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

My strawberries are still fairly small and completely white, in previous years we've had ripe punnets by now, so we are probably 3 weeks behind here for those. I think it's because it was such a cold winter and spring followed by this dry spell. The raspberries are also behind (autumn fruiting ones), but the gooseberries look as though they are about where they would be normally.

We are watering too. It's the third year in a row we've had such a dry spring, I wonder if it's a sign of things to come.

We had a fair bit of rain overnight and I can see a herd of snails rampaging across the lawn. Where have they been hiding? I'm scared for my allotment, I bet those fuckers have been feasting all night.

No rain here yet but it very overcast and muggy this morning. Off to the plot shortly to plant out my cucumbers - I kept them in the greenhouse longer this year as they were a bit behind. Last year I planted them out when they were too small and they died so I have let them get bigger and stronger this time.

I try and do drench watering a couple of times a week, usually Sunday morning and one evening after work, but it does take ages. It is worth doing whatever you usually do, then taking a trowel and digging into a bit of the soil a few minutes later to see how far the water has gone down, it is shocking how much water you need to even get it down an inch or so, makes you realise what a good soak is needed for deeper roots.

Thanks. Yes, it's been a week or so and I've kept them watered. I guess I must have been too heavy handed with the repotting.

No rain yet in London but its forecast for later. Those snails will be limbering up

It is raining in Wiltshire. My quince is going to be so happy.

we had a thunderstorm forecast for last night but nothing came of it.

No rain here either. Been to the allotment this morning to water but really hoping we get a good soaking later.

Just over 4mm of rain here last night.

Well, I went to the plot, soaked it, planted out my cucumbers, harvested another pound or so of strawberries, ended up a hot sweaty mess and then within an hour we had a massive thunderstorm, wish I’d waited as it is about 10 degrees cooler now.

My tomato plants got damaged in the storm last night 😔 I've been meaning to cane them as it says they grow to 2m and they are probably around 50cm now but I haven't had chance..now they have all flopped over. Is it too late to cane them now?

Also am I too late to plant peas and cucumber? I have seeds.

Also my apparently autumn fruiting raspberry bush seems to have fruit already?!

Also we harvested our first strawberry (yes just the one!) Yesterday, always a joy!

Snow peas (mange tout) are flowering so hopefully peas soon!

nothing lost on the tomato front.

if not too damaged you can just stick some tomato tips inyo the ground and they will root and grow quickly.

@Decafflatteplease is that fruit on this year's growth for your autumn fruiting raspberries, or last year's? I always leave any canes that grew so Iate they didn't manage to fruit before winter hit, rather than pruning them to the ground like all the rest. It gets you a very early harvest on those canes, before my friend's summer fruiting raspberries. I've had the first of those this year.

If it's on this year's growth, mine are also being weird this year. They are later than usual so only mid thigh height at best, but quite a few of them are flowering, which doesn't normally happen until mid July. No idea which bit of this year's weather is making them fruit early when they are so short!

@Decafflatteplease - I've successfully saved snapped tomato plants before, so all might not be lost.

Peas you should still be able to show, I make several sowings until end of June. Think possibly a bit late for cucumbers.

I think my allotment pays for itself with raspberries alone. You pay £3 for little tray of about a dozen in the supermarket. I'm picking a punnet every couple of days now and will do for the next few months.

Mine is going to pay for itself with strawberries this year I think, only been harvesting a week and I'm halfway (been weighing them for jam making).

Well Jell (but pleased for you) - zero rain here out West and stinkin' hot all this week 😪

Just needs some of that gorgeous Carte D'Or Madagascan Vanilla ice cream on those

You wouldn't want me helping you pick raspberries - it's a 60-40 ratio of Daisychain's mouth to punnet, I can't resist!

Woo hoo, we got some rain

I think we had a sprinkle of rain overnight but the ground beneath the surface about 50 cm down is absolutely rock hard and dry as a bone, so we need a damn good soaking for the rain to do much good, sort of stair-rods strength. What we had here overnight will have evaporated by 11am.

At least I know why the 2 clematis I planted last year are really struggling. I'm going to get out there later and give them some TLC, with a pile of leaf mould round the roots and at least a watering can each. That should help.

Ah @CrabbyCat the mystery is solved! It's last year's growth they are on. I only found out you are meant to cut them back in winter when it was too late. I think it's needs to be in a bigger pot as it's looking quite bushy. I'm fairly new to all this. I though I had green fingers but think maybe just a hint of green compared to you lot 😂😂😂

Anyway, pottering around the garden in the evening has become my new evening ritual, picking rapsberries and strawberries we are getting new ones every day. Enjoyed some now as the night falls sat in the garden with a glass of cider and home grown fruit, bliss if you ignore the fact I'm getting bitten to death by midges

on another garden note has anyone tried that Merlin birdsong app? I haven't yet but might try it. I'm dead so can't really hear the birds very well and would love to be able to distinguish them!

Deaf dammit not dead! Although I won't hear well when I'm dead either 😂

We need an edit button!!

The Merlin app is great - although it doesn't cope well with background noise such as traffic. And it throws up the odd mistake if something is on the threshold of detection. But I like that you can see the songs on the sound trace as well as hear them, and that it highlights each hard in the list as it hears it again.

@Decafflatteplease I'm loving the Merlin app. It's helped me to figure out the babies in a nest in my garden are goldfinches ☺️

First ripe tomatoes of the year (honeycomb - orange cherry variety, excellent flavour, recommended).