Growing fruits and vegetables

[ethelb]

Does anyone want to join me for a growing fruit and veg focussed thread?

I took over an allotment six weeks ago and would love to hear how other's kitchen gardens are getting on.

Im just off to the allotment to plant some oriental veg seeds to fill up my brassica bed. I also need to mow the path/hedge and check for slug damage

it is actually this so that wouldn't be possible. I have just planted one in each for now but have another courgette and squash plant coming!

Did someone say they are growing patty pan squash? I have ordered one of those as they look so cute

anyone growing chillies - have you planted them outside? Mine are in pots outside but don't seem to be growing at all.

Me, I am growing patty pans! I bought a pack of seeds @ 29p from Lidl, and planted 4. They all germinated and I am too soft to thin out seedlings - yes, I know... and I now have 4 plants. I think that the plants were impacted by the damp weather that we had as they grew quite slowly, but they're loving this warmer weather now.

I am also growing a few varieties of chillis, but they only go outside in the day time, and into a plastic greenhouse at night. The plants are just coming into flower now.

Caveat - I don't really know what I am doing with any of this, and I am well aware that I am being overly 'soft' on my plants - 'putting them to bed', moving them about to get the best sun, watering them often, checking regularly for slugs. My dad despairs of me - he is a gardener of a much tougher sort.

Silversixpence I am growing patty pan squash! I have five plants of this one: www.rareseeds.com/bennings-green-tint-scallop-squash/

Already have flowers on though they won't open.

What do pattypan squashes taste like, please? They're cute, but they look entirely decorative to me, they don't look as though they'd be tasty!
I do like butternut squash, roasted or in moroccan stew.

They taste just like courgettes.

But look like spaceships.

So last weekend I sowed beans, and a shed load of random seeds from herbs, lettuces, yada yada yada - and just been to the plot and a majority are up! Yay.

So today because I have shredded all the stuff that my students don't need from college, and chopped back a load of grapevine, I have loads of greens and browns; so I started my next year's potting compost pile. No weed seeds in here baby! I mixed it all up, chopped down and up a load of comfrey, put it into a builders bag and soaked it. I will post the transformation on here if people are interested. There is a photo as it is today.

Also, my seed compost for next year is coming on nicely, a leaf mould pile and I popped my hand in and it is moulding away lovely...nearly ready to sieve if I am not mistaken.Photo as well of the leafmould.

Ah- we like courgettes!
Thanks

Wow, no kidding with the cheap prices of Lidl seeds!

Bought some spring onion seeds from there on Wed, plus flower seeds and multi purpose compost. The Aldi stuff works ok, so I gather the Lidl compost is ok too? Hope so, because there are 2 big bags in the boot of the car.....

Planted the spring onion seeds, plus rosemary and thyme seeds since.

Beetroot is coming up great, but might move it into the mini greenhouse for protection from birds and stuff. Carrot seedlings are getting bigger, might move them in too. If there is any more room......

Rocket and spinach growing nicely, also sowed some quick growing lettuce seeds in. Really pleased at how things are growing, that feeling of satisfaction you get with the knowledge that you'll be eating veg cheap, and void of any pesticides.

Still talking to my tomato plants. Can't believe they're still growing!

Bought an all in one Gardman salad and herb veg planter thingy. Decided it will be great for sowing salad gear in one place, rather than lugging containers about....and saving space. Wish I'd bought one earlier...

The lidl compost is fine- I've loads growing prolifically in it. Morrison's compost, however is very woody and I'd avoid it again.

I've topped up a potato plant with earth today, and potted I numerous squash, courgette and sweet corn-they're none of them seedlings now and the bed isn't ready for them so I've shoved them in large pots- one to a pot, I'm site squash and sweetcorn are not suited to container growing, but it's that or nothing atm hopefully they're strong enough to manage

I've only got containers and have a couple of squash plants. Are they not going to do well in a big container?

Pregnant- I'm sure you can grow sweetcorn in containers, but of the baby variety- I think they're called 'minipop', or another name I can't think of on top of my head. Not sure just exactly how small they are, think they could be used in stir-frys, but not sure how much bigger they grow from that.

Glad to hear the Lidl compost is ok

I'm not sure about the squash , but the ones I have are large trailers so I'm (unfortunately) sure it won't work. My sweetcorn are the large cob type too but there's a raised bed just waiting to be filled which would be perfect for them- i just haven't had enough time , or strength to riddle and shovel all my earth into it.

But that doesn't mean it won't work for other types of squash.

In other news, I'm very happy to report that I have a courgette flower this morning where yesterday there was none. I'm on my phone so I can't post pics, but it is truly a thing of beauty. They're worth growing just for the loveliness of the flowers- as a beginner I've never seen the flowers unless on cooking shows I'm thrilled

I got my seed pantry order and was highly impressed by the size of the plants - all well grown, courgettes with flowers and buds and the tomato plant had two tomatoes forming. I have unfortunately managed to annoy the French beans while potting out and they are looking sad and wilted. Any ideas how to save them?

Silver could u just water them lots? Maybe cover with fleece?

They sound like they are a little stressed.

Can I join?
I don't have an allotment but I would like my back garden to eventually become an edible lanscape. I'm currently growing my vegetables in my borders whilst waiting for my perennials to either grow to their full size or to be able to source and afford the rest of the plants.

Although we were beaten to the cherries this year, we have an abundance of amalanchier berries and white + red currants. The salad has grown plentiful and it seems to be the year of the perpetual spinach and nasturtiums. :)

Other seedling are doing great too; with the parsley parsnips having spouted better than the normal parsnips!
My biggest disappointment this year have been the sea kale, the bistort and artichokes. The sea kale produced 2 seedling but only one looks like a brassica, the other I'm hoping is a bistort as the trays were next to each other and the bistort has not germinated.

The pan patty pumpkins look great, is it too late to raise seedlings?

My beans have bounced back, all except for one which snapped half way down. I am using a haxnicks six cane planter which is great for the price (paid about £8 I think). Getting lots of flowers on courgettes but think they are all male flowers. Is anyone getting veg growing on theirs?

Silver- i am the proud grower of four forming courgettes in fact I think all of mine must be female flowers as they all have a little courgette growing behind them- I would have been disappointed if they hadn't- I didn't know there were male and female flowers

My raspberry canes have seriously wilted yellowed leaves and drooping, I've gone mad watering them today but I'm not sure they'll survive

so do i have potato blight or not? weather here is very dry. plants are a bit yellow with a few brown patches on the leaves - one person says this is potato blight the other says, no they are just ready to pick. Who do i believe?

and while we are talking bugs...any idea whats killing my cabbages off? one day they are fine, the next the leaves all wilt, go brown and curtains. some are pretty big, whilst others are tiny? And my turnips have brown marks on the outside/inside - so i'm wasting loads when i cook them.

and most important - anything i can do about the above?

They sound ready to pick

Hi! I have an allotment, got it in October,and am steadily filling it up. Pulled my first potatoes out today too so am on a high!

I am growing:
5 varieties of potatoes
Red onions
Strawberries
Fennel
Tomatoes (3 varieties)
Cucumbers (3 varieties)
Courgettes (2 varieties)
Sweet corn (large and mini)
Peas
Beans (3 varieties)
Squash
Marrow
Pumpkin - Giant!
Carrots
Sunflowers
Lots of marigolds
Raspberries
Chard
Beetroot
Radish
Cucamelon

Love it! Will be looking out for handy hints!

ethel - so the brown patches on the leaves don't matter? it doesn't mean they have blight? YOu are right in that i dug a few plants up yesterday and got a load of lovely new pots. The later type of pot doesn't have any blotches and has green leaves - so that would support your ready for picking argument

Can I plant garlic now do you think? I read something about planting on the longest day and harvesting on the shortest... Yet other things say plant in spring.

Am tempted to buy some and stick it in the ground and see what happens. Has anyone done this with normal, 'eating' garlic?

Shag. Light googling tells e that I have got that totally upside down... you plant on the shortest day so you can harvest on the longest.

Hey ho, only about 6 mths out...

You can plant Garlic from 21st Sept to 22nd Dec ideally.

Super, thanks Funky !
Am adding a reminder to my calendar...

I have an allotment....can I play too.....haven't got a clue what we are doing but things seem to grow anyway :-)

We have been eating our first early potatoes which are nom....got a few more varieties coming along too
Have also been munching on strawberries and raspberries
We also have gooseberries, jystaberries (no idea how to spell it), red, black and white currants, blackberries and apples (going to make lots of cider) and melons
Onions and spring onions
various lettuce
cucumber
tomato
chilli
peppers
celeriac
carrots
parsnips
red and yellow beetroot
salisfy
leeks
winter squashes - few varieties
peas, beans (french and runner)
cauliflower, sprouts, green and purple broccoli
oh and sweetcorn
......I think thats it