Growing your own veg

yoganmahew said:
I also have started a plot this year after a few abortive attempts. As it's reclaimed farmland, it's very weedy (nettles, thistles, dandelions, couch grass and the ever present sharlock (prassia)).
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Any idead of the best way to compost couch grass?
Apparently it's very nutrient rich but that it can't be composted in the normal bins as it will just grow.
 
I've been putting it in my heap and I plan to spray the heap with round-up if I get major growth.

Unfortunately, you're not allowed to burn any garden waste, which would be the easiest way to get the nutrients back.
 
Hi

Why on earth would you want to spray your compost heap? The whole point of a compost heap is that when fully composted, you are returning nutrients to your garden.

Whatever about the residue's from fruit/veg that you buy in a shop, at least they are occasionally tested. If you spray your compost heap, how do you know how much residue is leaking backing into your own home grown veg?

I just don't fully believe the argument that weed killers are biodegradable or neutralised in the soil. By how much? How long does it take?

Round Up and all the other Monsanto rubbish should be confined to the bin.

Apologies for causing offence, but I just dont see the point in spraying, especially needlessly.

But to specifically answer the previous question, I bring all unwanted weeds: counch grass, dandeline, etc. that could possibly germinate to my nearest green waste facility. If not available to you, I would suggest composting for non-veg purposes, i.e. for areas that you dont mind as much if the grass/weeds return.
 
There is a multi seed pack available in B&Q which contains about ten different seed which is a good starter pack.
 
I`m also mad to start growing some veg & have a big enough back garden but with plans to build a shed & throw down some paving I was wondering how small a space I could get away with ?
I`ve been reading a gardening book that suggests rotating the three main types of veg but says that you also need to separate the plots a good bit to get any good out of rotation
 
I don't want to grow my vegetables from seed. Is there anywhere on the south side of Dublin where I can purchase say six mature seedlings of cabbages, six of lettuce etc in containers and ready to be transplanted in to the ground?.
 
Homebase usually do a selection of veg seedlings for herbs, salad veg, tomatoes, peppers etc.

Also Mr. Middleton on Mary st would have these later in Spring.
 
Are the materials to build the polytunnels easy to come by in Dublin?
 
Coolaboy said:
When will I start to plant spuds, carrotts, parsnips?
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Offhand I can't recall precisely. The carrots and parsnips will state on the pack.
You should start digging and manuring now for first earlies, get them in for St. Patrick's day.

A good website, and it's a shame that us Irish don't seem to have one, is www.britishpotatoes.co.uk
 
Book Recommendation For Beginners

Hi. Have just started our first container garden, growing salad veg, potatoes etc. Bought a great, easy-to-follow book called "The Thrifty Gardener", by Alys Fowler. It has lots of tips & money-saving ideas for growing your own veg and flowers, organic pest-control, making containers or building a composter, whether you own a garden or are renting a flat short-term. We took a couple of short-cuts so our garden has cost us about €200 to start, but we'll have our own compost and enough seeds for next year and we can take the whole lot with us if we move! I'd recommend "The Thrifty Gardener" for anyone who's starting from scratch on a budget. It normally retails for about €18-20, but it's available on http://www.amazon.co.uk (amazon) for about a tenner. Happy gardening everyone!
 
Hi Folks.

A colleague of mine has just updated a little booklet designed for people who want to grow veg in their back gardens and allotments etc.

You can access the book on the Teagasc website:

[broken link removed]

Enjoy the growing. Its a great hobby and very therapeutic.
 
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