Onoff

It's not lime mortar existing is it?

The potted runners: & the dwarf beans tonight:

No I meant for my veg frame I'll pop a few gussets on at the corners. Doesn't need much. Tbh reckon it'll rot from the inside out down here. Did think about spraying inside the box sections with veg oil... ?

Thanks. It'll probably get some small sheet gussets pop rivetted at the junctions. Yeah, daft for many reasons. I still reckon pallets. I've done it and it works. Plus I'll have to give the box section back! 😂

DIY fertiliser then... I don't know about young nettle tops but these buggers went in roots and all after stinging me umpteen times through rubber gloves! Topped off with water from a rain butt then weighted with a paver and plastic lid from somewhere. Made a roof from a bit of old HV mat or does it want a "tight" cover / lid?

Tbh I've those shop bought runners in a pot and dwarf beans in another that SWMBO did and looking tonight they are pretty decimated! The copper band around each pot has done FA. Reckon in part as she used compost from the bin that wasn't that well rotted and imported the buggers with it. Can't remember which, (runner or dwarf pot) but I must have picked 10 slugs and snails off the plants. I've placed a beer trap in the centre of one pot, the worst affected. Whether they're salvageable I don't know. Pics tomorrow if there's anything left. So far the 50 runners from seed are doing ok and starting to climb. That pile of slugs above. Thought they were all dead but the pile I dumped on the ground, most seem to have come back to life. All spread out from where I dumped them.

It's like magic! How do they know where to find the string?

I see Lidl have Miracle-Gro & Tomorite on special this week: https://www.lidl.co.uk/p/indoor-outdoor-plants/miracle-gro-plant-feed-tomorite/p52364 Then Aldi from the 9th:

My first go at slugging with beer traps! Both traps inside the "Ring Of Ash": The tuna tin scored 1: The bean tin the other end though: I've emptied the tins for the birds/badger/hedgehogs. Is that what you do, and refill? Had to neck another God awful French beer mind!

Presumably you, "measure with the top tape"? "I know it doesn't feel like it luv, but the tape doesn't lie!"

Someone suggested I "feed" my beans. Reluctant to use a fertiliser what with any run off etc. Is Miracle Gro Organic any good?

The beans survived their first night! The cat was weird last night. I'd had words telling him it was his job to earn his keep, patrol etc and keep the vermin off. Looked like he'd had a hard night this morning.

A while back my mate gave me a load of 25mm box section. I think it's powder coated. This was old server racking. He's been on for ages about building a new workshop and has a mad idea for my lad to print him 120 - 140 PETG connectors. Then to clad the resultant frame in 18mm ply with self drill screws. It comes from him seeing the veg patch frame I've built from the box section using similar connectors. Seems a crap idea to me for a number of reasons. For one I feel MIG welding it would be better if at all. I can't see how he'd insulate it easily either. Gut feel is such thin walls would be "wobbly" to say the least. These are his sketches: Any thoughts? @Gus Potter?

Love it! 👍

Got the frame half up. Suddenly dawned we were 8 pieces short on our steel cutting list! All nice and square / level. I'll put some diagonals in on the corners with rivnuts to take out any wobble. Then net & gate time (once I've cut and painted the missing steels). Sieved some soil and packed a bit more over the top of the cardboard pots, firming down as best as: As for the slug traps I'm trying: Cheap French beer in a tuna / bean can and 3 bricks: Half sunk / tilted pop bottle, again with beer in. That might not be such a good idea. Emptying might be a pain: In fact by putting traps inside the enclosure will I be attracting slugs and snails? Should the traps go outside? In the interests of H&S I thought I'd best sample the poison myself. Christ, I'm used to better things, British Bulldog it ain't! I actually feel sorry for the poor little critters dying in this. It's actually quite offensive: A sprinkling of wood ash around the perimeter and that's it for today:

Something else came up here...

Will do. Just going out to cut a piece of mesh, the seed tray will now double as a sieve. I'll put some of the trench soil down.

Pour les limaces et les escargots: Seemed fitting!

In awe. I knew there were some clever people on here but.....

Well they're in! Whether they're "in" enough I don't know. Dug two 4/6" deep trenches. Filled with compost. Half a bag of "Westland with John Innes" then a full bag of Grandiol from Lidl. SWMBO didn't like the Lidl one saying it's got "bits of stick and stones in it". I thought it was fine. I slit the cardboard pots and just sort of pressed them down and packed some of loose soil around them that I'd dug out doing the trenches. The weaklings I generally put where they'll get the Sun first. Let the games begin! Off out in minute in search of cheap beer for some traps. Will start assembling the frame today too when laddo surfaces.

Frame ready to assemble. Cut, painted, 3D connectors will go in with the aid of some cooking oil: Back then to the original business of gardening... I still haven't plant the beans yet. This is where they're going as of today. Still needs some gaps under the sleepers blocking off / filling. There's then the peripheral dirt to be de-stoned, weeded and levelled. The beans themselves, some leaves are going a bit speckly, would that be a nutrient issue? They've been in those tiny pots for a month. How do I "plant"? Never done it before. I was thinking core a hole in the soil with an old Starrett, pack in some fresh compost and drop the bean in. In it's little cardboard container still? Got my 93 year old man moaning "If you don't get them in you won't get a crop!"

With 20% off this was £34. Got it on recommendation of a few who have it. Comes with 4 spare spatter shields which are available separately. (They're not green, that's protective film that peels off).

Check this out, auto darkening helmet that has side windows for better perephral vision: The central window is the one that auto darkens. The side ones stay that shade.

Sleepers finally in to coral the slugs 😂 All the soil from the trench will be sieved and levelled off within the sleeper area. All the 25mm box cut to length for the frame. Net and 3D printed connectors all ready. Might get round to the gate tomorrow and try the new welding helmet!

If I buy/make some beer traps, then presumably there'll be a dish full of dead / drunk slugs in the morning. These beer soaked slugs.....leave them in a dish for the birds, badger? Visions of blackbirds careering into windows or lairy badgers going on the rampage!