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Will today's younger generation start to grow there own

(84 Posts)
12Michael Fri 03-Apr-20 10:51:02

Considering the closeness to a war like situation although this time its a bug or sorts.
Will today's young family's , if they have a house and land with enough room to start to grow there own vegetable crops in order to survive.
And seeing and eating something they have produced themselves and not off a supermarket shelf
Mick

Callistemon Fri 03-Apr-20 23:15:55

I know we should have bought them earlier, we normally do.

Pikachu Fri 03-Apr-20 23:11:45

Got loads of bean seeds here. Runner beans, French beans, dwarf beans.

Callistemon Fri 03-Apr-20 23:09:04

Who said that Summerlove?
Don't try telling that to all the newly qualified medical staff, all the graduates who won't have their graduation ceremonies and look at a uncertain future after years of study, the young people working at home to try to keep their companies going as well as homeschooling their children!
Etc

Summerlove Fri 03-Apr-20 23:05:29

The impression I have of most young people is that their attention span is measured in nano seconds.

That’s surely a little ageist isn’t it?

Callistemon Fri 03-Apr-20 22:46:09

I need DGD for that, Pikachu, unfortunately we can't see her.

Callistemon Fri 03-Apr-20 22:45:05

First we need the bean seeds pikachu!

Soap and water. For green fly and for hands.

Pikachu Fri 03-Apr-20 22:36:03

With the time we now have on our hands you’ll be able to pick the green flies off one at a time by hand Callistemon.

Callistemon Fri 03-Apr-20 20:14:16

Not to mention all the watering

Callistemon Fri 03-Apr-20 20:11:50

It is quite a rigmarole isn't it!
Keeping the carrot root fly off, the aphids off the beans, the sparrows pecking all the red flowers off the runner beans etc
The slugs and cabbage white butterflies!

Any tips anyone?
I forgot to order tagetes and there are no seeds to be had now.

Oopsadaisy3 Fri 03-Apr-20 20:05:17

Tell me about it hetty DH wheeled 32 bags of assorted soil from the road to the bottom of the garden today, all was ordered for delivery today as we should have been coming home from our holiday yesterday. Poly tunnel is almost up.
At the rate we are going each vegetable we grow will cost us about £5!
Assuming any come up......

Hetty58 Fri 03-Apr-20 17:21:33

Oopsadaisy3, I do have raised beds that I made myself, soil was bought in and I grow vegetables (not root veg, though). However, I've been here for 30 years and I'm a keen gardener.
Not many people would bother with all the rigmarole.

Pikachu Fri 03-Apr-20 16:01:58

DH walks the dog down to our allotment several times a week.

SirChenjin Fri 03-Apr-20 16:00:25

I like the idea of growing our own fruit and veg but we both work full time and our garden isn’t big enough to grown anything like the amount of food we’d need to feed five of us. I’ve dabbled over the years and have grown a few bits and pieces but it’s easier/cheaper/quicker to get them from the supermarket.

I’ve had my name down for an allotment for a number of years but they are like gold dust - most of them owned by retirees (I know this from a member of the committee who has been keeping me up to date in my application). I’m also part of a committee setting up a community garden but again the scale is too small to do anything more than offer a hobby activity.

Pikachu Fri 03-Apr-20 15:57:49

The allotment situation varies from area to area so it’s a sweeping statement to say you a) can’t get one or b) they are miles away.

Most allotments near us were pretty big so when new ones became vacant the local council split them into two (still decent sized) and that freed up the lists. Also many older folks were finding a whole allotment too much so they gave over half to those on the waiting list.

Now it’s quite easy to get a 1/2 allotment. Also they handed over the management of them to the holders and so now anyone who abandons or doesn’t look after their patch can be repossessed.

As far as distance we have four in our little town and I’d say all are fairly reachable by bike or on foot .,

EllanVannin Fri 03-Apr-20 14:53:18

There won't be much choice but to grow your own if potatoes reach £5 for a bag and cauli's £8 each ! Exaggerating slightly but these commodities such as fruit and veg will increase rapidly before the end of the year.
No pickers/harvesters for a start and a general delay with Brexit and the Virus in the way of progress.

Callistemon Fri 03-Apr-20 14:46:57

Not at all gilly, yours is hope over experience ie you would like to do so but can't get an allotment.
I want to plant seeds but I'm not sure when, or even if, they will arrive.

Negativity and p,aying devil's advocate is different altogether.

No-one is suggesting that people who live in high rise flats without balconies could grow vegetables and fruit, but that is, in fact a minority of people, about 1.5% of the population.

We were enjoying a series on TV a few weeks ago featuring City Farms called, I think, The Farmers' Country Showdown . I hope the City Farms are still managing to keep going now. They are a wonderful way to bring the countryside to the cities.

curvygran Fri 03-Apr-20 14:39:06

Thanks merlotgran! I’ll see if I can get some from them .

quizqueen Fri 03-Apr-20 14:23:08

I managed to get my tomato plants/compost/grow bags the day Boris locked us down so they are ready and planted in my greenhouse. I'm also growing sunflowers and marigolds from seeds which I harvested last year from my own plants and, yes, I live in a 'naice' area. Not always so though; I grew up on a rough council estate. Places which sell agricultural feed stuffs are still open and they sell compost and usually supermarkets do too.

annodomini Fri 03-Apr-20 14:08:51

GD (17) cleared a space in her dad's garden and proceeded to sow some vegetables which she then completely neglected. However, he has managed to harvest quite a lot this spring, has dug over the ground and is going to sow potatoes. Both my DSs have taken up gardening in middle age.

notanan2 Fri 03-Apr-20 13:30:13

I agree that you said you should be allowed to go to your allotment.

I mentioned the fact that its only accessible by car in the context that the people less able to afford a garden/balcony/less damo flat are also likely unable to afford a car

I know allotment owners who have gardens. Yes not all gardens work well for growing. But the point is that the type of people who grow things already arent necessarily the only ones who see the point in doing so IYKWIM

Davidhs Fri 03-Apr-20 13:29:32

Why not have a go if you have the space but I would be surprised if many lawns get dug up to plant cabbages or potatoes.

The impression I have of most young people is that their attention span is measured in nano seconds.

JenniferEccles Fri 03-Apr-20 13:19:00

Surely it’s acceptable for folk to drive to their allotment?
By allowing people to tend their vegetables there would surely be fewer supermarket visits?

My husband would love to grow vegetables but although we have a large garden we also have a lot of trees and he didn’t have much success when he tried some years ago.

Scentia Fri 03-Apr-20 13:00:33

My DS 27 has an allotment and my DD grows her own veg. I think it is very fashionable at the moment.

MawB Fri 03-Apr-20 12:58:06

Well,it wasn’t smug or nasty until,the negativity kicked in.
Mick made a perfectly reasonable suggestion and some of us agreed that many people do. confused

merlotgran Fri 03-Apr-20 12:53:05

curvygran

Wilko online deliver compost and growbags and will e-mail you when they have some in stock.

Ditto things like vermiculite, perlite, growmore etc.,