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

Just popping in to say hello, we've been on a very wet camping trip for the last few days, but at least I didn't need to worry about my plants drying out. Friday was torrential and today is has been steady all day. I managed half an hour at the allotment this evening, the soil is wonderfully moist and soft now, I managed to pull out masses of tap rooted weeds really easily. My lovely new shed has been put to good use as a camping gear drying room, as I put all th plants outside before we left. I was worried about my cucamelons as the rain was so heavy on Friday and they are so delicate, but they look fine.

I haven't read back up through the last week or so, but will do later. I would like to ask - what didn't you grow this year that you wish you had done having seen other people's? Top of my list at the moment are sunflowers and cornflowers. So I would also like to ask what flowers you all grow?

Linski - happy birthday for tomorrow :) and joy at greenhouse! Is it dismantled? Lucky you if so. If not take a camera ( or phone) and take loads of detailed pictures ( particularly of doors and windows) so you can see what goes where. And a selection of tools !
WhoKnows I would love ( and hope!) to plant a greengage and a Victoria Plum this autumn, and also a Tayberry
-around my shed are peonies ,buddleia, sunflowers and perennial geraniums This year with the extra space I also have a bed of sweetpeas /iceland poppies/asters/dahlias/cosmos/ all of which I grew from seed, and a few random bits from a plant stall flog off table :)

Hello! What miserable weather we've had. My poor pansies, which are sitting outside in trays ready to be planted in the flower beds, had literally floated down the path.

WhoKnows fab questions! I've learned lots this year so I will definitely thinking hard about what I grow. Next year I will grow more parsnips as they've done really well, and I want to do courgette & aubergine. My mum has given me a loganberry which is looking very sorry for itself in its pot, so I really want to get that in.

Flower wise, I love my dahlias and am building up a bit of a collection now. Plan for next year is to dig a flower bed just for them. I've grown lots of bedding from seed - french marigold, sweetpea, nasturtian, pansies, larkspur, snap dragons, and a few more I've forgotten! I also have a fair few plants already - lychnis is my favourite, closely followed by my rock rose and dianthus.

The rain kept me out of the garden until last night - we had a brief sunny spell so I nipped out and checked everything. Discovered quite a big pumpkin growing happily in DS' garden (fx the slugs won't find it!). Beans are starting to set. First lot of beetroot is ready to pick. Second sowing of swede gone so will try and resow that later today. Tomatoes doing really well and I feel a glut is not too far away! Potato leaves are starting to die back so I'm tempted to dig one and see what's happening. Also tied in my blackberry, which had got a bit out of hand. It's REALLY thorny, but was only 20p in a bargain bin a few years back so how could I resist? Last year we got a little bit of fruit off of it, but this year it's absolutely covered. They're starting to turn red already.

Made my gooseberry jam - only made 5 small jars worth (with 1 lb of fruit) as I didn't have any more jars. Gave one of the jars to my dad in exchange for a promise of all of his jam jars as he eats a LOT of jam. I also made chelsea buns, which has nothing to do with gardenning except that they were bloody lovely.

DDog has now eaten so many gooseberries he is pooing them out whole. Sorry, TMI!

Sorry, meant to say great news on the greenhouse Linski! My mum and step dad are experts at moving greenhouses! YY to taking lots of pictures. Make sure you put the little clips somewhere very, very safe. And I'd recomend getting some spares before you start to put the greenhouse back up, if you can. When we put ours up we lost a whole load of clips and ended up rushing out to buy some with a half stable greenhouse!

Linski lucky you, free greenhouse!

Flowers for next year - sunflowers and snapdragons as we have the seeds and failed to plant them. There's some self seeded californian poppies which I hope will carry on. I'd like to get some dahlias too. Cornflowers maybe. Poppies. Something that the bees will love.

Got over to the plot on Saturday and lifted onions and shallots. Lots of weeding as ground was so moist. Borrowed idea of using tiles to put under pumpkins from someone upthread using tiles we've had lurking in our shed for 10 years left by previous owners. Yesterday we were busy and weather was rubbish.

Happy Birthday Linski ! And Happy New Greenhouse too! What an amazing 'find' ! Will it be at home or on plot? I now have greenhouse encyclopedia of you, too. One day...

Hoping to get down to plot today, to see what was dissolved or washed away in the rain. I really really need to sit my taller cover for the cavolo nero too. So I shall ponder WhoKnows's question and revert. I think the short answer will be hard prune tree and do more fruit.

Linksi Happy birthday! And what a great birthday present a greenhouse is!

Rain here, too. The upside being that I don't have to go up to the allotment with loads of containers of water! Things just seem to be ticking over, though it's been really unseasonably cold here (13 degrees was the high yesterday!) so everything just seems to be sitting and sulking rather than growing. Need a bit more warmth!

This week is all about getting my overwintering stuff sown. I realise I'm a bit late - the first lot got slugged while I was away. But hopefully I can still fit some in!

Evening!
finally it is raining - light all afternoon yesterday, today solid, coming up to an inch today if my little weather station is truthful.
shove re watering at your plot - all very well when it has rained , but would something like an aqua roll be of help? I see them advertised second hand at fairly reasonable prices.
So I spent a bit of time in the greenhouse. Sowed my spring cabbage and spring greens (at last) another pot of cut and come again salad leaves.
Chopped away a lot of lower leaves off my tomatoes - if it ever is warm again, the tomatoes have a chance!
Picked 2 cucumbers and a green pepper.
My aubergines are looking lovely, first flowers have died, but no sign of a fruit setting , so far...

I dropped off threadfor a bit.
Peas are disappointing
Broad beans doing away
Globe artichokes are lovely
Courgettes v disappointing but Squash mountain is doing well.
No sign whatsoever of callaloo or quinoa. Waste of money!!

The salsify has failed to do much again. Does anyobe else grow salsify or scorzobera who can advise.

But I do have lots and lots and lots of berries. We are groaning with rhubarb, strawberry and gooseberry jam and the freezer is stuffed with red and black currants.
I have made strawberry and redcurrant gins and will make cassis.

Been making ice lollies and fools and eating them with yoghurt.
Any other berry suggestions? (Must be delicious!l) has anyone tried blackcurrant vinegar?

Hello mink. My courgettes also v disappointing but BenSquash still doing quite well. I have a cricket ball-sized squash now. Well, I think it's cricket ball - I hate cricket so can't be that sure about size... Also good fruit on my Little Gem squash, but I don't really know when I should pick that. I think it can be either a summer or a winter squash? Shame that other things are struggling for you. I also planted callaloo a few weeks ago, after seeing one of your posts. It was rubbish for me last year but has not even germinated this year! No idea on salsify or scorzonera.

Re berries -lucky you! What about redcurrant jelly, for cooking with? A blackcurrant plate pie? Ice cream or sorbet? I did a nice recipe with blackcurrants that was like a tray bake, with coconut in it. Yum. Never tried vinegar. Maybe if I get gifted more fruit, I will?!

So, as to WhoKnows question - what did I wish I'd grown.

More Fruit!

• I'm swapping some of my old and tired strawbs at home for autumn rasps. And I will plant more rasps at the plot, in the bit that has roots running not too far below the surface, and is not super sunny.
• Also fancy a Japanese wineberry, though I've not actually tried one, just read about it.
• Hopefully my cherry tree, bought this year, will fruit?
• And I hope too to have more blackcurrants. I'll move my bushes once they're dormant, and hope that they'll have longer to get established. Plus I have a new plant, and hopefully some of my 30 ish cuttings will take.

Veg

• Broad beans. I didn't do them at all this year, and I looked on others' with envy. I want some early ones, so I have something in late spring
• Carrots. I might still sow some this year (I have seed for late round ones), but I'd like to try 'proper' ones. And maybe some different coloured ones too...
• Beetroot and turnip. I tried, I failed then i gave up anything that was sown direct. I'd like to try again.
• Watercress or land cress. I love the stuff, grew it last year but didn't this year. Not sure why.
• Radish. Also love this. Failed last year () and didn't bother again. Bit I probably buy a bag every week so really ought to give that another whirl...

I think that's it so far. Things I will def not do again are asparagus pea, and probably sorrel. I probably won't grow spuds apart from in containers, and might otherwise do aubergine unless under cover.

I might grow more types of tomato and squash.

My beetroot is getting there (planted in trays for first time)
Also my purple pakchoi seem to have survived munching
My caulis don't seem to be forming heads though

I will try blackcurrant and coconut tray bake thing sounds yum.
Might try a redcurrant frangipani thing too. Still got 2 more bushes to clear!!

I also have a weird gooseberry and currant cross. Never sure what to do with it.

Ooh is that a jostaberry?

Thats the one! I'd forgotten the name again.
Makes a nice fool but it is a bit inbeyweeny for anything else

Hi- we have a jostaberry - was supposed to pick them today, but too wet by far. DH loves blackcurrants and gooseberries, so decided to have one. On tasting the odd ripe one, he's quite unimpressed so far - hoping that a proper helping in something like a crumble may help...hopefully!
mink can you barter berries for something else ? I have given redcurrants away on the promise of brambles :) also my peas and courgettes are only just getting going, ,so as you are a bit further north, there is time - though its blooming chilly here- the central heating is switching on in a morning!

I've read about joastaberries as I've been perving on fruit sites.
which reminds me, I may also want to grow a honeyberry ...

Thanks for all the responses, and a
belated Happy Birthday Linski.

As for my own flowers, at the allotment I have golden California poppies and calendula, but no other colour, my sweet peas have really struggled both there and at home (did really well in the same spot at home last year). I have planted lavender bushes at the plot but they are still tiny, I love the contrast of purple and gold, but would also like some cornflowers and red poppies next year. At home it is a bit of a barren time for flowers, I have lots in spring but they are mainly over now, purple hardy geraniums, lavender, a fuchsia and the gold poppies are still going, and I also have a deep purple buddleia and a lavatera. Too much pink/purple, I want more colours here too.

Berries - yes to redcurrant jelly, great in gravy and when cooking with lamb. I too am heading for a glut of blackberries, they grow through my other bushes as a controlled weed and are covered in unripe fruit.

I have a jostaberry. It's a thug and is taking over the world the fruit bed. And I had the grand total of ONE berry off of it this year.

Think I've finally found homes for some of my poor sungolds, which are now fruiting in their too small pots. Poor things.

Might try that blackcurrant traybake too - sounds lovely!

Summer pudding for fruit. Dead easy to make. Also my friend has made a thing called a fruit leather - the fruit ends up like a big sheet of paper - like these dried fruit roll things you can buy as snacks for kids . It was delicious and she'd stored it for two years!

I want to grow more fruit next year - blackcurrants, strawberries, redcurrants.

agoodbook - I was wondering about an aquaroll. They had them cheap in Aldi a while back and I put one in the trolley and everything, then changed my mind. The worst thing is that the council has been clear that it intends to put water in at the site. We even have bleeding standpipes all ready!! But they haven't been switched on, because only half of the allotments at the site are currently in use - the other half are being developed, but it's taking an age. I don't feel I can really complain either because the parks and gardens department are presumably overstretched trying to cope with all the cuts. I imagine that it's only when they are all operational that we'll get water - but that may well be next spring! My rent is really cheap as a result, though, so I guess there is an upside. I have put in a waterbutt, so perhaps with all this rain that will save me some hassle!

Hello again mink! My courgettes are slow too. Lots of fruits, but they're not ripening with any speed. It's too cold!

Laughing at Zebra perving over fruit!!

Normally by this time of year my courgette plants are big lush things this year they are tiny.

Jostaberries. Mine get lots of fruit. But I have to say the fruits are too gooseberry to be of much use for blackcurranty things and too curranty for gooseberry things. Better kept separate!

Fruit leather sounds interesting.

I find with jelly you need one or two jars max for a whole year.

I am going for summer fruit pudding as soon as I can get my hands on some rasps.

Yes, I'm still on the first of two jars of redcurrant jelly I made last year. Year off this year as I pruned the bush at the wrong time .

I also freeze portions of stewed apples and berries with crumble mix on top that can be assembled and popped in the oven for a quick pudding. Tip the crumble out, microwave the fruit in a pyrex bowl to soften, stick the crumble on and into the oven.

Just planted another lot of cauliflower 'Aalsmeer' and Cabbage 'Tundra' for overwintering (the last lot got slugged while I was away). I'm drying a big tray of pea 'meteor' seeds for overwintering in DH's office. DH is not best pleased and keeps trying to move them to the shed, where they will almost certainly be eaten by mice, so this is NOT HAPPENING!

I've also ordered some more Cape Broccoli seeds. At least, I think they are cape broccoli - the packet says 'cape cauliflower', but this appears to be the same thing from what I can work out. I bought plants last year from the garden centre for overwintering and they were proper cracking. You can eat the greens from around the calabrese as well and they are good - like kale.

Talking of kale, which varieties can overwinter and am I too late to sow them now?

I was also thinking of doing broad bean 'Dreadnought', though I seem to remember someone saying they had a better variety with a nicer flavour?? And am I right in thinking it would be a good idea to plant broad beans and peas just about everywhere there is a spare space, as they will fix nitrogen over the winter and act as a kind of green manure? Or is there a downside to this I am not considering in terms of them taking space I will need to start off spring crops??

Just potted on a load of tiny little lavender plants too, grown from seed for planting in next spring. Hopefully they will make my plot smell lovely and get loads of bees in too.

Afaik all kale overwinters.

I made redcurrant chilli jam tonight. I had lots of chillis left over too. Single jar. Tastes quite nice. I imagine it will be better next month

hi shove - I overwinter broad beans every year - this last one was 'Super Aquadulce', but personally I am going back to my favourite "The Sutton" this autumn- just a nicer, more tender bean in my opinion. I tend to pick a place for them, plant and cover with a fleece tunnel and forget about them mostly, but you just need to consider how it will impact the spring planting :) Haven't overwintered peas , sorry!
I have had my kale growing for about a month, but it will go on until I want to grub it out next year if I keep on picking it - its a great veg in my eyes. I am growing Winterbor this year- my favourite was Darkibor, but couldn't get those from our seed catalogue this year. I think you have time to get them up and running before the weather gets bad.
Was at work today, and it has rained and rained all day - then we had 30 minutes of blue sky, followed by thunder and a deluge...still raining now. But popped out to pick raspberries, DH and I scoffed the lot - about £4 worth in the shops, but they wouldn't keep. Busy tomorrow too - so just a quick visit to pick courgettes. Roll on Thursday...