Grow your own permalink
Is this site fading with the sun?
This discussion has been closed.
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Message 1.Â
Posted by calculad (U3607616) on Saturday, 10th December 2011
I haven't been on here for a while and I know it's pretty quiet out there at the moment, but has the number of posts severely diminished?
K -
Message 2
Posted by johnjake (U15039133) on Saturday, 10th December 2011
yes, that a bunch knon nothing poster got banned for being annoying.
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Message 3
Posted by As_Iff (U13951957) on Sunday, 11th December 2011
I`m wondering if there will be much call for this message board now that the new Â鶹Éç Home Page has so much gardening information on it.
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Message 4
Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Sunday, 11th December 2011
I`m wondering if there will be much call for this message board now that the new Â鶹Éç Home Page has so much gardening information on it.Â
Off course there will be.even if it is only for the camaraderie and ' hands on ' experience that is found here! -
Message 5
Posted by Stressed out (U11163734) on Sunday, 11th December 2011
Yup
When you cannot post helpful links - discussions other than gardening are quashed then its on its way out.
To be honest since the last lot of changes I think they have been looking for a way to close the board. It has declined just like GW -
Message 6
Posted by BigDave (U3975543) on Sunday, 11th December 2011
When your new to gardening and you post on here asking something, it is not nice to be pointed at and take the mic out of or just told to "look it up" down the posts and you will find that this has been asked 27 times this week.
Its not nice when some people that are good at what they do (not just gardening) are funny with people that are new to it.
I run the allotment site where my allotment is and it happens there to as i'm sure it does anywhere....there are always people that don't have time for others but this puts the new people off....
This is only what I see from where I sit.
Whatsthemarrow... -
Message 7
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Monday, 12th December 2011
Surely it is just the time of year-there is not a lot of gardening going on in December especially in "grow your own"
As regards links I do not have a problem linking to other discussions or non-commercial sites-this the Â鶹Éç after all and have been instances of people trying to do sneaky advert for their own products on these message-boards
I do not think I have seen much evidence of people having fun poked at them but if a question comes up that is similar to another recent question what is the problem of linking to that discussion--there is nothing stopping anyone joining in the discussion is there?
Tee-Gee quite often links to his own gardening site and quite useful it is too.
I have always found gardeners a caring, sharing lot quite happy to share there knowledge -perhaps there is too much of a competition mentality in your allotment people-I dont know
I expect there been people driven away from this site by some unpleasant posters-a board that is reactively monitored will suffer from that unless the people who use the board register a complaint-that is what the "report this message" facility is for
In 6 months or so time I would fully expect theses boards to be teeming with questions-let us wait and see -
Message 8
Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Monday, 12th December 2011
In 6 months or so time I would fully expect theses boards to be teeming with questions-let us wait and seeÂ
I would say nearer three months Cody.
Once the impatient early birds get over christmas the boards will be teeming with questions & answers.
Just a point about why I link to my website so often and that is;
It is not an ego trip, its just that I am a lousy one fingered typist and linking to my website saves me re-typing what I have already typed.
BTW glad you find the site useful, comments like that makes me feel it was all worth while building it.
My "New Years resolution"; is to learn to type with more than one finger so that I can keep up with the demand when it comes.
Merry Christmas to you all ....Tg -
Message 9
Posted by kate1123 (U14824475) on Monday, 12th December 2011
3 months I would say 6 weeks if the snow does not come.
I read this board for over a year before I joined and in that time I frequently used Tee Gee's website particularly for nitty gritty stuff.
This site is not very user friendly, every time you ask a question you have to specify area of country, garden type, south/north facing and soil conditions . This is particularly relevant for newbies as the advice given to someone in a city garden in London would vary to someone gardening on an exposed site in the North.
I am guilty of frequently suggesting previous threads mainly because I feel it is easier to join a discussion on 'cats' than it is to start a new one and wonder why no one joins in.
I think newbies are a difficult area , I sometimes think some are speculatively looking for a free makeover, the random comments in TV and Radio are always suspicious. Posters on most forums are hostile to newbies who are 'controversial'.
I will eventually look for a message board that allows me to swap seeds/ cuttings etc or I may look for an actual gardening club. It would be interesting to know why people leave.
Whether the Â鶹Éç intends to get rid of this message board is another thing altogether. -
Message 10
Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Monday, 12th December 2011
What I think is both sad and rude is when posters arrive, ask a question and then when someone goes to some trouble to find a link for them or answer in a detailed way they never acknowledge the help and often are never heard from again.
Other posters with questions then suffer as it is easy to say 'Why bother to go to the trouble'. -
Message 11
Posted by johnjake (U15039133) on Monday, 12th December 2011
not posting thank you is not rude at all. answering is it's own reward.
posting thanks you just clutter of up forum with unnecessary posts and leads to offtopic chit chat which is against the rules which the moderators and hosts have seen fit to banned due to it's cliquish nature. -
Message 12
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Monday, 12th December 2011
Bara is quite right- a simple thanks is appreciated and does not clutter up this message board at all-surely it is just polite.
I find it personally annoying that someone wants free advice, happily given and does not acknowledge the response-lots do but lots don't
I do and I then feel quite happy about asking another question.
Manners cost nothing -
Message 13
Posted by kate1123 (U14824475) on Monday, 12th December 2011
I have double standards on this, I am sure that there are a couple of times that I have forgotten to go back and thank someone, normally this is because the question has been answered by my mother. If an old hand does not thank me I am not upset at all but I feel new posters should acknowledge that they have returned to the site to read the answers.
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Message 14
Posted by JG (U14314385) on Wednesday, 14th December 2011
As someone who was new to 'grow your own' a few years ago, this site was brilliant.
I never felt belittled asking some quite daft questions and I valued all the information and advice I have had from people decent enough to share their expertise. I may not post much but I regularly get information from other posts. My thanks to all of you
JG -
Message 15
Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Thursday, 15th December 2011
I haven't been on here for a while and I know it's pretty quiet out there at the moment, but has the number of posts severely diminished?
°Ìý The answer is yes.
The reason probably is less use of computers for posting threads and more use of fancy phones to twitter and go on face book.
I have posted on here for years on and off and seen the boards changed always for the worse, many of the old posters have gone some you will find on other sites some just gave in.
As with all things give it a period of time and it comes back like clothes fashion, my wedding suit will be round again for the umteenth time soon, pity I cannot get it on now?
Looking in when I have time, I try to answer the queries that have no answer or one answer which often puts them onto a website, that can be helpful although someone with hands on experience can often give details of what not to do, what to look for and how their particular efforts have fared.
With the upsurge of new gardeners trying to grow some of their own food there will be a splurge of queries as the new year starts. Those people will not have seen their parents growing food or as in my case lived on a smallholding and farms where you saw it all from an early age. They will need to know basic gardening and not wish to be scorned by some telling them it is obvious or to go on line and work through all the adverts to find what you need to know.
A straight forward answer is what they ask and need.
If "how do you chit potato's" comes up three times in a week I will answer three times, we with the experience are teachers and need the patience of teachers, I do not need a thank you although it often comes and others do read those answers thinking just waht I was going to ask.
Wait and see what the new year brings that is if the Â鶹Éç do not off load these boards as they have done with others.
Frank. -
Message 16
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Thursday, 15th December 2011
The Â鶹Éç history message-board is closing next week-it would be a real shame if this was next.
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Message 17
Posted by johnjake (U15039133) on Thursday, 15th December 2011
A straight forward answer is what they ask and need.
If "how do you chit potato's" comes up three times in a week I will answer three times, .Â
good points but the sad fact is it has been proven by RHS and others numerous times that potatoes do not need to be chitted. Second if newbies want answer there is google search to answer there questions themselves during winter when there is plenty time since the excuse for not answer newbie questions during growing season is people are to busy in garden -
Message 18
Posted by Lorea (U14415784) on Thursday, 15th December 2011
I consider myself to be a "newbie" to gardening, after only 5 years, and whilst google is obviously an extremely useful tool, there is also lots of contradictory and misleading "advice" on the internet. I much prefer to hear people's personal experience first hand, and there's lots of it on this site.
Like a lot of other people on here, I don't post very often but I do drop in and read other posts every week, because you often find the answers to the questions you never asked.
It would be very sad if it disappeard. -
Message 19
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Friday, 16th December 2011
The site always goes quiet at this time of year cos there's not a lot that can be done outsdie in filthy wetaher and people are busy with Xmas.
It'll get going again in the new year in anticipation of the sowing season. -
Message 20
Posted by johnjake (U15039133) on Saturday, 17th December 2011
I much prefer to hear people's personal experience first hand, and there's lots of it on this site.. first hand experience has same accuracy as google does.
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Message 21
Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Saturday, 17th December 2011
I much prefer to hear people's personal experience first hand, and there's lots of it on this site.. first hand experience has same accuracy as google does.  Not so, Google gives the standard answer once you manage to wade through the adverts.
Hand on experience is from people in a specific area who know the weather patterns, soil quality, what wil grow in that soil, when to sow especially when conditions in one part of the country can be three weeks behind the South.
They know that the RHS encyclopedia's are stated to be a guide and not a bible whether it is chitting potato's or planting apple trees.
As an engineer I saw many high tech or modern applications to a problem when us old timers knew the simple quick and easy answer which of course worked out much cheaper.
We gardeners do things our own way learned by practice and making our own mistakes and we all have opinions, long may it be so as regimented we will never be.
Frank. -
Message 22
Posted by pjgolf (U2469936) on Sunday, 18th December 2011
Well said Frank !
Couldnt agree more.
PJ -
Message 23
Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Monday, 19th December 2011
Well said Frank !
Couldnt agree more.Â
Ditto!!
When I noticed that most of the garden press is produced and published south of the M4 corridor and river Thames,I found it made life a bit difficult for us further north, so that was the reason I produced my website.
The data in it is extracted from diaries I have kept for nearly thirty years.
I also tried to tackle the geographic problem as seen here;
Regarding knowing your soil;
My garden is only forty foot wide, and I have found that there are somethings I can grow on one side that I can't grow on the other.
A similar thing happens on my allotment.
So when I use published or web data I add a pinch of salt! -
Message 24
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Monday, 19th December 2011
Is this site dying? I hope not - but I do worry that it is.
This is a forum for people who've been there, done it and wouldn't dream of wearing the tee-shirt! But they are more than happy to pass on their personal experience - none of which is available in the "one size fits all" of the gardening book (by whomsoever it's written, famous or not) or the google search.
I live in the South West. We have a clement climate. But, more to the point, I live in the Porlock Vale - a micro-climate, surrounded on three sides by the hills of Exmoor, and on the fourth side by the Bristol Channel. I adapt advice accordingly.
But the advice of real gardeners is worth its weight in gold. If this site were allowed to die, I would regret it - I've learned a lot, and also tried to pass on my own personal experiences to try to help others.
No doubt, under the "guise" of financial savings, this board is under threat. Shame!
PHJ -
Message 25
Posted by whatalottie (U9072847) on Friday, 30th December 2011
Brilliant. I've been gardening a while and I still need to know things like, 'How do YOU prevent your brussels blowing?" and "which variety of tomatoes have the best flavour?"
The answers may be contradictory, but that's part of gardening life, and you have to choose which you think is best for you. You don't get the spread of views on Google, or on any gardeing page however wide ranging.
Experience every time!
Lottie -
Message 26
Posted by whatalottie (U9072847) on Friday, 30th December 2011
I did think it was fun when we had fun discussions.
Sometimes started by a particularly silly poster (the one I'm thinking of got banned). Sometimes by some silly occurance such as when sillymoo swallowed some seeds instead of her pills...
These seem to have disapeared, or at least be a lot rarer than they were. Pity, I enjoyed having a giggle as I read all the useful stuff.
There is NO WAY this board could be replaced by a gardening page, if only that so amny people want to discuss what has been said by Monty Don...
Lottie -
Message 27
Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Friday, 30th December 2011
Phew! That's an easy one. Make sure you grow your Brussels in firm ground. I mean really firm ground - not recently dug .
Watch it! Someone will pop up with a contrary view sometime soon! -
Message 28
Posted by jo4eyes (U13654107) on Friday, 30th December 2011
There you are- that's why these boards are useful.
I too have learnt loads in the 4 yrs since I 'discovered' them. Yes, a lot of previously regular posters have 'gone', but if those of us who remain continue to post as & when, then hopefully these boards will continue.
Local knowledge & hands on experience just cant be replaced. J. -
Message 29
Posted by johnjake (U15039133) on Friday, 30th December 2011
BaraGwenith it well proven fact the firm ground decrease production in Brussels sprouts,broccoli,cauliflower
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Message 30
Posted by whatalottie (U9072847) on Monday, 2nd January 2012
Phew! That's an easy one. Make sure you grow your Brussels in firm ground. I mean really firm ground - not recently dug .
Watch it! Someone will pop up with a contrary view sometime soon! They did!
Lottie -
Message 31
Posted by whatalottie (U9072847) on Monday, 2nd January 2012
BaraGwenith it well proven fact the firm ground decrease production in Brussels sprouts,broccoli,cauliflower  Really john jake?
I hadn't heard that before. Anyone special say it, or is it your expereince?
That's why this board is invaluable! I can read lots of views and decide what suits me.
Thanks
Lottie
P.S. I DID ask that question a few days ago, sorry to have hijacked this thread! -
Message 32
Posted by SnakeGuy (U15021582) on Sunday, 8th January 2012
JohnJake! Why are you seeming so grumpy about newbies??
We were all newbies at some point and now one knows everything so we are all still newbies in one way or another.
So giving a grumpy respoce to a newbei e.g "google it" kinda defeats the object of having a message board or just ignoring a question and poasting a snide remark.
I learnt loads from the helpful people in these boards, i am a keen gardener as i only east my own veg (no dirty pun intended), the only thing i dont do is flowers as i have no use for them except the few you can use in Ale Hops.
So give a newbie a break, Lend a newbie a hand, the more new people we encourage to join this board the longer it'll stay open because it's ran on stats,
No new people no board! -
Message 33
Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Sunday, 8th January 2012
SnakeGuy
On the evidence of the past week there is no way a lack of demand or interest in theses message-boards-there has been a lot of questions and the gardening year is in no way in full swing yet-a lot of these have been new posters
As regards the google question I think you will find that this has been answered comprehensively by Frank in a previous comment,
There is always someone who somehow gets a kick of posting negative and spiteful comments they come and then quickly go-experienced hands can spot such people fairly quickly and give them a wide berth.
Anybody can post a question whether they be new or old-and I welcome your sentiment to give a newbie a break although whether a new thread is need just for them is debatable -after a few questions and answers it will become muddled-but I may have mus-understood your reason for opening one-perhaps it is just an invitation to start a new discussion? -
Message 34
Posted by SnakeGuy (U15021582) on Sunday, 8th January 2012
Just to add another little bit of wood to the fire lol
i stumbled across something the otherday.
i was also part of another message board on the bbc site which was closed not due to lac of interest the board was writh with questions and answers but it was clost due to lack of funding
Well when i came to pay my TV licence i thought i would look a see what it actuly pays for and a chunk of my licence pays for this website so why if i am paying for this website is it cloasing board due to lack of funds when clearly everyone that pays for a tv licence is funding this website!!
in answer to your reply thedogcody, i should havr thought of the name a little better for the thread, it's really ment to be a place for poeple to ask anyquestion no matter how silly or how little it may seem without getting the grumpy answer of "Google It" instead get some real advice.
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