The Vegetable Patch

[MereDintofPandiculation]

Now bookbook has sadly left us, and stirred into action by @DobbleDobble, I think it’s time to start a general thread for those of us who try to grow edible produce, fruit, veg, herbs, to share successes, failures, questions and answers

Yes I'm going to get some seeds started today!

Morning everyone, I’ve been reading the threads.
I’ve harvested my pots, spring onions, broccoli, spinach and lettuce( spinach was quick to bolt!)
I realise I planted too much beetroot and have no time at present to boil and pickle it! Everything came to harvest all at once even though I succession sowed, so a lesson for next year is don’t start too early with seed sowing.The newly planted/later season planted caught up with the feb/march planted🙄I’ve got peas, corn, butternut squash and tomatoes still growing now so they will keep me busy through august.
I decided that next year I’d like a whole raised bed of flowers on the lot, wildflower patch I planted looks amazing with poppies, grasses, I even threw in some hollyhocks too.
have a lovely weekend everyone

@ticktickticktickBOOM for the blueberry, it should be possible to bring it back to life. The first step is probably to start feeding it ericaceous food this year.

In the winter, it will then need pruning. According to Google, blueberries produce best on 2-3 year old branches and as they get older they produce less and less. If you haven't pruned for a few years, it'll be mostly unproductive old wood. There are loads of instructions online, e.g. www.growveg.co.uk/guides/how-to-prune-blueberry-bushes/ . Pruning this winter will lead to new growth next year - but that won't then fruit until the year after, so it will take a couple of years!

First courgette, cucumber and tomatoes this week. Plus wild strawberries and more potatoes.

Thank you @CrabbyCat for the blueberry rejuvenation advice. There were a few new shoots this year so hopefully they'll have berries on next year. I'm tempted to dig the whole thing up and pot it so I can move it into a better spot that isn't in full sun all day.

I'm starting to realise that drought resistance plants might be sensible for the coming years.

Can anyone advise me on a raspberry bush? Bought a raspberry bush from Asda looking a bit sorry for itself, Ive replanted it into a large pot in the sun gave it some food and lots of water and it's perking up now! Some new green leaves on the top. What do I do now? Will I get fruit this year?

No idea, just leave it be. Even if you knew the variety, they are often wrong so just keep any eye out. It might start to develop flowers in which case yes.

Any idea on variety, at least if it’s summer or autumn fruiting? (They eventually require different pruning)

If it’s a summer fruiting, v unlikely to get any fruit this year but don’t cut the cane (this is where you will get flowers & fruit next year). If autumn fruiting maybe it will still flower/fruit this year… but I think they normally take 2-3 years to get a really good crop

I don't worry about summer or autumn fruiting, I just cut down each cane after it has fruited. Keeps it simple.

Anyone having issues with black fly? All of my veg are affected and I've tried everything. They keep coming back and weakening my plants or killing of the veg flowers

Off-**

I created a thread but am reposting here as it seems like a better place for a response!

It's my first year attempting to grow potted veg in my plastic little green house.

Bought the cucumber plant the same time as the tomatoes (pictured) but the slugs got to it, so it's had a delayed start!

It's really picked up in the past week, so I have moved to a bigger pot. Unfortunately it's way behind my tomatoes which have already fruited. Will I get cucumbers this year? Any advice is welcomed.

@greenerfingers Blackfly - you have to be diligent and just get in there, with gloves if you are squeamish and just rub them all off and then water them to clean them off...usually they are being farmed by ants who keep the ladybirds off but ladybirds, lacewings and parasitic wasps are your friends here.

@morenachos No reason why not, I'd move the cucumber into the sun as much as you can and give them a potassium high feed as soon as the first flower shows. I've just checked my records and I've harvested late sown cukes in November in an unheated polytunnel in Derbyshire before. I'm now gardening in France and have just sown outside cukes [into the ground direct] as when we got here last November, there were still tomatoes and courgettes growing outside so I'm taking a bet on them. Worst case scenario they don't grow. Best case I'll get some food from them.

Blackfly don't seem too bad here this year, my nasturtiums are slightly affected but that's the intention, beans and other crops fine so far.

@morenachos : I think you will too. UK summers make everything so slow to start, but in a sheltered spot I think plants go on quite a long time before frosts finally hit on Nov/Dec… you’ve got loads of time & this heat will help!

First little bowlful of berries from my blueberry plants today - strawberries were ending anyway but I think the heatwave has

A freezer malfunction means I'm busy making red currant jelly and cordial with no longer frozen berries.

Does anyone know what ratio of sugar to liquid you use for cordial? I've got about 750ml juice

Same volume of juice to sugar. So just mark it on your jug and fill to the same level

Thank you @AlisonDonut. I really have been but the ants keep farming more and more. They started on my dahlias and became prolific there. They've pretty much attacked everything in my garden except my tomato's. Even my ornamental flowers

@morenachos I think you will. Just give them plenty of soil and water and they should thrive. Mind you my garden ones did way better than my greenhouse ones last year (just wanted to conduct an experiment). Greenhouse were more stringy plants and the garden ones thick and strong.

Broad bean help please!

Someone gave me some plants and I've never cooked them before.

I've read online to remove from the pods then parboil for 2 minutes and plunge into cold water ready to remove the skins by hand.

After I've done that how long do the naked beans then need cooking?

And can I freeze them after de-skinning? Thanks lots!

What are you going to be cooking them in?

I mainly use them for soups so I depod, wash and freeze. when they are young they don't have skins, when they get older and bigger they do but these are fine in soups and stews, or after a long cook. Then I just bash the freezer bag on the worktop, and throw a handful into what I am cooking when I'm cooking it.

I was just going to eat them like peas. I think they seem cooked enough now I've parboiled them.

I've always believed I didn't like broad beans (grandma dinners of grey bullets) but I've removed the skins today and blimey, they taste delicious! Mind blown. Definitely growing my own plants next year.

@PoseyFlump we love broad beans grow them every year. We don't bother taking them out the skins, just take them out the pod, and boil for a few minutes. We often add them Into risotto or fish pie

Thanks @Decafflatteplease maybe I'll try some with the skins on but just the thought of it makes me feel a bit green! Maybe my grandma over cooked them or something 😂

I've read online to remove from the pods then parboil for 2 minutes and plunge into cold water ready to remove the skins by hand. What?!! Just de-pod and cook. They’re one thing that are really worth growing yourself. Frozen just aren’t the same. And the ones you buy in greengrocers have usually been harvested too late so the skins are tough. Pick them as soon as the pods have gone from erect to horizontal or hanging.