Allotment/Veg Patch -Thread 8 - Its spring - time to get busy!

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Thought I had better get a new thread ready to roll!
It has been a long, soggy winter , but the clocks go back soon, we may see the sun , so it will be all go, go ,go
Everyone welcome, join us the celebrate and commiserate on the joys of vegetables
previous thread HERE

Zebra I agree your blackcurrants look very worrying could they be suffering from super fast wasp swarms or yellow fever.

Deeply concerned about the yellow stuff on your black currants Zebra.

mm ,Spotted - is it definitely the same variety ? It may just be that you have earlies and a late.... - all of mine are in full leaf, and starting to set fruit..... you may of course, be onto a money spinner!

Has anyone heard/seen shove ? I hope she's okay .

Are your blackcurrants in witness protection, Zebra?

They are looking a tad odd. Do you know what variety they are?

Oooh blimey, two weeks no contact. Hope the palak curry did not finish her off.
Have you seen how quick we filled this thread? Must be Spring.

did they get moved? that would explain the lateness.

Ah I was thinking about shove on the way back from a dog walk today. Meant to message her when I got home but completely forgot. We haven't heard from her since her holiday, have we? Hope she's decided to extend the holiday rather than being unwell!

Waiting for things to grow. The hungry gap is being filled with pesto made from: good king henry, triangular leeks, jack in the hedge and sorrel with walnuts. Yummy but now the PSB is over, I am looking for something with substance to eat.

I've no idea what variety it is, alas. It was my first ever blackcurrant plant - I now have many but I am sentimental about this one. It's not been moved either - it's been in situ over 2 years now.

I like the thought of wasps, yellow fever or witness protection, but boringly I'm just hiding something identifying in the background. Then doing some extra scribbles too, as it looked cheery yet mysterious.

Yes, I hope lovely Shove is well and having a good break somewhere free of house stress.

Ooh, Pest get you! That foraging sounds ever so fashionable!
I made some lovely nettle ravioli the other day.

Lost some of my courgettes, they were up against the south facing wall of the house and under glass but obviously not protected enough, my beans which were alongside are fine as are the sacrificial ones that are in the borders

Zebra anyone who has triangular leek in their garden will know it is akin a fight to the death with the Spartans. The bloody stuff could smother japanese knotweed.
DH just thinks I am a peasant. The eye rolling when I suggested growing lentils
Perennial onions are the latest challenge. Walking onions or potato onions anyone?

I still have PSB Pest its a variety called Cardinal , and still okay - another 1-2 weeks at most though. and I have still got 4 baby caulis as well! - winter aalsmer that never seemed to get going, but have managed to produce some little heads now :). Do you grow perpetual spinach - that keeps going. I have sown Good King Henry , bit it didn't germinate - so better have another go .
ah tiz - still time - mine have only just popped out- I sowed them last week

Perpetual spinach is at first true leaf stage. Planning on sticking it in allotment this weekend. Also chard and an eclectic array of oriental greens.
If you grow mustard greens, check out using them as wraps. Add chilli, cheese and sour cream, wrap in out sized mustard leaf and enjoy the crunchy spiciness.

Oh, I forgot to mention, Pestil has reminded me, that signs have gone up around our allotments that JKW has been found. There is no guidance on what to do with it. I guess if I find some I will confine it to a bin bag until I find further instruction. I know the tip won't take it. Does anyone know what needs to be done with it? Should it be ripped up out of the ground? How should it be disposed of? Luckily I haven't seen any yet.

Elephant rip it up taking as much root as possible, repeat weekly. Confine it somewhere to dry out completely. Burn the bastard, do not stand downwind. In three years it is gone. There are far more invasive plants, marestail being one of them.

ah, I grow the perpetual spinach as a biennial . I have dug out the old row, and make pesto with it with hazelnuts and garlic. ( a lot too!) I have the new last years row still going strong :)
elephant - there was a lovely programme on Radio 4 about invasive species - JKW is spread through the idiocy humans - its not good at seeding itself at all .

Thanks Pestil. I expect I will be spitting feathers if I get Mare's tail but at least it is a native plant. My weed hates are dandelions and bindweed. And now I find I have got the smaller pink version of bindweed as well. I am currently swearing at Creeping Cinquefoil. I feel like some despot killing slugs and snails. And I thought gardening was supposed to be relaxing.

Thought I had better get a new thread ready ! HERE IT IS

Molluscacide is fun

why the dandelion hate?
bees love it, you can eat it, bunnies and guinnea pigs like it...

We have a big problem with bindweed, brambles and something else that I have just realised is creeping cinquefoil. It's so hard to get on top of them.