The 2015 Allotment / Veg Patch Thread Part 3 already!

[agoodbook]

Just seen the other is full , so here goes - we are heading for summer now! Welcome to everyone old and new :)

here is a link to the previous thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2350947-The-2015-Allotment-Veg-Patch-Thread-Part-2?msgid=54546739

Wow, everyone has been very busy! Glad to see you have so much that is ready to harvest.

We have a million tomatoes that have set, but only a few mm across at the moment. I'm expecting a glut in a month or so! Loads of female courgette flowers appeared and I went around hand pollinating them on Monday as I am so impatient. No pumpkins yet though, but vines are getting huge. The chillies that weren't munched are flowering. Hungarian Hot Wax which isn't in the polytunnel has loads!

Glad to hear not everyone's cucumbers are fruiting yet . I gave in and bought some seedlings as both my first and second sowings were munched by slugs. They are galloping away though in really deep buckets of compost and I hope to plant them out in the next week or two. I have learnt though. 7 leaves minimum for my cucurbits or the slugs get 'em.

I really need to do a load of weeding and plant out the second load of sweetcorn and pumpkins I sowed when things were looking bleak a couple of weeks ago, and actually have taken the day of work tomorrow (to co-incide with DH's) and wanted to do it all tomorrow. But it's going to be 33C in London tomorrow and I'm not sure how pleasant/safe that will be on our very exposed allotment.

Has anyone started fertilising their toms and courgettes etc yet? Keeping up with just watering with a hose in dry, smoggy, windy London has meant I haven't got round to focusing on that yet. Plants have all started to actually look a bit happier than before so I don't want to overload them with uncessary fertiliser.

I' using homebrewn comfrey juice as fertiliser.
it's strangely addicting (and smelly). once a week.

Evening!
Cupcakes - hope it is good news for your MIL. I have a jostaberry, a young one only got a few berries last year, not enough to really check for flavour. its not enormous yet, its got quite a good cropon it. Its at home in my garden, and has an old net curtain draped over it to stop the birds.
Kiwi I succession sow spinach about every 4 weeks, so should be okay, though its not fond ogf the heat - mine is starting to bolt. I also grow perpetual spinach ( spinach beet) which is just coming into picking time. You can certainly sow that, and it will keep through autumn/winter as well.
ethel you need to start feeding tomatoes as soon as the flowers set. Once a week is the norm, but I use my Dads way - very dilute feed in every watering ( I use a can, not a hose!) I do the same for cucumbers and now peppers and aubergines ( and hanging baskets, pots etc, etc !). Courgettes/squashes just get watered, as they are planted up in 6" of well rotted cow manure.
I did manage to fly down after work tonight and water beans/squashes /courgettes, that was it !

I've just been out and given everything a good soaking.

My peas have multiplied overnight - dozens of them!

This morning I was outside at 5.30am - weeding and watering. I'm not even a morning person but I couldn't sleep and it was glorious outside.

Stupid question - when will my Kale be ready to eat because I have in mind it is a winter thing but it is huuuuuuge

Rooster - you can pick kale anytime, and it will keep producing new leaves, so a few leaves off each plant no problem. I love the big tough leaves in a bean casserole, but the young tender leaves just a steam and butter :)

I got down to the lottie this evening and everyone had the same idea. Ended up watering by watering can as so many pipes were take. Up and took the opportunity to douse them in seaweed fertiliser.

Have had to take seedlings out of greenhouse to prevent them shrivelling up!

Thanks agoodbook I love kale so that's definitely going on the menu this weekend!

Just got back from my plot. The bad news is that my runner and climbing beans are static, my sweet peas struggling, and my roots pathetic. The good news is I have three kilos of broad peans, half a kilo of peas, and tons of salad. And I finally finished that damn fruit cage. It is literally held together with cable ties, but it's protecting my currants which are ripening up.

Well, if it's any consolation Shove, I have spindly looking runner beans that haven't really started to take off yet, ditto broad beans (also covered in blackfly), peas and sweet peas that are only about 6 inches high and no flowers, no courgette or tomato flowers yet either.

I've been twice today, once after school drop off to just check my lettuces hadn't been slugged and do a bit of hoe-ing. Then back at 4.30 for watering as I anticipated the same problem as Ethel later, there are about 10 plots who share the same tap as me and it's the only one my hose will reach.

Ooh how lovely to be eating kale! I've got some I've just sown for a winter crop so a long way off eating yet.

No gardening for me for a few days - MIL had a heart attack yesterday so we are with her. She's doing really well thank goodness

I am contenting myself with browsing gardening websites at the moment.

Oh Cupcakes sorry to hear that. Best wishes to you all.

for cupcakes. Hope your MIL feels much better soon x

nice to hear your MIL is doing well Cupcakes
Well, I have been banned from the allotment today by DH - our one day of rest before 4 manic days. But I may persuade him that we can go and pick strawberries and broad beans after tea tonight - it fact it is imperative

Well, managed to go and pick before teatime - now have serious quantities of strawberries - ( dare I mention glut this early? ) as many , if not more than the other day. I have made strawberry lollies for DGS who I will be looking after tomorrow. And banana and strawberry cake :)

People have made it to the allotment today?! It is 34C here. We are planning on going to water around 9ish. When it will be a mere 30C.

Just back from a few days away. Not been to allotment yet but I think the rain will take care of the watering!

ethel - a bit further north, near York ! Yesterday was about 29º - today a slightly more acceptable 25-26º. But darn it , I wanted that torrential rain, but no luck....

My car said 34 when I left work this afternoon (2.30) so I left it till 8.30 to go and water the plot. The humidity has increased again, not as bad as last week, but still pretty heavy, we're sitting here with windows and doors wide open. We had lightning flashes this time last night but no rain. Harvested tons of cherries at home.

WhoKnows - they look amazing - what variety? I hanker for a cherry tree, but how do you stop the birds getting them?

I have absolutely no idea what variety they are, we planted the tree about 12 years ago and this is our best crop by far, the tree has definitely produced more than usual this year. I think the acquisition of cats may have played a part in keeping the birds away too, they've never caught one AFAIK but we definitely get fewer pigeons now and they were the main culprits.

Lovely looking cherries!

It's just starting to rain here (South East) - so far just a few spots. It least its a bit cooler. H went and watered the allotment last night and said it was looking dry (but then it is clay and it all looks dry the second the sun comes out). So any rain will be welcomed.

We have loads of loganberries. I think I need to see if I can pick enough to make some jam.

No rain here yet but the Met Office has a great big red patch of rain over us in the next 2 hours. Fingers crossed, fingers crossed. It will be the third time it has rained in 6 weeks, and they were only sprinkles!

Agoodbook sorry you haven't had loads of rain. The north west had a pounding though yesterday, I hope everyones crops are ok and weren't ruined by hail.

Update: Posted too soon. It has started raining in SE London

Very overcast here and a couple of light showers (Hampshire/Surrey borders).

Hmm - our rain didn't last too long and sun is back out again.