Home Grown Vegetable Revolution

irlpic

Following on from an article in the Donegal People's Press last week a new group has been started on Facebook by Donegal people to promote the growing of fruit and veg at home or in allotments.

It is estimated that this skill has been mostly lost to a full generation, so i hope any of you Boardsies that are registered on Facebook also will join this group and you might even become inspired to give it a go yourself!

Give this link a try -Homegrown Ireland

(Facebook can be useful after all !)

smashey

SPAM!!!!!

Yeah, I saw the article in the paper and have joined your facebook group.

Domscard

smashey wrote: »

SPAM!!!!!

No, it's meat free

This is a great idea and I know of some community spirited people in the Lifford area who are looking at options for allotments if they can garner enough interest and commitment (and funding from somewhere).

martic

This is a great idea and I know of some community spirited people in the Lifford area who are looking at options for allotments if they can garner enough interest and commitment (and funding from somewhere).[/QUOTE]

The Article in the paper was based on my garden and wrote by a friend.With regards the facebook group the aim of it is to try and let members see how easy and enjoyable it is to grow their own fruit and vegetables.In the first 24 hours it has attracted 0ver 250 members and I have been receiving positive E-mails for creating it.My intentions is to get as much variety on the group as possible and have sent requests out to a few Irish chefs to see would they contribute a few recipes to the members so they can get the most out of their homegrown produce.I've also been in contact with grow it yourself Ireland (GIY) and as they have no Donegal branch are interested in getting one up and running in the county.
Marty.

ps. sorry for turning the Donegal section into Gardeners worlds;)

Domscard

martic wrote: »

This is a great idea and I know of some community spirited people in the Lifford area who are looking at options for allotments if they can garner enough interest and commitment (and funding from somewhere).

The Article in the paper was based on my garden and wrote by a friend.With regards the facebook group the aim of it is to try and let members see how easy and enjoyable it is to grow their own fruit and vegetables.In the first 24 hours it has attracted 0ver 250 members and I have been receiving positive E-mails for creating it.My intentions is to get as much variety on the group as possible and have sent requests out to a few Irish chefs to see would they contribute a few recipes to the members so they can get the most out of their homegrown produce.I've also been in contact with grow it yourself Ireland (GIY) and as they have no Donegal branch are interested in getting one up and running in the county.
Marty.

ps. sorry for turning the Donegal section into Gardeners worlds;)[/QUOTE]

I can't read the text in the extract and didn't see the paper, but your garden looks wonderful in the photos. Well done - I think growing your own produce is a terrific idea and I'm ashamed I don't make better use of my own garden. Laziness is a terrible thing
My brother in London travels for more than 30 minutes from his home to get to his allotment and the things he grows there (and the joy he gets from doing it) are thoroughly life-enhancing. I have some rhubarb and an apple tree in my garden ... maybe I'll get digging and put some more stuff in for next year.

North_West_Art

over a year ago, a local guy wanted rid of some beams he had removed from a shop renovation in town, so I bought them for a few quid and turned them into raised beds for vegetable growing.

The land where we are is very rocky, so there is very little depth of soil. I filled these raised beds with composte and soil. I have room for a good few more at the back of the house. Top soil isn't in ready supply this year compared to other years.

We have cabage, potatos, carrots, onions and cauliflower growing now. Letuce to be transplanted when I get the other raised beds up and running.

Domscard

Those raised beds look fantastic - can they be raised any higher, as in waist level? That's where my biggest problem is - getting down to ground level and back up again Bad knees and painful joints.
Either that, or maybe I could have someone dig a trench for me to work up from - with a graduated slope down into it and a wooden walkway

North_West_Art

Domscard, they can indeed be raised. If you have any old tables, they could be covered with plastic sheeting, then the raised beds could go ontop. 8-10" deep would probably be enough.
The tables would want to be strong enough to support the weight of the soil, your average table would be strong enough Im sure.
The other issue would be drainage. Holes would have to bored along the sides of the raised bed to allow water to escape after heavy rainfall.

Domscard

North_West_Art wrote: »

Domscard, they can indeed be raised. If you have any old tables, they could be covered with plastic sheeting, then the raised beds could go ontop. 8-10" deep would probably be enough.
The tables would want to be strong enough to support the weight of the soil, your average table would be strong enough Im sure.
The other issue would be drainage. Holes would have to bored along the sides of the raised bed to allow water to escape after heavy rainfall.

Thanks for that NWA - must get the OH wheedled into making them for me. I bet it will be next year though - he's about to paint the house now I'll probably go for a few simple things like lettuce and scallions to start with. I'm looking forward to this ... Did you make the wine yet?

martic

Domscard wrote: »

Those raised beds look fantastic - can they be raised any higher, as in waist level? That's where my biggest problem is - getting down to ground level and back up again Bad knees and painful joints.
Either that, or maybe I could have someone dig a trench for me to work up from - with a graduated slope down into it and a wooden walkway

Hi Domscard,
Raised beds can be made waist level as easy as making them ground level but some of us are just gluttens for pain:) Find attached a video on waist level raised beds at work.I'm from the lifford area and I was able to purchase 2nd's scaffolding boards for cheap from a local scaffolding company if that helps you at all.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tQbGud35N4]
Also with regards the facebook group we are after getting local chef martin Anderson involved in the group and he will posting recipes on the group page with the produce the members are growing :)

Domscard

martic wrote: »

Hi Domscard,
Raised beds can be made waist level as easy as making them ground level but some of us are just gluttens for pain:) Find attached a video on waist level raised beds at work.I'm from the lifford area and I was able to purchase 2nd's scaffolding boards for cheap from a local scaffolding company if that helps you at all.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tQbGud35N4]
Also with regards the facebook group we are after getting local chef martin Anderson involved in the group and he will posting recipes on the group page with the produce the members are growing :)

That looks perfect for me And I think I know that scaffolding company ... My plan is for next year so my research is going well thanks to Boardsies. Move over Charlie Dimmock ...

goat2

Domscard wrote: »

That looks perfect for me And I think I know that scaffolding company ... My plan is for next year so my research is going well thanks to Boardsies. Move over Charlie Dimmock ...

this is great to see so many interested in veg gardening, i have turned some of my patch over to the veg for the first time ever, i use those bags you get in the shop for 1 euro they are made of a green material for my potatoes, leek and celery, i gave an old fridge thrown on its side and filled with herbs of all sorts, and i am hoping to turn an old big freezer into a veg patch also, i use fish boxes for cabbage and brussell sprouts, this is my first yr veg gardening, i alos put in a few heads of lettuce on a hanging baskets and take leaves as i need

Domscard

goat2 wrote: »

this is great to see so many interested in veg gardening, i have turned some of my patch over to the veg for the first time ever, i use those bags you get in the shop for 1 euro they are made of a green material for my potatoes, leek and celery, i gave an old fridge thrown on its side and filled with herbs of all sorts, and i am hoping to turn an old big freezer into a veg patch also, i use fish boxes for cabbage and brussell sprouts, this is my first yr veg gardening, i alos put in a few heads of lettuce on a hanging baskets and take leaves as i need

It's great to be so inventive and recycle stuff into the bargain. I had a home grown lettuce today from my brother in law and it tasted so nice in comparison to what you buy in the shops.

muffler

The broad beans will be in season shortly so if anyone around the Finn Valley area has too many I will gladly take them off their hands

Domscard

muffler wrote: »

The broad beans will be in season shortly so if anyone around the Finn Valley area has too many I will gladly take them off their hands

A new approach to exchange and market maybe Or we could have a food and wine swapping event instead of beers?

North_West_Art

well, Im afraid Ive missed the Whin flower window, the Whins are gone for another year.... but... I think I'll give the rhubarb wine a go, it will be in season shortly, and Blackberry wine in the Autumn http://www.familyherbalremedies.com/blackberry_wine_recipe.html

smashey

muffler wrote: »

The broad beans will be in season shortly so if anyone around the Finn Valley area has too many I will gladly take them off their hands

I have broad beans growing out the back so we'll see what the crop is like.

muffler

smashey wrote: »

I have broad beans growing out the back so we'll see what the crop is like.

Excellent!

Durnish

We have a plot in B/fast. In fact, it was on the telly in a three part series recently.
Spuds are most cost effective thing to grow, apart from strwbs and rasps, which I am jamming up today. It's the social side, all sorts of people, that is the real benefit. We get a lot of support from the city council.

Domscard

North_West_Art wrote: »

well, Im afraid Ive missed the Whin flower window, the Whins are gone for another year.... but... I think I'll give the rhubarb wine a go, it will be in season shortly, and Blackberry wine in the Autumn http://www.familyherbalremedies.com/blackberry_wine_recipe.html

My rhubarb is not growing too well at the moment - I only have one plant and I managed to make a tart out of a few stalks a couple of weeks ago. My father used to have huge amounts of it in his garden and we all struggled to use it up - every time we visited him at this time of year we left with tons of fresh rhubarb, groaning at the 'work' we had to put in to use it up. I wish he was still here ... and not just for the rhubarb
But it will be cheap to buy soon and I am going to try to make that wine. We can compare vintages ...

North_West_Art

Domscard wrote: »

Those raised beds look fantastic - can they be raised any higher, as in waist level? That's where my biggest problem is - getting down to ground level and back up again Bad knees and painful joints.
Either that, or maybe I could have someone dig a trench for me to work up from - with a graduated slope down into it and a wooden walkway

Domscard, for raised boxes at waist level, and every other kind of raised bed for gardens, this is your man here. He delivers boxes and special enriched soil and assembles the lot. Hope thats a help...

Oystershell

Hi Northwest,
Im a gombeen.I have just put up the same info in reply to your other query about the raised beds in dublin. yeah I can defo vouch for those lads ,even their site gives away plenty of tips.
Im new to this lark so Ill try and find my way around here.

Oystershell

Domscard

North_West_Art wrote: »

Domscard, for raised boxes at waist level, and every other kind of raised bed for gardens, this is your man here. He delivers boxes and special enriched soil and assembles the lot. Hope thats a help...

Thanks NWA - that's exactly what I need. And even the topsoil as well! This time next year .... er, knee deep in veg

Durnish

I hope youse all will share the seaweed gathering secrets with me. Best for spuds? When to collect? Will beach weed do or do I have to wade out with a sharp knife?

Domscard

Durnish wrote: »

I hope youse all will share the seaweed gathering secrets with me. Best for spuds? When to collect? Will beach weed do or do I have to wade out with a sharp knife?

Eh? Do I need seaweed too? Mind you, it's absolutely fantastic for a bath - feels like warm olive oil (smells like fish though ). Fresh storm stuff is the best kind and if you use nothing else in the bath (as in detergent type stuff) you could definitely use it for the garden afterwards. Mind the wee creatures though - or bathe in candlelight so you don't see them
I'm sure the old stuff washed up on the beach would be fine for veggies - must be full of nutrients.

The Shtig

I want to try growing some veg myself but have no experience at all!

When's the best time to plant them? how long will it take to grow? How difficult is it?



I'll be leaving home for college next year so only have a year to try it out but would love to give it a go!

homer simpson

Its illegal to gather from the shoreline now afink...but i know of a few fairly quiet areas around my neck of the woods with a fortune of seaweed about them

Durnish

Oh, very interesting. I thought it was just sand that couldn't be removed. Some places would benefit from the wrack being removed, or would they? Maybe it's something to do with wadding birds. On the west coast of France the beaches are regularly scoured clean of storm wrack.

Seaweed used to be big business. I thought some of the beach access rights of way had survived to allow for comunal wrack collection