Hi from South County Dublin

t-rex · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 3:25 pm Post subject: Hi from South County Dublin

Glad to have found this site during a search for Irish gardeners. I was moved to get into gardening by my enthusiastic 11 yr old son. We're learning about growing vegetables and herbs together. Hope we can get advice and help as we go and one day impart some in return!

Talk soon!

Docter Robert · Hazel Tree Joined: 02 Sep 2008 Posts: 14

Hi T-rex
A warm welcome.

Doctor Robert.

Sive · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 4:33 pm Post subject:

Welcome t-rex....and 11 year-old son too. I love to hear of children gardening...what a wonderful interest for them, for the rest of their lives. .....all the best to you both

walltoall · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:15 pm Post subject: Welcome t-rex

C'mon t-rex. You're in. Ask us something or tell us something? I've a stepson 11 and a grandson 11. So we've something in common. You're not from R'farnham are you?

t-rex · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject: Re: Welcome t-rex

walltoall · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject: from us to you

I am sorry about your bereavement and send my condolences. It is very easy to drop the ball under such circumstances but you are assured of my prayers and I'm sure many others. I'm sure others will weigh in with ideas to help develop the young lads interest.

There is very little your lad can grow outside in winter, but all is not lost. Do you have any autumn crocuses coming up? Can you isolate some different plants (weeds will do fine) and learn how to identify them? Have you any daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops which may already be showing next year's buds? In a sunny window, you can grow simple plants like cress. The real problem is a lack of actual sunlight to do the photo-synthesis. Is the lad interested in research. He might like to find out why plants grow? He could sow cabbage seeds in a warm sunny part of the garden or even a warm sunny window box and watch them develop [very slowly] into cabbage plants which he can transplant out in the spring?

anchoress · Hazel Tree Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 23

Blessings and prayers from Co Donegal

rathfuadagh · Hazel Tree Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 32 Location: tulsk

Hi T-rex

You can plant japanese overwintering onions sets, garlic bulbs, over wintering peas and broad beans.

Spring cabbage,brocolli and kale.

Carrots do well in a pot at this time of year they will give you little spring carrots they like a sandy mix of soil .

You can grow some sprouting seeds and micro greens indoors on the window sill.

What about a mushroom kit.

If you have a cloche you can grow some salad leaves there are some types which grow without cover (lambs lettuce) but you get cleaner salad leaves if covered.

t-rex · Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 3:58 pm Post subject:

Thanks for your kind thoughts.

Yep, my son is growing garlic, some brocolli and cabbage. We don't have a greenhouse, just one of those plastic covered things, and we're attempting some things. He's got a lot of herbs which he loves. He has a keen interest in Chillies. Also he planted an Avocado stone and it's growing nicely on the window ledge - we know it won't ever give us fruit, but it looks good.

A mushroom kit's a good idea. So are the carrots. I'll let him know. Thanks.

walltoall · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:53 pm Post subject: I love your avatar

I've grown avocado from seed a couple of times over the years. They make lovely pot-plants and like a sunny window. Don't drown them but never let them dry out. They can be bottom watered once they are growing strongly. If you stand the pot in a frisbee full of small gravel it regulates the water. My best ones were grown in east facing windows. They had shiny 'evergreen' leaves kinda like a camellia and a beautiful bark. I understand avocados can be bonsai'd but I never tried it myself