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

Hmm. In that case I will leave it until October and transfer to the raised bed then. That does mean thinking of a new home for my kale seedlings. Can they grow to maturity in pots?

I have grown 3 kinds of rhubarb and they come at different points depending on the variety. I wouldn't worry too much.

All three of my plants are quite small still. I moved them from part shade in the garden (where they were happy but in the way) to quite a sunny spot in the allotment. They are adjusting to the new conditions and to the move so I won't crop it til next year, when I am expecting a load of stems to compensate me for the wait.

I would pop yours in the ground as they quite like water. I am not that far from the Rhubarb Triangle, and it is wet and cool here. (Cool as in the sense of bleeding freezing). Bear in mind the plants originally come from Siberia.

I didn't know that, shovetheholly! How interesting. It's odd to think of Russians eating crumble though

From Siberia ? Wow!

It feels Siberian here today still. Well, if Siberia is very, very wet. It has k to stopped raining for days, it seems, so no plot action today either. I'm hoping to have a good day there tomorrow but it will be very wet and swampy no doubt.

The plants seem to be happy enough with their porch/ conservatory regime, as further to yesterday's tomato, I have just noticed a few chillies forming on my jalapeño. I've also sown more seed - 40 and 60 day broccoli raab, and more cavolo nero too. The raab that went over has beautiful yellow flowers on lovely spikes. I feel like it should be perfect for bees, but there is barely a bee to be seen.

Maybe rhubarb crumble laced with vodka?

Ahh, that reminds me. Last year, I added some very, very finely chopped rosemary to rhubarb crumble and it was delish! Must buy some and repeat! I might even add a bit of elderflower cordial too this year.

for Zebra. It is horrible when you are stuck inside, looking longingly out. At least sowing time is good! And hooray for jalapenos. My, my there are people with veggies and flowers so far ahead of mine that I think the distance is going to have to be measured in light years!

And YYY to the lack of insects. The garden feels really empty without them. I'm hoping they're sleeping the cold away, ready to emerge when the hot weather comes (soon, surely?)

I am liking the idea of vodka stewed rhubarb crumble.

I have insects. Millions of the buggers. Unfortunately they are aphids, all over my honeysuckle. I think I might have to just admit defeat and prune it right back to the woody stems. If it lives, it lives. It has been like this for years now, can't remember when I last saw the flowers not covered in the disgusting grey twats. Ahem, sorry, I get the rage, I loved it when I first planted it.

My first broad beans and poking up above the soil, which is exciting, and I've had a few onions and leeks appear too. They're so weird, a folded over stem? Barmy!

Had a bit of a nightmare yesterday. Only bloomin watered the plants and then it pissed with rain all day. I have set them in the sun to dry out a bit, won't be going near them with water for days and days, I assure you.

Runner bean related question.... if the tip of the stem breaks off, will it put out another, or is that it? I broke one, the cat did another this morning.

YYY to the weirdness of onions bending over. My mind was blown when I first saw that!

You've probably tried this, but I have heard that spraying with soapy water or neem oil is good for aphid infestations, but have never tried either so cannot vouch for it. Worth a go with some washing up liquid before you go in with the secateurs, maybe?

Runners: if they have several leaves, you may get another leader out of the leaf axils (or 'plant armpits' as they're called on here - love that!). I broke the top off one putting it in last year, and it was fine, though it lagged behind the others. As it's early, you could think about sowing a couple more as 'spares' (if you don't have some over already). The new ones may overtake the broken ones!

Thanks Shove. I do have others coming on behind... the two broken were among the first four planted. I will check I don't have any more seeds hanging around though, as I love runner beans, so will plant them all.

In regards to aphids... the plant is 6 foot, about 3 foot wide, and every single leaf and flower head is just covered. I will give it a try on a small part of the plant, and if that seems to work, I might go for the rest.

Off to do that now. Will report back!

Opps I have rhubarb in pots. I left it alone last year and didn't pick any as it was the first year, and this year its doing really well. We do water it a lot though, and feed regularly. I might put it in the ground at the end of this year though.

We had some pea shoots and rocket in our salad the other day. yum!

honeysuckle - I feel your pain- same here with my honeysuckle and aphids grrr
Managed to get an hour in at the plot this afternoon. After reading up on sweetcorn, I am now backing out of the squashes and sweetcorn sisters thing, as it seems sweetcorn doesn't like recently manured land. And guess what - I have manured the area really well for the squashes..., So I am busily digging a new area over ready for the weekend, when fingers crossed, they will be planted out :)

Lost track of the time and spent 2.5 hours at the allotment this evening. Got my swedes, chinese cabbage, mustard, rocket and loads of nastertiums (I found some Lidl packets I picked up in Feb and had lost) sown and in the greenhouse until they germinate. My brassica and allium bed is cleared but nothing to put in it yet. I'm getting inpatient!

Sorry to hear about the crap weather. SE London had some unforcast rain this AM and then some nice sunshine but not too hot this evening which was very nice! Only one other person up at the allotment though. It has been very quiet in the evenings but was v busy last week.

Talking of vodka, I have a load of vodka soaked strawberries (from making strawberry vodka last year). What can we do these? Pimms?

They are frozen btw!

At what point would you advocate leaving seedlings outside overnight? It sea overnight lows will be hovering around 7° for next week or so. I wonder is that too cold? I will have to get a little pop up greenhouse I think.

7° that would be positively balmy here!
Depends where you leave them. E.g. raised off the ground (mine are on small table) and in the lee of the house. So, warmer than they would be if in open ground

ethelb - how about a trifle -just don't let kids near it
honeysuckle - I am hardening off my seedlings at 7º overnight, so as mink says - at least a foot off the ground, against a wall is my preferred, and keep a sharp eye on any frost warning

I had a very quick hour this morning to finish digging ready for the sweetcorn. I had an overseer - a quite demanding one!

I came here to ask about my Squashes and why they are not growing but have seen a post about Courgettes so maybe I need to put them somewhere warm.

here are some pictures of my allotment. I have a strimmer now which is making life easier.

dueling lovely pictures! How old are your DC?

The first year I was in my house blackfly completely stripped my Runner Beans. Once I got rid of the blighters the beans all came back, though obviously they were quite behind. They're tought little things!

We're going away this weekend so no gardenning will be done . Might have a potter in MIL's garden though as she can't do it herself. Does that count as guerilla gardening?

Lovely photos fanjo!

Check out my cucamelons (fnar fnarr; scissors for scale) and the tiniest rhubarb in the world!

Also, my courgettes are going yellow why?

Sometimes one leaf goes yellow at the start but they are fine.

I have been up to allotmemt. Things are finally showing up. Yay! Caught sight of broad beans, peas and mangetout (although they look pretty sad)

A couple of runners are up but I threw in some more, will probably end up with a thicket.

Planted out cabbages and russian kale.

Sowed quinoa and calalloo (blimey James Wong is mean with the seeds! 2.99 for about 12 of them. Anaranths produce enormous amounts of seed!) Will get from real seeds in future.

Just realised quinoa is like fat hen. So that will grow well on my allotmemt!

Put more cav. Nero, marigolds and beetroot in the propogator. This is the 1st time of putting beetroot in propogatir but so far gir 3 ruws successional siwn over last 2 months I have 1 miserly teeny tiny beetroot. So this is my insurance.

And I repotted my squash and courgette and found 3 snails in the pot - so thats who sneaked out and decapitated my marigolds!!

Oh and I planted salsify in a tall planter. Am hoping to get better results than in the soil. Could only fit 5 in the planter but that will still be more than i usually get in the ground if it works!

Heeloooooo peeps. Having a lovely day at the plot, only popped home for a snack and to put some washing out. The kids are going to my sister's, so i can go back there again for hours - Yay!!!

I've added more soil to BenSquash. I dismantled the mud wall that was shielding the rasps, and added it to the 'summit'. It's not yet finished though, but picking couch out of mud gets boring fast. It's a nice sunny spot, I think. I've also re homed some more strawbs that I found in the paths, to the shady end. There were loads of them when I first got the plot, but I took most of them out (I grow them at home), but thought I may as well plant the stragglers as they've survived digging, being trodden on etc. And I got given some leeks that didn't fit into a plot holder's plot, which was very nice. It was a lovely old gentleman, with quite a pronounced tremor who gave them to me. And wouldn't you know it, his plot is immaculate , so it's clearly not holding him back too much.

I've started to uncover the big bed, that was covered over and chopped lots of slugs. I want to plant out beans and corn, maybe today or maybe tomorrow... There were spuds growing under the cover - through layers of newspaper, cardboard and n manure, topped off with weed membrane. I'll pull them up I think as I have better plans for that bed and the potatoes are all pale and weak. And I gave some marigolds to plant out, somewhere too. Right, back to work....

Cripes, mink, you've done loads! I had lots of James Wong seeds last year, and got more as gifts. I went more budget this year, lidl, aldi and tried premier seeds on ebay also - am really liking them thus far! You get lots for about a pound.

By which I mean each packet costs abput a pound and you get lots of seed in each...

My son is 4 and that's his 3 year old cousin with him. We planted a pumpkin for each of them and judging by how helpful DS has been it looks like this year he will get stuck in with helping me rather than running about all over the place.

I have put some squash and courgette straight into the ground. Everything else is a bit behind because i started late - my neighbour has great big broad bean plants.