August Update: What are you growing in 2006? Tips for fruit/veggies/flowers

point3

*zippy* wrote:

We have grown sweetcorn this year and have quite a few cobs, they are supposed to be the mini type, but the cobs look quite large for little ones?? and are still growing.

Please could anyone tell me how I know when they are ready to be picked?

And if I leave them to grow will they become normal sized cobs?

Thanks

Hi zippy,

Babycorn cobs are best picked as soon as you see tassels at the end of the cob. Pick them regularly. If you leave them to grow big, then they just develop a tough fibrous core and lose their sweet flavour - the kernels just get starchy.

Pan-fry them with a knob of butter - delish!

*zippy*

Thankyou off to pick some now

SoScrooge

Hi all and well done!

Would anybody like to share what they are doing now at their gardens/ allotments... (I am new to it all - we got our plot only in June)

1. with days getting rainier, we are going to digg all our potatoes this weekend - otherwise they might be affected by blight or slugs.

2. I have noticed some blight on my tomato plants and had to act quickly: picked all green tomatoes (on vine) and put it in a dark place to ripen. I read in a book that the easiest way to ripen your tomatoes is to put them as a layer in a tray and put them in a drawer. Next to the tray set a coule of ripe apples to generate the ripening gas ethylene.

3. End of month I will plant some onions to be ready in March.

4. Started turning the soil, taking out all weeds. Next step is to cover it with horse manure. This way no new weeds should grow and in three months time (or so), I am promised to have great rich soil for new season.

Anymore anybody, please?

Thank you.

stefejb

started 2 square foot gardens about 10 weeks ago. so far have had lots of salad leaves, radishes, and lettuce. I also planted some supermarket growing herbs which have all done really well apart from the first lot of basil which succumbed to slugs very quickly. I planted up the gaps with violas just to look pretty this is the first time that i have had any sort of garden and have been previously banned from even looking at the houseplants in case they die so am really proud of efforts.

the only size timber i could get for the gardens was 6foot by 6 so my 10yo dd got the offcuts and has a pair of two by two gardens. she has grown chinese cabbage, lavender, lettuce, radishes and leaves. It is wonderful to see her eat stuff she has grown and harvested whereas she was previously greenaphobic. It made me realise that whereas you can take city kids to an urban farm to see where meat and dairy products come from most kids never get the experience of seeing vegetables grow.

we are planning for spring and are going to do another couple of boxes each. We will probably go for some novelty varieties too - purple carrots, stripey tomatoes and the like.

stef

SoScrooge

stefejb wrote:

apart from the first lot of basil which succumbed to slugs very quickly.
stef

Hi stef

Try putting some straw in between the plants to deter slugs.

SoScrooge

PONDSAVER_2

Hi I grew brocolli this year but I had a big bout of catterpillars and they attacked the plants how do I get rid tips for enxt year please - I also grew tomatoes - quite a good harvest and spring onions. Am looking to do some more planting any suggestions for a novice?

Linda32

We harvested parsnips last night at our allotment, they were very hard work to dig out, which I didn't expect (first year) but they smell devine and very sweet.

Pulled the runner beans which we had left on purpose as you can use the seeds as next years beans. :T
OH sort of dug in the remaining beans as I beleive you are surposed to do.

Previously harvested some Pink Fir Apple potatoes, which look very odd and not a pretty as their name but very nice. Abit like salad potatoes.

We bough a pack of Japanese Onion Sets from Wilkinsons. Never done those but they can go in shortly.

We had some Strawberries earlier on in the summer.

At home we have had a glut of cherry toms and green toms. So we have soup and chutney :T

Happy Gardening all

Strepsy

PONDSAVER wrote:

Hi I grew brocolli this year but I had a big bout of catterpillars and they attacked the plants how do I get rid tips for enxt year please - I also grew tomatoes - quite a good harvest and spring onions. Am looking to do some more planting any suggestions for a novice?

We get bad problems with caterpillars here too. Ours come from the cabbage white butterflies that lay on the leaves, then the caterpillars chomp their way through anything in sight. I think the only way to avoid it is to cover the plants with fleece while the cabbage whites are active. Depending on the damage they might recover as they aren't active now and my purple sprouting broccoli is recovering really well.

Thought I'd share a pic of my gourds! 29p variety pack from Lidl. I only planted 4 and they all came up different. How lucky's that!



We've still got onions, tomatoes, peppers, chillis and carrots. The garlic I harvested earlier in the year is gorgeous. Need to get much more organised next year though but it's been lovely to have the little that we've grown.

GardenMillie

All of my courgettes are finished but my tumbling tomatoes (first year for them) are profuse. Mostly they were green but someone at work told me to put in a banana skin into the hanging basket - it worked a treat I'm still cropping cherry toms which is brilliant - and organic.

Like Annie C I'm looking forward to tidying up the garden for winter. Oh yes someone at work gave me a crown of Rhubarb today so I'm going to plant it and hopefully enjoy the benefits next year.:j

sophiesmum_2

Been to the garden centre today and bought two crowns of rhubarb and a couple of blackcurrant bushes to plant ready for next year.Looking out for some gooseberry bushes and have been promised an apple tree which has been pot grown for past 5 years but I will be planting it out.
I work/live in shelterd housing and myself and a couple of tenants have commandeered part of the grounds to start growing stuff.we are hoping to get a green house before next spring and try cucumbers, salad veggies,tomatoes,peppers,etc too.Not grown much up to now just herbs and chillis in my kitchen but aim to have a go.:D :rolleyes:

Does anyone know if you can grow cherry toms in a hanging basket?
thanks
sophiesmum