veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

Greatexpectations_2

Sorry to hear about your plants Kimmee and hope they can be salvaged.

Can anyone tell me if I can eat the leaves from my sprouting broccoli plants or will they be too tough/bitter? Is it worth trying? It would be a shame to have completely wasted the effort of growing them so far.

I have relunctantly come to the conclusion that my 3 plants must go as they are totally overcrowding out everything else in the bed. In my over excitement and ignorance I rather overfilled my new raised bed (with cabbages and kale as well as the PSB!!) which has now turned into a monstous crowded jungle (as well as being a magnet for cabbage whites!). Maybe I could make soup with the leaves or something? Any thoughts?

mutley74

just got back from a week away from home....and suprised to see my courgettes still have 3 babies growing!
and now lots of baby toms on my plants! Are my tomatoe plants at risk of greedy birds as they are all outside in pots?

wssla00

Well... I have done one part of my new greenhouse. It took round about 3/4 of an hour to put it up so it isn't as bad as some people said. But yes.... I did have to redo about ten bolts cos I had got them wrong. Still it's looking good and MUCH bigger than I had imagined so loads of room for all my goodies! You definitely need small hands for it as the bolts are tiny!!!

With a bit of luck I should be able to finish it all this week and have it up by the weekend! :j

bizliz27

My veg are moving on slowly....

Aubergine is gettign bigger - but im not sure when to pick it!
Tomatoes are getting red - picked first one yesterday
French beans were picked yesterday to go with the roast (in-laws cooked the life out of them but ah well)
Courgettes have gone quiet after first and only pick (might need to help them along abit with some feed?)
Sweetcorn have done nothing. (the soil is filled with clay - they're not happy)
Potatoes are just starting to flower. I'll wait till they and the leave die off then dig 'em up
Stawberries aren't doing anything but producing runners and more runners! (apparantly they wont fruit until their third year!)
Carrots are still alive!! I pulled one up and it was very small and in an 'L' shape! haha. I put it back in!

think thats it. its not bad - but cant help but think that things arent moving on as well as they should be! ah well, maybe next year

bizliz27

bizliz27

soullessfire wrote: »

Had a day in the garden/kitchen yesterday.

I sowed a final set of beetroot, some swedes and some pak choi into the empty pots I made harvesting beetroot and other bits and pieces.

Picked my beet so I have 2 jars in the larder and I also tried a recipe for spiced courgette chutney. Eating it with cheese on a sandwich as I speak since there was only enough for one full jar and a little bit left over so eating the leftover bit instead of leaving it to mature. the recipe for it and I can tell you it's lovely - tastes like burger relish - is available here

Have you grown your beetroot in pots? How big are the pots? I've got beetroot but dont know where to put it!

bizliz27

zarazara

all growing with great abandon,wild and vigarous. Cauliflowers,too many of them,some have bolted. Been giving them out to friends. Am going to the allotment in a bit to have another good look round and plant some pak-choi.

lolly5648

bizliz27 wrote: »

Have you grown your beetroot in pots? How big are the pots? I've got beetroot but dont know where to put it! bizliz27

I am growing mine in pots - about 15 cms. I just visualised the size of a grown beetroot and put it in a slightly larger pot

bizliz27

lolly5648 wrote: »

I am growing mine in pots - about 15 cms. I just visualised the size of a grown beetroot and put it in a slightly larger pot

sorry to sound very dim, but how many have you found to fit in your 15cm pot? I confess I'm not a beetrrot eater (it's the OH) so im not sure what size they get to! :eek: (very sheltered life!!)

bizliz27

lolly5648

What stage are you at bizliz27? I originally sowed some seeds in a large pot and then thinned out the seedlings. I planted some in a raised bed apart 6" apart and 2 left over in pots. I planted one per pot as they grow to tennis ball size (I hope). I have got the round beetroot - I know there are sort of oval shape ones as well so they would need to go into a deeper pot. They take a good three months to grow.

I can't bear to touch them, I have memories as a child being forced to eat beetroot in salad but my husband likes them. The leaves can be eaten like spinach or chard I'm told.

bizliz27

I only have a couple at small seedling stage (late in the year as my first attempt got frazzled in the greenhouse!) I've got some 15cm pots so I might put one in each and see what happens

thank you for your help - im the same. I'll leave it to him to eat!!