summer is here

irishwexford

Just eaten our first batch of strawberries from allotment today. How sweet they were too. Also had lettuce, new potatoes and suger snap peas. Have also been eating broc during week. Plot is just bursting with produce.

smileyt_2

How did you get everything to the harvest stage so quickly? I'm in Manchester and haven't even planted my stuff out on to the allottment yet It has just been too cold this year, and I have had visitors staying for the last three weeks, which was lovely but meant I couldn't do any gardening. I'm hoping to get my tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers and a couple of squashes out this week (they are hardened off already). Do you think there will be enough 'summer' left to crop them?

Well done, though! :T

Alcmene

Wow you are so lucky to have an allotment!

From my VERY small garden I have already eaten lettuce, radishes, carrots, rocket and spring onion!

A._Badger

So far I've managed an early crop of strawberries, salad leaves, lettuces, cauliflowers, French beans (in a pot), Meteor peas any day now and the Foremost spuds are in flower today, while the gooseberries are almost ready.

It's been a late start this year, though, hasn't it?

dogstarheaven

lots of - salad leaves! eating them every which way how!
radish
herbs - coriander, basil, coriander, parsley, chives
chinese veg - kai lan - very nice too!

soon to harvest by next week, swiss chard - have rainbow variety and they're beautiful

french beans, sugar snap and runners yet to flower (very late!)

courgette - male flowers thru' and one or two females coming up - wayhey!

tom flowers - some coming on

btw, have snapped off a couple of my runner shoots whilst training them up the wall..will they grow back? i'm not so sure that they will. i've tried to start more off in pots but they're not happening for me??? i prefer to keep them in the greenhouse as opposed to sowing direct as i fear mice/slug damage. do you think they weren't germinating because of the high temp in it?

Farway

dogstarheaven wrote: »

btw, have snapped off a couple of my runner shoots whilst training them up the wall..will they grow back? i'm not so sure that they will. i've tried to start more off in pots but they're not happening for me??? i prefer to keep them in the greenhouse as opposed to sowing direct as i fear mice/slug damage. do you think they weren't germinating because of the high temp in it?

Runners snapped, they will grow new shoots from the leaf axils below, no problems at all

Germination, by now they should be fine outside, I know what you mean by mice etc, have same problem. maybe indoors or perhaps netting covered outside?

How many do you need, maybe sow the lot and allow mice etc to eat 75%? Slugs, put pellets down

irishwexford

We live in Norfolk so perhaps its a bit warmer than Manchester. Started everything off in mini greenhouse and although things are a bit late this year they have now caught up. Planted out squashes today so everything is in now. Planted leeks in during week although they are not pencil size as recommended they di well last year so keeping fingers crossed. Allotment is bursting with plants and is looking good. Picked a big bowl of strawberries today and did enjoy them. Note to self, do not plant 18 iceberg lettuces, 12 broc and 10 caulies at the same time, cannot eat them quick enough. :cool:

alys_fowler

ive had a few strawberries off of my plants this week and they were lovely also very sweet

Orange_King

Yes, I picked our first real crop of strawberries at the weekend too - about a dozen lovely big sweet ones. BEST I HAVE EVER TASTED!!

Also have some peas close to picking and already used lettuce and garlic chives from the garden not to mention several rhubarb servings.

Can't wait for the spuds to start.

dogstarheaven

Farway wrote: »

Runners snapped, they will grow new shoots from the leaf axils below, no problems at all

Germination, by now they should be fine outside, I know what you mean by mice etc, have same problem. maybe indoors or perhaps netting covered outside?

How many do you need, maybe sow the lot and allow mice etc to eat 75%? Slugs, put pellets down

okay farway, have taken the risk and sown more outside (more - meaning about 8 when only 3 snapped!:p) and i thought, i might as well do the sugar snaps and the french beans too :palthough they've not been affected by any snappping. i haven't really noticed regrowth from the leaf axils.:(

btw, am organic, so no pellets for me! i've got crushed baked eggshell around the beans as when young, they can attract snails (yuk!!). this works very well, but since i've mulched the bed the eggshell is buried now.. so hopefully, the new beans will be ok..

jeferey

I'm in North Notts. and my strawberries are almost ready - can't wait!
I had my first crop of new potatoes on Saturday and they were reasonable sizes - up to maybe just biggere than a large hen's egg.
Peas not quite ready - plenty of pods.
Had loads of salad leaves, masses of radish.
Put pumpkins and courgettes in a couple of weeks ago and courgettes have some nice flowers on.
Early carrots have been a bit disappointing so I've sown some second earlies in the gaps.
I am really pleased with my cucumber plant in the greenhouse - loads of little cucumbers up to maybe 4 inches long, the plant on the plot is way behind.
I've had my allotment nearly 3 years and it's brilliant!