veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

stilernin

kimmee wrote: »

Was just looking out of the conservatory windows and noticed what I thought was a pod on one of my pea plants, rushed outside and I've got 3 :j

They look like mangetout at the moment so I'm guessing they will grow fatter of the next few days, weeks??

Bob says you will have lots 'peas' - - I must be old too.

Yes the peas will fatten, but the trick is to pick before they get too big. As the seeds (peas) reach maturity the sugars turn to starch and the peas will taste floury not sweet. Also, the plant thinks it's job is done once it has reproduced (set seed) and it will stop flowering.

There's nothing better than fresh peas. Mine often don't reach the kitchen!

oldskoolretro

Lynzpower, i was just wondering when you planted your courgettes and carrots as yours seem to be going very well and so far ours are just leaves, the only thing that we have had anything off in our garden is radishes, and we have a couple of tiny green tomato bud things on our tomato plant and thats it. Just wondering as i have never grown anything before, dont know if anyone else can help?

Thanks in advance )

janibrown

My courgettes have suddenly started to grow bigger :j they seem to have taken their time though, butternut squash is doing really well too :j as are pumpkins, purple sprouting brocoli looks good but no brocoli on it yet just lots of leaves does anyone know how long until i get something off it ?
Had our 1st home grown salad last night with raddish it was lovely, onions and garlic are coming on a treat and have just noticed tiny flower buds on potatoes this morning, My purple pac choi is also going mad will have to have some with tea tonight yum yum :D:D
Rubarb does not seem to be doing much any tips on growing it please Oh one more thing toms have got first flowers on cant wait !!!!!!!!!
:T:T:T:T

lolly5648

helen_roberts wrote: »

My French beans are now hanging off the canes about 20cm growth from
yesterday. I must have done something wrong. I just originally planted them in morrisons buckets and popped a 2m cane in them. So I have 3 separate buckets with 3 seperate plants all really tall winding up the cane. Somebody mentioned above about pinching the top, I don't know what this means sorry to be thick. One of them has also got 2 new long bits from the first set of leaves, should I put 2 more canes in for those????

Pinching out means exactly that. Squeeze the growing tip between thumb and forefinger and pinch to stop them growing. This should be done when the plant reaches the top of the cane. I have 2 plants per Morrison bucket but mine are growing quite slowly.

See: http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/jamie-oliver/jamie-at-home/how-to-grow-french-beans_p_1.html

heynonnynonny

kimmee wrote: »

I've has such a lovely day - went to the nursery this morning and bought some plants (even though I said I wanted to grow all my plants from seed I've now cleared most of my beds and there so many gaps to fill!) one of which was an eccinachea (sp?) which I thought was called 'Kims Knee' - don't know if anyone remembers a few months ago I dislocated my knee so I had to have that one (turns out it's called Kims Knee High!). So spent the rest of the day in the garden, planting, weeding, inspecting all my veg: flowers on all toms, tiny buds on peppers and chillis, American Land Cress going bananas as are the potatoes - probably around 3.5 - 4 feet high and what looks like the beginnings of flowers on one or two of them, second lot of spinach and beets have germinated and are doing well, cucs are fine in the morning then they wilt during the day and revive again early evening! carrots are doing well, courgettes are sulking cos I finally planted them out, salad leaves are doing so well - I'm getting a colander full every day, and peas have got lots of flowers on them, got loads of small tayberries, blueberry bushes have finally sprung into life, garlic (planted in November) seems to be still growing, basil doing well - I've got both pots of them in the conservatory - not sure if I'm going to put one outside, my one lonesome french bean is twined really high up the wigwam - must be at least 5 feet tall now, I've harvested lots of radishes - must sow some more tomorrow as well as carrots & spring onions which are also doing well. My onions don't seem to be doing much but I think they are growing albeit slowly. I'm also harvesting rocket nearly every day.

Ahh this is the life - why isn't there a 'bliss' smiley?!

Sorry you only have one bean for the wigwam still!! At least it's not had to fight for space, and it's so tall too! Mine are only about 5 inches yet.

Aha I love echinecea (sp) me also being a Kim I will have to look out for that variety:D

heynonnynonny

Progress as of today -

Tomatoes from seed keep growing, the one plant I actually bought is full of flowers so really pleased although some of the leaves are a bit curly, probably as it's putting all it's energy into the flowers...I hope.
Chilli plant so slow it's painful but am hopeful!!
Yellow bell pepper plant is ace...getting really big now.
Sweetcorn x 6 shot up..you can tell they love this hot weather, seeing good progress.
Salad and beet spinach is just coming and coming...keep trimming it and it comes back so quickly...it's so fresh and tasty too.
Little dwarf fruit trees not doing much yet as is fig tree and calamondin.
Courgettes are good, 2 in particular are mahooosive...can see why they are best in the ground now. Gave my mum one in a 9cm pot and she hasn't potted it on yet even tho mine are in 36cm pots, hers seem to have grown taller rather than spread out.
Strawbs/rasps still in flower, the little hard green rasps are getting bigger and bigger OH and another cane has came up from the ground, mega!
French beans, got 5 on the go and growing really well very pleased with them too.

Oh and unrelated to veggies the yellow pond irises are just bursting into flower:D:D:D

kimmee

stilernin wrote: »

Bob says you will have lots 'peas' - - I must be old too.

Yes the peas will fatten, but the trick is to pick before they get too big. As the seeds (peas) reach maturity the sugars turn to starch and the peas will taste floury not sweet. Also, the plant thinks it's job is done once it has reproduced (set seed) and it will stop flowering.

There's nothing better than fresh peas. Mine often don't reach the kitchen!

Thanks for the advice - I remember sitting on my Nan's back door step shelling the peas my Grandad had grown and eating a lot rather than putting them in the colander

I can see why some folks on here have said that you don't get many peas per plant, I reckon that I may only get enough for a couple of dinners for me and the lads - but they will be scrummy

kimmee

heynonnynonny wrote: »

Sorry you only have one bean for the wigwam still!! At least it's not had to fight for space, and it's so tall too! Mine are only about 5 inches yet.

Aha I love echinecea (sp) me also being a Kim I will have to look out for that variety:D

Ahh I know I only have one but it will be lovely then I eat them :rotfl: Really don't know why the others never did germinate - will try again next year. Also don't know why mine's so tall, weird!

The Kims Knee High is a lovely pink with orange centre - really lovely

Your veggies and fruit sounds like it's coming on a treat

wssla00

Hello all I just had to show you some piccies! I was thinning out my carrots today and pulled up these teeny ones- they are going in my gob later


then a few pics of my strawberries coming along!



and



Hope you are all enjoying your garden!

wssla00

Chimera wrote: »

I've only got 3 sweetcorn at the moment though, so don't know if they'll pollinate..

Sorry - my rambles weren't very clear - was talking about gooseberries.. There are lots the right size but still hard, I've heard it's good to pick them to elongate their season..

From what I gather, the first picking should be at the end of july, then I think September ish. Mine are like little green balls, but growing every day. Some types of gooseberries will be green when they are ready to pick so it depends on the type you have.