Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 15 - will winter ever end?

[bookbook]

Hi everyone , just putting this up quickly , will add on later
Everyone welcome! :)

Looking good tiz, always love seeing your produce book
Mere your salad sounds lovely, fresh and perfect for the weather we are fortunate to be having.
I popped to the plot yesterday, I’m trying to level some of my paths because they are all a bit harzardous as so unsteady-maybe shouldnt be my priority but...!

Planted asparagus crowns, radishes, peas and beans and watered-2 water butts are already empty... think there’s supposed to be some rain on Monday 🤞
Everything is starting to sprout and bloom.
At home all if the Asian veg I planted last week are sprouting well, have some tomato plants coming along, courgettes and aubergines aren’t doing much yet.

Lovely pictures! I must learn how to upload them!

Planted more seeds today: godetia, cosmos, hardy annuals ( the seeds I had in) and some kale yes, kale and tomatoes.

Local people are offering spare plants at end of driveways which is lovely - as lots of people who never normally grow anything have taken up growing from home. Sadly can not get out to pick up the tomatoes offered ( after only one germinated am trying again) but thought I would carry on planting more so people can have our surplus - especially courgettes and squashes as cannot put those in at the plot.

An impressive haul @bookbook!!

What a lovely idea about offering spare plants @RhubarbFizz I have to admit that we haven't been out for a daily walk for a few days, I just find it too stressful to keep the DC away from people and stop them touching everything in sight. They find it stressful when I have to remind them about the bug so all in all it's much easier to stay in the garden!

I must try planting some kale. My runner beans have suddenly shot up indoors and can go outside - now I need to think of a recipe to use them in, as I realised that I don't actually enjoy eating them much

Fortunately we have a local garden centre that is delivering if you phone up. I ordered 3 bags that were delivered into my drive. Ironically at the beginning of the year I made a very cautious seed sowing plan. Now caution has been thrown to the winds and every time I sow a planned veg tray, I also sow some flowers and extra salad. We have seed trays everywhere. The garden will look beautiful. Even Dh is helping. He's becoming quite knowledgeable!

People here are swapping plants and seeds, I exchanged some seeds a few days ago and now have some spinich seeds to add to my salad bed, would love to find some rocket seeds to add too.
I have planted extra French beans, lettuce, peas and tomatoes to share and possibly some butternut squash plants.
Have planted flower seeds but don't usually have much success, thought I would give it ago in case I can't buy any plugs.

Ordered compost online, I have 4 bags being delivered in the next week or so, this will be for all my pots (for tomatoes and flowers) and for my next lot of potatoes which I grow in bags.

Hoping to find a couple pallets for my squash to grow along.

Going to move a lot outside later in the week, we are down south so not much chance of a frost after this week.

Lots of plants swapping here too. I've given away strawberries, raspberries, kale, salad plants, courgettes and tomatoes. I planted far too many.

I've also been giving out sunflower seeds on my daily walks. Just leaving the packs on peoples doorsteps. So hopefully the community will be full of sunflowers this summer.

I've been given a Tayberry so I'm thrilled as I've wanted one for years.

We brought everything in last night just in case of frost so the kitchen looks like a polytunnel.

Can I ask what people use as a slug deterrent? I don't use pellets because of the hedgehogs.

Can I join? We have been growing tomatoes and veg in our raised beds every year but this is the first time we are having to grow everything from seed. The person who usually helps me isn't around and I am worried because my attempts in the past have been mixed!

We have broad beans coming up and yesterday I planted out carrot and spinach seed. Also got asparagus seed and sweet pea seed in trays. (Think I've made my first mistakes already, as I didn't get asparagus crowns, forgot to sow the sweet peas earlier and have sown the carrot too thickly ).

awkwardbuttons Don't worry. It's far more useful to see the results of "doing it wrong" than it is to just do something because you've been told to. If nothing else, it gives you a firm foundation to start judging which rules you can bend.

footprint - i have some buckets/big plastic boxes that have rainwater in and some stones so that anything falling in can get out. Plus long grass. This encourages frogs who seem to be eating the slugs and snales. other thing i use sometimes are beer traps. Slug pellets are the work of the devil

We do use beer traps too actually...what a way to go!

Afternoon all!
sorry been a bit awol - no trips to allotment due to SI , and not being totally fit. Have been busy sowing and pricking out though.
welcome awkwardbuttons - always plenty of room on the bench :) ( and as everyone knows , I am always happy to find out whereabouts you are - North/South/East/West )
Lots of plant swaps on my site too - we have share tables so people can help themselves . I usually over sow a bit , and once mine are planted up , I always have stuff spare .
Hopefully I will be back at the plot on Friday - my summer cabbages and caulis need planting up , and also want to sow some peas direct . I did some in plugs , but the germination rate has been a bit poor , but better than nothing . DH is popping up today for me to cut veg , and also bring home some Chrysanthemum cuttings that have been left on my bench for me -( they messaged to say they hadn't seen me ) .
footprints - unfortunately , I haven't really found anything that works against slugs per se . I use a very limited amount of organic slug pellets when I first plant up seedlings , just to let them settle in and get going . I've found that good strong plants get less damage in the long run .
I have spent a lovely , very warm hour in the greenhouse this morning sowing french beans , borlotti beans and sweetcorn . My aubergines and peppers are being difficult so may have to resow those when I do the squashes and cucumbers this week . All my sprouts and PSB are up , so everything is as well ready as I can make it , stuck at home !
Onward and Upward :)

Footprints enjoy your tayberry - we have one this year that we bought! Looking forward to seeing how much it grows this year. Thankfully got in planted before my shielding letter came!

More seeds sown and in the propogator today ... and have cucumber plants to pot on! My windowsills are full so we are putting things in the greenhouse in the day and moving in tender plants for the night! My chilli plants did not appreciate being left overnight I discovered!

Another gorgeous day today, but we had a light frost overnight and it's been much cooler than the weekend

@footprintsintheslow I'd hoped to get a tayberry this year, but I think i've missed my chance now.

Re: slugs - we applied nematodes a couple of years back and it's made a huge difference, it was also a very dry summer which I'm sure helped as well. I do use beer traps sometimes too.

First rhubarb picked at the weekend - only a small amount but enough to throw in a crumble.

I managed to pick up a small bag of compost at Lidl today when doing the food shop, so that should be enough for sowing and potting on for now. I sowed some bits in soil I appropriated from the raised beds at the weekend, but it does mean i'm now having to play the weed or seed game!

@bookbook my chillis took an age to germinate this year, I'd just about given up hope - seeds planted on the 19th and just coming up now

Gratuitous photo of my tulip bed, along with sprout greens and rhubarb.

I've potted on some sweetcorn and Cosmos today and planted out some sweet peas. I'm trying to make room for beans and purple sprouting. I've only got 4 tomato plants I ordered some more seeds just after lockdown but they have not turned up. Unfortunately I need blight resistant ones on our allotments site.

@tizwozliz I was asking about nematodes on a different thread. I read years ago that it works well in year one and then the slugs come back with a vengeance?

I know that they recommend treatment more than once, and I considered giving it another treatment last year but never got round to it. It was certainly money well spent for me compared to the copper tape, wool pellets and slug barrier granules I'd tried previously.

I've found that good strong plants get less damage in the long run. Also, don't give them too cushy a life - make sure they've had a period of growing in the cold, with just sufficient water rather than an overabundance, before you plant out. Slugs like relatively soft plant matter.

Anyone else down south/south west getting excited about the rain tomorrow? 😂

My water butts are empty, my soil is so dry despite watering, I really hope we get a good amount of rain.

I’m at that point now where I have stuff to plant out but worrying if it’s warm enough, a few things still need time indoors to grow a little and I’m still planting more seeds. My first lot of leeks didn’t do that great (only 5 survived) and I keep planting lettuce in hope to have a continues supply.

Yes, badly need some rain here. Despite being in the South I am in a frost pocket and won't be planting out anything tender for another month or so, it's not unknown for us to get late May frosts. My plot is bone dry though and I'm having to water my patio plots daily at home.

Evening !
oh , we so need the rain here too , but doesn't look likely tomorrow., sadly .
I have sown all my squashes, courgettes and cucumbers today , and have started hardening off dahlias which are still in the greenhouse overnight - they need to be sorted by next week , as I want to get ready for my tomatoes going in full time .
Other than that - I saw my first cabbage white today , so I want to get the cabbages and cauiis planted up in the cage when I get back to the plot tomorrow . Lots of work ahead to make up for 3 weeks of not going.
This is yesterdays pick courtesy of DH - just the one asparagus spear - (we have given up half the full plot , and the biggest asparagus bed was on there ) I have a couple of years of getting the new extension bed up and producing :)

they need to be sorted by next week , as I want to get ready for my tomatoes going in full time Oh, I understand the feeling! I grow all my veg in containers, and my whole year seems to be constrained by waiting for a container to become clear for planting so I can plant something else out, to clear space in the green house to plant out a tomato, in order to free up a small pot to transplant a seedling, to make room to sow some more seeds.

Evening!
yes Mere - its like a 3D puzzle at times !
well, I got to the plot at long last . Only an hour ( being good ..) , got my caulis and cabbages planted out , and also a little apple tree that we had to dig up at home , as it wasn't happy . So it has been in a pot for a few weeks to take down and see if it likes it better there .
A fair few weeds , but overall manageable . Broad beans have flowers on , and the asparagus has really ramped up , so will be picking tomorrow , but the bed so needs a good weed first .
Picked the last little savoy , and some perennial spinach . After 3 weeks , that was actually enough work for me :)

We had steady rain from about 10-6 today, more forecast tomorrow, just what is needed. I'm going to crack on with weeding the plot and getting my potatoes in this weekend before the soil dries out again.

@MereDintofPandiculation I feel your pain... all my new seedlings are indoors, I've planted some bigger ones outside where I hope they'll make it, and I've now run out of pots!!

My B&Q order is now 10 days overdue I've even had emails reminding me to collect it, but the store keep saying they're snowed under with orders and haven't had time to pick it yet. Oh for the happy days of buying compost whenever we wanted, eh?!

The DC found my last packet of kale seeds and sowed it in their own pot before I could get it back. The pot already contains daffodils, mixed flowers and who knows what else (they're keen, I'll give them that). I don't think I'll be eating kale any time soon...

Well I feel very behind as I still have lots of empty pots!!

Had success with second and final chance sowing of tomatoes (only the one packet of seeds!) and 2 more have germinated. 1 of the 3 germinated cucumber plants has wilted in the pot it seems. So tomorrow more sowing is needed!

Book great you could pick/weed etc. I am so missing the plot due to shielding. I hope we do not lose the plot as it will be dreadful in 10 more weeks. Not helped by one area not having an autumn/spring sort out and looks awful! It was an area we were going to change and sort this spring! When I realised we might not be able to go we chose to leave it and plant potatoes, onions, fill the raised beds with what we had!!