I'm a primate's father's brother so I am

[piskieinboots]

half an hour to maintain a lottie they say - I have just spent two hours trying to dig concrete and plant sprouts and peas into said concrete....half an hour they said - yer in their world maybe

I have blisters on my blisters

[HeyWayne]

half an hour to maintain a lottie they say - I have just spent two hours trying to dig concrete and plant sprouts and peas into said concrete....half an hour they said - yer in their world maybe

I have blisters on my blisters

Sure you didn't read somewhere that if you pee on concrete something usually sprouts within about half an hour?

[piskieinboots]

I have to say I have come very close to giving up over the last few days or so and I really don't want to but blimey - how do 'they' do it
*sobs

[HeyWayne]

I know what you mean. It took me 45 minutes to water everything last night, empty the kitchen crock into the compost heap and sprinkle some slug pellets.

[Lady Jana Muck]

Could have told you all this before you started sis. Our soil was like concrete/clay so we built beds and the only way it got easier was putting good stuff in those beds and that takes time. I think that's why they named the programme from Ryton gardens "All Muck & Magic" because that homemade compost and muck really does change the soil. Just have a bit of patients and its also a lot cheaper than a gym.

[scarey55]

Can't Snowdrop send a team of crack engineers in or something

Seriously though, don't try and do too much at once. You didn't have it this time last year so anything you grow is more than it was.

Now, go and open a bottle of something lovely and relax

[Lady Jana Muck]

I never believed that "do it all in half an hour" not when you have to take into count time to brew up and BBQ egg and bacon on a Sunday morning. Then there's BBQ and beer watching the sun go down or just chilling out with a few friends and a glass of wine. Half an hour it just cant be done I tell thee

[Flummery]

At this time of year I do FAR more than half an hour - by choice I add - because this is the time when it's all growing like heck. When your soil is conquered (although the weeds never are!) and it's down to harvesting and a little light hoeing, well, mebbe then. Half an our my little pink bottie!

[piskieinboots]

Can't Snowdrop send a team of crack engineers in or something

sadly, Snowdrop only controls the coppers not the engineers, but I guess the coppers could use their asps (!) and whistles hehehe

Seriously though, don't try and do too much at once. You didn't have it this time last year so anything you grow is more than it was.

now that is so true and I do have:
Jerusalem fartichokes, spuds (by the ton), runner beans, peas, garlic, horse-radish all growing away - oh and now Sprouts - so yaaaay me

Now, go and open a bottle of something lovely and relax

what superb advice - all of it - but this is the best bit

[Seahorse]

I'm all for opening a bottle

Don't forget you're a teeny thing too Piskie! I really don't like to admit being 'girlie' about anything but when I look at my lottie neighbour (a foot taller than me and probably nearly twice my weight!) motoring away, I do have to accept that I just can't do that

[jackie j]

I have spent most of today at the Lottie still didnt do what I set out to do. Nice tan coming along tho !!!

[Winged one]

We got ours Feb 07. Couch infested and not had anything done for a number of years. So we started digging and digging and digging to remove roots and get some ready to plant.

Then there was no rain for a while and ours turned to concrete too. So we stopped digging as we couldn't plant anymore. But we managed to get spuds, cabbages, brocolli, a couple of caulis, some peas, loads of onions and some lettuce last year.

This year, we have cleared most of it but the concrete problem is recurring. So everything in is fine, but there will be very little more going in until after plenty of wet stuff (on a site with practically no water). Hopefully that will be soon as I have lots of tomato plants to bring up there.

Last winter's job was to clear - but I think next winter will have to be getting lots of muck on the beds and maybe some sand as well.


OKAY, to move it away from me (how do I keep doing that?) - you've got loads in that you didn't have last year. You have plenty of opportunities to top up the compost heap/bin with weeds to make lovely crumbly stuff for next winter's enrichment, and having concrete means you are excempt from anymore digging and have to take the time on the plot as watering, weeding and then relaxing - glass in hand of course!! Contemplating your fab harvests to come!!

[Flummery]

First year growing veg in our previous garden Himself borrowed an auger from work (sort of screws a hole in the soil) and we popped the spuds down those. Almost felt like saying a prayer over them - a real concrete job that was! However, we got a crop. That's the main thing. And of course the soil improved year on year. The only way is up, my little piskie, so look that way and not just at the soil.

[piskieinboots]

awwww I'm filling up with nice stuff following your kind words of support and encouragement - thanks

[Flummery]

awwww I'm filling up with nice stuff

Chocolate? Gin? come on kid, share it out, we're your friends!