Allotment /Veg patch thread 4 "Lettuce and Peppers and Pears OH MY!"

[agoodbook]

as per Cupcakes :)
come and join in the harvest !

previous thread here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2386388-The-2015-Allotment-Veg-Patch-Thread-Part-3-already?msgid=55842529

Oh, and apart from the broad beans, I've not bought any seed for 2016 yet.
That will soon change I think...

Having consulted youtube, I pulled up the first of the daikon. Perfect shape but very thin. I should have taken a pic, but we ate it. Exactly like the big ones, so there. Never mind, it grows all year round here, so eventually we'll hit on its best time.

Also first tomatoes, small and good flavour. I need to remember that cherry-like toms are best eaten before deep red.

The telegraph cucumbers were very disappointing, with only one sprouting, so I put bush cucumbers in their place, and they're doing well.

The lesson learned here is to always, always sow and plant earlier than you think you should.

In four hours it'll be 2016, so I'm off to partay, if the heat doesn't do for me.

Ta ta.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ECHT!

Happy new year all.

I did two hours at the allotment the day before yesterday and removed a huge trug of bindweed [boo hiss] roots, and mulched with cardboard whilst the OH weeded the leek bed [yay]. Still not harvested the Oca, must do that in the next few days.

Went to the garden earlier to shift around some strawberries, the ones from the back are being moved to the sides of the new path for ease of harvesting. Was glorious out there so will pop to the lottie later with some compost to help mulch the horrendous clay beds.

Happy growing all in 2016.

The bind weed is till coming out easily for me at the moment - shows how mild it is, the horrible stuff..
I hope everyone has a Happy New Year , see you in 2016 :)

Managed another hour at the lottie this afternoon - the light was too good to waste. Got back in just as the storm came over - walked back along the canal back and it was lovely if a little muddy.

HNY all - again!

i've got asparagus sprouting in my allotment, as well as daffodils, primroses and strawberry flowers. its going to get really confusing if jan/feb are cold - my plants won't have a clue what season it is

Afternoon!
welcome dreaming ! - I only cut my asparagus down about 2 weeks ago - it was still green . I also have primroses well out, daffodils breaking through and the hemerocallis are sprouting as well - weird no doubt about it.
and yy Spotted - my rhubarb is also well up, and I was going to split it this year - ah well!
I managed a couple of hours this morning - it was the first time it was a bit nippy - it was 2º while I was there, and a bit claggy as it rained overnight.
But I got quite a lot done ( I am still plugging away at cutting away grass from old paths, I'm on the home run on that, thank goodness), am getting the fruit cage ready - we need a new net, and the posts need a coat of cuprinol before everything gets into leaf.
And I picked spinach and beetroot for tea .
echt - not grown daikon - is it a white radish, peppery , or mild?

A frost a frost! Finally a frost! Even if my shallots are sitting in puddles ... A frost!

Happy New Year people this side of the world!

Yes ethel we had a mild frost here too this morning.
So now I shall switch from moaning about the rain, to fretting about my poor planties getting too cold

ethel

Morning!
I managed another 2 hours this morning - the forecast is looking a bit grim again for this afternoon.More grass digging up, sprouting broccoli and sprouts picked.
I wish I had taken regular photos of my waterbutt after emptying and cleaning it. We sorted it all out on I think, the 11th December. Didn't get the tap fixture back on until about the 19th/20th, as it needed fixing at home, so the water was allowed to dribble (!) out. Since then it has filled up to about 350 litres off a shed roof of about 7' x 7'.

If only that happened in July eh Bookbook?
Right, has anyone made any allotment resolutions? I have got an allotment diary to record my learnings in, which Im pretty convinced I'll keep up.
My other resolution is to crack alliums. They grow well on my clay plot when I time them right, and though this may not be the best year/winter for it, Im trying everything. Onions from seeds and sets, pucklng and cooking, shallots both banana, round and from seed and hard and softneck garlic. And I'm going to try sowing the leeks earlier after a slightly disappointing crop this year.
Any other resolutions?

Hello.

(Bows to the assembled masses)

I haven't ordered my seeds yet. I know largely what I want, but when it comes to runner beans - I'm hesitating. I usually grow Scarlet Emperor and they always do really well. But I look at all the others that are available, and wonder if I shouldn't try one of them instead but then, what if they don't grow well and I'm full of regret. Do you all stick to the same, or do you dare . . . ?

Welcome teacup !
runner beans - I used to grow Scarlet Emperor, but a couple of years ago tried White Lady, with quite good success - with me they tend to grow a bit longer, stringless and stay tender for longer IYSWIM ,nice flavour. I think every now and then you have to be a bit daring, and see what else is available :)
ethel the way things are going rainwise at the moment, we may be growing rice in paddy fields soon!
re resolutions. I don't make them, as i will break them! But this year I am going to grow more shallots - they were so amazing last year, so after the autumn ones, I am going to put some in spring time as well. yy to more leeks - mine have been good, just didn't grow enough. And this year I will get a decent potato crop .In addition to Picasso and Marfona, I am going to try 'Orla' which was recommended upthread ( or even previous one)
and try to keep on top of weeding....

bookbook Thank you. Yes, I think I might give White Lady a try too. I've still got a few (half doz or so) Scarlet Emperor seeds. I'll put them in a corner and use the W Lady as my 'proper' crop. Can't help but notice the huge difference in price between Thompson & Morgan and Kings!

teacup - there is a link for discount on Kings seeds. Its valid until June , for 35% off Kings seeds I got it from the UK Here We Grow website/fb page

bit.ly/1LkDACb

forgot the code! its -enter UKHWG35 at the checkout, (valid until 30th June 2016)

Happy New Year everyone! Not much to report here in the way of actual gardening as its either been pouring with rain or I've been busy so no chance to get to the plot apart from a peer over the fence the other day. Was rather disheartened about the amount of grass growing until I remembered some of it is my green manure!

I'm trying some borlotti beans this year as well as Runner beans which I think may be scarlet emperor (can't remember off the top of my head).

Last year was my first year of growing so seed buying was a bit of guess work. This year we are repeating some varieties but trying new things for others. (Depending on how carried away we get).

Actually wishing for a cold spell so that garlic can split properly.

Hi all, so sorry I've not been around. I sort of fell off the thread and didn't manage to find it again! I'm a bit rubbish on my phone.

Very little happening here, far too wet to do much (although DS is enjoying digging in the greenhouse!).

DDog is defying all the odds and still with us.

Oh, and DC2 is on the way! So no idea how much allotmenteering I'll do. I'm due in September which is SUCH a busy time in the gardening calendar! Hmph.

Evening!
Just sat relaxing after looking after DGS
congratulations Cupcakes! and lovely to have an update on DDog. mmmm baby, little one and allotment ? good luck with that....
cedar - I have had quite a good crop of Borlotti beans this year - much nicer than the bought dried ones, or tinned. I recommend the climbing ones, rather than the bush ones if you have a choice - the bush ones got very muddy draggling on the floor, and were harder to harvest.
I think we are all of us sick of rain, I could do with some crisp , sunny days now.

Evening all,

Congratulations Cupcakes , and glad to hear DDog is still with you.

Managed to pop up to the plot for 5 mins today, first visit for about a fortnight and was really just checking things over. It's completely waterlogged up there. I'm glad I hadn't put in my garlic, it would have rotted away.

We have had non stop rain pretty well since Christmas (Hampshire), and although there's been no major flooding there have been a few local incidents, the odd house here and there, not good. My travels over Christmas have taken me to West Yorkshire and back, Birmingham and back and Isle of Wight and back, it seems to be raining everywhere. I have relatives in York, Leeds and the Shipley area, fortunately none have been affected, but it is a worry.

Oh and my lovely new potting shed has sprung a leak (from one of the roof vents). Luckily I spotted it before we went away and was able to stick a bucket under it as it is a solid wood floor and has quite a lot of stuff stored under the benches. So we're going to have to ring the supplier up to try and get it repaired.

Thanks for that book. And congratulations to Cupcakes.

Do you find that Borlotti beans suffer with aphids? More so than with runner beans?

Evening!
teacup -I've never had aphids on any of my beans - have you?
No plot today, hoping the weather isn't too bad in the next couple of days, to allow the ground to dry up a bit. Thats saying something - I am on quite well drained chalk.
There was a hint on the weather forecast for the temperature to take a bit of a downturn next week - we'll be thinking it's January soon!

waves to everyone

Many, many congratulations cupcake. How exciting 2016 is going to be for you!!

And book - really glad you and your family have escaped the worst of the flooding. It looks just awful. My heart really goes out to those in York: I used to live there, as you know, and the flooding is so much worse than anything I've seen.

On allotment subjects, a huge thumbs up for borlotti beans from me - I grew 'Lingua di Fuoco' last year. There are so many things I loved about it. Firstly, the pods look stunning - they are bright red, and will make you feel happy just looking at them. This also makes them easy to locate and pick, which is a big advantage when harvesting starts to take up significant amounts of plot time. Secondly, the beans are easy to shell, and they can be boiled for a short time and then frozen. This avoids having to soak them for hours on end to use them in stews and casseroles over the winter, when the plot isn't so productive. Thirdly, the beans look and taste amazing. I like them better than runners. I am going to grow way more of them next year - and I'm even going to buy a new freezer so I can store them!!

I never have a problem with aphids on climbing beans - are you thinking of broad beans?