Fruit & Veg growers Club 2007

[nikkie]

What is everyone planning to grow this year?
I have the bluberry bushes, strawberries,apple and pear from last year and hopefully i will get some proper fruit this year.Will be growing peas/tomatos/lettuce for definate as they all did really well. Cape gooseberry plants did well but fruit needed a couple more weeks of sun and never quite made it ,possibly start earlier this time.

If anyone is growing Physillis (sp?) PLant them as early as you can (on instructions ) I had some last year and got loads of fruit but by then it was Sept and they didn't all ripen as they needed more sun Prob quicker in a green house to, mine were outside.

justbeme-the tomato thread last year was like that , comparing sizes and no. of tomatos!

I like the fortnightly list of jobs idea. Not sure I am up to links though

I currently have two greenhouses and the plan is to take one down to make room for my veggie patch. So will need to crack on with that before I can get onto digging over with organic matter...

Two greenhouses

I dont even have one lol! I have a propogator.

I'll do links, or FMF can.

Dont physalis need lots of warmth nikkie? How big do the plants grow?

VeniVidiVickiQV

Yeah we inherited form the previous owners. He was quite a keen gardener, but in a different style to us.

At the moment we have lots of conifers and ball shaped shrubs...

LOL! In his late sixties was he....

conifers and topiary were a big thing in the 70's.....

Its making a comeback now though.....

Still, I think one or two conifer plants is more than enough for me.....

Whereabouts do you live cece?

Califrau

I saw that on the BBC news tonight

Re planting planners I have found this website. You can make a planting guide for your home town.

www.gardenaction.co.uk/main/garden_gift_ideas.asp

VVV

We live in Surrey. Where are you?

Cali...i'd like to say i feel sorry for you......but you are in CALIFORNIA FFS!!!!!

I'll send you some parsnip seeds - hows that?

Oooh not too far from me then - Im in North London.

Easier to compare progress then

For the folk oop north they will always be a week or two behind because its cooler and frosts last a few weeks longer up there.

or this site had a month by month guide to what to do
www.redwoodbarn.com/vegplantingcalend.html

Not too far. Very warm hear today but a lot of rain!

on second thoughtd think it is an american site os no use to us!

this one looks better

www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/veg_gard_now.php

will have a look when i get home. bizarrely cant view that site at work

the lines seem to have got a bit bigger than they were when I pasted it - the underscore bit I mean...

They are similar to tomatos, but I had about 6 plants all had loads of fruit on but ran out of summer to ripen them .
I'm up north too!

Can i barge in on this, we grow loads of own fruit/veg, but am veru interested in people's figs - what variety do yoy have, and where abouts in Uk are you - wr're in north yorks and v. windy - do you think they will thrive?
btw
we had loads of raspberries last year, we were still eating autumn bliss into late nov

I have brown turkey variety. The 'standard' one we got about 5 years ago never produced fruit, so, I got another small one last year covered in fruit, and, lo and behold, that day, I check it, and there was a tiny fruit forming. It grew, and grew a bit more, and then, it disappeared.

I'm guessing a bird got it.....

Hey ho, better luck this year.

Can I join? Moved into house in april last year and had a tentative go at vegetables. But this year am aiming for:

Aubergines, Courgettes, Red onions, shallotts, garlic, tomatoes (although not as many as last year) carrots, potatoes, lettuce, spinach and peas. I already have some well established strawberries and rhubarb.

Would love a fortnightly update, that would be a great idea. Would you suggest I order a seed catalogue or just pop to a garden centre for seeds? Should I empty out my compost bin (leaving top layer) and dig that into my plots now? Am getting really really excited. Also has anyone done the Companion planting thing, does it work?

Garden centres might be worth a visit first because the may have a sale on and dont charge delivery/postage. However, they often stock seeds with a shorter "use by" date so make sure you check that before buying.

I have bought a few packs of seeds from Thompson and Morgan online before now. THey usually have a bargain going - I had an email just this morning...hang on....

We have a fabulous Patio Vegetable collection for you this week containing:
Spinach Galaxy
Beetroot Pablo
Dwarf Runner Bean Hestia
Tomato Gartenperl
Radish Rougette
Carrot minifinger
Courgette Black Forest
Cauliflower Avalanche
ONLY £9.99 SAVE £7.83!

8 packs of seeds for £10 is quite reasonable. You will find cheaper seeds in B & Q - their 'own brand', but much less variety.

Companion planting is pretty straightforward. I tend to do it without thinking too much. It basically means planting onions in a block/row next to a block/row of carrots to help deter carrot fly. Or, planting marigolds next to tomatoes to prevent aphids/greenfly. (Both seemed to work for me last year).

If you are planning your veg plot then you can incorporate this at the same time.

Hi there the bbc gardening has a what to do in January page

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=351480

whihc is linked from this page... which also may prove useful

Have not got a fig tree. Not sure I could cope with lots of figs 0 what do you make with them?

Cece...you just eat them

Or give them to friends and family - they are soooo expensive in the shops.

Thnaks I must try one - only ever eaten fig rolls before...