Allotments 4 All
News:
Picture posting is enabled for all :)
Home
Forum
Help
Search
Calendar
Gallery
Chat
Login
Register
Allotments 4 All
»
Allotment Stuff
»
The Basics
(Moderator:
Admin aka Dan
) »
Topic:
Poached Eggs!
« previous
next »
Print
Pages: [
1
]
Author
Topic: Poached Eggs! (Read 1894 times)
katynewbie
Hectare
Posts: 2,823
Manchester
Poached Eggs!
«
on:
April 13, 2006, 14:04:46 »
;D
Read somewhere that this plant can be used as a green manure.
Can I sow it now and dig in later? Anyone tried it? ???
Logged
supersprout
Hectare
Posts: 4,660
mulch mad!
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #1 on:
April 13, 2006, 14:25:38 »
I will be trying it for the first time this year katy, because of the number of A4a-ers who enthuse about it.
For smothering cooch:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,16528.0
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,11788.0
As a mulch:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,11480.0
Green manure:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,15122.0
For the bees:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,9737.0
... just for starters! And it does look very pretty :o :)
«
Last Edit: April 13, 2006, 14:28:31 by supersprout
»
Logged
SMP1704
Hectare
Posts: 1,341
Isleworth, Middlesex
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #2 on:
April 13, 2006, 14:44:50 »
I sowed some in the raspberry and blackcurrant beds last Saturday as a mulch around the edges, because they are pretty and for the bees. After that green manure is a bonus ;D My plan was to pull it out when it finishes flowering/self seeding and put in the compost bin.
Logged
Sharon
www.lifeonalondonplot.com
Mimi
Hectare
Posts: 1,821
Pretty in Pink
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #3 on:
April 13, 2006, 16:57:35 »
Only problem with this is that once you have it you have it forever. We had some in our previous garden and I was still finding the odd seedling over 19 years later. Same as the callendula......self seeds everwhere.
Logged
Take time to stop and smell the flowers.
John_H
Half Acre
Posts: 234
compost happens
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #4 on:
April 15, 2006, 09:23:42 »
Unless its underneath fruit bushes I dig mine out before it flowers Mimi. The exception is a single row that I put netting underneath brefore it starts flowering, so that I can get plenty of seed to sow where I want in September.
You can also find some pictues and text in the Green manure section of the wiki
All the best,
Logged
Indian build small fire, keep warm.
White man build big fire - keep warm chopping wood!
http://www.20six.co.uk/johnhumphries
jennym
Hectare
Posts: 3,329
Essex/Suffolk border
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #5 on:
April 15, 2006, 19:20:18 »
I just let it keep coming...
I find that it acts as a brilliant weed suppressant and soil improver.
When left to its own devices it dies back and forms a dried matted cover for the soil in around July, which also suppresses the weeds, when I want to plant something I either dig it in and plant straight away, or slice off the top growth with a shape spade and put the greenery on a compost heap.
Its easy to pull out, the roots are very light. It keeps moisture in the soil. The hoverflies love it.
Can't find any information at all about its value as a food crop however, or even if it is edible at all...still can't have everything! ;D
Logged
grawrc
Global Moderator
Hectare
Posts: 6,583
Edinburgh
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #6 on:
April 15, 2006, 19:41:05 »
I'm happy to have it behaving like a weed at the lottie. It's pretty and it attracts my kind of insect. ;) It doesn't have invasive roots and is easily hoed away where I don't want it. I'm about to sow a couple of packets under my fruit bushes.
Logged
katynewbie
Hectare
Posts: 2,823
Manchester
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #7 on:
April 15, 2006, 20:43:48 »
;D
Superb!! My kinda plant!! Will be scattering some about tomorrow if I get time. Now that I have a greenhouse to tend etc life suddenly got very exciting!!
Thanks everyone, useful info
;D
Logged
jennym
Hectare
Posts: 3,329
Essex/Suffolk border
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #8 on:
April 16, 2006, 06:48:10 »
Went and took a picture yesterday of one small bed which was almost covered in it over winter. You can see there are very few weeds. (you can also see the water in my ditch! but that's how wet it is on my plot at the moment!)
«
Last Edit: April 16, 2006, 06:49:54 by jennym
»
Logged
supersprout
Hectare
Posts: 4,660
mulch mad!
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #9 on:
April 16, 2006, 08:23:56 »
Thank you for posting jen, it really helps to see photographs :D I'm extra convinced! Even the foliage is pretty, ain't it? Amd what a lovely green. Off to sprinkle some today under the NEW raspberries :)
Golly your plot is remarkably erm, damp. Your beds must be lifesavers if you have running rivers around them. How many varieties of rice are you growing this year? ;D
Any chance of putting the Poached Egg photo on the wiki?
«
Last Edit: April 16, 2006, 08:26:01 by supersprout
»
Logged
Robert_Brenchley
Hectare
Posts: 15,593
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #10 on:
April 16, 2006, 09:52:54 »
The one time I tried these, nothing came up at all! I'll try again; they'd be nice plants to have naturalising if they'll just cooperate.
Logged
Birmingham UK
http://thisandthat-robert.blogspot.com/
the_snail
Hectare
Posts: 715
Be Kind to Slugs and Snails! :)
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #11 on:
April 16, 2006, 14:55:14 »
Robert I am suprised nothing grew as they grow really, really easy. I think you might of had bad seed. A tip is to put a few in a pot and place them on the window sill and if they germanate then you have good seed. Sow lets say 5 seeds and if 5 seeds grow then you have a good chance of getting a good result.
The_Snail
Logged
Be kind to slugs and snails!
Hyacinth
Hectare
Posts: 8,276
I love Allotments 4 All
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #12 on:
April 16, 2006, 15:15:39 »
I've tried for about 10 yrs to get it to grow :'( :'( :'(
still trying - still crying :'(
one of life's great mysteries, that.. :)
Logged
John_H
Half Acre
Posts: 234
compost happens
Re: Poached Eggs!
«
Reply #13 on:
April 23, 2006, 16:13:18 »
I find that the seeds don't germinate in the Summer but once the plants have flowered and died (buy mid June?) the new seeds start again about September. I don't know if germination is related to day length or ground temperature, but I'm guessing that if anyone has had trouble getting them to germinate in late spring or summer this may have something to do with it.
If you are going to sow seed now, you may want to think about holding some back until September and sowing them then too.
Ive nothing to contribute on how edible (or otherwise) they may be, but they do have a very nice pepper taste if you just try a leaf or two!
«
Last Edit: April 23, 2006, 16:14:55 by John_H
»
Logged
Indian build small fire, keep warm.
White man build big fire - keep warm chopping wood!
http://www.20six.co.uk/johnhumphries
Print
Pages: [
1
]
« previous
next »
Allotments 4 All
»
Allotment Stuff
»
The Basics
(Moderator:
Admin aka Dan
) »
Topic:
Poached Eggs!
anything
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal