Allotments 4 All
Produce => Pests & Diseases => Topic started by: return of the mac on August 26, 2005, 23:25:40
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Ok ive posted this here because that man is a pest sometimes.
Tattie trial- hes trying to tell us that unchitted tatties give better yields- NOT TRUE- i cant believe he'd spread such bad practice. The reason that unchitted tatties gave higher yields was because they were in a black bin that absorbed heat, oppose to the metal one for the chitted that reflected the suns heat.
Not a fair experiment, very poor show Monty :(
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First thing I said when I saw the bins and before they were tipped out was that it was not a fair test because the bins were not the same. We teach that to children from the age of 5. For a test to be fair, the only variable should be what you are testing. Everything else should be a constant. I do not trust the test either.
Is this debate being had on the BBC site I wonder - might get round to checking later.
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I think GW is a very good show myself , my opinion. ::) ;D
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Like GW - did not like the test. I thought it was very biased.
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I have to say, haven't watched GW for a few weeks now, not quite sure why and not intentionally, think it's cos they repeat an awful lot and I find the presenters not overly enthusiastic and hard to listen to. I've learnt more here! Expecting really bad replies to this one!! Lottie ;D
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I do enjoy Gardners World, but I do agree I don't think that was a fair test. I too noticed before he even tipped the bins out that they weren't equal, so I don't think you can take the results too seriously. I think even he was surprised when he tipped them out. busy_lizzie
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I spotted the bins when they first planted up for the trial. I ranted a big one at the time, so tonight when I saw the results I did the cackling version.
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But his method for cutting Chard, last night, was interesting?
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Also he cut off his courgettes - I have been twisting mine off. Maybe that's why they are so damned slow.
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Also he cut off his courgettes - I have been twisting mine off. Maybe that's why they are so damned slow.
I'm sure I have read somewhere that you should use a sharp knife and not twist them as it will kill the plant ???
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Also he cut off his courgettes - I have been twisting mine off. Maybe that's why they are so damned slow.
I'm sure I have read somewhere that you should use a sharp knife and not twist them as it will kill the plant ???
I've always cut mine in the interests of speed. If you try to twist them don't you end up moving the plant a lot? I would imagine this would cause constant root damage. Yellow squash (which are not yellow courgettes), with their thinner stems, can be quickly twisted though.
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Can't believe that twisting would kill? But it can sure damage the fruit!
But it's so easy to cut? My knife - a present - is always in my pocket.
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Tim, what was his cutting chard method please? I haven't seen GW in yonks!
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He just took off the whole plant to the ground.
So he took all the young shoots as well, with a different cooking time??
Seemed a bit wasteful to me?
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I've always cut mine in the interests of speed. If you try to twist them don't you end up moving the plant a lot? I would imagine this would cause constant root damage. Yellow squash (which are not yellow courgettes), with their thinner stems, can be quickly twisted though.
;) Spot on John, Just copied this off a Beeb site...Always use a sharp knife to cut the fruits from the plant. If you are tempted to try to twist or pull the fruit off, you will invariably damage the entire plant.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingmarrows.shtml
Hope it wasn't written by Monty Don :o :P ;D
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I will buy myself a new knife. (http://www.yotasurf.co.uk/forums/images/smilies/knife.gif)
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I've always cut mine in the interests of speed. If you try to twist them don't you end up moving the plant a lot? I would imagine this would cause constant root damage. Yellow squash (which are not yellow courgettes), with their thinner stems, can be quickly twisted though.
;) Spot on John, Just copied this off a Beeb site...Always use a sharp knife to cut the fruits from the plant. If you are tempted to try to twist or pull the fruit off, you will invariably damage the entire plant.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingmarrows.shtml
Hope it wasn't written by Monty Don :o :P ;D
Hmm, does the Beeb agree with me or do I agree with the Beeb? I should be flattered either way?
I also know from having to come up with knives for my help at very short notice that serrated knives are next to useless too.
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;D I have a medium sized very sharp pocket knife that seems to do the job well, although I see in some gardening books they use knives with a curved hook like end that may grip better but I bet a bugger to sharpen. :D
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Well, I've twisted and not killed. So far.
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I twist sometimes if I can't get in with the knife :o My lambsfoot knife got stolen! I got a replacement though as it was an insurance job. I love my little pocket knife and I've never sharpened it but it's great. I also have a belt knife which is very handy which came to me from the Mechanical Engineer at a colliery I worked at. It's great for cutting lettuces, cabbages, courgettes etc but I left it out the other night in the rain and it went all rusty. Cleaned it off with sandpaper and it seems as good as new. I have to hide my lambsfoot knife from my OH as he misuses and abuses them (ie saw!) so I don't share it :)
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Wardy,
You are such a star on tools and equipment and things. Never heard of a lambsfoot knife before - googled it, am definitely going to buy on when I'm back from hols. Am very pleased with my Chillington btw ;D
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I use a serated bread knife on the plot. It cuts everything from lettuce to asparagus and is about the only thing I don't manage to loose as it has a yellow handle. Mind you it has to practically be under my nose as I am not particularly aware of my surroundings at the best of times. (according to OH)
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:o Ooh! Oooh! Ooooh! Baggy :o I dare not carry one of those things in my pocket ;D
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Try a scythe! :o :o :o Lottie
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Just been offered a folding canadian hunting knife - non -serrated with a serrated bit for a fiver - Might have a look at it tomorrow.
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I have a set of cheap, but sharp, serrated kitchen knives which I got for 50p from my church shop. They've done me for several years and cut everything that doesn't need secateurs.
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I have a lock knife that I use contantly down the lottie...the reason for using this type is simple really the blade doesn't close up on your fingers (I learnt that lesson the hard way)
Rather than leave in in the shed I pop it in the side compartment of my van door when leaving until the next visit
Now if 'Mr Plod' has cause to stop me I could be in trouble for carrying or being in possession of an offensive weapon.
Derek
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If stopped you are always 'on the way to the lottie' even if it is just to drop off the knife which is in your car by mistake. Therefore, you will always have a legitimate reason for carrying it. If you are working - you are dropping it off on the way home.
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Tell them you are off to sort the vandalism problem out once and for all (on second thoughts - best not 8)
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For really cheap and excellent knieves have a look at Opinel. They are french pen knives that come in a range of sizes. I would not be without mine and have owned it for many years.
They blades are not stainless so you can get a very very sharp edge. Also no spring in the blade so easy to open even with frozen fingers.
http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/ishop/877/shopscr473.html
Jerry
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I love my swiss army gardening knife, which I got at Chelsea one year. Last winter when I was in Germany I found a Victorinox stockist and got a spare one! Despite being bright red, they can hide pretty well... Still have both of mine so far. The only complaint I have is that for some reason there is no way of hanging it from a belt so you run the risk of dropping it! (Most SAKs have a keyring loop)
<googles for piccy> - ah - using search terms "victorinox garden knife 39116" finds one!
(http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000297TRQ.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
and amazon also have a link to a UK seller (handy for me to know!)
The whole garden range is
https://ssl.victorinox-shop.de/index.php?cPath=5_37
Highly recommended - has curved and straight blades and a budding knife. (Victorinox code 39116)
moonbells
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;D I didn't realise there was such a thing as a left handed knife, I assume it has a thumb nail slit on tother side? ;D
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Back to the subject of potatoes, whether to chit or not, I was interested to read an article in the recent issue of KG magazine written by a chap who seems to do little else but grow spuds. His opinion was that non-chitted seed potatoes produced larger spuds (albeit a few less), whereas chitted seed produced more, smaller spuds. It all depends on what you want, I suppose.
I've only been growing potatoes for two seasons, chitted both times, and I've never had particularly large spuds out of the ground - not that we mind. I might try planting a few non-chitted seed potatoes next year alongside the chitted ones, to see whether we get any "baking" sized potatoes at harvest time!
PS: planted 'Foremost' potatoes this year and they are fabulous - a really nice taste!
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I missed the prog concerned (or at least I haven't got to that part yet - still wading through one on the recorder!). I am worried for the same reasons others have mentioned - that to do a trial you must keep all conditions the same. All crops should be counted but also weighed in order to get a quantitative idea of how they performed.
Likewise it should have been ensured that the seed tubers were the same size and that the same number of eyes were on both - easy to do by gouging or rubbing out the spares before any chits got going (and took energy from the tuber). Then and only then can one assess which gives the best result!
I may bring this up at the next HDRA potato day Q&A - and wonder out loud if they should correct Mr Don....
moonbells
postscript 1.9.05 Have now seen programme and there are comments below
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For really cheap and excellent knieves have a look at Opinel. ....
I like Opinel knives too, but use only the smallest version, which is adequate for my needs. Got it for £5 on a market stall.
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The GW programme I was working my way through and have now finished watching was the one with the spud trial - didn't realise it was such a difference between the crops! And that Monty had indeed weighed them, and that he did say "Highly unscientific trial" so I can't really call him on those.
I just wished he had used similar dustbins!
moonbells
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Monty has to use the dustbins he had to hand or we'd all be criticising him ;D
Moonbells my OH found a knife just like that on the field behind our house but gave it to my niece. Perhaps for trimming her nails :(
Periwinkle Glad you like the Chillington :)
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If he was just growing veg in what was to hand to prove you can then it would have been fine. As it was, he announced it as a trial between chitted and unchitted the day he planted the spuds so should have taken care to use exactly the smae conditions for his spuds.
I don't actaully grow spuds so don't care either way. I do care however that a programme that sets itself up to show gardeners best practice and what's new and interesting or otherwise, should have the highest standards of care in such trials. The difference in the bins and the resulting unscientific results was flagged up on the BBC boards the same evening the planting programme went out in spring. It would have been very easy to correct things the following week and do a proper trial. As its is, this trial is meaningless and, after this highly visible mistake, how do they retain credibility when telling us other things without showing us proof that it works.
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I watch GW to enjoy it. I find it relaxing as I unwind on Friday night with a glass of something. The last thing I want is to be bored to death by scientific potato trials - his skimming over the subject was fine by me ;D But then I just like growing veg ;)
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Has anyone here got a spare pair of identical dustbins? ;D ;D
Could always test it for ourselves next year...
moonbells
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;D ;D
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Now strangley enough, up on my lottie, I have a black plastic dustbin and a galvanised metal one. I am thinking of setting up a trial to see which dustbin is most effective ;D. I will ensure that all the other conditions are the same.
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;D
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Can't help feeling you are being a bit harsh...at least there is enough evidence to suggest that black plastic bins give better results. It was a 'ball park' test.
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Of course Monty never actually said that unchitted spuds work better. All he said was "it seems to suggest that". Which of course is a cow poo media phrase meaning absolutely nothing. However I am worried that the less savvy would take his word as gospel. Load of old nonsense this GW programme. But having said that, I still watch it. In fact it's the only tv programme I watch (bloody expensive licence fee that!)
RC - you'd better do your test - I want to know the results. Maybe let the BBC know too!
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Well I have the two tubs in which I grew early earlies this year. Very successfully too. I am quite happy to do it with the two of the same variety next year but I'd not be able to do the 'collect tubers gradually' thing.
Would be a different experiment but possibly worth doing.
moonbells
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I tipped out a tub of spuds today (unchitted Cara) to see if they were ready as the plant looked so poorly and weeds all over place. The pot was bone dry but there was a good picking of spuds in it ;D