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

timtam I always grow my sweetcorn and squash using the '2 sisters' method and find that it works really well. I've found it works best when I plant my squash at the edges and then let them grow inwards amongst the sweetcorn.

< Quick run in >
mention of possible grass frost tonight/tomorrow night !

I have seen that too book. Worried about my runner beans and chillis/peppers. Temp overnight predicted to be 5 here. Is that cold enough for a frost? Should I wrap them up do you think?

Frouby I think you'll be okay with a low of 5 - maybe just fleece anything in a particular frost pocket?
I've back to obsessing over my chillies....
I've been thinking about final pot size and I'm going to conduct a trial - with 2 of my varieties (Jalapeno and Caldero) I'm going to plant 1 plant in a smallish pot, 1 in a biggish pot and 1 in the ground and see which performs better. As you can probably tell, it is going to be hugely scientifically accurate! I'm also growing Hot Mexican, Basket of Fire, Norfolk Naga, Caribbean Red, Orange Habanero and Lemon Habanero.

hi,s orry been out all day Frouby - . I haven't put my beans out yet, still hardening them off. But, its a bit breezy, and I think you may be a bit higher than me, so iIwould probably chuck a thin fleece over them if possible

wow Hounds - do you use a lot of chillies? Sounds a fab experiment regardless!

Oh crikey, I forgot about the cold warning tonight! I'll have to go out in the dark as I've forgotten to bring my courgettes, beans and sweet potatoes in.

I had a bit of a head wobble today...I'm just not going to get the polytunnel built this year. So, we dug about in the garden hoard, found fence posts, base boards and netting, and I now have a veg plot! Quickly got the last of the charlotte potatoes in, and am looking forward to getting the plot filled.

Right, time to go get my plants in...

I'll maybe name change to 'Southern Softy' I really hope the grass frost is not too bad for you further north.

Got to the plot for an hour yesterday afternoon. Was debating fleecing stuff but decided they would be ok. No sign of a frost at 5am when I peeped out of the window and we have a big grass verge opposite us so hoping everything is ok.

Did some watering (it's been very dry here) and a bit of weeding and earthed the first earlies up which are peeping through.

Also decided I need more beds. Have 7 approx 1.2 x 1.2 left. Need to dot tomato plants around, 3 courgettes, loads of french beans, sweetcorn, ds pumpkins, a couple of melons have germinated, cucumbers, have sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower seedlings growing and a few other bits and pieces!

Have the room for probably 7 more beds. But I might just do temporary ones as will hopefully have a polytunnel next year. Could do 3 more easily, possibly 4 if I clear a corner of doom and level it up.

Really need a good tidy up around my rasperry canes and am tempted to cover the area around it up until they are more established.

And have a little row of very dead looking blueberries. I think I am going to dig those out and put a long, thin bed there. Then possibly have a row of tomato plants. Maybe 4 all spaced out so they aren't touching. I had 4 in a bed last year and it got very messy inbetween them, and a bit sweaty and they got blight. Hoping to avoid that this year and next year will have a tunnel (hopefully) for them to go into.

DP doesn't know but am hoping we get a bit of cash as wedding gifts and can afford one 😁. And to finish the chicken run off.

Will give him the choice of an ikea run or allotment stuff. We haven't done a gift list as we have everything.

book We do use a lot of chillies. Plus, I'm planning on making chilli jam and chilli sauce!

I have a cordial production line going.
made some woodruff cordial last week, but that was all used at a party, so I'm making more (I love the stuff).
the lemon balm one is very intense, but great as base for homemade lemonade.
might plant out courgettes and pumpkins the weekend, might need to put down some slug pellets to give them a good start.

A cordial production line? I'm impressed! We have an elderflower tree on our plot and maybe this year I'll catch it at the right time to make some cordial.

I was given some garden vouchers for my birthday and so on Sunday went over and spent them - and more of course! They had some reduced dahlias and a rhubarb crown so I was tempted into buying those. Also got some sensible things like a micro mesh tunnel to put over my brassicas. We currently have three trays full of broccoli because I didn't read the packet properly and sowed the whole lot in one go rather than succession sowing!

On Tuesday we planted out our runners and french beans because they were getting a bit desperate. And the cat knocked them over when they were out hardening off so they needed to go to the plot. Of course it has now turned chilly and windy so hopefully they're not too shocked.

The warm weather we had a few weeks ago definitely made a difference to the seeds I've sown in the house. The first lot came up in double quick time. The second sowings - a few more runners, french beans, squashes and borlotti - have taken much longer to start coming through. I've been getting very impatient and it felt like they were never going to do anything but they've started appearing now. Nearer two weeks than one week which is how long it took the first lot.
I think I may need to resow peas. There are about 3 plants showing at the plot. I'm going to try soaking them with chilli powder this time around.

A cordial production line sounds AMAZING bluerunningshoes ! Tell us more. Where do you get your recipes? I've only made plum cordial, and versions of, as I went a bit mad with the plum gathering one year. But I'm getting into cordial a lot recently, and am hoping to experiment a bit - especially with herbs. Sweet woodruff sounds good too - I've read about it but never tried it...

Last night my temperatures here went down to 4 degrees, so no frost. But a lot of fretting. I tucked most of my beloved tomatoes back under cover just in case, apart from the only ones I've actually planted up, in a hanging basket. After tonight which is also predicted to be cold, I think I'm going to start the Grand Plant Out. I have many, many tomatoes and courgettes which are now in the way.

My recently sown squash are just popping up now, but germination still hasn't been great and that was fresh seed. I've at least one of each variety sown, so that's ok I guess. Also patchy has been my runner beans, which are normally bomb-proof! About 1/ of my 1st lot came up and are now ready to go, but none of my 2nd lot. And they were protected so not snaffled my mouse or vole. I'm now trying to chit batch 3 in a bag with some kitchen roll - I've never done it that way so we shall see how I go. I don't really want to buy plants as I've been using saved seed and I really like the continuity as well as the taste!

Oh, I have a bumblebee nest in my garden compost bin. I take it I just have to leave the bin now and they'll move on eventually? I don't want to harm any bees, but I was hoping to use the compost and start filling it again!

That happened to me last year Spotted, I continued adding stuff very gently but not removing and they moved on after a few weeks.

Afternoon!
I think we just scraped through on temp last night. Potatoes and dahlias all okay

Have potted on all my squashes and courgettes into bigger pots. The butternuts are still sulking, and when I re potted, they had some poor roots systems, but also a bit damp, so I am hoping they get going with some fresh compost. All the others doing well, so not sure why just those.
I'm with you on the beans Cedar - everything else has done so well, my purple 'Cosse Violette" are fine , but with the 'Cobra" green french beans I realised that some of the first ones, which had germinated, had been got by the snail that nibbled the sweetcorn , so have put more in, but no sign yet - just shows that the optimal sowing time is quite important. I can always pick those up somewhere - so not surprised at that. No sign of borlottis, but they were old seed, so not surprised really.
I have been forking over in the new brassica cage - it got very trampled putting the cage up. I have dug up the last of the PSB after picking the last spears - they all going to flower now. Chicken wired the second sowing of peas - they have germinated well with chilli powder and warm water to soak them first . Will be sowing some more in the next day or two. Realised I hadn't picked perennial cauliflower - leaving them a few days makes them more like sprouting broccoli. And finally thinned out my spring cabbage, bringing home the thinnings.
I had a small burst of joy too - I have plums set ! and a few gages . I do need to keep an eye on the plum though - noticed a few curled leaves at the end of the branches, and a few ants on them . So nipped those off sharpish .

Spotted We had a pair of robins nesting in our compost heap last year. It was so lovely to watch them, but we couldn't get to the compost for ages!

no special cordial recipe. just a basic sugar syrup (400g sugar 400ml water) - infuse herbs for a couple of days (some need to wilt before infusing).
boil before filling into sterilised bottles.

Spotted - I missed that - lucky you with the bumblebee nest - MN was playing up and I had a devil of a job getting to post.
Its supposed to be a couple of degrees colder tonight! pah ...
But, I got my tomato plants planted in the greenhouse, it has cleared some space on the shelves - may chuck some protection over them for tonight, as they are near the floor .

I love the idea of lemon balm cordial, blue. My lemon balm is lovely but tends to spread over a wide area. Some of it can definitely be spared for cordial!

I'm trying a recipe for rhubarb and star anise cordial this weekend.

Looks like my gooseberry has powdery mildew

hmm rhubarb cordial
I love rhubarb
shame about the gooseberry. hopefully it can recover.

tiz - I had a quick look at the gooseberry bushes up at the top end of my allotment, and one the bushes the berries are covered in powdery mildew too :( . It had a bit of a bad case last year, and this year we really pruned it hard in the middle, so it could get more air through it .

My mini chamomile lawn around my herbs looks pretty.
I sprinkled the contents of a couple of chamomile tea bags on it a month ago.
Carol Klein, eat your heart out

Oohh I could try lemon balm cordial. We inherited a plant on the plot and it just sits there smelling nice because I don't really know what to do with it.

I managed an hour at the plot yesterday afternoon. I just had time for a quick water and some strimming before I had to go home. My beans were looking a bit battered from the wind but were still alive so they've survived the first couple of nights. One was looking quite sorry but I hope it will keep going. I can always direct sow a few more beans if the ones at home don't bother coming up. I also need to try sowing fennel again as this didn't germinate at all at home and yet last year it came up very easily.

My gooseberry has lots of fruit coming - we inherited these with the plot and last year they managed a magnificent two berries. I shall have to check for mildew as there are a lot of grass/weeds growing through them - in spite of my best efforts to weed this part of the plot is getting a little out of control! I don't like gooseberries myself but DH and DD will be pleased if we get some fruit.

bookbook you do seem to get a regular supply of veg over most of the year. This is something I need to try harder at so that we have more things over the winter.