any one going self sufficient

Lime Tree Farm

Alison Old-fashioned Thud wrote: »

It's a long term goal. We eat a lot so thought, why not.

Wife dug the trenches while I worked on the coop. I knew I did well marrying a farmers daughter

Ah!, that's what you meant when you said "I'm going no dig this year"

uck51js9zml2yt

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Ah!, that's what you meant when you said "I'm going no dig this year"

I laughed.
Had to dig a trench for them but the idea is slot stop ploughing and build up the compost layer.

She got some beans and peas down today while I worked from home.
We tried a pack of beans I bought in India.

Living Off The Splash

Water John wrote: »

Grow, Cook, Eat RTE 1 7.30 pm this evening may be of interest to posters.

I really have difficulty watching the female presenter on this show. Her scruffy hair. Constantly running her dirty soil covered fingers through it. I am not sure if the shows needs her at all....she brings nothing to it.

I like where they go out in to the countryside and visit other producers of veg.

tedpan

tedpan wrote: »

Nice, I planted asparagus last year. Takes 3 years to get your first crops though..

Got my asparagus plants today. Soaking in water and will be planted this evening.

Waves over to Buford

Aravo

Stationmaster wrote: »

First 2 pigs killed and collected. Killed out at 63 & 68kg with 96kg of meat between them. Happy enough with that for first timers. Freezer full now!

Did you rear the pigs yourself. If yes, I have a few Q's, as I'm thinking of getting a few some time.
What breed did you have
How many weeks from birth to finish
how did you fence them in
Were they in a well sheltered area with a lot of trees.

carrollsno1

Getting a bit done should be finished by the weeks end all going well no panic on yet. How much seed do ye reckon ill need for just on 290ft of beds?

Stationmaster

Aravo wrote: »

Did you rear the pigs yourself. If yes, I have a few Q's, as I'm thinking of getting a few some time.
What breed did you have
How many weeks from birth to finish
how did you fence them in
Were they in a well sheltered area with a lot of trees.

Bought them when they were weaned so they were around 12/13 weeks old. Black/Duroc cross. They were killed at just under 9 months. Electric fence using the white portable posts with timber post at the corners - moved them around about 4 times in total.

Got a pig arc from a crowd in Wexford - very good but dear enough but I'd be no good to make something like that myself which I'm sure a lot of lads are. No trees.

We're delighted with the meat and I hope to breed my own sow later this year.

Birdnuts

Raspberries as flying this year - hopefully a bumper crop on the way for the start of summer proper:)

Birdnuts

Birdnuts wrote: »

Raspberries as flying this year - hopefully a bumper crop on the way for the start of summer proper:)

i was looking at ,my fruit bushed today. bumper this year.
I ordered scaffold netting from amazon to make a fruit cage to keep the birds and kids away.

Base price

SouthWesterly wrote: »

i was looking at ,my fruit bushed today. bumper this year.
I ordered scaffold netting from amazon to make a fruit cage to keep the birds and kids away.

Best of luck with your crop and keeping the birds from stealing them.

IMO there is nothing better than homemade Raspberry jam with toast for breakfast on a cold Winter's morning. Blackberry jam/jelly is a close second followed by Gooseberry.

gozunda

SouthWesterly wrote: »

i was looking at ,my fruit bushed today. bumper this year.
I ordered scaffold netting from amazon to make a fruit cage to keep the birds and kids away.

Are your raspberries setting fruit already?

CelticRambler

gozunda wrote: »

Are your raspberries setting fruit already?

Mine are ... but I've only a dozen small canes, planted last year. I used to have a lot more, but they never did very well and died off over the course of a decade. Strawberries, though, have always done well for me, and are really enjoying this warm wet weather we're having at the moment. Am hoping to start picking in about a month's time.

gozunda

gozunda wrote: »

Are your raspberries setting fruit already?

I'm not sure where in the line they are. I've also currants and, gooseberry . Could well be the gooseberry. I'll know soon enough.

Base price

Base price wrote: »

Best of luck with your crop and keeping the birds from stealing them.

IMO there is nothing better than homemade Raspberry jam with toast for breakfast on a cold Winter's morning. Blackberry jam/jelly is a close second followed by Gooseberry.

I got some BlackBerry and planted them in the hedgerow along with elder dog rose and blackthorn.

Base price

SouthWesterly wrote: »

I got some BlackBerry and planted them in the hedgerow along with elder dog rose and blackthorn.

TBH I've never, ever heard of anyone planting briars

Birdnuts

Base price wrote: »

TBH I've never, ever heard of anyone planting briars

You can get commercial varieties in some garden centres plus crosses like Logan Berries etc.

Base price

Birdnuts wrote: »

You can get commercial varieties in some garden centres plus crosses like Logan Berries etc.

I haven't heard about Logan berries since I was youngster. My Mam used to bring canes from her parents farm to our place in NCD. Are they the ones with longer fruit compared to raspberries?

Base price

Base price wrote: »

TBH I've never, ever heard of anyone planting briars

You can get them bare root over winter. Plan is to make foraging easy by having my own supply.
Wife has been out the last week picking dandelion and gorse flowers. They can be used for jams, cordial and tea.

Bass Reeves

Base price wrote: »

I haven't heard about Logan berries since I was youngster. My Mam used to bring canes from her parents farm to our place in NCD. Are they the ones with longer fruit compared to raspberries?

Logan berries are a cross between raspberry and blackberry. You are right the are a longer fruit than a raspberry and have a kind of cut off snout like a greyhound.

Grandparents used to have a corner of them. I remember going over there to eat them. You can get thornless blackberry bushes as we they grow a bi soft blackberry that is besutyas well

Living Off The Splash

SouthWesterly wrote: »

i was looking at ,my fruit bushed today. bumper this year.
I ordered scaffold netting from amazon to make a fruit cage to keep the birds and kids away.

Thanks for the tip. We have been using an old safety netting from a trampoline plus some netting held together with pegs to cover our fruit bushes. I would like something a bit easier to put together.
Have you used scaffolding netting before? I see that the prices can vary greatly from place to place. Was Amazon the cheapest?

Living Off The Splash

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

Thanks for the tip. We have been using an old safety netting from a trampoline plus some netting held together with pegs to cover our fruit bushes. I would like something a bit easier to put together.
Have you used scaffolding netting before? I see that the prices can vary greatly from place to place. Was Amazon the cheapest?

First time using it but saw it on some fb groups.
Ireland is, rip off central for it.
Lots of places in the UK but a lot not shipping or closed.
Figured Amazon was the easiest. Price was roughly care same as private firms which were expensive on shipping even to NI.amazon was free postage.

I used parcel wizard and got 3*50 for about £39. Don't forget, it has to go up, over and down so, needs width.
Also saw it used for a brassicas cage as it's so, fine.

carrollsno1

Have a head of cabbage gone into a plant now at the minute any ideas of how it could be sown or could i grow my own plants from a few more heads?

Living Off The Splash

Looks like I will have a bumper crop of blackcurrants and gooseberries this year. I am just wondering when I should put some netting around them. I see the Blue tits flying among the bushes....are they after insects or eating the young buds?

Ordered more chickens for eggs and meat.

kerryjack

My potato stalks seems to have died the last few days wonder was it the frost last few nights. They very widhered looking this morning.

Bass Reeves

kerryjack wrote: »

My potato stalks seems to have died the last few days wonder was it the frost last few nights. They very widhered looking this morning.

Is there black tip on them. I imagine frost damage. You should have put newspapers over them , straw or a fleece. I was lucky I had a fleece from years ago and threw it over the ridges.

Genghis Cant

kerryjack wrote: »

My potato stalks seems to have died the last few days wonder was it the frost last few nights. They very widhered looking this morning.

The spuds here took some hammering with the frost the night before last. They're a sorry looking sight now.
We'd be very prone to frost here. I've seen it happen before. They usually recover.

carrollsno1

Blight warning in place for South Munster during the early part of this week.

Anyone know the mix for Bluestone and washing up powder?

Bass Reeves

carrollsno1 wrote: »

Blight warning in place for South Munster during the early part of this week.

Anyone know the mix for Bluestone and washing up powder?

1kg if bluestone 1Kg washing soda(not powder), 100 litres water.

Put the bluestone into hit water to melt it and then add the washing soda to that. Add the mixture to the remaining water.

10L would be 100 grams of each

You can use hydrated lime as well but it may damage the spuds if put on too strong