Maria Caesaria

Steve Faulkner wrote: Although so far on my allotment site (twined with the Gaza Strip) I'm considered a bit of a nut. It seems that everyone else uses 'Round Up' and 'Kurtail' weed killers like cheap aftershave and they rotovate the hell out of the soil.

This made me laugh no end - I fear I'm going to experience the exact same on the plot I've just taken on. My neighbour to one side has already expressed distaste for the methods of the people whose plot I've taken over as they were organic growers. She grows everything in extremely straight lines with lots of RoundedUp rotovation and plastic. It's going to be an interesting year.

I'm based in the East Midlands. Might be nice to get a Midlands contingent together, as there seem to be a few of us, even if we're spread between East and West.

Thank you both for sharing your experiences. I was concerned that a runner might overrun the poor young trees, so that is useful to know. The strings, however, do sound like a viable option. I'm thinking of sourcing some Painted Lady seeds to give it all a decorative edge, too.

Thanks both for the tips. I think I might be able to get away with sand bags in this instance, so I will give it a go... The place I'm moving to has very poor, London clay soil, so I'm keen to give it a boost!

Brilliant, that's incredibly helpful Leila, thank you - much appreciated - especially the wet paper tip!

Very glad to know that I will be able to take them with me.

I'm moving house soon and would like to bring my angelica and anise hyssop plants with me. I'm worried about causing them both stress that might kill them off. Would it be better to chop them and preserve them, or should I give moving them a go? I will happily candy the angelica, but it is such a lovely and majestic plant, and it has not yet flowered. Perhaps I should just leave them here, but I would miss them very much, and the next residents will probably not know what it is and dig it up anyway...

Hello!

New here - writing from London where I do a lot of growing and urban foraging, as well as the occasional day trip out a little further to go in search of exciting things like mushrooms.

Always lovely seeing so many tasty things - very jealous of the poster who has an abundance of oyster mushrooms nearby.

Unfortunately betwixt moving houses at the moment so that has limited the number of foraging trips that I've been doing. Have a bumper crop of cress that I need to see to before the big day, though, as well as some delicious chard and chicory that's still going strong.

Anyway, here's what I've been eating for dinner!

I'm moving at the end of the month and feel very sad at the prospect of having to leave all my compost behind. It's not all completely rotted, but most of it is. It seems a shame to leave all that beautiful soil behind just because I'm moving when it will be a wonderful substrate for next year's growth. Does anyone have any tips on moving the stuff, any particular types of bag that would work well etc.?

Thanks in advance.

As of the end of this month, I shall be working in a garden with three young silver birch trees. I was thinking about training some peas up the side of them next year. to maximise the vertical I was wondering whether anyone had any experience of doing anything similar, and whether they could share their experiences, pictures, etc.

Many thanks.

Hello everyone,

This is my first post, though I have been lurking for a little while!

I was hoping to get some advice from permies who have tried growing quince from seed. Being part of the Rosaceae family, I understand that it might not grow true to seed like its apple and pear cousins, but as the plant is self-fertile, I thought that there may be a chance that it would grow fairly true to type. As I mostly use quince in preserves I don't think a little difference would be too problematic. I understand there have been some varieties bred in the US that can be eaten raw, but these quince are very much of the old types that need to be cooked. They have been grown locally by a neighbour who was giving them away.

As I've read that they can fruit within 5 years, I am keen to experiment anyway, but I would very much appreciate hearing other peoples' stories with this plant. At the very least, even if it is not true-to-type, I should be able to use resultant plants as root stock for pear trees, am I right?

Advice greatly appreciated.