Search found 1415 matches

by hedgewizard
Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:40 pm
Forum: Home Brew and other Country Skills
Topic: Nearly elderflower time!
Replies: 21
Views: 6268

Re: Nearly elderflower time!

jealous! Didn't grow any in the tunnel this year so still a week or two to go under cloches!
by hedgewizard
Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:51 am
Forum: Home Brew and other Country Skills
Topic: Nearly elderflower time!
Replies: 21
Views: 6268

Re: Nearly elderflower time!

This has been sitting in my slush pile waiting to go on my website, but it'll have to wait a while longer! 500ml (one pint) of ground elderflower florets 350g (12oz) honey juice of two lemons 120ml (4 fluid oz) cold strong black tea half a teaspoonful of yeast nutrient wine yeast Remove the ground e...
by hedgewizard
Fri Apr 29, 2011 8:54 pm
Forum: Home Brew and other Country Skills
Topic: Nearly elderflower time!
Replies: 21
Views: 6268

Re: Nearly elderflower time!

Yes, you can use it - I'll look out the recipe tomorrow.
by hedgewizard
Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:42 pm
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: solar-powered irrigation in a polytunnel
Replies: 22
Views: 44215

Re: solar-powered irrigation in a polytunnel

Good grief! They're a trade supplier... you could cut the rest of it into lengths and sell it on Ebay. Might even make a profit!
by hedgewizard
Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:32 am
Forum: Home Brew and other Country Skills
Topic: Nearly elderflower time!
Replies: 21
Views: 6268

Nearly elderflower time!

This year I'll be making five gallons of champagne, five gallons of wine, one gallon of cordial and a shedload of sorbet. :drunken: All I need now is one rainy day to persuade the trees to get on with it!
by hedgewizard
Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:27 am
Forum: Wild Foods and Foraging
Topic: St.Georges Mushrooms + other stuff
Replies: 2
Views: 2258

Re: St.Georges Mushrooms + other stuff

It's been too dry this year in Dorset :-(

I usually smell them before I see them. Yum!
by hedgewizard
Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:26 am
Forum: Alternative Energy
Topic: solar-powered irrigation in a polytunnel
Replies: 22
Views: 44215

Re: solar-powered irrigation in a polytunnel

I'd be really interested in how you do with this. Can you make sure to report progress in this thread or PM me? The trouble with perforated piping is that it delivers more water at the source end. Over short runs that's okay, but if you're planning on running longer lengths back and forward you may ...
by hedgewizard
Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:14 am
Forum: Herbs and Vegetables
Topic: Picking Nettles
Replies: 13
Views: 3352

Re: Picking Nettles

Don't see the problem with pee - you're only picking the top 4 leaves (unless you want a really iron-tasting soup), you're going to wash them anyway, and you're going to COOK them anyway. Everyone must eat a peck of dirt before they die!
by hedgewizard
Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:10 am
Forum: Herbs and Vegetables
Topic: Growing larger strawberries??
Replies: 10
Views: 2873

Re: Growing larger strawberries??

hedgewizard, Thanks for distinguishing between the small and larger berries. Our goal was to eventually make some jelly. So we're doing the right thing. Of course it would be nice to have some larger berries that are also sweet. I'll share this with Grace. Regards, Chuck In case it helps, for our f...
by hedgewizard
Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:58 am
Forum: Welcome New People Say Hello
Topic: Hello from Brittany
Replies: 17
Views: 3580

Re: Hello from Brittany

Pull up a chair, and make yourself comfy, fellow tunneler! Got your irrigation sorted out for the tunnel? Then you'll be needing to take steps to reduce the amount of time you run back and forward with watering cans: daisy chain lots of butts or run the overflow into a big cattle drinker. Also it's...
by hedgewizard
Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:52 am
Forum: Allotments, Veg Patches and Container Gardening
Topic: weeds, compost and the odds
Replies: 22
Views: 6672

Re: weeds, compost and the odds

Learn to 'hot compost' to kill the roots and seeds. Or... It's the simple practicalities of it I have trouble with... As as I understand it, you really need a rather large amount of material all at the same time, whereas weeds come out of the plot at a steady trickle. Also, I make up my main compos...
by hedgewizard
Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:08 pm
Forum: Welcome New People Say Hello
Topic: Hello from Brittany
Replies: 17
Views: 3580

Re: Hello from Brittany

Pull up a chair, and make yourself comfy, fellow tunneler! Got your irrigation sorted out for the tunnel?
by hedgewizard
Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:55 pm
Forum: Herbs and Vegetables
Topic: Growing larger strawberries??
Replies: 10
Views: 2873

Re: Growing larger strawberries??

You said they'd 'spread through all the runners' and that means lack of access to nutrients is going to be a problem. Letting plants grow in a mat gives you a better overall yield (perfect for jellies etc) but the berries are smaller. If you want larger berries thin the plants out a bit and top-mulc...
by hedgewizard
Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:51 pm
Forum: Allotments, Veg Patches and Container Gardening
Topic: weeds, compost and the odds
Replies: 22
Views: 6672

Re: weeds, compost and the odds

Learn to 'hot compost' to kill the roots and seeds. Or... Drowning weeds takes two weeks and yes, it smells horrible. Or... 'Steam' them by putting them in a black bin bag (tied) in the sun for a week. Don't breathe the air in the bag when you open it as it's going to be full of spores. Or... Steril...
by hedgewizard
Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:47 pm
Forum: Wild Foods and Foraging
Topic: how to prepare hogweed?
Replies: 7
Views: 5806

Re: how to prepare hogweed?

Dammit, pressed the button too early! Giant hogweed is a much rougher looking plant with a grooved stem than the relatively tender hogweed http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s188/jonpickett/GiantHogweedSmall.jpg Giant hogweed http://www.acidman.co.uk/BCUK/hogweed_2.jpg Regular hogweed Can't really s...