veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

annie123

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Yeah you can get purple ones. I've tried Dutch Purple podding (tall) last year and as shelling peas, they were very disappointing, I think they are supposed to be used as dried peas over the winter.
This year someone has given me some Lancashire lad, which is a purple podder and tall, and apparently is better used as a mangetout than a shelling pea.

There is some amateur work being done by a lady on the GYO forum to try to mix different peas and get a true purple mangetout, also a tall purple sweet pea, another lady called daughter of the soil has a red pea and her blog is well worth a read.

I don't think any tall purple sweet shelling peas are available yet, but like you I would like some very much

Thank you for that info, her blog is fascinating reading

ausmummy

Littleme96 don't worry I guess we all feel like that at somestage. I had almost given up hope of my carrot roots turning into carrots and some of my flowers didn't do anything for months. If something doesn't seem to be growing I now just keep watering and leave alone for a few weeks. That way I don't over worry myself. Plus I'll leave anything that looks on the way out until I need the space, just in case I am wrong and the plant decides to get going again.

I can't advise on the garlic, but my potatoes are the same as yours. The have mass of foilage and buds but a quick investigation found only marbles. It may be the type (I can't remember mine) but they probably just need time and plenty of water. I wouldn't worry about the toms and strawberries. My toms only started to flower just over a week ago. Once they do start things will seem to change all at once. As long as they look healthy that's the main thing, and have some tomato food ready.

Good luck and I hope you start to see results from your efforts soon.

frazzbo

mutley74 wrote: »

me too i could see from the kitchen window at 6am a bright flower trying sneak through the side of the courgette pot!! Do i pick them now for eating, or pick them when a fruit is grown?

I think you're supposed to leave them there for now as they'll be needed for fertilisation but I may well be making that up entirely!

My courgette flower seems to have closed already (it had closed when I got home from work) so I'm glad I had a good look at it this morning! But hopefully it's the first of many!

Redfraggle_3

Hi Everyone

I am a new but very keen veggies grower. I started with Beefsteak tomatoes which I thought were doing really well. I have just given them a thin out as they were thick with leaves. Not sure if I may have gone too far I have (hopefully) added a few piccies for any advice or suggestions you may have. Also each plant have one fruit- is this normal and not sure about the black bits. My OH thinks I have bruised then some how. I hope they are going to be OK.

heynonnynonny

GarnetLady wrote: »

The dwarf beans, beetroot and peas that I sowed on the 18th started to appear yesterday. Very quick. Today, the beans are all the way through and lots of beetroot seedlings have appeared.

The potatoes that I found in the garage and planted in poundland pop-up bags have come through as well.

I'll need to remember to feed my toms, strawberries and cucumbers tomorrow. It says on the feed that once the second truss on the toms has set to feed every 3-4 days, now is that when it starts to set or when the whole thing has? I have lots of trusses starting to form but none have fully yet. Just thought I'd check!

I picked up some bordeaux mix from eBay today I hope it comes quick as can't bear to lose my lovely toms!!

wayne1983

Redfraggle where did you get them orange buckets, they look good for the tomatoes, and poss dwarf beans?:beer:

Redfraggle_3

Hi Wayne1983

They are from B&Q and were only 99p! Bargain!!!

wayne1983

Redfraggle wrote: »

Hi Wayne1983

They are from B&Q and were only 99p! Bargain!!!

Brilliant worth the money them!:beer:
Are they grown in your house?

misskool

redfraggle: looks like blossom end rot (BER) from erratic watering while the fruit is forming.

GarnetLady

heynonnynonny wrote: »

I picked up some bordeaux mix from eBay today I hope it comes quick as can't bear to lose my lovely toms!!

I'm glad you got some. How are they doing?