and they never get rotated like the rest of the crops on the allotment, they never fall down never get moved and so cheap and easy some of us use bean mesh or old fishing boat nets when we can get them,these are good for fruit cages as well ,2nd hand very cheap
good luck
Alan4711

carrots

i use toilet roll middles for carrots then plant the whole roll with the carrot in them
no probs,kitchen roll middles are great for beans go for it

Sentimental Tool

nice one donut, left school at 14 and became a Dewhurst butchers boy,bike basket and all, i bought my own steak knife for 14 bob and iv still got it in my shed and still kept sharp as a razor, 52 years ago good steak knife that, and iv got 12 old stitches to prove it,got to laf aint ya
good luck alan4711

What are the fields of yellow flowers I see everywhere now? " />

the bee keeper in our allotment said he dreads the farmer planting rape in the field next to us as he says they tend to use some very bad pesticides on rape so he says anyway,,mind you looking at rape it seems its better for us to use than even the best virgin oils i use it for almost everything have done for yonks
good luck all and aint this sunshine just great a bit burnt already today ,
Alan4711

cider

steephill that's great advise just the job matey Cheers






ALAN4711

DAM CATS

Hi Red John,i have been on this site for a long time with cat problems,long story short ,, over ??500 now spent on fences and deterants,the one that works IS Jeyes fluid ready to use one or dilute yourself they do work Wilcos is so far cheapest also sprayed t bags just under the soil also works, i personaly simply spray on the soil in over 3/4 months or more now NO cats have returned until yesterday when i planted something and forgot to spray around it ,jeyes will kill weeds or plants so you have to not spray too close to your plants, it took about a week to kick in and then i sprayed once a month or even less, But it does work ,

cider

Hi all,has anyone ever planted an apple tree or trees with maybe cider in mind as i want to make cider ,i have the room for a few trees but which do i plant and how long before i can pick the apples,i can do the net for tree sellers but id rather here from a gardener who has some idea of what its about, So any help lads and lasses would really be helpful. many thanks Alan4711

Pollytunnels

cheers Andy having a look now mate thanks for that
Alan4711

Pollytunnels

Hi all again ,im moving soon hopefully to a house with a large back garden and need help on polly tunnels ,iv never used or purchased one and wondered if anyone had any experience as to good and bad pollys on the market, do,s and don't,s and any other advise for buying and using them im looking at pollys as a large greenhouse seems to be silly money, any help would be good. Good luck Alan4711

cider

tree 

Pollytunnels

which one 

white strawberries

question 

fig cuttings

figs 

sun dried toms

costafortune 

herbs in oil

dangerous 

might be usefull for slugs

slugs 

update on Jeyes Fluid and cat probs

update on Jeyes Fluid /cats 

just reporting

baby corn

up in the air

no history at all now

frerfox

nettles please

what do u think this might be