The Vegetable Patch Mark 2

[MereDintofPandiculation]

A continuation of the thread for those of us growing edibles, to share triumphs and failures, swap expertise and solve problems

I'm off work for 2 weeks (not a bad 2 weeks as a gardener given this current phase of settled warm weather!), which is just as well because I've now got a backlog of gardening tasks that I couldn't do because the weather has been so cold and wet.

Having suffered a very indifferent early Spring (Mar and Apr) everything I'd planted that was suffering and sitting in the greenhouse cowering from the cold, has now picked up and is suddenly romping ahead - especially my chilli which was particularly hard hit by the cold. My kalette, radish, tomato and squashes are looking particularly happy 😊

Strawberries just starting to fruit, gooseberries fruiting but nowhere near ripe, nothing much happening with my raspberries.
Broad beans are flowering and I've picked a few pods. My mange-tout was looking quite sad and getting dried out by the wind so I've netted them up to give them some protection. We've had no rain for two weeks and the ground is so dry.

@PoseyFlump
Yes! Crumble has that effect on me!!

I want crumble now 😂

Everything is progressing nicely at the allotment despite the chilly weather this week.

Wow @tizwozliz your courgettes are way ahead of mine, which are still about 10cm square and sulking low to the ground. However y potatoes are ahead of yours which instantly made me feel better!

Our potatoes only went in a few weeks ago, so relatively late.

Same here @TheGander my courgettes have about 4 true leaves.
I'm quite jealous of @tizwozliz .

Everything is quite small on my plot except the broad beans and potatoes @AdventFridgeOfShame . Maybe it’s like that every June, I can’t remember year to year but usually it sorts itself out!

my cucumber plants flopped, just broke off just above the seed leaves.

well, that leaves space for tomato armpits

Normally things are really taking off about now, but we've had the occasional spell of sunny weather but a lot of dull and overcast days with lowish daytime temps of 10/11.

Because of when we got the allotme

Because of when we got the allotment a lot of stuff went in late so I'm hoping we get enough good weather to catch up. This time last year my tomatoes were fruiting.

everything is a couple of weeks later here as well.
the first tomatos are only now forming.

My tomatoes haven't fruited yet. I'm glad I'm doing cherry tomatoes this year. Last year I did beefsteak which take longer to ripen but the hot summer left me with an absolute glut.

We need rain, I can't remember when it last rained here.

I have a first tomato flower, other plants are about 4 inches tall.
The broccolini went straight to seed.

First strawberries from the allotment picked this evening, they're well ahead of the ones we have at home.

My first harvest tonight too

I've got a couple of tiny courgettes on my plants now. My pumpkin plants are enormous. I get a handful of raspberries every time I go down, just the right amount to pop in my mouth and not take home.
I'm enjoying the lack of rain because of the lack of slugs and weeds. It's a lot of watering though.

All the watering is keeping me fit. I have actually found a water source in the allotment but it involves lots of walking back and forth with watering cans. My people mangetout is going crazy (load of them), peas are starting to fruit and everything else is doing great other than my butternut squash, I’m not sure if I am overwatering them or underwatering? I have been watering once a day, the plants don’t seem to be growing and are looking a bit pale.

Picked the first raspberries and cucumber today.

@Lovemusic33 I've always found when to water a bit confusing and erred on the side of watering too little rather than too much.

I think I read that the roots need to go looking for water so the plant sets down good strong roots rather than water being constantly available. I drench my tomatoes, for example, once or twice a week (depending how hot the weather is) rather than a little bit every day. Still not sure though 😂

re watering. as all my plants are pots atm I need to water daily.
dryheat and wind here.

a good drench is better for most plants than a constant piddle

I water in the mornings for extra cooling and to avoid making a pleasant environment for slugs/snails.

I seem to be way behind. No courgette or tomato flowers yet. Small strawberry plant had lots of almost ripe fruit, however all been eaten now (and not by me!!). Beans doing ok though and climbing up my teepee. I sowed lots of lettuces in a seed tray and they were all doing well. However, since potting them on, they all look very unhappy. Any ideas why?

You can’t repot without doing some damage to roots, so after repotting they need a good water. But if it’s more than 24 hours after repotting, then that’s not the problem