If things get tougher?

mardatha

God, its ages since I saw or heard about "tartan legs "...thats right, everybody had them, all the grannies & mums. I do also love the idea of sitting with your feet in a cardboard box, I'm sure I remember doing that before.
Re herbs, they are very easy to grow and if you plant mint near the bins then when the wind blows or you walk past, it smells nicer. I got tomato plants on ebay and have them on the bedroom windowsills, they are going mad. Next year I am trying artic or russian tomatoes --they do well in a short growing season liek mine. The potatoes are like jungle plants, they are HUGE. I have the horrible feeling that theres a ratio of size between tops/bottoms, and the tatties will be like marbles .

katieowl_2

Mardatha...Black Russian tomatoes are to DIE FOR...they are as ugly as sin, all misshapen and lumpy, but the taste is sublime....we haven't grown any toms this year as we were hoping that we'd be moving, but I can totally recommend this variety....YUM YUM!

mardatha

oooh gooody !

sammy_kaye18

Hi All

Jsut to update you i posted my tomato query yesterday and was a bit sort of *hmph* why are nt mine growing then? mood. Anyway abotu an hour later went into the garden to grab my washign in as we had a storm last night and woohoo FLOWERS! there is only two on one plant and the other smalelr plant looks a bit dishevelled (i thought it was goign to die off at one point) but it seems to be alive and lkicking still so wondering whether or not to give them a feed today.

Am going to nip oto the green fingered board to see what i can do - also got spring onions but i forgot to thin them out so they looik like a tub of chives now - only thign is i dont want to thin them out now incase all the roots are entwined and i kill the lot!

stilernin

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

also got spring onions but i forgot to thin them out so they looik like a tub of chives now - only thign is i dont want to thin them out now incase all the roots are entwined and i kill the lot!

Hi, you should be able to thin them out with no ill effects. Give them a really good watering and then by holding each plant as close to the base as you can, wiggle each alternate one out. when finished, water again so the compost makes good contact with the roots again.

Most plants want to live in spite of human intervention, honest!!

As they grow bigger, you can thin again using the same method. Dont forget to use the thinnings in the kitchen. Even tiny thinings will give you some flavour in stirfrys or raw over salads.

carriebradshaw

sammy glad your toms are flowering at last,well done :T

I planted some lettuce seeds on Friday and it's germinated already :cool: so it's still worth a go

It's been a really great Summer here so far but we've had probs in our garden although we don't grow much for eating, our apple trees have loads of foliage but haven't flowered so no fruit this year.Last year we got 16 apples off 2 trees(they are dwarf trees)rhubarb isn't doing very well either, have no idea why.The herbs,lettuce,blackcurrants strawberries are doing well so that's something at least


we used call that mottled pattern fireside tartan too,so attractive :rotfl:

MRSMCAWBER

Hi sammy

Now your tomatoes are flowering give them a feed, tomato food encourages them to produce more flowers
Amongst others -I am growing a German variety (Vilma) that might be great for Ben to have a go at (well at least help ) next year... its a sturdy little bush with loads of tiny round tomatoes on -the plant is only about 7" tall... i will try and add a pic later... im more than happy to let you have some seeds to have a go at next year if its of any use

Mardtha -im growing some sub arctic..and they are ugly lumpy bumpy things too -but a lot of the chefs reckon they are one of the best for flavour -especially for cooking -fingers crossed ..my 1st one is just ripening :T

mardatha

I'm surprized mine grew at all, actually. I just shoved them into a really shallow wooden box that held a bottle of whisky, and now they are over 4ft tall and covered with tomatoes. Wee but sweet and gorgeous tasting. But I think the russians will do far better up here, the window faces north and at nigth the glass gets cold.
Am sitting here at the comp, lustfully eyeing up my neighbours rasps....she never touches them....the blackies keep pinching them ... Hmm... thinking bad thoughts...

mardatha

:rolleyes: It just came to me in a vision! Gordon Brown's brother is in elect isnt he? and between his brother & the fact that he's PM, he must've known about the coming huge rises, right ? So does anybody else think that's why he gave the pensioners £250 this year instead of £200 ....? So he can smugly turn round and say "the govt is doing all we can to help blahblahblah gave an extra £50 " blahlbahblah.... God I am so slow and naive !!

mary43

sammy - keep at it with the tomatos......give them a feed (OH said -I know nothing.............lol) and I'm sure they'll do fine.

katie - not heard of Black Russian tomatos before......mind you I haven't looked in cataloges for anything like that as we've had our tomato plants given us as freebies. Are they easily available ?

mardatha - hadn't really thought about the 'Brown Bros' like that .........I'm just grateful for the extra £50 this year...........not that it will go very far.