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

[bookbook]

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

footprints I have my very small tomatoes in the greenhouse in the day and on a windowsill in the house at night. Sadly I forgot to bring the cucumbers in and they do not seem to have grown so planted more last week.

Afternoon!
well, a truly gorgeous day here , but it was cold overnight - I have a max/min thermometer in my greenhouse , and here it is from last night .
user - if they are small , and outside , I would give your tomatoes .some overnight protection - some fleece or a thin sheet would be enough , just make sure whatever you use doesn't touch the leaves .
Love - gah on the pop up greenhouse . I tend to weight the bottom shelf with bricks , which helps , but a strong gust of wind would still be a problem .
I did an hour this morning , and planted out Brokali and calabrese ( I still needed to do a bit of weeding where I was planting.
Picked some perennial spinach , and cut asparagus . Only one more cut of that this year I think , then will give it a spring feed and a good water .
It really has stayed quite cold overnight here , so I have decided to start putting the sweetcorn seedlings back in the greenhouse overnight , as they are not getting away as well as I would like . Pleased to see some very slow squashes and courgettes finally germinating - they have been so slow in the greenhouse .
Rhubarb - me too - tomatoes/peppers/aubergines/cucumber are still all coming in from the greenhouse overnight . Too risky otherwise to my mind .

I lost 3 cucumbers because I planted them too early in the unheated greenhouse - two because they were just too young, no true leaves, but tangled up with the one with 2 leaves which was outgrowing the space, and one I presume because it was too cold. But the other is fine, growing slowly but sturdily

Tomatoes and peppers are still in the unheated porch. Courgettes in the greenhouse and going great guns. I started them in the propagator then moved them once they'd got true leaves and were trying to lift the propagator lid off.

I thought you could cut asparagus until Pershore Fair? Which is something like June 26th? My mother's family were from Vale of Evesham (asparagus country) - she couldn't believe that my father had never eaten asparagus.

Quick trip to the plot with the kids today. Gave everything a good watering but that's about all I could get done.
Parsnips and carrots have come up and the potatoes are finally showing themselves. I'm a bit worried about the low temps forecast for the weekend. I might have to cover the potatoes, I'll probably just chuck some compost over them.
Is anyone else finding it a bad year for green fly? I feel like every plant in my garden is covered in them!

Haven't had problems with greenfly , but my broad beans have flea beetle

Mere - my germination rates on squashes/cucumbers/courgettes has been shocking this year . The ones I started indoors dreadful , so re sowed , and they are finally germinating in the greenhouse - a good 12-14 days they have taken . Re asparagus - well you can , but I like to pamper my asparagus!
Yes , holding out on planting out tender stuff until after the weekend here .
Today I went and planted out some more sprouts . Direct sowed some beetroot and swede , then did a bit more weeding and forking over prepping , ready for the sweetcorn. I also sowed some swede in plugs at home - I always seem to have problems with swede for some reason , so decided to have backup ready - whats the betting everything germinates?

Lost 4 cucumbers to slugs inside the greenhouse- only the stalk left. I’ve got 2 survivors , the rest don’t seem to have germinated . I’m in school for an afternoon next week and I’m hoping I can use ‘checking the school garden’ as a socially distanced activity as no idea how things are fairing there. Only 4 kids booked in at the moment so it should be possible At least we have had rain. My gooseberry bushes are covered in fruit- I only have two and I really should get more as I love them and no one else is bothered about them so I get to eat them all!

Yes, to the bad for greenfly @Pyxie I'm going to be mixing up a soapy solution later on today to spray things with. We often get a bit of greenfly but it's normally later in the year not when I've still got all my chillis in the house. Interestingly they are avoiding completely the black hungarian chilli plants.

Thanks for the sweetcorn seeds @elephantoverthehill , they've been sown and are currently being mollycoddled with a 'heated' propagator (I've stuck a hot water bottle under it! :-) )

Potatoes suddenly put a spurt on, they're in bags and I feel like I'm topping up every day. A few errant potato plants have popped up amongst my garlic, must have been missed when I harvested last year.

Otherwise just waiting to be able to plant things out, so I can free up space in the greenhouse which will let me move the stuff in the house out into the greenhouse. We had temps of 0.1 earlier in the week (forecast was a low of 5) so a bit worried about the forecast this weekend. I've had some tomatoes in the greenhouse already for weeks and although noticeably smaller than the ones indoors they seem ok so far.

Glad you got the seeds Tiz and I hope they germinate. I was sitting in the garden yesterday and realised I had an attack of greenfly, not on the plants, on me! Off to the plot in a bit, I expect to have to do some serious weeding.

@bookbook
I have had the opposite squash/courgette problem this year - I've got millions of them including about six spaghetti squash plants I grew from the seeds of a squash from last year we only recently ate (it really did keep well!). That squash was grown from a shop-bought plant so no idea if these babies are going to give fruit.

Also on the curcubit growing production line: courgettes romanesco, soleil and sicilia (the latter seeds bought on holiday); squashes iran and honeyboat which are heritage seeds I bought at Hampton Court last year in the days of flower festivals; a couple of jack-be-little pumpkins.

Quite where they are all going to go I don't really know. I also have some tromboncino squash seed that I am a bit tempted to sow and then let them grow over a half naked pergola in the back garden. We re-planted the garden last year and the wisteria and clematis are still only halfway up the pergola. Maybe some squash would be the thing to add!

Evening!
oh Cath - that is heartbreaking . Slugs do seem to like the growing tips - I now have to protect my courgettes and squashes when they first get planted out , otherwise yes, the slugs have a feast .
Tangelo - I am relieved to say the second sowings have now all germinated - only the first seed leaves out , so may need to bring them in on Sunday night, just to be on the safe side. Good luck on finding space!
I planted out my first lot of leeks today , and swapped brassica seedlings for cabbage root fly collars -( I should explain I lost some plants last year to these little blighters, so was inexpertly cutting some home made collars ,)
Just one last bed to prep up now for the squashes , and I have a week or so to get it done , so nearly on top of that , at least . It would be nice to get some rain , but I suppose that will only encourage the weeds !

Hello all - I have a patch in my garden and this is my 2nd year.

I'm relived to hear experienced allotmenters talking about 'second sowings' as I've had terrible rates of germination this year. Not experienced enough to understand why yet!!

Have 2nd attempts at carrots, parsnips, beetroot (all out direct in beds) and runner beans (windowsill) on the go now and keeping everything crossed.

I love the idea of vertical squash but I don't have any plants started yet - or any seeds!!

Is it worth trying this year or should I wait until next year??

Hey Geoff and WELCOME!

Not too late! Well I hope not as only 1 in 4 of my courgette varieties came up, and I've not sown squash at all yet, and I'm quite relaxed about there still being plenty of time. Manaña, probably.

My beans have mostly come up first time, unlike last year where I seemed to have to sow repeatedly. Runners doing well but I've not yet dared to plant out. French beans up and healthy, though I've sown a second lot too. But the big surprise is my black beans, which I sowed on a whim - they're cooking beans, bought from Waitrose. They started to germinate in 2 days! No idea what they'll grow into, nor if they'll produce but we shall see.

I've not planted much out yet- some kale, and sugar snaps. I'm being a bit wet I think and I need to toughen up! Next doorplot have planted out courgette already and they seemed to survive recent cold nights just fine.

Ah thanks for a lovely welcome zebra that's made me smile

Do I start squash off inside or just set up my vertical thingy (I'm thinking small arch at the 'entrance' to my veggie patch) and plant directly at the base?? How many seeds / plants should I aim for for an arch??

Start the squashes inside for slug protection if nothing else. I'd wait till they were a decent sized plant (I'm thinking about 18 inches) before planting them out. Don't grow them too lushly in the days before planting out - slugs like soft new growth. One each side of the arch. But grow some more plants as replacements just in case.

Afternoon!
welcome FusionChefGeoff :) - still plenty of time for squashes - in fact it is still a bit early for putting them outside , they soon motor once they have germinated. I sow mine and keep inside on a sunny windowsill normally - my second lot I have done in the greenhouse . They will need to be a good size , and hardened off well before planting outside . On a side note , being nosey - whereabouts are you - North/South/East/West ?
Spotted ! - well, my second sowing is proving much more successful , including last years butternut squash seeds - I decided to go all out , and try to get enough , now I have 6 courgettes , 2 crown prince , 4 butternut squashes .... - always the way , But I would rather have spare than not enough .
DH and I went to the plot this afternoon - I dug up the last little batch of leeks , and planted out more purple sprouting brassica. Nearly finished planting up the brassica cage for now - some autumn caulis to go in later . He dug out one of the compost bins - it has been left for nearly 3 years , and the compost at the bottom was lovely . So that is now piled up on the bed ready for the courgettes .
It was so hot today , tomorrow we will be back to cold .

First crop of the year (purple sprouting, chard etc doesn't count - they're last year's planting) - a lovely bunch of mixed radishes: red, red and white, purple, and white. So much nicer than bought one - taste as well as heat.

Went to the allotment this morning to water and some bastard gastropod/s has had a feast in the night. Dahlias, stocks, a tomato and a runner bean have all had their leaves stripped. The stocks won't recover and I don't think the dahlias will either. I'll resow but that's devastating. They only seem to eat stuff in the greenhouse.

I also need to dig over and resow my leeks and carrots; they haven't come up after five weeks and the weeds are taking over. I suspect I planted them too deeply. Not a brilliantly cheering morning.

Morning!
blowing a bitter North wind here , really cold .
gah Trebolla - its a bit gut wrenching isn't it , after all the hard work . It is really difficult in greenhouses . I tried the copper tape around all the edges and the door , but its tricky to say the least .
I went and cut asparagus this morning - wonder if the frost will nip them tonight . And covered the strawberries with a thin fleece , as the forecast is for wintery showers overnight here . But I didn't stay long due to the wind .

bookbook how many asparagus plants do you have? I'd like to grow my 'own but I'm not sure if I'd have enough room to get more than stalk each.

Argh, even my chitting potatoes have greenfly!

Chitting hell, tiz

Gosh, it's a bit blowy here. Biggest quince has lost a limb . And cold too-it might frost tomorrow, until Weds night.

Delurking to ask for advice from the wise ones. I've just discovered the new roots on my germinating squash seeds being eaten by fungus gnat larvae. Caught in the act! All 3 seeds nibbled away where the root should be. This is the second batch that I've tried to grow. I wondered why the first batch didn't germinate. I've never had this problem before, and I've used the soil from the same compost bag for my tomato, pepper and sweetcorn seeds and they're growing fine. Should I dig out the courgette and cucumber seeds that are in that soil as well and put them in different soil?

Thanks so much! I am midlands and excitedly now have 8 out of 16 runner beans finally pushing through on a windowsill in modules although they're all right at the edge of the module even though I'm sure I sowed them dead centre?? Maybe compost is too compact for them to push through so they've snuck out round the edges?!

A friend has some squash seeds she's going to drop in the letterbox next week so I'll get those going on the windowsill soon.

I've got round head lettuce and radish outside - should I try to cover then with a sheet? Don't have any fleece. Everything else is either in a poly house thing or in a pot which I've moved indoors for now.

Rather recklessly I planted put some beans at home this weekend so may need my second sowing to germinate with this cold weather!

At last the spinach has germinated, but cucumbers are not framing so well. Tomatoes now have 4-6 leaves each and are on a windowsill inside.

Allotment has not been visited for 7 weeks now - am dreading what state it will be in!

Should I dig out the courgette and cucumber seeds that are in that soil as well and put them in different soil? Yes, I think I would. Use the bag up on stuff with more fibrous roots, after, of course, picking out any visible grubs. In the future, always be sure to keep compost bags firmly folded over at the top, never open.

Are you using peat free compost? You might find it worth going back to soil based compost for a while, less humus. Otherwise, scatter gravel or sand on the top of all pots to deter egg-laying females.