Allotment?Veg Patch Thread 10 - Plotmenters busy into summer ! and loving James Wong

[bookbook]

Last thread has filled up so quickly! Thought I had better get one up and running before I get off to the plot.
Busy, busy people, just waiting for the harvests to start, fighting the bugs, slugs and weather :)
Last thread here
THREAD 9

Which mangetout are you growing Pestilential? I've been growing Sugar ann and the early pods were lovely but they've gone a bit stringy and sporadic lately.

Una I have been growing Oregon Sugar Pod, some of them have got massive but they don't seem stringy at all. I did three successive sowings, first sowing was very early in the conservatory. Root trainers are better than loo roll middles.

We have got Oregon peas as well.

So because hay fever is slightly hindering my ability to be out in the garden all day, I've decided to draw up a plan for next year. First photo being the front new beds (which will hopefully be done in the Autumn, hopefully) and the second is the back garden.

What's a nice fruit tree that doesn't get too huge? Not apple, and one that isn't too high maintenance (I think some need fleecing don't they?). And a tree rather than a currant bush...

It would probably help if I uploaded the pictures...

Quince trees come in various sizes. Once you get the hang of it they are brilliant for cooking and almost impossible to buy in the shops. Also as low maintenance at it gets.

Hmm, I think I'd rather one that produces fruit ready to eat so DP can take them in his packed lunch.

Hello all

I need to do plans as well. Our plot is huge and we have only used a tiny little corner really. Probably about 1/8 of the plot.

Finally got rid of the burning pile and we now have a huge bonfire instead. Which is the same thing but its in the right spot to burn. We need to wait for some rain first though. As someone else said we don't want to risk a fire spreading.

We have covered a lot of the top half with weed supressing membrane. Well it's damp proof membrane that was going spare on a job dp was on.

Have also built and located the compost bin.

Runner beans have run past the top of the canes which were the tallest I could find. Have twizzled them around the top of the wigwam.

I have a mad crazy tomato plant too. It's like a triffid lol.

A couple of my baby courgettes have fallen off. Is that normal? They were little balls about the size of a big cherry tomato. Peas aren't doing brilliant either. Sigh. But lettuce is fab!

Over the weekend I need to plant some more peas, some lettuce, some spring onions and maybe some spinich. Oh and some basil maybe.

Ds has found a new friend too. Old lad looking after his daughters chickens as she is stuck at home with a new baby. Her plot is quite overgrown but she has a fuckton of rasperries and blackberries. He has asked me if I will feed the chickens at the end of July and told me to help myself to any fruit that is ready as and when it is. He has said that when we get our chickens he will look after ours when we go away so it's handy to have someone like that around.

A mirabella plum, they are small plums and taste amazing. They come on different root stocks so you should be able to get a smallish one.

Cherry on a small rootstock? I don't normally fleece mine unless there's a late frost - it does need netting if you actually want fruit. Plums are lovely too - or maybe one of the plum-apricot hybrids? [[www.orangepippintrees.co.uk] This] is where I got my apples but they do lots of other trees as well and they have an amazing diversity of rootstocks.

Thanks both, I really like the sound of this one in the VVA-1 rootstock. It sounds delicious.

Would that need fleecing for a late frost? (How do you fleece a tree?!)

They do fine down south, no fleecing required on Salisbury plain.

The tree would almost certainly be fine, but you might lose some fruit to a late frost - whereabouts are you? I tend to wrap big branches in sheets of fleece and secure with wire - nicely dwarfing trees are generally small enough to wrap fairly well.

I'm SE (Home Counties). I like the look of this one too, and this one seems to be self-fertile rather than partially self-fertile like the one above.

Oooh greengages are lovely, good choice.

I don't think I've ever tasted one, but DP is always bleating on about them so I suppose I could plant one thing for him

Evening!
Well, I finally got to the plot, and oh how I want to scream - a rabbit had managed to wriggle/scrape under the chicken wire- luckily not too much damage - a cauliflower seedling and the tops off a few french beans. I have spent a good hour trying to sort out defences, instead of other essential stuff .
Gin - I would go for a gage personally - harder to buy from the shops, but not sure if they are self fertile - I bought a plum as well so they could cross pollinate. Whatever you choose, the rootstock is the important bit for determining the height and breadth .
I picked the first courgette, some baby leaf spinach, broad beans and peas. Also dug up the last of the volunteer potatoes, and a nice tub of strawberries, so feeling a little less rage -y
Pest thats a lot of redcurrants ! no wonder you don't net :)

x posted there - so slow typing....

Bookbook, thanks for the chocolate courgette cake recipe on the last thread - it went down very well at dinner including the comment "actually quite good for a cake with courgette in it". I am now hankering after a third square... we seem to be getting one courgette a day at the moment which is hard to keep up with!

Hurrah.

After [counts fingers] 8 years in professional gardening [including TEACHING horticulture and propagation] - I finally got Night Scented Stocks to not only germinate but bloody flower.

Well, one of them. The rest of the ones that germinated got eaten by critters when I went on holiday a month ago.

And - I finally used nematodes this week on my garden. We are clearing a patch this week and I don't want all the new plants that I put in to disappear overnight. I will report back on how many slugs we find under the oregano and strawberries that we remove.

Ah! That's a good crosspost I think I'll go for the medium gage.

Your strawberries look so delicious book

You are welcome Una - it always comes as a surprise to folk when they eat it! and almost healthy
Did I post the multi veg muffins too?
or this is nice
Briam

haha! x post again ...- yes they are good Gin - no idea of the variety as they were inherited.
Alternative - there is hope for us all - did you see I managed one Good King Henry seedling? Do you find the slugs after nematodes? - I only ask as I thought one of the beauties of them is that the slugs die out of sight :)

Thank you for the briam recipe it looks fantastic.

V slow start to the year for me, only had two strawberries and loads of rhubarb so far. But the beans are finally starting to climb and there's a tiny courgette just showing!

My courgettes aren't expanding . New ones popping up all the time, but the very first ones aren't getting any bigger.

Picked a handful of French beans last night. I think next year I need to do less variety and more volume. Variety seems nice in the spring, but I think i'd prefer to have enough of one thing for a meal at the same time!

Morning!
I have loads of courgette recipes paradox - due to my first year of growing - I was gifted 8 courgette plants , and they wouldn't stop ...
tiz - is it the very first ones that set that are not growing? Check the flower end, and if its rotting, take them off - they may well not have been fertilised , and they just sit there, then rot back to the stem. I water mine regularly when they are setting - every day if possible.
Off soon to see if my rabbit defences worked , fingers crossed .