James Martin Digs Deep

[Bex]

Telewest its channel 260 I think not sure on sky.

[Alison]

We're NTL and they've just renumbered all the channels - for our convenience apparently. Quite how changing BBC1 from channel 1 to channel 101 is more convenient is however a mystery to me!

[woolymummoth]

being a novice like myself i do appreciate jm's enthusiasm for his first vegetable garden, just to get something to grow is a great encouragement

[skegblade]

UKTV Food is on Sky 259 or if you miss it, it replays an hour later on Sky 260

[shirley]

It's also on in the mornings which as I am off sick from work I manage to watch it. For a man who says he has a full time job those beds are amazing.
And who has running water in their greenhouse???? I do like him though but would agree that HFW does it for me.

[Alison]

We have running water in our greenhouse - well if you count a hose pipe connection to the water butt outside to be running water............ Certainly better than nothing though and I link it up to a timer and a drip system in summer which is a godsend if we're away for a few days.

[Nicos]

Which drip system do you have Alison?
Like the idea of that.( Xmas pressi list in the making!)

[Alison]

Kind of built our system myself from a variety of bits and pieces. I've got a hose connection straight off the water butt via a timer (they're not cheap but you don't need to buy a complicated one if you just want it to work for a set time every day). The hose goes through a small hole drilled in the aluminium base section of the greenhouse. Inside I've used some 1" (ish) plastic pipe that I found at my grandad's when we cleared his garden out. This then connects via a plastic connection piece into some smaller bore pipe with drippers on it (again, a find at grandads - he was a keen tomato grower and had his own lottie when younger). I'm going to have to replace the 1" pipe soon as it's getting a bit leaky where I've changed the layout. I bought some more bits a couple of years ago which were from the Gardena Micro Drip range. These were a bit expensive but they were the most compatible with what I already had. Think that you can get own brand dripper systems from B&Q now but not sure of the price or if they're available at this time of year. My greenhouse is situated where there used to be a large tree, hence lots of roots so I elected to cover the floor with gravel and use pots and grow bags. The head off the water butt is sufficient to have drippers into the grow bags at ground level and I've now added some small bore pipes upto the top of 10" pots, had to fiddle with this a bit as had air locks to start with but it worked pretty well for me and meant that I didn't have to do the main watering every day and just topped up and / or fed as and when needed.

[JennieAtkinson]

That sounds good Alison. I've been trying to sort out a drippa system for my new greenhouse. I didn't think I would get enough head from the water butt and thought I might need a pump. Do you keep it topped up all the time?

PS Can't comment on the programme, I'm out everynight this week (panto rehearsals - first night is looming fast!).

[Lesley Jay]

I figured that as a moderator I should really see this programme - so I have just watched it and I have to say what a great entertaining programme it is. His seed sowing might need alot of improvement but he is learning!! I am damned sure that this programme will encourage new people to have a go at growing their own vegetables and fruit and the recipes - gooseberry chutney and carrot cake look great.

[andrewo]

Well personally, I thought it was a complete load of drivel...oooh look at me new greenhouse....oooooh look at me spanish style herb garden...oooh look at me buying a really expensive olive tree and planting it in a really exposed and windy area...ooooooooh it's dead. Thought it had good intentions but really there are better ways - I would have found a programme like this much more fun if it had followed normal people in their quest to grow veg in a hectic world from allotmenteers to small holders, to people with a balcony to those with a patio, to those who grow in tubs - at least we would have had some chance of a personality, this guy is so dull that he gives everyone up North a bad name. Also, didn't he have an affair with Fern Briton and end her marriage? God how I hate him...vitriolic rant over.

[Lesley Jay]

But Andrewo it is on the cookery channel not on the gardening channel. James admits that he hasn't got a clue what to do but has still managed to grow some fruit and vegetables which is why I think it might encourage other people to try.

If this programme was on the gardening channel then I would expect a proper how to grow your own programme but it's not. It is an entertaining cookery programme. James's no nonsense British cookery is excellent.

[Alison]

Hey Andrewo, can you put your idea to the powers that be at TV - I'd watch it, sounds great. Often find that although a lot of the programmes are interesting it can be hard to see how it helps you personally.

Re the watering system mentioned earlier, I have the water butt on a stand and have only had to top it up when it's been really dry or I'm going away for the week. As the butt empties you get less water but so long as you check on your plants now and then it works fine although it'll depend on how many plants you want to water, our greenhouse is only 6 x 6 so not a great demand. Suppose you could put another butt in parallel if you wanted more capacity. Obviously it wouldn't be any good for misting systems and the like but to do that you either need mains water or a pump - saw some for sale once at GW show and designed to work out a water butt but as they were very expensive and would burn out if the butt ran dry I decided not to bother.

[fudgelover79]

hahaha oh my word...nooooooooo james didnt have an affair with fern britton...it was her now hubby phill vickery (also a chef on ready steady cook with james)....pmsl ha ha ha.... lord thats made my day that...

[Earthbabe]

You got there well before me fudgelover. That would have been an interesting combination......or maybe not.