July Update: What are your growing in 2006? (Tips on fruit/flowers/veggies)

annie-c

chelltune wrote:

Does anyone grow thai basil? I set a packet full of seeds but only have one plant growing. DO I just pick the leaves then it will continue to grow?

I have also grown corriander seeds, do these grow again once picked or once its used that it? I usually buy a plant from Asda, cut off all the corriander then chuck the plant away. I was wondering if there was a way to keep my seeds growing.

I have found limited success in keeping the basil and coriander growing after cutting them for use - so I have a few pots on rotation on the windowsill. Still not enough for all I would like to use, sadly!

annie-c

So excited! I made a chilli for lunch and popped out to pick my own chilli peppers to go in it!!! It was really hot and spicy!!!! I have 6 each chilli and pepper plants - gave the rest away on freecycle but wish I'd kept them now - I could get used to this home-grown lark!!!

annie-c

stenny wrote:

Anyone growing african marigolds this year?

Can you beat this for size, a whopping 139cm high!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:
I've never saw them this size before!!!!

Fantastic - I guess slugs and snails don't go for the African variety then???!!! :T

point3

Growing watermelon for the first time this year - from a packet of Lidl seeds I think. I've got about 6 fruits which seem to be stuck at the size of a tennis ball - has anyone got any tips to make them grow to the size of a bowling ball ?

newleaf

chelltune wrote:

Does anyone grow thai basil? I set a packet full of seeds but only have one plant growing. DO I just pick the leaves then it will continue to grow?

I have also grown corriander seeds, do these grow again once picked or once its used that it? I usually buy a plant from Asda, cut off all the corriander then chuck the plant away. I was wondering if there was a way to keep my seeds growing.

Mr newleaf grows Thai Basil, we have 3 pots on the go at the mo. If you pinch out the tips they get quite bushy. We freeze it too, so we can have some in winter. Coriander goes to seed very quickly, so best to sow little and often.
Edit: Oops, forgot to say, have had broad beans, courgettes and new potatoes for tea tonight, all picked this evening, delicious!

V_Chic_Chick

I'm growing:
Cherry tomatoes (oops, thought I was growing big ones!)
Chives
Pumpkins
Runner Beans
Raspberries
Lemon Balm
Mint
Sunflowers (for the seeds)
Fennel
Alpine strawberries
Marjoram

And of course my chickens for the eggs.

Tried to grow peas but they all got to 15cm high and died. Dunno why, they worked well last year.

JoeyEmma

point3 wrote:

Growing watermelon for the first time this year - from a packet of Lidl seeds I think. I've got about 6 fruits which seem to be stuck at the size of a tennis ball - has anyone got any tips to make them grow to the size of a bowling ball ?

I know when you are growing pumpkins, they tell you to try and limit growth to 2-3 fruits. You have to pick off a couple of the smaller ones so that the energy goes into just building up the few that are left.

I assume the same would happen with melons, seeing as though they are from the same family as pumpkins (or I assume they are as they look similar when you cut into them).

I'd get confirmation about this from other experts before you cut off a couple of your melons (insert Carry on style joke here)

point3

JoeyEmma wrote:

I'd get confirmation about this from other experts before you cut off a couple of your melons (insert Carry on style joke here)

Oooh. Thank you, missus!!

wigginsmum

I just took on an allotment with a friend this weekend. We picked loads of blackberries today which I turned into crumble, harvested some poppy seeds which I'll sow in my own garden, and will have tons of russet apples from an established tree there late in September. Can't remember the last time I spent so much time outside (we've started to chop down the undergrowth) and we're thoroughly enjoying it down there

In the garden, tomatoes and Swiss chard are doing well, scorzonera seems to be surviving (the green stuff is still green), but the carrots died.

soba

annie-c wrote:

Should I syill expect full grown peppers from tyhe plants (currently I have 2, each are about 2" long) - the are Californian Wonder, if that helps?



Annie

Was wondering the same thing myself, I've got three pots of peppers and they're about two inches long, but I don't know if they'll grow as big as shop bought ones, and how do I know when they're ready - or can they be picked at any stage?
Blueberries are doing well and tumbler toms, herbs are going great guns but absolutely no blackberries at all on my thornless blackberry bush, so I suppose I've done something wrong - maybe they need to be in a deeper container.