Plant of the month???

[Chickenlady]

Are we doing this any more? Maybe I have missed it?

[Wombat]

Chicken lady

Because our beloved Andy has not had net access the website has stagnated for a while. I an sure he will get stuck into it when he gets back on line.

Nev

[ina]

But maybe we could start collecting ideas for it, if anybody has a particular interest in one? Maybe garlic, as it's just planting time? (... and vampire time, too )

Ina

[kevin m.]

Garlic is a good one to consider now.
I'm sure that lots of new Veg. growers think of it as being a difficult 'Mediterranean climate' crop-whereas the truth is,it's as tough as old boots,and actually NEEDS cool/cold weather to produce fine bulbs!
I never have any trouble with Garlic- the rows that I planted 3-4 weeks ago are flying away!
My tip is-why bother with the expensive 'Specially bread for the British climate' varieties seen in seed catalogues?.
I use Supermarket/ethnic store bought Garlic (seek out the Bulbs with the biggest Cloves for planting),and it delivers good results everytime.

[Andy Hamilton]

Should be doing a veg and herb of the month again soon, back on line. We have done garlic http://selfsufficientish.com/garlic.htm already though. Any ideas for something new? We though of perhaps doing some stuff on wild mushrooms.

[ina]

What about "tame" mushrooms ? I've got that packet of spores sitting in the fridge which I meant to do something with a few months ago... As usual, forgot about them. My first attempt at growing mushrooms last year (with dried spores) was not successfull.

Ina

[Wombat]

I have had a go at starting from scratch using spawn (not spores) as starting with spores requires very specialised microbiological techniques. No impossible for the small holder but it is quite techo and does require some gear. It is also on my list of "things to do" (which currently occupies a toilet roll)!

Nev

[ina]

It might actually be spawn sitting in my fridge.... Damn amateurs, can't even tell their spores from their spawn. No, it looked quite easy what the instructions told me to do. Just need to get the temperature right, really.

Ina

[Muddypause]

It is also on my list of "things to do" (which currently occupies a toilet roll)!

That brings a whole new meaning to 'working your way through a list'.

[Andy Hamilton]

reminds of a little joke, how did the mathmatician sort out his constipation?

He worked it out with a pencil.

Back to shroom's afraid that I know nothing about spores and spawns I have collected shrooms but never anything else. Mind you I have a loft in the new place so i guess that I could be growing some up there. Will have to stick that on my to do list too.

[Wombat]

Ina,

If it is white looking wheat berries then it is spawn!

Stew,

Oh, yeah!

Andy (ouch) I will see what I have in the files when I get home!

Nev

[diver]

I have a friend who keeps bees in the loft ...they go in and out of the air vents...I'd love to do it but my loft is inaccessible.
I'm all for mushies....either ones we can grow ourselves because I would love to have a go but it looks and sounds too difficult ..or wild ones....which I'd love to know more about s oI could pick them

[Shirley]

would love to learn more about mushies - and beetroot too - having just eaten the most fantastic beetroot curry!!!!

Shirlz

[ina]

Got a recipe for that, Shirlz?

Ina

[Andy Hamilton]

I have made beetroot curry before I roasted them a little then did the same as a normal curry. It all went pink so was a strange meal to eat, you generally don't get pink food