The Vegetable Patch 2024/2025

[MereDintofPandiculation]

Come and share your triumphs and failures in your vegetable plot or allotment.

I've picked up some Uchiki Kuri seeds today in Lidl. Also trying to grow spaghetti squash for the first time.

If I can find seed I'd also like to try Achocha and pink celery this year.

We're still eating apples that we picked and stored in the autumn. It was definitely a good year as we had plenty unblemished.

@Troubledwords - reminded me that we've still got Jerusalem artichokes to dig up. Did you manage to make something nice? I've done soup and just roasted with rosemary before

I have made a start weeding and digging over my allotment. Last year I put individual beds on half of one of my plots, it’s been so much easier only having to do one bed at a time. 2 of my beds don’t really need touching as they were planted with asparagus and strawberries last year, I am hoping the asparagus appears again this year (I have another year until I can pick), I have kept it weed free, added some sand and manure.

I am preparing a bed for carrots, I haven’t grown them on the allotment before, only grown them in tubs at home. I have added some sand and last years compost to a bed and tried to remove any big stones. My soil isn’t great (clay) but I am hoping by adding sand and compost it will make it more carrot friendly? I am going to plant either shallots or onions in there too…to keep the carrot fly away.

I planted another row of raspberry canes yesterday, last years didn’t really take (I think 3 out of ten put out leaf’s), for some reason I don’t have much luck with them, which is a shame as it’s our favourite fruit.

picked the last of the purple sprouting broccoli yesterday, definitely going to plant more this year.

Got a huge clear up done in my raised beds over the weekend, all ready to go once the seedings are ready and we are frost free.
The asparagus is starting to poke through and the red and golden rasps are well leaved. Some early rhubarb on its way too.

I have been weeding sycamore seeds from my veg beds, by the hundreds!

Mulched garlic. Sowed peas. Too early for many other sowings; they can go in the greenhouse but it is unheated and the nights are still super cold. I do have some pots indoors, but have very little space so must be very selective. Pumpkin and aubergine so far.

Hello, can I join. Pretty new to gardening, but bought the Huw Richard’s self sufficiency book and giving food growing a go. So far have harvested rhubarb and a little bit of spinach. My peas and mangetout are out, but some are purple leaves due to the cold. Have mizuna, spinach, evergreen kale, bok choi, rocket, normal kale, sunchokes and first early potatoes planted out under fleece. Hoping some survive to eat!

My aubergines are looking good on the windowsill, my tomatoes are looking a bit variable, some big some small, I think they all need potting on and feeding soon.

Yesterday before work was fussing over my plum trees. They’ve heavily blossomed already and not sure if they’ve pollinated - not sure I saw many bees yet. Did some self pollinating and also was trying to push the dead blossom stems as I think the ones that hold on may have pollinated?

Flippin' sycamore seedlings coming up here, I can see one in my neighbours garden but can't reach it. I'm still grubbing up Spanish bluebells. One of the neighbours must have put out monkey nuts for the squirrels, because I keep digging them up.
I've chitted my spuds and potted them in 3" pots. My insect hotel was full of whitefly, so thats gone in the bin!

Super excited to see an asparagus tip poking through today, I was so worried they wouldn’t come up (planted last year), I know I have to wait another year to pick but I hope it will be worth it.

Picked the first rhubarb this week and the last of the purple sprouting broccoli. Today was spent moving manure onto my plot and planting 3 rows of potatoes. I am now worried I spaced them out too much.

I need to build something for my peas to grow up, tomorrow I will see if I can get some hazel sticks from the local woods.

My seeds seen to be a bit slow starting this year, maybe because of the colder weather? I have beetroot, lettuce and maragolds germinated but the cabbage and broccoli doesn’t seem to be doing much.

Our last frost date is really late, potatoes won't go in the ground until the end of April.

Only done some weeding and direct sown some beetroot so far. Away at the moment so won't get anything done for another couple of weeks

We have late last frosts too, sometimes well into May which means a fairly short planting out window before it is too late for a full growing season. I haven’t sown any seeds except sweet peas yet, although will plan to get some broad beans sown directly next time I go up to the plot and make a proper start now the evenings will be lighter and I can spend time in the potting shed after work. In the meantime I am removing all the grass that has invaded over winter and have been cutting back my autumn fruiting raspberry canes. Potatoes (main crop) are chitting indoors).