the non-political thread

Clean it up, apply rust proofer, and throw some body filler in the hole. otherwise, anlarge the hole, and put a blanking plug with a ruber seal through it.
 
This is at the ex's place - we're on reasonable terms as we have a daughter - and it's either cold and sunless out the back, or hot and dry out the front. I'd thought of putting up a sun shade for the herbs though. Well done on your crop, very impressive; do you manage to get through it all though.

I decided on growing what keeps best and what we eat the most of. Onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, shallots we eat loads of so this makes sense. Onions and potatoes will keep for 12 months, shallots 18months if you're lucky, garlic even longer.

Carrots can be frozen or canned (fermented). Canning involves getting those glass jars from ikea with the pull top lids and fill it with chopped up vegetables in season, thrown them all in together, or just carrots on their own, add water with a pinch of salt. It will last for years.

I said to myself how many days in the year = 365 x 2 = 730 + 20% (failure rate) - 876 or let's say 900 -1000 onions. So I grew approx 1000 onions and did the same for the other veg and there you have it, don't need to buy them for at least a year now ;)
 
and it's either cold and sunless out the back, or hot and dry out the front.
That's exes for you. :LOL:


Here's my vegetable shed -























upload_2017-7-13_20-52-20.png
 
Never had onions bolting as it's commonly from dryness and heat, but onions love both. Perhaps it's the quality of your seed, you may do better finding another supplier? I have had good results from seed purchased from justseed.com.

My overwintering onions did better than the summer ones by a long way. Given that my plot is quite small and it's the first time I overwintered anything, the results were fantastic. I've learnt it's best not to leave the soil bare and always keep mulching onto it. I also adopted the no dig method this year, which is pretty self-explanatory, instead of digging you just keep mulching with compost. So far so good.
Glad you've so many, great crop!! I have onion envy ;)
I buy onion sets, not seed and have bought them from various places, so not sure if down to that. The biggest problem really is onion rot despite crop rotation. Even when they get to a fairly good size, the rot sets in. Nowt can do about it and neighbouring plots are the same. I was going to have a go in the garden this winter but we've just taken on a tortoise from my partners dad - no point in growing much now ground level as he either chomps or tramples over everything!
 
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I decided on growing what keeps best and what we eat the most of. Onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, shallots we eat loads of so this makes sense. Onions and potatoes will keep for 12 months, shallots 18months if you're lucky, garlic even longer.

Carrots can be frozen or canned (fermented). Canning involves getting those glass jars from ikea with the pull top lids and fill it with chopped up vegetables in season, thrown them all in together, or just carrots on their own, add water with a pinch of salt. It will last for years.

I said to myself how many days in the year = 365 x 2 = 730 + 20% (failure rate) - 876 or let's say 900 -1000 onions. So I grew approx 1000 onions and did the same for the other veg and there you have it, don't need to buy them for at least a year now ;)
Peas, runners (sometimes), courgette and corn kernels all freeze well too. We pickle beets and gherkins, and this year is my first year am going to make jam, just like my late mum - family fav so going to send my brothers all a jar :-)
If you liked making your allotment work over winter with the onions, do you grow sprouts too? I do, something nice about picking them for Xmas dinner. If you like broad beans, they can go in winter too. They seem to do better going by neighbouring plots, they get big and strong before the blackfly in the summer get hold.
 
A 22mm blanking nut is what I needed

An old galvanised tan k is pretty certain to have BSP fittings.

A half-inch BSP is very close to 22mm in diameter, but will not fit a metric thread
see https://www.castrads.com/frequently...-iron-radiator-renovation/what-are-bsp-sizes/

so I bet that's what you've got.

IIRC it is called a Cap Nut
this is a quarter-inch example
http://www.plumbase.co.uk/westco-blank-nut-bsp-14-brass-100008028-2228648

edit here you are
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...sp+blank+nut.TRS0&_nkw=bsp+blank+nut&_sacat=0

You could screw something similar through the additional hole.

they are sold for plugging unwanted holes in WC cisterns, e.g. if an external overflow is no longer needed when you have an internal overflow. I only remember seeing them in white plastic with a rubber sealing washer, but it suits your need.
http://www.plumbase.co.uk/westco-cistern-blank-off-plug-100007814-2228684

edit
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sop=15&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=cistern plug -sink&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1&_trksid=p2045573.m1684
 
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Glad you've so many, great crop!! I have onion envy ;)
I buy onion sets, not seed and have bought them from various places, so not sure if down to that. The biggest problem really is onion rot despite crop rotation. Even when they get to a fairly good size, the rot sets in. Nowt can do about it and neighbouring plots are the same. I was going to have a go in the garden this winter but we've just taken on a tortoise from my partners dad - no point in growing much now ground level as he either chomps or tramples over everything!

All mine are from sets as well. I've tried from seed but didn't know enough at the time to get it right. All the best and biggest were planted in October/November, the reds were called 'Electric' and the whites were Stuttgart Giants, although they only came out a reasonable size, but still more than happy.

Not sure what to say about your rot? Do you use pesticides/herbicides? I would knock that on the head for a start. Shame about the tortoise ;(
 
Peas, runners (sometimes), courgette and corn kernels all freeze well too. We pickle beets and gherkins, and this year is my first year am going to make jam, just like my late mum - family fav so going to send my brothers all a jar :)
If you liked making your allotment work over winter with the onions, do you grow sprouts too? I do, something nice about picking them for Xmas dinner. If you like broad beans, they can go in winter too. They seem to do better going by neighbouring plots, they get big and strong before the blackfly in the summer get hold.

Sprouts I have never grown and it's on the list to try. Any tips?

I'll have a go at broad beans as well.

Only overwintering stuff I've ever attempted are onions, garlic and cabbage. Going to attempt some courgette soup, had a word with another member on site and they said chopped onion, chopped courgette and rice (fried), and everything seasoned, and then blended.. apparently it makes a great soup.

I really should get into the habit of writing stuff down, because I'm growing stuff at the moment and I've forgotten what some of it is.
 
An old galvanised tan k is pretty certain to have BSP fittings.

A half-inch BSP is very close to 22mm in diameter, but will not fit a metric thread
see https://www.castrads.com/frequently...-iron-radiator-renovation/what-are-bsp-sizes/

so I bet that's what you've got.

IIRC it is called a Cap Nut
this is a quarter-inch example
http://www.plumbase.co.uk/westco-blank-nut-bsp-14-brass-100008028-2228648

edit here you are
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...sp+blank+nut.TRS0&_nkw=bsp+blank+nut&_sacat=0

You could screw something similar through the additional hole.

they are sold for plugging unwanted holes in WC cisterns, e.g. if an external overflow is no longer needed when you have an internal overflow. I only remember seeing them in white plastic with a rubber sealing washer, but it suits your need.
http://www.plumbase.co.uk/westco-cistern-blank-off-plug-100007814-2228684

edit
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sop=15&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=cistern plug -sink&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1&_trksid=p2045573.m1684


All in good time. I have two tanks I've decided are both going to be used to store water, one has carrots growing in it at the moment so I can't see if there is a hole in that one as well.

The plan is to place them side by side behind the shed with half round bamboo guttering fitted along the back of the shed feeding into each one. The bamboo is sold from a specialist company, and I'm travelling in that direction at the weekend so hoping to pick up a length or two. Bamboo rather than plastic because I'm a snob.
 
All mine are from sets as well. I've tried from seed but didn't know enough at the time to get it right. All the best and biggest were planted in October/November, the reds were called 'Electric' and the whites were Stuttgart Giants, although they only came out a reasonable size, but still more than happy.

Not sure what to say about your rot? Do you use pesticides/herbicides? I would knock that on the head for a start. Shame about the tortoise ;(
There's nothing that can be done with onion rot sadly. It takes about 10 years (from memory) to die off, and every time someone plants onions it starts again, so am outta luck with onions I think! I suppose I could plant them in pots with new soil, but then the cost of production starts to outweigh the cost of them at tesco so I don't think it's worth it!
 
Sprouts I have never grown and it's on the list to try. Any tips?

I'll have a go at broad beans as well.

Only overwintering stuff I've ever attempted are onions, garlic and cabbage. Going to attempt some courgette soup, had a word with another member on site and they said chopped onion, chopped courgette and rice (fried), and everything seasoned, and then blended.. apparently it makes a great soup.

I really should get into the habit of writing stuff down, because I'm growing stuff at the moment and I've forgotten what some of it is.
Sprouts are a slug fav, as well as cabbage fly. I grow them under netting and use a wooden box around them with wires connected to a battery! When I do them under that they come out lovely, last year I didn't and although were good, they were munched a lot, losing some. I also give them a lot of chicken manure pellets and they grow very well on those.

Enjoy that soup! I've a glut of courgettes and just can't give em away anymore :-)
 
Just planted out some brussel sprouts and cauliflower :

IMG_20170718_175534.jpg


IMG_20170718_175530.jpg



IMG_20170718_175440.jpg


All my brassicas have been from from store bought plants this year because I've been rejigging so much of the site it left very little time to do the actual sowing. Sheds are generally to hot or to cold for germination and for storage, temperature fluctuates too much. No access to a greenhouse unfortunately, if I had one I'd be overjoyed.

Very little in the way of slugs this year. Do you have raised beds? I got rid of any timber I had in the ground and where slug generally like to hide, like under bricks. I'm still using them as you can see but I'm going to purchase some clips that are pushed into the ground to hold the net down, and so no bricks. The timber I pulled out had dozens of slugs, so that may be worth a try.

The spacings on these are a bit ****ed. The printoff says the specified row spacings, but I allowed a little exra between some and then realised I was running out of space to fit the rest in under the net. The other thing is that by sowing to near to the edge, the butterflies can lay their eggs on any leaves, so I try to keep them as central as possible away from touching the netting.
 
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