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The Bearded Grower

The Bearded Grower
Award winning veg and flower grower
Allotment owner
Former gardening radio and podcast presenter

28/06/2026

Too hot to stand about watering. So I invented the hose holding stick thing. Worked a treat.

07/06/2026

Poked some holes in the soil.
Filled em with leeks that grew in toilet roll tubes.

24/05/2026

Nettle feed is a potent, free, and completely organic liquid fertilizer. Rich in nitrogen, iron, and silica, it is ideal for promoting healthy leafy growth in vegetables (like lettuce and chard), tomatoes, and young transplants.

How to Make Nettle Feed
Making your own nettle “tea” is incredibly cost-effective, though it requires a bit of patience and tolerance for a strong odor.

1. Harvest: Gather young stinging nettles using gardening gloves, filling roughly half a bucket.
2. Chop: Roughly chop or crush the nettles to help release their sap and nutrients.
3. Soak: Fill the bucket with water—rainwater is best, but tap water works—leaving a few inches at the top. Weigh down the nettles with a heavy object like a brick to keep them submerged.
4. Brew: Cover the bucket (to contain the smell) and leave it to ferment for 3 to 4 weeks. It is ready when the mixture stops bubbling and gives off a very pungent, earthy smell.

How to Apply Nettle Feed
Because the fermented tea is highly concentrated, applying it at full strength will burn or scorch your plants.
* Dilution: Mix 1 part nettle feed to 10 parts water. When diluted, the mixture should look like a pale, weak tea.
* Application: Water the diluted feed directly into the soil around your plants once a week during the growing season.
* Foliar Spray: Alternatively, you can use a spray bottle or a watering can with a fine rose attachment to spray the diluted feed directly onto the leaves.
Note: The concentrated brew has a very strong aroma. Store the brewing bucket well away from your house, and consider wearing gloves and old clothes when handling it.

20/05/2026

Life has taken over!

Been very quiet on here as I’ve done nothing since before my holiday, since we got back we have had a few things that have taken precedence over the garden renovation and the allotment, but fingers crossed I will be back at it very soon.

And no I haven’t had a gagging order from Monty…

02/05/2026

Happy World Naked Garden Day to all those taking part, remember it’s a bit of fun and don’t instantly hit the unfollow button because people dare to bare some flesh online, it’s mainly very funny and tasteful. Some people put a lot of effort in, fair play.

If you can’t be kind, be quiet. Celebrate people being happy.

Fair play who knew you were hiding such a rippling set of muscles. 😂

26/04/2026

Garden Renovation part 8.

The top 4 steps are concreted into place and pretty much backfilled. The next 3 steps are screwed in place but need to be concreted and filled.

Need to get down to for some more materials before I can get the 1st flight complete.

I’m very pleased with progress and how they look, it is almost time to install some resin bound gravel…

Any suggestions for a decent brand of DIY resin bound kits?

25/04/2026

Garden Renovation part 7 - using protection

Last time I installed the steps 6-7 years ago I relied on the pressure treated timber alone for rot prevention/protection.

This time I’m coating the timber with bitumen paint where it will be in contact with soil to give it an added layer of protection and hopefully give the timber more longevity!

Is this a good move? What else could I have done?

20/04/2026

Time to pot on some swede seedlings, have a little look at how I do that.

I didn’t show it but always water in your plants once you have potted them on.

Any tips for a smoother process? Let me know in the comments.

19/04/2026

Long term followers will know I have an obsession with the weather, we even had a segment called one town weather on the radio show.

Anywho, this morning on the allotment I was genuinely shocked at the frost and ice I found, the temperature in the car said 5.5 degrees so it was a real shock.

This serves as a reminder that it’s still far too early for tender plants to survive sudden drops in temperatures. We might be chomping at the bit to get cracking but if you go too early you could undo all your hard work.

16/04/2026

Garden Renovation Part 6 - Pause Landing

Forget moon landings cool dudes obsess about pause landings on garden steps…

OK just me then.

The top 3 steps and the pause landing are set out, levelled and are ready for being concreted into place, but not just yet. I want to get the entire top flight in place before I start mixing postcrete.

Almost time for another trip to for more supplies.

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