Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 12! Plotmenters hoping for better weather

[bookbook]

Well, previous thread is nearly full, and I am busy the next couple of days, so thought I had better get this up and ready.
Thanks for the plot title Una
Everyone welcome to join in and share their experiences, tips, the woes and joys of growing their own .
Summer and harvests here we come ( and we''ll do our best to beat the pests)
Previous thread HERE

Lovely to eat the first things you've grown chocaholic.

We planted out our squashes and pumpkins at the weekend. So far they have survived! I am trying out planting a few on top of last year's compost heap to see what happens. In theory they should grow well and ramble over the top of the heap but I am not sure how well it is going to go.

I am finding seed germination on the things direct sown a bit hit and miss at the moment. First sowing of beetroot has resulted in 2 plants. Second sowing is looking better. I did have a lettuce from the first sowing but something has eaten it. Fingers crossed for the next sowing.

Some of my beans got the sulks and died so I have had to direct sow again and hope they will germinate.

On the plus side I have lots of broccoli to plant out and we bought some red cabbage plants at the weekend so getting those all in the ground will be this weekend's job.

Morning!
Cedar - I am rubbish at direct sown stuff - I haven't the patience knack of tilling and raking so its all nice and even. I sow virtually everything at home in plugs, and plant out instead. Saves a lot of muttering!
chock - everything tastes so much better when you have grown it yourself! I would ask to 'shadow' or deputise for the secretary just until you are up to speed , it depends on whether you are a paper /pen/notes person or a hi tech spreadsheet computer type as well :)
Went down to the plot this morning for an hour . I planted up some broad beans that I had sown as insurance - don't really need any more, but I had a bit of space to put them . Watered everything ,- particularly the peas, as they are just starting to put flowers out , dug out yet more bindweed. Then picked some spring cabbage , and decided to have a little look at the early strawberry patch - yes!!! a little punnet for after lunch :)
Hoping to get back this afternoon - I need to tie up sweet peas, plant out kale and cut the grass .

I have strawberry envy! They all look so good. Mine are in flower. Tucked up safe in my fruit cage (fort knox, I even laid old metal fencing net into the floor to stop rats), so hoping for some soon.

Everything has grown so much! My blackberry has gone from an 18" newbie to a 5' monster (thornless hybrid), and my willow hedge and arch have just exploded. I have lettuce! Direct sown in a square, all up by the looks of it, but something ate all my direct sown peas, nevermind, I have a whole bed of them in flower.

I'm hoping we've had some rain at home as we've had plenty here in France on holiday. Not disastrous if we haven't, just plants would be happier for it.

well, managed to do my trip back this afternoon, so quite chuffed.
Went to water in the greenhouse - I actually have 3 cucumbers set - they are 'Mini Munch' - a picnic/lunchbox cucumber . I found these really good - pick one for lunch, and it all gets used :)

book Mine are 'Mini Muncher' - the outdoors lunchbox version. I have picked several now and they're really crunchy and tasty. I'm so pleased with them! I've strengthened their support today - they're going to need it!

Mine are just straggling any place Hounds - I'll let them roam

I'm hoping to get over to the plot later and see if there are any strawberries to pick. A few were showing some colour the other day. Fingers crossed the slugs haven't found them first!

I also need to take the strimmer over and finish cutting back the grass. Everything has grown so quickly - the weeds certainly. DH spent a bit of time the other evening weeding horsetail out of the potato bed. That had all appeared in just 2 weeks because I heaped them up and there wasn't much there then. I think our first earlies might be ready fairly soon. I need to double check when we planted them. We're growing arran pilot this year which we haven't tried before.

Sun is shining here today. I was hoping to go over yesterday afternoon after I finished work but it started raining so I was forced to stay in and hoover the house instead. Boo to housework I'd much rather garden

So, operation get the veg in is underway. Loads of plants building up in the greenhouse to replace the ones that were devoured. Nematodes applied so need to give them 4days or so to work. Dusk secateur patrols started. Planning to get some of that wool stuff to deter them. Then I am planning to plant everything out one morning, drench with garlic water and hope!

More strawberries here (and my home grown basil which is photogenic as well as tasty).

Lots of seedling swapping up at the plot this week, I have acquired runner beans, celeriac and a few extra sweetcorn.

Looks delicious WhoKnows !
My little harvest for today is 3 more mini cucumbers and my first courgette of the year!

Jealous of the basil WhoKnows - have had to re sow mine .
Gorgeous strawberries there too.
I just had an hour at the plot this afternoon , so I got my kale planted out - I was gifted some red kale , which I've not tried before.
At home I I pricked out autumn cabbages , sowed autumn cauliflower and savoy cabbage
Really, really need rain now

ooh Hounds - I have courgettes set, but they are only tidgy - you must be about 7-10 days ahead there :)

I'm even more behind with courgettes, only planted out last night. Need to get back up there this evening.

I had to resow my basil too! The first sowing was totally munched by snails! My second sowing is doing okay though as I've left a cheap supermarket pot of basil as a decoy - the ploy seems to be working well!

no courgettes yes.
flower stalks just about forming.

Same here blue just starting to show the teeny buds. I cannot wait for courgettes, they are my favourite. I have a cucumber so almost ready! The weekend looks so good weather wise, I'm going to put some serious hours in outside, I'm landscaping as well as veggie-ing.

But one of my courgettes (a big planted out one) has just died. So annoying. Twas fine two days ago, gone floppy and just given up.

The basil was in the greenhouse till yesterday, I've never had much luck with it outdoors.

I think I'm furthest behind with courgettes as mine (second resown batch) are just putting out first proper leaves! But then I have lots of strawberries plus peppers in flower, set tomatoes and cucumbers and 18 in high sweetcorn plants so there are compensations.

Evening all.

No plot since the weekend as work and life is very annoyingly getting in the way.

Up tomorrow and sunday though. Am looking forward to seeing what has grown since last weekend. It's always a shock this time of year when you are away for a few days.

I have 3 beds left to get something in. Am thinking beetroot, dwarf french beans and something else. Am I too late for kale?

My basil seedlings have also been decimated by slugs. Had 3 pots but 2 are just stubby little stalks now. Lifted them into the mini greenhouse.

I also have brassicas in tiny seedling pots. Will they be ok for another 6 weeks in pots? They are going into the bed when the first earlies come out. Plan to pot them into bigger pots at some point this weeknd.

I don't think anyone need worry about courgettes or tomatoes. Monty was just planting out his tonight.

You mean Monty Don, MBE?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-44415979

I'll not have my courgettes ready for planting out for a while yet so definitely behind here. Though I was surprised how much more advanced my tomato plants were as normally I lag well behind Monty.

My basil just didn't germinate - not munched, as I keep it in the greenhouse . Old seed I suspect.
Yes, I was surprised at Monty's tomatoes , they looked a bit weedy, didn't they. And he is putting some in terracotta pots too . I had my worst harvest when I did mine that way. I wanted them to look pretty, but I got so much end blossom rot. When I did a bit of research, I realised that the pots were acting like a wick, and drawing the water from the compost on hot days, so I went to bags of compost instead, and not had a hint of a problem since then.
Frouby - mmm not sure about 6 weeks in pots for your brassicas- they need to get well rooted in the ground ready for inclement weather in winter . Could you use one of the 3 beds you have ready? Oh, and I don't think you are too late for kale - I have only just planted mine out, so you may find some plug plants if you don't have seed, and they stand over winter too, so have time to catch up.

Hi, I've to the plot today to tackle the bindweed. Last year I tried the fill a jam jar with round up and put the growing tips in, I also tried growing it up bamboo to make sure any weed killer is well away from the crops. I had some but limited success. This year I am spraying round up into polythene bags, putting the bindweed growing tips in and then sealing the bag. I read about this method on a thread on here and will wait to see if it works. The only problem is that the plot looks as though someone had liberally scattered dog poo bags all over it! Another basket of strawberries picked for the weekend.