veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

izzwizz_2

Rain finally stopped here too - the garden is sodden (so were the hens this morning - they just didn't seem to care!). Have been busy filling the freezer with calabrese, broccoli, french beans, mangetout, florence fennel, herbs, and another bolted onion (can't believe it bolted in this weather). I know it's been really hot with you lot down South, but the last couple of days have been horrible up here - gale force winds & torrential rain. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a couple of dry days, it's really hard work keeping on top of the mould in this weather.
Had 5 tomatoes so far, and they are still ripening up. Even hubby thinks I've grown too many, but I keep saying we'll use them all. Only trouble is that we're rapidly running out of freezer space, so will have to find some pasta sauce recipes that are suitable for bottling. (I'm sure there's a recipe for tomato & chilli jam that I can dig out later in the "Summer").
Potted up the first batch of Winter salads into window boxes (I thought a bit early really, but with the weather this last few days who knows?). I'll do one more sowing of Summer salads next weekend, then move onto Winter ones every two weeks until we run out of space. For Autumn / Winter, we're growing claytonia, corn salad, 2 winter lettuces, landcress, rocket, pak choi, radicchio, mizuna & perpetual spinach. I'm hoping to get them all going well before the cold weather starts so the large plants might stand more of a chance of surviving. Mind you, if it's as cold this Winter as it was last then I don't expect anything will survive (it went down to -18C).

Still no sign of any baby aubergines, but plenty of green chillies & green sweet peppers are growing away.

Potted up the french beans & mangetout this week - they'll stay in the greenhouse and hopefully provide us with a late crop before it gets too cold.

Ooh, nearly forgot, I'm making mint ice cream tonight - thanks for the recipe!! (just waiting for the mixture to cool down enough to freeze )

Sorry for prattling on , glad to hear about everyone else's successes.

freezspirit

Seriously you had rain!! I want it to rain here. I'm getting fed up of going every evening on my moped with a backpack of several bottles of water.

shandypants5

I just spent a lovely lazy afternoon drinking cider and picking 1lb of my ripest blackcurrants.
Me and my son then made 5 jars of blackcurrant jam.

Then we pulled up some carrots and a cabbage and some new potatoes for the sunday roast that Mrs Shandy is cooking, and then there is a perfect "little gem" lettuce ready for tomorrows sandwiches.

Yesterday I pickled 5 courgettes too


Is it worth all the hard work?....

I think so.:D

zarazara

Lovely thread.

Summercherry

Hi All,

Another newbie here :wave:

I only have a balcony but it is large(ish). I have just subscribed and am having a good read through the thread, some great tips thank you to all posters so far :T and thanks to the OP for starting. I have got radish, dwarf beans, spring onions and I have planted a up a herb pot yesterday.

I also have bought an olive bush???!! (that I don't know much about but it looked nice )

I haven't done this before so hopefully I don't kill anything before I get to enjoy it!

Principia_2

Can I join too?

Although I've lurked for so long I feel I know you all

I have strawberries, blueberries, potatoes, chillis, french beans, pumpkins, rosemary, oregano and of course tomatoes.

wssla00

Izz... I don't think I could stand another winter like the one we had this year.... My poor bones couldn't take it!

Sounds like quite a hall everyone! I have loads of little toms growing but I don't like tomatoes and I also have loads of little chillies too but again not a huge chili fan.... Hence everyone is getting spicy tomato chutney for christmas!

Have a good evening all at least there is some sun today!

Oh! And welcome all newbies The more the merrier!

Mrs_Veg_Plot

freezspirit wrote: »

Seriously you had rain!! I want it to rain here. I'm getting fed up of going every evening on my moped with a backpack of several bottles of water.

I know the feeling freezspirit. Fortunately my water problems don't involve a moped but I am also watering a friends garden for two weeks. Still my arms will tone up nicely from carrying all of the watering cans.

Harvested broad beans, spinach and cut and come again lettuce today. Will pull the first of my beetroot tomorrow.

Spent the afternoon yesterday in the woods by my mums picking bilberries, haven't done that in years. Have just finished making 9 jars of jam, 60 muffins (will freeze most of them) and have enough left for a pie . Does anyone know if it is worth growing them in the garden or is it better to go for the larger blueberry?

Had to put up the plastic greenhouse for seedlings as the proper one was overflowing. I put it on the decking and I now know that I have slugs as they ate most of the pak choi seedlings last night. :question: Would beer traps work on the decking in the bottom of the greenhouse or do they need to be sunk into the soil?

Welcome to the new posters.

katholicos

Mrs_Veg_Plot wrote: »

Does anyone know if it is worth growing them in the garden or is it better to go for the larger blueberry?

I don;t know, but if you buy a blueberry i hope you have more success with yours...i have precisely 6 blueberries growing on my blueberry plant .

it is only it's second year, but the advertising blurb said it would provide a crop this year :rotfl:

janibrown

Has anyone got any advise for purple sprouting broccoli? Please, mine is now 2 and a half foot tall and looks like it is going to flower if it is going to flower is this the bit you harvest? sorry to sound dumb :o:o
Only I sowed it in early May and it says to harvest from next May :eek::eek::eek::eek: did not realise the growing time was sooooooo long
Its taking up half of one of my 8ft by 4ft beds and I really love the stuff, could it be the MAD weather that has made it mature more quickly? I hope so as I dont want it to be wasted :mad:
Any help appriciated
Jani :D:D