The 2015 Allotment / Veg Patch Thread Part 2

[agoodbook]

the previous thread is just about full, - well done spotted so welcome to everyone interested in growing their own veg!

Previous thread is here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2282529-The-2015-Allotment-Veg-Patch-Thread-its-here?msgid=53650520

This thread is great! DP and I collectively spent 19 hours at the allotment at the weekend. It is embarrasingly neglected (we got married a couple of weeks ago and it took a bit of a back seat I am afraid) and required an AWFUL lot of weeding which i was hoping to finish off today after work but a technology emergecny (my printer has broken and I work for myself) may put paid to that.

On the plus side, we got our peas and beans in and the supports up. I am very pleased with a structure I improvised out of some pea netting and two stakes. We also earthed up the potatoes and build a fleece covered tunnel to harden stuff off in. The tomatoes, pumpkins, courgettes, cucumbers, and herbs are all doing very well.

I have ordered a strimmer to deal with the awful foot high grass 'hedge' around our lottie and hope to use that when the grass has dried off a little towards the end of the week. Oh and we need to build a bonfire of a load of crap that has been on our bonfire since we got it a year ago

I really, really want to be able to spend the bank holiday weekend planting stuff and preparing the beds for planting but will need to crack on in order to do so.

Shove, welcome back! Good to hear that you had a fab time, and that your greenhouse stuff is thriving. Shame about the plot stuff though. I think the combo of warm April and cold may has sent everything s bit wrong.

Yes, Cupcakes, you need a Mt St Squash. We all need one! Mink, how is the original doing?

It's hammering it down here, again, so no plottering. Remember ToughZebra? Well, I've had some of my toms out, hardening off. In the rain.A plot neighbour has the loveliest plot - it's full of a variety of healthy looking stuff. And she sows most direct, and has toms out already (tho they were sown at home). Her plot is 70% full already,it looks amazing! And all my stuff is still safely at home, there is g hardly anything on the plot, and my direct sowing have all failed. She has been added to my 'people to copy' folder.

My blowaway is up now, and I also have that cupboard greenhouse thing, so Operation Hardening Off ramps up in earnest. I want as much as poss planted out this weekend.

Ooh, congrats on wedding, ethel. Yes, if I want to plant out this weekend, I also need to crack on this week in order to do so...

Fingers crossed this rain doesn't hang around too long. But checking he forecast, it'll rain all tomorrow and weds too

Ooh, I do have a wilkos, yes! I will pop down there! Thank you!

Have taken your advice and planted more peas! Hopefully they germinate. --tempted to buy another pack of seeds.

Have put some broad beans in to soak, so I hope I have more success with them soon. I love broad beans too so don't mind if I end up with loads.

If I leave a courgette on the plant, does it become a marrow? Or are those from separate seeds? stupid question alert

I planted out my seedlings in to small plots, burying the stems too, as recommended.

I am getting really excited!

Hi all,

New to the group! Second year with allotment, did surprisingly well last year given that I'm a complete amateur. Dad a keen gardener though, which helps. I have a small patch of communal land at the end of my plot where water trough is. I thought about putting some wild meadow seed there - it gets stepped on a bit and wet, so nothing too delicate can go there. Just want it to look a bit nicer than it does and to discourage people leaving rubbish there. Dad thought it'd be a bit anti-social in that the seeds will be blown over neighbours' plots though. What do you think? I want to be a good neighbour but struggling to think of easy/cheap thing to put there to look nice. I love my plot!

Evening
hello ethel -( congratulations !) and hedgehog
well it rained on and off this morning, but this afternoon it cleared up, so I went to the plot and managed nearly 2 hours - very, very breezy. Planted my lettuces, sowed another row of peas and spinach. Checked and mended the fruit cage net - I have gooseberries :).
But - due a cold night for the next 3-4 nights, so my beans are back into the greenhouse overnight
Your plot neighbour sounds like mine spotted - apart from a tiny bit that is empty its like an illustration - all beautifully set out in rigid rows, and its nearly full. But they do all their growing in spring/summer/autumn, they don't really go in for winter. They like it to look nice for the plot competition :) . I don't care about any of that - I just want vegetables.
hedgehog - could you put bark down,or slabs and some herb pots?
I think we are all hoping for nice weather at the weekend!

That's a nice suggestion re bark. Thank you. I'm not worried about aesthetics either, I just want veg too! Hope to grow something in winter this year, last year I was just relieve to have kept the plot and got a good load of produce in summer months. I had quite a small baby too, hope to be more organised this year!

honeysuckle - a large courgette looks like a marrow - not quite the same, but near enough. btw - I don't usually bother soaking broad bean seeds. they go straight out into the soil :)
hedgehog - there is loads for winter, my absolute favourite is sprouting broccoli

If you went the herb route, I can really recommend Asda herbs. The plant section ones not the ones from the fruit and veg aisle. I bought some different mints a few weeks ago, and they're doing really well. Was in there today, and they had a few different thymes, so i bought a couple of them also. There was a mix fo really healthy looking plants, and ones which had probably been dead for 2 weeks. So I'd suggest a rummage if anyone else is buying them.

A question re hanging basket tomates: I'm growing a bush tomato for baskets. Currently it's upright -will it stay so, or does it eventually flop? Or do I need to plant it on its side somehow ?

honeysuckle I often end up with marrow sized courgettes because they lurk under the leaves and get missed.

My kale is looking good - I'm very excited because I love kale and this is the first time I've grown it.

I think I left my first lot of spinach in the greenhouse too long before I planted it out because even though it's tiny it looks as if it is going to seed. The spinach I have direct sewn looks fine

Ooh, and on the subject of courgettes, more of mine are up. The patty pans are peeking through, finally. Hurrah! Spaceship shaped veg!

Also on the subject of courgettes, these are the ones that had languished ungerminated in the greenhouse for 2 weeks till I put them in an indoor propagator on Friday.

whoknows They look great, they obviously just needed that heat boost.

I've just been out to shut the greenhouse up for the evening and it's really cold out. We had torrential rain this morning and the sky is looking very grey at the moment - still, at least I don't have to water anything outside.

Pucky your plans sound really exciting - pigs and ducks as well, what a fabulous ideas.

There are cattle in the field adjoining my vegetable garden at the moment and I've been enjoying watching them when I'm working - having your own livestock would be even better.

Thanks for herb recommendations! LOVE purple sprouting broccoli. Never thought I'd be so pleased about rain

Thanks you for solving my marrow query. As long as I can roast it and stuff it with chilli, its all good.

Its really rather cold tonight. Should I bring bits in? Worried about them all dying!

I am a science teacher so I usually grow beans in jars with cartridge paper and water! Have put about half in dry, soaking the other half.

DD brought home a broad bean on a wodge of wet cotton wool in a plastic cup from pre-school about 5 years ago, we got a really good harvest out of it .

Yep- its cold tonight, and probably for the next 2 or 3 - I've taken most of the plants I am hardening off back into the greenhouse tonight....

Continuing the Show and Tell, here are my courgettes and squash. I am very excited about them, but no one in real life appreciates pictures of them.

I need to transplant them tomorrow - they've popped up really quickly!

I'm still bringing everything in at night. Got to decide what to do with all my seedlings when we go on holiday next week as I haven't got anyone to pop in and water them. I don't want to plant them out and abandon them, so I think they will all be going on a layer of damp newspaper in the bath (it's cool in the bathroom and no sunlight). Will have to re-harden them when I get back.

I love this thread, in the 1950's people kept coal in the bath, now it's their precious seedlings

Thanks :) I am popping back but not had time to sit and read the thread and catch up.

Just a reminder - if you have a bonfire, PLEASE move it before lighting to make sure there are no hedgehogs in it - this time of year is nesting for them and you could end up BBQing mum AND babies :( (this also applies to strimming - check before strimming please!)

Thats what I do WhoKnows - I use damp teacloths!

Squash mountain update- the original squash got decapitated by the wind.
The pop up greenhouse turned up in the communal shed.
The understudy squash is still sitting in the lee of the house toughening up before it braves the mountain. The cold has checked it though so it is taking its time.

But the actual mound is heating up nicely- warm to the touch, so it would be good if it would stop being windy and the undeestudy woukd hurry up.

Thanks mink will try that for identification