llareggub

Our chucks love the Kohlrabi that we don't eat, we slice it really thin and add oil and lemon juice and it is great in a salad. We have never bothered with squash as we would not eat it.

Asparagus is amazing we had out first "crop" last year, was lovely but very sparse hoping for much more this year but it is the 4th year of growing it from seed.

I love Jerusalem artichoke but everything I have read says it is easy to grow but difficult to get rid of, please tell me differently (we rotate our crops to avoid pests and beasts)

Tapsony-Hungary

Dear Rural
will try, if you have lots of foliage and no flowers sounds like you have enough nitrogen but not enough potassium and magnesium, so a good feed in the spring around the root area, and a top up during the growing season, but not in late summer as you'll get weaker growth then
With climbers it's important to create a horizontal type structural growth rather than vertical, this will encourage flowering shoots along the branch/stem, so try tying them into a wire or fence depending on what they are growing against. Also cut out any really old woody branches to allow newer growth to come through, if that makes sense.
unfortunately there is no quick fix and you won't know if these suggestions will work until the summer comes.
good luck hope you'll have blooms all over

mawood47

I have for years always had brigs & Straiten Eng or Honda this one I think is a Chines Throw Back or Throw up. not only had myself but my friend on next plot, as use beaten how to start it no mater what we both did, no go I am still on Sick Leave in UK but should be on way back by Mid March and on my place by the end of March or earlier

Rural Hungary

Don't get me started on it! Year one we grew it, kids hated it and so we didnt keep any for replanting. Year five and despite being pulled up every year, before it is taller than a foot, it is still coming up. Thankfully we planted it in a raised bed and so it has been contained to a certain extent - in a field, you would struggle to clear it as even the tiniest bit of tuber left will regrow. That said, it is supposed to be excellent for making biofuel!

Rural Hungary

Dearest Tapsony, I am now wondering if they are even climbers as they have never had anything to grow up or across. We inherited them with the house and I assume, the elderly owner had greener fingers than I and thus, this leads me to question why she would have so many climbers but with no support. My assumption that they are climbers is based on there being several branches, each year, which grow to 8 or 9 feet - that would be a climber wouldn't it?
Last Autumn, I built a wigwam around one and planned doing the same with the others but if you are saying horizontal growth is better, I will have to rethink.
Finally, will a basic rose feed do or is there a DIY feed that I can make up?

Tapsony-Hungary

Hi we have Colorado beetle as well but also spray with something called Actara rovarolo permetezoszer, powder form which makes 20 litres to one packet, can be purchased from hardware shops. seems to work as well as squashing them, just have to keep on top of them. Slugs are the other big problem, they love marigolds and dahlias as well. so many a twilight massacre takes place

mawood47

OK Then lets look at this Palace I think spelled it wright Garden Allotment
Vegetable Marrow Rum
Once ripe cut top open score out the seed core fill back with brown sugar replace the top piece sea with Gaffer Tape
Now using a Knitting Pin plenty of Holes in the Bottom
Now the fun part getting the Tights of the Wife to suspend it to drain in-to a fun-ell then in-to Glass Container keep in room tep. till the process finishes it clears it self but be warned do not spill in on to furniture IF You wont to try this and have no seed I prepared to offer 5 seeds for the first 5 to and post on to them when I am back end March

llareggub

That is our worry, we have a rotation plan and do not want to grow stuff that we can not "move on" as I say we love Jerusalem Artichoke and would happily eat all that we grow but certainly not gonna play with trying to get rid of it afterwards

If you have not tried roasting them like you do spuds along side a sunday roast, give it a go, they get really sweet and utterly scrumptious!

llareggub

We don't spray, not out of an altruistic mindset but simply because we had no idea what we would be spraying with when we moved over, we have since learned that we do not need to i order to have a healthy crop.

Slugs are not really a problem for us but do occasionally struggle with Cabbage Whites but we found that mixing brassica planting with marigolds and placing old egg shell amongst them resolves the problem really well.

I'm too young to be an old hippy so lets just call me a young one

fidobsa

Have you tried draining the fuel and putting fresh stuff in? Petrol quickly deteriorates these days. I could fix it for you but I'm too far away.

mawood47

This unit went down in 2010 we that is my friend got it out June last year to sort out the non start problem checking spark plug OK Petrol what was left in drained out top up a bought half tank then we removed wot we could to allow fuel right down to the Carbertor there was no dust or water to be found
allowing fuel to run through each part as we reassembled and making sure no air could get in-to the fuel line
Trying to restart was impossible so given up but if you think you can help then I would accept your offer in return what ever transport you arrive in going back would loaded with soft wood cut for sticking for stove I have to much hear

Rural Hungary

I have cut them to within an inch of their lives, I have cut them back leaving a couple of feet and I have left them unpruned - nothing, zilch, nincs

Rural Hungary

Cheers for that, I do have a couple of rose books and pruned as shown but still nothing so I don't think pruning is the problem - strange as the ones growing along the fence flowers every year.

fidobsa

Hi digger, that's an interesting offer! I will send you a PM and see if we can sort something out.

Rural Hungary

Will any type of marrow do, how strong is it and is it palatable