Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 16 Weather weirdness prevails !

[bookbook]

Hello to everyone !
pull up a garden chair and join in with the trials and tribulations of growing your own , against the odds of weather , pests and diseases.
Previous thread is HERE

I bought a bell-pepper plant from bnq which had huge leaves and tiny flower buds but since then the buds have dropped and the plant is just so sad looking. Why is it not fruiting? I'm thinking to give it some tomato feed.. any suggestions ?

I didn't sow radish this year as they virtually all went to seed last year. I haven't weeded that bed yet though so this year I have these and more on the way :-)

Afternoon
been a bit busy non plot related the last few days . Still planting up ...
But at home in the greenhouse , tomatoes are setting , flowers on my sweet peppers and aubergines , and I have my first very small cucumber - it looks a bit pale green , but it seems that it how this variety ( delistar) are :) .
Notso - I water and feed mine just the same as tomatoes , with tomato feed , but it sounds as if your plant may be a bit stressed - hopefully with a little tlc , more flowers will pop up

My son has a 'no dig' vegetable garden and everything is growing so much better than in my veg garden

notsodimwit WOW. Is your son Charles Dowding?

I 'do' no dig. My plot looks NOTHING like that!

I'm still not fully planted out -this hot weather does not suit me ! I also need to get some more long canes for the poor beans which have not yet been planted out - some more French beans, and some yellow ones that I've not had before. Ooh, andnsome purple french beans from my sister. I mean to, but then I spend so much time watering and I run out of time. Meanwhile my plants are still desperately waiting to go out, and have run out of nutrients in their compost...

I need some advice I had three butternut squash plants healthy and hardening off, ready to be planted last week when my lovely cat decided to bat them all off the garden table. Two snapped, one survived.

Is it too late to sow some more? The packet says it is. I wanted to grow them up some arches and I have a feeling one plant won't cut it really.

My broccoli is bolting. There are a couple of plants that haven't bolted yet so going to move them out of the raised bed and into the ground and then mulch well. I think it's soil temperature that matters for bolting and I'm assuming raised beds will be warmer than the ground.

I think it's too late @KnobblyWand but what's the harm in trying? I'm sure they'll grow enough to twine up but maybe the fruit won't get time to ripen? Same predicament with my pumpkin..

I do the same @TheSpottedZebra and I assure you my plant looks nothing like that either 😂😂

@tizwozliz I think my onions are bolting, they seem to be growing something new at the tips, and the onions haven't yet formed. What a shame. Raised beds are definitely warmer so hopefully in the ground helps x

My lettuces keep bolting and today I found a whole row of rocket starting to bolt☹️. The plants are tiny, only been planted out about ten days. Raised beds..

Afternoon !
argh KnobblyWand - maybe worth persevering with them unless they are past redemption . I managed to rescue a courgette that had had its growing tip munched down to virtual zilch , but has come back. It may be worth looking around local nurseries too - there were still some squash plants for sale in some of ours last week .
wow notsodimwit
Bolting in leafy greens is usually a sign of stress so too hot/dry/windy . Once they start , it is almost impossible to stop them I find. With me , it is usually baby leaf spinach , which prefers it a bit cooler .
I have been plodding on with planting up - so swedes from plugs , a couple of rows of leeks , the last of the cauliflowers and savoys , along with kale . I have a row of beetroot left to do , and as many leeks as I have space still, and then that job is done .
I have flowers on my courgettes and peas , and the first broad beans have set :)
On the down side , I have found asparagus beetles on my asparagus , so am spending some time every trip squishing and rubbing off eggs . I have maybe one last picking , and seriously thinking of getting out the Neem oil ....

That's great @bookbook. You certainly sound like you've been busy.

My chillies and tomatoes are flowering, and my cucumber plant is finally growing more leaves. I've sown peas and some more carrots, and the potatoes are flowering. My onions are just tiny spring onions and the garlic is almost ready but not quite yet.

My squash plants are still barely past the seedling stage (next year I think I'll plant them in pots and then move them into the ground), I moved them too early this year. Courgette has been flowering forever but has tiny leaves and only produces male flowers which fall off and die. Will wait and see whether it ever gives fruit. The broadbeans are doing fabulously even though they're ridden with aphids.

And I just managed to find an aubergine plant in bnq  It's at the flowering stage and I couldn't be more pleased. I may need all the tips I can get @bookbook

Lastly my bell pepper just seems sad and wilted in life and can't get itself to flower, although the buds have been there forever now. I do wonder why it's so stressed

Just eaten my first globe artichoke and strawberries, delicious. I've got a perpetual spinach bolting and my cucumbers are looking far from healthy.

The weather is so hot here in Yorkshire..watering most mornings (really early) my strawberries are starting to ripen and there are loads of them I have red and white onions doing well..leeks, Sweetcorn, cauliflower, cabbages, broccoli and sprouts are well away, peas and broad beans have flowers on, courgette plants are doing ok and new potatoes have flowers on them. Really enjoying the weather at the moment 🙂

Also all carrot/parsnip/turnips/beetroot seeds I planted are coming on lovely.
@bookbook..I would love to try asparagus next year and squash. The bits of salad I planted seem to be thriving also.

My salad plot

Looks great @notsodimwit

I'm 10 weeks into my new plot and I'm still discovering new things!

Yesterday I found a bay tree, I'd overlooked it because it was tucked in the corner and looked ornamental - until I trimmed it and the smell wafted up at me. Gorgeous.

Oh and a huge, well-established (if neglected) asparagus bed. It's COVERED in weeds and the previous occupant has covered the whole thing with bedding plants, but I managed to get a huge bundle of asparagus and there's more coming! I'm so happy!

The strawberries that nearly covered the entire plot are now sorted, fed and producing big, beautiful fruits.

There's so much work to do still but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I'd be bringing things home to eat already, I feel very lucky.

That sounds wonderful @KnobblyWand lucky you, what a treat!

@KnobblyWand that sounds amazing, nothing as nice as fresh stuff out of your own garden...make sure you post a photo to show us all you hard work 🙂

Mmmm eating my home-grown strawberries right now for breakfast. My container plant has produced more than its mother plant did last year. It survived a house move, some severe neglect and overwintered outside - it's one resilient plant!

Aphids are continuing to be farmed by the ants - including on my sunflowers and blackfly is all over my two large tomato containers but I go out and check them about 5 times a day so can largely keep on top of it.

Carrots look nearly ready - probably a couple of weeks away from harvesting

@notsodimwit

My salad plot

Amazing! What do with it all?

Picked my first strawberries yesterday...they were delicious 😊

Most things are progressing nicely here, still a little way off picking anything

Love that picture @tizwozliz. My old age and mum brain has caused me to forget what it's called when you add lots of pictures like that

First tomatoes are showing, the chillies have flowered but a lot of the flowers are falling off (and there are black marks at the branching point of every stem.. not sure whether to worry), bell pepper has been moved from the greenhouse into the ground and seems to be a lot happier and less stressed. The nasty snails are also easier on it in the ground for some reason.

Shocking what rainwater can do, especially after hot weather. Yesterday everything was normal, some things budded, some growing new shoots but overnight wow, I woke to 5 aubergine flowers, lots of new tomato flowers, potato flowers, courgette and cucumber plant suddenly doubled in size (??) and an entire rose bush suddenly bloomed. Couldn't be more pleased. Strawberries are growing slowly but surely. The runner beans are magically climbing their poles too (it's my first time growing them and it's so fascinating to watch). All my new seedlings have suddenly appeared overnight too.

Just a little worried about my chillies and my broadbeans which are covered in black aphids.

My garlic started to bolt so I pulled it all up and it's ready. Some bulbs didn't split but it's fine since I crush it my dishes anyway. My onions are also out and they are spring onions at best. Glad I tried both though.