Valkyrie Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Recommend a climbing French bean called Cobra - it's outdoing everything! Not going to bother with Blauhilde - a dark purple bean - it's not really performing although it seems healthy enough. Slugs or snails seem to love it but not touching Cobra. Also not going to bother with climbing borlotti beans either. The runner beans are slow - Czar, supposed to be white and there is a red growing in between the rows. Tomatoes after a really good start seem to be on a go slow. I thought I'd watered fine but had to remove 4 blossom end rot ones, but possibly that happened while we were on holiday. I don't think DD gave them enough while it was hot. Peppers are coming along but had to remove a big one because a moth caterpillar had eaten a huge hole in the side and was living in his new des res hidey hole. I gave him to the girls. Found another under a leaf - again huge and so that became dinner too. There are some small holes in the leaves so naughty moths are beginning to lay eggs and the little ones are nibbling. Really hard to see them so I shake the plant and they drop down on little threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 the runner beans will come into their own when it cools down a bit. climbing borlotti beans normally do well for but you do need to pick them regularly as like peas they stop stetting pods if you leave them to get fat I normally stop picking them late August if I'm growing them for seed. this is the first year I'm growing Blauhilde but I've seem it growing at CBHG and it did really well. sounds like Czar's either reverted or has got cross pollinated somewhere down the line if the seed had got mixed up or some had been added to baulk out a 'light' packet you'd have noticed the wrong ones as off the top of my head I can't think of a white flowered runner that doesn't have white seed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Mullethunter - stop showing off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I came back from holiday to a sea of thistles. Some 2' high I could curse the farmer that ploughed the field before the allotments were sectioned off Ok, so the sweetcorn is 2' high and has really thick stems and looks amazing. 16 plants in a block so should do well All broad beans eaten and cut back to the ground and have put my Curly kale in. Planted more sweetcorn seedlings out and just hope there is enough time for them to start. All the pumpkins and squashes are going mad. Have picked patty pans a few times now and they are going mental. The winter types are growing well and producing lots of flowers but no fruit yet (well, they are winter ones and small, so guessing they'll take a bit longer). The Tondo di Piacenza (sp) round courgettes are incredible. Tomato 'loveheart' and beefsteak aren't even worth talking about. Brussels sprouts are at the top of their netting, so need to raise that to stop the Cabbage White laying eggs. Have deadheaded my french marigolds and sprinkled them all over the netting to try and deter the white fly. Seems to be working, so will interplant with Marigolds next year. Not a fan of the smell of them, but if they do their job. My beetroot which I have never been able to grow properly is loving the heavy soil of the allotment. I think that was the problem at home, raised beds with compost and topsoil mixed, just not heavy enough to support them. I have picked loads and just boiled the baby ones, peeled and eaten out of the pan. So sweet! Planted some more that I wil hopefully be able to store over winter. The Borlotto bean plants and runner (Scarlet Emperor) are at the top of the wigwams now, so have pinched them out. Masses of flowers too. I've lost a red currant plant, but the blackcurrants x 2 are loaded with fruit. Autumn raspberries doing well, but the Terrier managed to get under the strawberry netting and eat the lot My blueberries were tiny (2 plants) and the birds have eaten the lot as I forgot to net them. It's their first year in the ground, so hopefully next year will be better and I'll remember to net them. Carrots look good under the fleece, but resisting the urge to look under there too often. Peas harvested and the rest are too woody now, so will let them dry and use the seed for next year. The only thing I'm struggling with is flowers. My sweet peas that usually do so well and still thin weedy plants, although I have had a few flowers. Dahlias are coming on slowly, Zinnias have vanished, but the Little Dorrit sunflowers are doing well. The top inch or so of the allotment os really dark and wet but underneath that its like dust. I need a really decent downpour to get the water down lower. 4 water butts installed now, but only have half a one with water in it. Taking huge containers down with water is a drag and not good for my dodgy back, but the house opposite kindly let me use their hosepipe to fill everything up They are going on a water meter soon, so won't be able to do that again. All in all, quite chuffed with progress for my first year at the lottie. The weeds are a constant battle, but the same goes for my garden. I need more weed suppressing membrane (don't buy the Asda one for £3.50, it has disintegrated into dust after 2 weeks) and one of the plot holders knows a tree surgeon with free wood chip, so will do the paths later this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Wow Christian - Well Done Is it the taste of the round courgette that is amazing, or something else? My OH's family is from Piacenza, so it would be doubly nice for me to give it a whirl. I have always been under the impression that beefheart type toms need a heck of a lot of sun to do well, I'm sure others will know for sure. They do well over here, but then it is super-sunny. Blueberries are often slow to get going, and they seem to be especially prized by birds, I've never known anything like it, I used to have bushes groaning with blackcurrants next to raspberry canes, and neither would be touched (except by chooks), but the 2 pots of feeble blueberries would be stripped bare every year. The first year, OH and I thought the other one had sneaked out and eaten them all They need a lot of water as well, so that may turn out to be an issue for you. But their autumn foliage is really nice briefly - deep reds and yellows. Patience with the flowers, that's all I can say. I have a trickle of bloom, but its hardly spectacular. Cosmos are usually bombproof, and I am a bit puzzled. I'm going to do a 2nd sowing now in a desperate attempt to get a good September/October display. However, my first tomato is turning orange, hurrah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Thanks Daphne. The taste of the courgettes is the same as the long ones, but they seem to be producing so many and in a couple of days, they go from marble sized fruits to tennis balls. I have a packet of spare seeds if you'd like them? Cosmos are doing ok ish actually. I planted 50 plus seeds and they all came up I have them dotted around the plot and garden (as does everyone else at the allotment as I gave so many away I mulched the blueberries really well and give them a good soaking twice a week. I had a huge plant at my last house and agree the foliage is stunning in autumn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 That is very kind of you Don't worry though, our post is so erratic here I might never see them Although, to be fair, somebody did once incorrectly address a Xmas card to us, and it ended up in Taiwan, but it still got delivered, just 3 months late! I can easily get a packet for next year when I am back in the UK, and I think I might split it with my SIL, she is a keen veg grower and will be interested in the family connection. I wonder if the variety might be slightly better suited to the climate over here, its definitely worth a go. Oh, and I'll be able to give some to a green fingered Portuguese neighbour, he will be interested. I've found the round courgettes for sale in the market, but they aren't common. Quite excited now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 It's a shame I didn't post earlier as I was in the Algarve 2 weeks ago. My friend is there in two weeks if you'd like me to pop the seeds in an envelope, he could post it for me? Anyway, I think it would do well in Portugal as it's an Italian variety They are great for stuffing, just hollow out the middle and stuff, apparently but I haven't tried it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I think I've saved the blueberries - they have plumped out again! Phew! The borlotti beans consisted of 5 pods - all picked and cooked along with loads of the others - maybe that will trigger some action now. They all taste lovely though and even number one son ate them all - he usually leaves beans, so that says something. The Blauhilde is doing better than they are. I wonder if the red bean is an old one that germinated? If it is, it's Hestia and won't grow up the pole much further anyway! Christian your plot sounds amazing - well done. Our membrane is from the allotment group many moons ago - bought a roll and it still comes in handy. I use Harrod Horticultural for everything else though. Pigeon damaged a couple of my super duper propagator panels. I hate wood pigeons! Calabrese has been picked and now I hope I will get some side shoots to pick off. The weeds are virtually nil in the veggie beds - still fighting the flower borders though. I also picked off the marigold heads and scrunched them over the tomatoes in the greenhouse - saw some blackfly and a couple of whiteflies lurking. Seems to have stopped them and they are doing well. As a result the seeds that have fallen have now germinated in the tomato pots! Will be interesting to see if they actually get to flower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I have some lovely marigolds in my greenhouse, I put some in each year to try to deter the whitefly. I also grow basil in the tomato pots and in the soil around them. I think this helps too. I really need to get more organised with companion planting at the allotment too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 My broad beans have been a disappointment - the pods feel fat but when u open them they are pod and no bean I was talking to someone who said runner and broads were bad this yr. Anyone else having failures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 We pulled up out broad beans yesterday, they got destroyed by black fly despite being sprayed a couple of times. They are OH's favourite vegetable, we still have a bag in the freezer though from last year's bumper crop. Our potatoes are looking very sad, the French beans are just coming and look like they will be ok. Pumpkins are loving the weather and growing like mad, not sure where they are getting their moisture from. The courgettes on the other hand are struggling as are the butternuts, such variation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Shall be chucking my broad beans - we started having them and then after our holiday it was too late, all had gone over and what remains is all black flied!!! Butternut squash has never done well here. Years ago we came home to find our rabbit was missing, found her in the runner beans having dug a nice hole in between the rows, but dangling above was a huge squash fruit that had climbed up the bean pole and I hadn't spotted it - never planted it so it must have been from the compost - thing was we never had a squash like it! It tasted nice though - and the seeds didn't germinate after that either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 pick my first carrots of the year today 8 or 9 about 6 inch long and half inch dia well chuffed with them also my first runner bean yes I do mean bean also another 3 or 4 courgettes my marrows are starting to take off there's one best part of 14 inch long and about 5 inch dia and that's in a week the other 2 plants are just starting to set fruit the squashes and pumpkins now have female flowers and the snakes head has a couple of small fruits on which should fill out this week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 At last can see courgettes coming - no sign of pumpkins. I think broad beans will be pulled out soon. I transplanted leeks very late they are lying down will they perk up - I made holes and watered them in. Not a good year - still its first with veg plot and not an allotment can only get better. I hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 I picked one of my stripy courgettes today, I swear that 48 hours ago it was about 8 inches long and I had meant to pick it but after 24 hours of rain it had grown to 18 inches long was proper marrow sized I feel some pickle or chocolate courgette cakes coming on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Just cooked our first courgette. Chopping it was like slicing thro butter sooo tender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Anyone ever made 'Ribena'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Never get that far! OH made jam this year. In the past we've made a puree syrup but it gets poured over clotted cream vanilla ice cream. We heat it up in the microwave and it's oh so om nom nommmmmmm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I found a pumpkin the size of a pingpong ball this am. EEEEEEk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Whoohooo! I wonder how big it will get by Halloween! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 I have one the size of a football and a couple of smaller ones, pumpkins are doing great other squashes not so much, although I did find a huge marrow sized courgette the other day and the first batch of chocolate courgette cakes are just out of the oven . Despite it's size it was really tender, one of my stripy ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 I've just finished a 6 day block at work and went to the allotment yesterday. Things have come on so quickly in just a week (with all that rain)! I picked several patty pan squashes that were huge. 7-8" diameter, plus more Tondo courgettes - one that was the size of a small football. Sweetcorn is nor 4' high and doing well. Planted more beetroot and chard, plus radishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 My beetroot seedlings are all shooting up too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
