On the south facing brick border we have strawberries with blosson, or is
it flower, nevertheless, is it good to use tomato feed for them? If not,
what to use? Some have already young green strawberries.
This is their second year after planting.

Baz

On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:32:06 GMT, Baz wrote:

On the south facing brick border we have strawberries with blosson, or is
it flower, nevertheless, is it good to use tomato feed for them? If not,
what to use? Some have already young green strawberries.
This is their second year after planting.

Personally I don't feed at all, think you get too much leaf growth by
feeding, spent this morning making yet another batch of strawberry
jam, second freezer needs cleaning out, last years crop was so big .

On Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:32:06 GMT, Baz wrote:

On the south facing brick border we have strawberries with blosson, or is
it flower, nevertheless, is it good to use tomato feed for them? If not,
what to use? Some have already young green strawberries.
This is their second year after planting.

Baz

Early in the year and after they have finished fruiting, I use a
"normal" feed that has a higher nitrogen level as I find this promotes
the leaf (and runner) growth. This goes on as a foliar feed. But from
late March and through the fruiting period, they want less N and more
of the P & K so tomato food is a good choice as it promotes growth of
the fruits. This goes on as a ground feed. Mine are just starting to
produce the little flower buds now.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the hardly damp east end of Swansea Bay.

Jake wrote in
:

Mine are just starting to produce the little flower buds now.


Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the hardly damp east end of Swansea Bay.


Thanks. Jake.

Will you be using tomato food?

I try to understand all of this trace element stuff, but to be honest my
brain hurts and my eyes glaze over. Too big a subject for me.

Baz

On Thu, 5 Apr 2012 10:26:52 -0700 (PDT), Judith in France
wrote:



Based on your trails and pics I just tried to order some, they are
sold out!

That's the b****y problem - I think they deliberately limit stock to
keep the price up. However I've found it really good and the trick is
to keep at the web site until they restock, which they probably will
in a week or so.

I know it has a long shelf life so work on the basis of having enough
here for the current and next year. Then next year, I'll order for the
year after as it becomes available.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the hardly damp east end of Swansea Bay.

Jake wrote in
:


There are some pics on my web site at
http://www.rivendell.org.uk/garden/?p=50
which hopefully give an idea of the results I achieved on some bedding
using FP compared to Phostrogen.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the hardly damp east end of Swansea Bay.


Thanks. Jake, but QVC or any shopping channel gives me the creeps. Your
results are very good though Judith in France reports the product is
sold out so you are right to order for next year.

For the tine being I will use tomato feed.

BTW it is absolutely soaking wet here. The rain stopped last night after
more stop/start and this morning we had a bit of a frost, now it is cold
but brilliant sun.

I have seen standing water in places this morning, that will tell you
how much rain we have had. Forecast more rain too. Thats OK with me
because for once I am up to date with the garden. Just need to plant the
stuff I have growing from seed when the time is right.

What made you stop growing veg?

Did I tell you that I bought a Bramley apple tree for £1.99 and planted
it? Look after the pennies and the £ will look after itself. I can't
afford T&M and similar prices.

All the best
Baz

On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:40:58 GMT, Baz wrote:



What made you stop growing veg?

I'm sure I posted about this a while back. The veg patch in the garden
was always getting waterlogged and so I zapped it at the end of 2010
and, last year, went shares with someone on an allotment. Actually it
was his allotment (taken on "new") and I gave him half the rent and
paid for half of the stuff that went in there. Then got shafted as it
turned out I did most of the work and he did most of the harvesting!

Anyhow, I was hoping that he'd give it up and I could sneak in and
take it over. But he paid this year's rent and then asked me to go
halves with him again. I un-politely told him where to go. Upshot is
after two warning letters he's been chucked off the site but I've been
told that I have to join the queue now as people know I'm no longer
involved in the plot.

Good luck with your £1.99 apple tree. Chances are it'll probably turn
out well. I have something in a smallish pot that I was given by
someone last year. They didn't know what it was and I don't yet. But
it's blossoming and I guess it's a currant of some sort. I think I'd
better get it into something bigger but won't ground plant until I
know what it is, just in case!

Enjoy the rain! Round here there are plans to put up rain recognition
notices so people will know it's rain when it comes and won't panic.
But the reservoirs are near capacity and we have a local underground
source that has never dried up in living memory. Water pressure is
c**p though.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the hardly damp east end of Swansea Bay.

Jake wrote in
:

On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:40:58 GMT, Baz wrote:



What made you stop growing veg?

I'm sure I posted about this a while back. The veg patch in the garden
was always getting waterlogged and so I zapped it at the end of 2010
and, last year, went shares with someone on an allotment. Actually it
was his allotment (taken on "new") and I gave him half the rent and
paid for half of the stuff that went in there. Then got shafted as it
turned out I did most of the work and he did most of the harvesting!

Well, you find out who your friends are!

Anyhow, I was hoping that he'd give it up and I could sneak in and
take it over. But he paid this year's rent and then asked me to go
halves with him again. I un-politely told him where to go. Upshot is
after two warning letters he's been chucked off the site but I've been
told that I have to join the queue now as people know I'm no longer
involved in the plot.

Is it too late to argue your case, tell the local council exactly what
you have said here? Some council personnel are understanding and want to
help, sadly there are others who like to hinder. Luck of the draw.

Good luck with your £1.99 apple tree. Chances are it'll probably turn
out well. I have something in a smallish pot that I was given by
someone last year. They didn't know what it was and I don't yet. But
it's blossoming and I guess it's a currant of some sort. I think I'd
better get it into something bigger but won't ground plant until I
know what it is, just in case!

My view with currants is only blackcurrents, red and yellow only make
jello, and it cost me money to find that out from T&M who charged me
£17.99 to get to that conclusion.(in my first stupid year gardening)

Enjoy the rain! Round here there are plans to put up rain recognition
notices so people will know it's rain when it comes and won't panic.
But the reservoirs are near capacity and we have a local underground
source that has never dried up in living memory. Water pressure is
c**p though.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the hardly damp east end of Swansea Bay.

Rain? Loads of it here.
Baz

On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:12:51 GMT, Baz wrote:

Jake wrote in
:

On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:40:58 GMT, Baz wrote:


Is it too late to argue your case, tell the local council exactly what
you have said here? Some council personnel are understanding and want to
help, sadly there are others who like to hinder. Luck of the draw.

To be fair, if he hadn't paid the rent for another year, I'd have been
let in because essentially I was doing everything on the plot (except
harvesting!). But you've got to see it from the other side - bending
the rules in my favour would mean that someone else who'd been on the
waiting list for some time would lose out. By the time he'd been
chucked off, I hadn't been anywhere near the plot for several months
so couldn't claim squatters' rights, so to speak. So the approach
taken was fair and I can't complain at all.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the hardly damp east end of Swansea Bay.