veg growing Newbies- Feb 2010! lets learn together!

lizzyb1812

Hi Savingmummy

Cut your rooted runners off close to the baby plant and close to the parent plant - ie don't leave the long runner on either plant, it won't do anything except rot now that it has done its job of getting the baby plant to a spot where it can grow.

Be prepared to lose some of the little plants over winter. I rooted 12 babies from 2 plants last year and ended up with 9 plus the original 2. Mind you, they were outside, all together in one very big pot, all over the winter so they did quite well really.

HTH

Lizzyb

mutley74

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

Hi Savingmummy

Cut your rooted runners off close to the baby plant and close to the parent plant - ie don't leave the long runner on either plant, it won't do anything except rot now that it has done its job of getting the baby plant to a spot where it can grow.

Be prepared to lose some of the little plants over winter. I rooted 12 babies from 2 plants last year and ended up with 9 plus the original 2. Mind you, they were outside, all together in one very big pot, all over the winter so they did quite well really.

HTH

Lizzyb

please can you clarify what you mean? my strawberry plants have settled in well but i only got about 3 fruits from 6 plants since June. But the plants have long stems everywhere and lots of green foilage...so what do i need to cut?

lizzyb1812

Hi Mutley

The long stems are called runners. The main plant wants to reproduce so it sends out these runners. When they find a bit of soil they root themselves in and a small new plant grows. They might even send a runner off the new plant to make another one.

If your main plants are in the ground get a small rock or peg and push the free end of the runner into the soil - it will eventually root and make a new small plant - then cut it off as previously described.

If your main plants are in pots either gently bend the runners back onto the soil in the pot and do the same as above, or put a couple of pots of compost round the main pot and let the runners dip into those.

You don't get a lot of strawberries from a plant the first year, so just enjoy snacking on them when you're in the garden. The first year's harvest is really the runners - the new plants.

HTH

Lizzyb

r.a.i.n.b.o.w

lynzpower wrote: »

Ive been saving pop bottles as make do cloches and loo roll inners

Can I ask what loo roll inners are used for? Thanks!

freezspirit

r.a.i.n.b.o.w wrote: »

Can I ask what loo roll inners are used for? Thanks!

It might be for root veg like parsnip and carrots seedlings so esy to tranplant out.

Or I have heard them being used for added protection on leeks.

Principia_2

I've had a lovely day today - despite the on and off drizzle

Planted up some gooseberries from Aldi (did have to buy some big pots though and used up the rest of my compost )

Also repotted some mint, oregano and my wee rosemary

One more pumpkins pollinated so that makes 6 in total (they are mini ones), the rest are turning slowly orange on their little tiles.

Picked some more blueberries (they're nearly over this year) and some alpine strawberries. There is also one single ordinary strawberry ripening - I might get this before the slugs!!! I intend to start repotting the runners now to get more plants for next year. Perhaps if I overwhelm the slugs with choice, they might leave me a few :cool:

Also want to pick some more french beans and freeze them today if the weather allows.

GarnetLady

Thanks for the garden compliments.

It's always good to hear about how everyone is getting on.

Kimmee, did you manage to rescue any of your poor plants?

I have a few more pics.

Dad and I tipped out my potato bag today, was pleasantly surprised about the size of some of them considering I feed them about twice lol. They did have common scab however, which I now know is because they got too dry, but live and learn!



My silverskin onions are about ready for harvesting.



Carrot jungle!



Leeks are starting to thicken up.



My fuchsias have opened.



So quite a good day in the garden for me. Picked 1 ferline and 2 orange pixie toms and more should be ready in the next day or two.

kimmee

Hi all

GarnettLady - your garden looks absolutely beautiful

The french bean (my lonely one!) died, as did my courgettes. The tomatoes are still looking extemely sorry for themselves however I've been harvesting all week and today I made a huge batch of pasta sauce with homegrown toms,chilli, some garlic and lots of basil. And there's lots of toms still ripening. The pepper plants seem to have recovered, and the chillis are looking dead but there's quite a few fruit on them which seem to be ripening so I'm still watering and feeding.

The salad leaves that I sowed the day before I went on holiday are now ready to start harvesting and my peach tree and raspberry canes are doing great. The carrots and onions are also doing well, have no idea why some things have really suffered and some haven't.

The one thing that is definitely dead is the beautiful little bonsai tree that my sons bought me for my birthday at the end of June, I must admit I cried when I saw that Plus the lovely pink marguerite that was in a pot next to my pebble fountain.

It's really awful when I've put so much love and care into all my babies but it's taught me a lesson: make sure I actually show my son how much to water when I go away again but I have the feeling I won't go away again for quite some time!

Oh, now here's a mystery: I have 2 outdoor cucumber plants that seemed to be doing well. Before I went away I harvested one cuc, and there were 2 cucs that were almost ready so I told my mum that she should pick anything that she wanted. Sure enough when I got back from my travels the 2 cucs were gone so I assumed she had picked them, I asked her a few days ago if she had enjoyed them and she said 'oh I forgot to pick anything' (she is elderly and v forgetful!!). So what on earth happened to the 2 cucs????? Maybe they were abducted by aliens :eek: I know for sure that my son didn't pick it cos he hates cucumber. I real mystery, but got about 5 more growing so I think I will have to keep a very close eye on them :rotfl:

Have a good weekend everyone

katholicos

GarnetLady and Lunar, thanks so much for sharing your pics with us all. I LOVE looking at pics of peoples growing is going. Kimmee, so sorry about your bonsai (((hugs)))

In other news, my toms were way to leafy so removed most of the leaves today. There are numerous flowers and fruits on them but they are all still green. I have a few caulis doing orate and i have 4 green peppers on one of my um, pepper plants. The garden is really lush and i'm still picking lots of magetout and french beans. Just wish the weather would perk up a bit! Have a great weekend all!

Slinky

We're just digging out spuds so will have some space in our veg boxes now. What could we put in now for later in the year? My husband suggested sprouts but we've never grown them before and have no idea when they should go in or how difficult they are to grow.

Does anybody have any suggestions please?