Another job on the show veg front is almost complete. The pipes are in the raised bed and ready to be filled. Eventually I’ll construct an environmesh cover to keep the dreaded carrot fly out. There’s 12 6″ diameter pipes and 16 4″ diameter (the ones that I started with last year). The first job is to fill up half a dozen of the larger pipes ready for the parsnips. I’ll be sowing in a couple of weeks so will fill the pipes up next weekend and allow them to settle before sowing a few seeds in each one and covering with fleece until they germinate and can be thinned.
Looks like an alien installation at present!
Advertisement
16 comments
Comments feed for this article
January 22, 2012 at 10:09 am
Mark Willis
Looks to me more like a multi-barelled rocket-launcher! (For showering your enemies with parsnips??)
January 22, 2012 at 11:10 am
Sue
I was thinking organ pipes!
January 22, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Jo
You deserve first prize after all the preparation you put in to it.
January 22, 2012 at 3:26 pm
Carolyn (urbanvegpatch)
I admire your dedication Damo. Will the carrot fly be able to get high enough to get into the pipes?
January 22, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Darren
Looking good mate, those new pipes certainly look the business
January 22, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Damo
Thanks Mark, I may convert it next year if the veg is no good!
Sue – I didn’t think of that, they do don’t they, that may be next year’s design idea!
Thanks very much Jo.
Carolyn, interesting question most garden experts (such as Monty Don et al) preach the 2 ft high barrier method. If you ask any of the top showers they say this is a myth, having grown roots in long pipes and oil drums and suffered carrot fly damage they all cover with environmesh now. I guess the tiny flies get carried by the wind and must be flying around above 2 feet high at some point surely? That said I didn’t last year and didn’t suffer any damage. But it’s too big an investment to not cover.
Cheers Darren they are much better if I get a good result this year I’ll be investing in a couple more.
January 22, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Alison
I new there was a use for the pipes that I found whilst clearing a corner of the garden!! Not that I’m planning to ‘show’ any of my veg (if indeed any of it grows) but you never know, in years to come. I can’t wait to see the finished goods and really wish you the best of luck.
January 22, 2012 at 5:24 pm
Damo
Thanks Alison and hold onto the pipes, you never know!
January 23, 2012 at 11:24 am
The Idiot Gardener
Screw gardening, get that in for a Turner Prize.
I had to show Mrs IG that picture, just so she truly understands how amateur my attempt will be.
I may have to go Trombonchino!
January 23, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Damo
Good idea, although it will be doomed as it actually has a use and some purpose! I need to rear a decent Trombonchino this year. By the way I’ve been reading your recent posts but can’t leave a comment as the page doesn’t seem to load up properly for me.
January 23, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Janet/Plantaliscious
Oh thank, now I have ‘Danny Boy’ going round and round my head… The pipes, the pipes are calling me…
January 24, 2012 at 5:52 pm
Damo
Ah yes that was the title of my post last year…….sorry about that!
January 25, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Libby
I had no idea there was so much involved in growing show veg. Rather you than me!
January 26, 2012 at 1:39 pm
wellywoman
That’s quite some construction. There’s a guy at the allotment who grows carrots to show. He grows his in tall barrels and still gets carrot fly. He even had them covered with enviromesh and he still had a little bit. Those flies are determined little things.
January 26, 2012 at 3:35 pm
dvotee
Wow – Very impressive. Do you think the military would find a use for them?
I could never grow to show, it’s bad enough starting out but to do that I should think you’re putting even more pressure on yourself which is not something I want.
Hope they give you exactly what you want.
January 26, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Damo
Libby, thanks very much I may regrest the amount of effort involved!
WW – with the amount of testimony to the fly still affecting people who grow in pipes/barrels etc I’m surprised that programmes like GW still mention the 2ft rule.
dvotee- thanks very much, they may well do, we are a stones throw from Salisbury Plain so who knows. I’m quite relaxed about it if things don’t come up to scratch it’s not the end of the world.