Daphne Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Thanks for the advice sjp the scant water/feed regime is mine as well, but I will take note that you stop feeding mid Aug. I am going to feed the strongest plants as they have 3 or 4 fruits on. The plants were pot luck, I can see that they are swelling into 'ridged' toms, a bit like a gathered skirt around the waist, so I think they might end up quite large. It's scorching today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Got some new pots from my veg patch and some broad beans. When they are young I cook them in their pods and serve with lemon and olive oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 I learnt from my dad! I'm not better - I'm just learning all the time. I also don't feed the plants until the first toms appear. Seeing as they are all erratic I'll wait till all have little toms. Must put the green gauze up as it's so hot in the greenhouse. OH picked loads of strawberries today and made almost 3 kilos of jam. It's been a good year for them - and there are still loads out there. Raspberries are ripening fast and cooking on the stems! I think the wild birds are fed up with them too! Looked under the mesh and I can see teeny weeny sprouts beginning to form. But it's so hot that the chard is sagging - it perks up in the evening though. Had the first of the courgettes yesterday and still have a few little ones ready to eat. Also picked some beans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 lifted 2 more roots of spuds today ,Magenta Love and Amandine, had a few of each for tea and very nice they were too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 With tomatoes, I pot them up when they start to look a bit yellow in their 3 inch pots then they quickly grow into sturdy plants, they then get fed regularly when the fruit starts to set, I find if I don't the fruit is a bit sour, feeding seems to give more succulent sweet fruit. I find this with strawberries too. I do remove a lot of the leaves once I have a good amount of trusses set, which allows the light and air in around them. We have now tried a few other now potatoes, Orla a nice first early and Gemson a waxy salad potato which seems to have produced huge potatoes no chance of cooking them whole we also have some Red Duke of York to have with our roast later. Some of the chard is bolting in the heat despite thinning the plants well this year, I expect the red varieties to bolt but the green ones are too the chickens love the plants though. The beetroot is the best we have ever grown though, really large and tender with good quality leaves to eat too. . Radishes have been hard work on our sandy soil this year, but turnips have been fine probably because again they have been well thinned. We have also grown the best spring onions unfortunately I can't remember which variety they were because the other one has been rubbish. Broad beans are a disaster this year after having a bumper year last year, they have been attacked very badly by black fly despite spraying early. It is swings and roundabouts with veg growing, you have to roll with the punches. The courgettes are just starting we have a lovely stripy one called Striata. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 I have black fly on everything! Even the rhubarb But there are loads of lady birds around, so I have made small ladybird houses by filling pots with dry stars and putting them upturned on stakes around the plot. Let them do the hard work as I don't want to spray anything. I've never seen so many black fly, but all the plot holders have the same problem. Pulled by first carrots up yesterday to give the others a bit more room and they were massive with nice straight roots. I think my broad beans will be ready in a few days. The sweetcorn stems are thickening up nicely too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Yes forgot about carrots, we pulled our first few yesterday too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Too scared to touch my carrots - first time they've looked good above ground - usually they do that and are rubbish underneath! Made a sponge flan case for the first time ever yesterday. I've had the tin since we were first married - so that's been sitting in the cupboards in 3 houses for 30 years!!! Surprisingly easy and put our raspberries in it. NOM! Yes, blackfly are a pain this year but I've been fine spraying the beans to knock the little blighters off. They hate having to climb. Plus I've noticed the ladybird larvae are about now. I'm assuming they are the harlequins. Everything is sticky under the trees. Also flee beetles are pinging all over the place - must keep the ground damp - they hate that . . . apparently! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 More strawberries. Have put up the green shading now - amazing the difference in temperature as OH nailed it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I have become. Big fan of beetroot leaves, I have never managed to grow really good quality leaves before the roots have formed but the leaves haven't been up to much. We have been eating them in salads and wilted as spinach which is so tasty and slightly more robust than spinach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 Watered yesterday, pulled back the mesh and hey ho a perfect head of calabrese!!! That's going to be nommed this weekend!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Hubby made strawberry ice cream and raspberry ice cream. He pickled some beetroot with lemon and I cooked the beet greens with smoked pancetta, an onion from the garden and a pepper. Not bad, a little bitter, but best with the other bits. OH said not bad and then decided he didn't like it after all! Oh well he can have the yukky root bits!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 My courgette and pumpkin flowers are all male No fruits in view. In a shaded spot - anyone know if female flowers come later? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 My courgette and pumpkin flowers are all male No fruits in view. In a shaded spot - anyone know if female flowers come later? once it cools down a bit you should start to get female flowers for some reason some of the squash family only throw up male flowers when it gets above a certain temperature trouble is they then only throw female flowers when it cools down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Thanks SJP - I was waiting for someone in the know to come on. Typical male - hot headed. I will impart this info to OH who thinks I have grown duds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 Our first Sungolds are ripening and are lovely and sweet - I managed to chomp the first one whilst standing in front of OH harrrrrr so there Mr Nickitquick! Then I gave him another 2, but yayyyy I got it first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 picked my first tomato of the year today Idli I think which is a first for me as it normally late August before I get toms it didn't make it out of the greenhouse a very nice sun warmed and ripened yellow tomato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 10, 2015 Author Share Posted July 10, 2015 Well done peeps - still green and uninviting here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 I am hoping for more ripe ones when we get home tomorrow. We have picked about five so far from one hanging basket plant of Tumbler. We had loads of tomatoes set in the greenhouse and I am also hoping for a few small cucumbers provided the pet carer remembered to water them. I also expect to find quite a few courgettes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 I can honestly say this year is absolute pants For my plantings anyway, the resident fruit trees have given bumper crops, so I can't complain really. We must have eaten about 100 lemons. The courgettes have about 1 fruit each (I have read other posts with this problem, its probably the heat, plus I did plant them a bit late and the seed is slightly old), the toms are still green and I have got 2 with blossom end wilt (I think, brown bruising at the end), I do have a whole pepper and I can see they will be OK, as is the basil. Even my flower seeds are taking an age to grow to proper height, I have one sunflower out, about 3 cosmos, and a couple of dahlias (they are cheery), but no zinnia yet. The gladioli are stunning, but I planted them last year. I wonder if its because I am not rotating sufficiently, and I keep growing the same thing. It might also be that this soil is usually 'wonder soil' - ie you plant and then you pick - but I wonder if in fact it is getting depleted of nutrient. We have virtually no worm activity, and hardly anybody composts. People occasionally put a mulch down, to retain moisture, but its half hearted. Some people buy sacks of guano to use as a fertiliser, but I know my neighbours' don't go in for much of that, nor any other kind, and their plots are as glorious as ever. The other thing is that they mattock, bringing up great clods of earth, and/or they rotavate, either way its much deeper digging than I can manage with a hand fork, so perhaps that is the difference. Its not the weather, if anything we have had a bit more wet/cool than normal, although we have also had extreme (40) heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I can honestly say this year is absolute pants For my plantings anyway, the resident fruit trees have given bumper crops, so I can't complain really. We must have eaten about 100 lemons. The courgettes have about 1 fruit each (I have read other posts with this problem, its probably the heat, plus I did plant them a bit late and the seed is slightly old), the toms are still green and I have got 2 with blossom end wilt (I think, brown bruising at the end), I do have a whole pepper and I can see they will be OK, as is the basil. Even my flower seeds are taking an age to grow to proper height, I have one sunflower out, about 3 cosmos, and a couple of dahlias (they are cheery), but no zinnia yet. The gladioli are stunning, but I planted them last year. I wonder if its because I am not rotating sufficiently, and I keep growing the same thing. It might also be that this soil is usually 'wonder soil' - ie you plant and then you pick - but I wonder if in fact it is getting depleted of nutrient. We have virtually no worm activity, and hardly anybody composts. People occasionally put a mulch down, to retain moisture, but its half hearted. Some people buy sacks of guano to use as a fertiliser, but I know my neighbours' don't go in for much of that, nor any other kind, and their plots are as glorious as ever. The other thing is that they mattock, bringing up great clods of earth, and/or they rotavate, either way its much deeper digging than I can manage with a hand fork, so perhaps that is the difference. Its not the weather, if anything we have had a bit more wet/cool than normal, although we have also had extreme (40) heat. blossom end rot is down to poor or irregular watering some varieties are more prone than others beefsteak types been one courgettes as long as you keep them fed and watered will come good once the weather cools down a bit from the sound of it you soil is in need of organic matter .compost, wood chip grass cutting (both as a mulch in the summer but really a good load of rotted farm yard manure dug in over the winter or used as a mulch in the summer and dug in as you plant but if you use a mulch the soil needs to be damp to wet but not sodden other wise all you do in seal the dryness in hand forks are no good for cultivating or for very light weeding . some one will come along and tell you to use the no dig method that only work if the soil has been dug first and is not compacted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 Thanks SJP - I can see the watering has been irregular, I'm not always here to do it. Note to self; find the timer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 It does sound like a fertiliser issue which will be improved by adding organic matter, but also by regular liquid feed when watering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I have carrots!!! Really big and long yellow carrots! First time I've pulled proper ones - even the orange ones (although a little chunkier and not quite as perfect) were good enough to peel and cook. Didn't realise home grown carrots didn't need as long in the pan seeing as they were cooked soon after picking! I'm hoping the parsnips are going to be as good. Also the calabrese is coming on. We are still harvesting the beetroots - OH takes great delight in slobbering over them in front of me. YUK! But I've been eating the leaves. This time I only wilted the smaller leaves and it seemed to be better flavoured in that they weren't bitter. A drop or two of cinnamon honey makes it divine!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Late planted potatoes are growing like mad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
