Propagating Strawberries is one of the simplest tasks in the Self Sufficient Garden. For non-alpine varieties, simply look out for runners. Let the small, new plant root of its own accord. After it’s rooted (can be as little as three weeks), dig up the new plant, snip the runner that joins it to the
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Whether you grow your veg from seed or from seedlings is a really a matter of space & time. If you have a greenhouse and you can spare the time to look after young plants, then getting them going from seed is pretty easy in most cases. Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Leeks, Celery, Spinach, Courgette and
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  Lettuce is something we get through by the ton! Week in week out all through the year we consume at least 1 or 2 a week. More in summer. And after our reasonable results last year, but total lack of planning, I want to really get on top of our Lettuce supply for the
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Growing soft fruit has always been a battle of wills between us and the black birds. With only a small amount of room to dedicate to growing fruit, we’ve never had enough to share with the birds and still be able to gather a good harvest to see us through the winter, so I’ve always
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Planning what you’re going to grow is important and should be decided upon as early as possible in the year, to give you plenty of time for preparation and organization. Growing too much can result in a poor harvest due to overcrowding and a lack of time to maintain everything among other things. Growing too
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Runner beans are one of the easiest crops to grow. They need very little in the way of care while they’re growing, all they need is a suitable cane tripod, trellis or fence to climb up, and if you pick the ripe beans often enough will keep on producing delicious beans right through the summer
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As well as trying to grow our own veg, we’re also determined not to spend a fortune either. If you get suckered into buying everything Garden Centres tell you you’re going need, then you can quickly negate one of the major benefits of growing your own… The Cost Saving! My late Grand Father, John Henry
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Now I feel really guilty this year… I bought my Tomato & Cucumber plants from B&Q! In the past I’ve always been loyal to our local garden centres, but this year a 2 for 1 offer or some such thing caught my eye and I grabbed half a dozen. Anyway, they’re quite stocky specimens so
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It’s been a few years since I had a green house at my disposal and I’m really pleased the previous owners of our house left this one behind. An essential component in the Self Sufficient Gardeners arsenal, the Green House will be a very busy place indeed. At least that’s the plan. Ours is 6′x8′
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The idea of Free Ranging chickens is great in an idea world. But in the real world, in a small to medium garden, it’s a recipe for a disaster coated in chicken poo and big holes. Chickens love to scratch, forage and dig nice big holes to have dust baths. But they’re definitely not picky
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