Drainpipe Growing

[pigletwillie]

I had better build a 20' shed then

[Lesley Jay]

Snadger I assume it is the way to grow long, straight show quality carrots.

[Snadger]

Snadger I assume it is the way to grow long, straight show quality carrots.

As the wise indian said.............HOW???

[Lesley Jay]

How??

Bung the compost in the drain pipe, put the seed on the top and water.

[JennieAtkinson]

You must have some b****y deep drainpipes!

Or is that it - they stand upright ?????? Surely you're not aiming for 6' carrots?

[Lesley Jay]

Jennie they are giant show carrots. The longer, the better. They do have a long tap root.

[Snadger]

Who the hecks got a 20'0" pan to cook em???

[dexterdoglancashire]

well said Snadger! The idea is to fasten the end of the pipe at the top of the fence panel, then put the other end in the soil so you have a diagonal piece of pipe along the fence panel the rest is as described above! Got OH trying to take a photo of the book! LOL DDL

[supersprout]

As the wise indian said.............HOW???

DDL is talking about a whole vertical drainpipe, unless my marbles are on the floor?

(cough) .... Sorry folks ..... Back to the drainpipes .... how do you stop the compost running out the ends when you water it before any root systems appear? I tried it a couple of years ago with some short lengths, but couldn't keep anything in the edges.

(cough cough) ... I went to a great veg growing course at Barnsdale Gardens in November. They always start peas in guttering (half-drainpipe?) to prevent them being et by bunnies. The flat-bottomed guttering (1m long) goes on the greenhouse staging. A slate or short wood offcut is placed at each open gutter ends. They are held propped flush against the gutter ends with a handy potted plant so that the compost doesn't fall out of the ends. The guttering is filled with compost and peas, and the 'ends' removed at planting-out time. We all swooned and cursed - why didn't we think of that!

[Poledragon]

Been having a think about this guttering lark and have decided that it would solve my strawberry runner problem. This year, I'm going to fill a couple of 6' lengths of guttering with soil and put them either side of the strawberry bed, and 'pot up' the strawberry runners into them. Come the end of the year, I should have some nicely rooted runners, in two neat lines to slide into the new strawberry bed. Lots of small pots just aren't an option for me, what with kids, dogs, bad back, high winds, etc...

Reckon it'll work?

[supersprout]

Sounds like a wizard wheeze Poledragon!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Methinks you've got it PD! Trying to sort out a photo at the moment! I may be some time............DDL

[Snadger]

well said Snadger! The idea is to fasten the end of the pipe at the top of the fence panel, then put the other end in the soil so you have a diagonal piece of pipe along the fence panel the rest is as described above! Got OH trying to take a photo of the book! LOL DDL

Come to think of it, I would imgine once the sun gets on the pipe it will get that hot you won't need a pan.....the carrots will come out ready cooked!