veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

frazzbo

lunar wrote: »

I had to set it to climb as it was getting too big, ill put the pumpkins in onion nets when they get too big to hang. I have also pinched out the growing points to try and stop it growing further but it seems to grow from somewhere else after doing that! Ill just keep pinching out shoots as they appear from now on. I was also wondering if i Should get rid of some of the leaves?

I've been wondering about the leaf thing too, because my courgette plants are a little overcrowded and I was thinking about taking some leaves off them. The leaves will protect the fruits though, so I'm a bit worried about taking too many off.

I've just seen your updated cucumbers pic as well - wow :T

Pigeonpoo

Wow, that's brilliant and you are 'up North' too! I'm soo envious. This veg growing malarkey isn't as simple as I thought it would be...I am in NW Lancs and my cucumbers are in a plastic greenhouse like yours...I have one teeny green tomato, the cucumbers are about 1/2" long but the end where the flower is withering is going brown...it doesn't look very promising.:(:(

lunar

Frazzbo, let me know what you decide to do about the leaves, ive just been out looking at mine but cant decide!

Pigeonpoo, im in manchester. My plastic greenhouse is quite well insulated as there is a fence along one side and then a 6 foot bamboo hedge at the other side. Its not the way i would have done it, it was there when we moved in. I just cleaned it out and replaced the cover. The position seems to work well as it is protected from the wind. It seems to get plenty of sun for most of the day.

My cucumbers are from an all female plant so i dont have to worry about pollinating, it might be worth taking a paintbrush to yours as it doesnt sound like its pollinated from your description. Thats what im having to do with all my pumpkin and squash plants.

Im having my share of failures too, im just not taking pictures of them! I have had a tomato plant graveyard at one point, the only ones to survive are in the hanging basket picture on the previous page.

savingmummy

Well i just popped out into the garden to check on my plants and i have tomatoes forming AND strawberries!!!!
:T So pleased they have worked :j

lunar

What type of strawberries are they savingmummy? I love the red flowers.

savingmummy

Tarpan - they produce berry sized sweet strawberries perfect for desserts
The flowers are bright red and a pink and i`ve noticed the underneath ones are darker and dont flower for long they soon fall and then leave a fruit.
I am going to do the normal ones next year, i didnt realise id got these ones lol!

This pic shows the flower bud, very rose like

wssla00

They are so pretty Savingmummy!

I haven't done too much today just got to go out a bit later and water everything! Other than that.... I have been looking at my toms... they seem quite happy at the minute!

Well done everyone with your harvesting!!!

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Woohoo proper rain at last :j. One of the water butts has finally got water in it which I used to water the greenhouse with.

Two male flowers have opened today on my courgette but none of the female ones are ready to open yet, hope they will eventually open at the same time. If they do think I will give them a helping hand with a paint brush. I thought that courgettes were supposed to be prolific croppers. May be I just need to be a bit more patient.

Have started to plan my autumn planting. Can anyone reccomend a winter lettuce?

shandypants5

Mrs_Veg_Plot wrote: »

Have started to plan my autumn planting. Can anyone reccomend a winter lettuce?

Me too, I have so far harvested 8 square foot of carrots and cabbage and lettuce from my raised beds, but now I have room to plant "More"...

So, what can I be planting now that will crop either this year or next?

PS, please note I am a total noob at this (second year) but have I had a such a massive harvest so far this year I am totaly hooked.:D

savingmummy

Any one growing peppers? Are they easy to grow?
My little girl loves peppers and asked if we can `make` some