New allotments Autumn 2010 Chat

dogstarheaven

loucroft wrote: »

Erm, my butternuts are not, they are definitely yellow courgettes when I cut into them. . . thats dissapointing as I really like to cook squash!

also, found the same courgette as you. the other day, to my total surprise, found a really big, bright yellow courgette, with small lumpy bumps, bulbous at one end.. i really thought it was a squash as i've only grown the 'black beauty' variety this yr, but for some reason, i really thought it was a squash. the plant my friend gave me back in april time. when i cut it open, the knife just cut thru' dead easy when i was expecting some resistance, like a butternut squash would...

last night, made it with a chinese-y syle pork rib dish, with my yellow podded mange tout... i ate most of the courgette before the ribs went in!!:rotfl::rotfl:

adelight

dogstarheaven wrote: »

start some runner beans in small pots now for a late crop from sept onwards. when you've moved into your new place in a couple of weeks time, your beans should be up n' ready to be transplanted into the biggest pot you have with a wigwam of tall canes inserted initially. this will go outdoors in a sunny position and after a month or so, you'll have lovely flowers to look at, before the beans form...

re. pumpkin, kale, carrot and PSB (purple spr. broc.) these i'm afraid will have to go outdoors. the pumpkin, kale and PSB will need their own big pots. it would of been better if you had a courgette growing instead of the pumpkin as you could get more fruits than one or two smallish pumpkins. sow a courgette seed now (yes, today!) and you'll get a late crop but protect with fleece as the nights get colder before the frosts come...

did you know that with your sunny ceiling window position, you can bring in your tomatoes and pepper to overwinter - that is, before the frosts come by Nov. and they'll keep on growing as long as there's enough sunlight for them. they're perennial plants originally, so they'll keep on growing if conditions allow. pls repot them soon!! remember that plants that are grown in pots need as much room as poss for their roots to grow. with all top growth/fruit, this would mean a bigger pot for their roots, surely?!

Thank you for the great reply! How big a pot do you suggest for the broad beans and toms?
Do you have any advice for safely moving the tomatoes into bigger pots? I snapped some moving them into gallon pots (each has two 4ft plants in, except one where the plant has oddly grown in a short coil). I only keep one outside, should I put the others out too while it's still warm?
Would growing corgettes be similar to squash? I have some spaghetti squash seeds I was hoping to plant this year.

I am mostly growing the pumpkin as an experiment to see if I can grow my own for halloween :rotfl:

dogstarheaven

adelight wrote: »

Thank you for the great reply! How big a pot do you suggest for the broad beans and toms? you mean the runner beans, don't you? the minimum i would recommend is 12" wide and the deepest you can find
Do you have any advice for safely moving the tomatoes into bigger pots? I snapped some moving them into gallon pots (each has two 4ft plants in, except one where the plant has oddly grown in a short coil). Iinsert a cane in the new pot and carefully lift the tom plant and tie the main stem to the cane with a bit of string/or something soft like wool/cable tie only keep one outside, should I put the others out too while it's still warm? you can keep them either in or outside
Would growing corgettes be similar to squash? I have some spaghetti squash seeds I was hoping to plant this year.squash belongs to the same cucurbit family as courgettes and marrows, so yes, you can sow you seed now

I am mostly growing the pumpkin as an experiment to see if I can grow my own for halloween :rotfl:

has yours started to flower yet? if so, make sure you're keeping it well-watered but only on the compost and not on the leaves as they don't like them getting wet and also, feed occasionally with a bit of growmore or something like that

loucroft

Great! I might just have to put some more squash in - I've just harvested loads of lettuce, cucumber, beets, radish and courgettes (yellow AND green!) so doing some stuffed marrow tonight with a nice ploughmans salad for lunch

Will have to get some squash planted, and runners to go in my kitchen waste trench

Love this time of year!

dogstarheaven

am great at talking the talk, but walking is a different matter!

note to oneself: must get those runners in this morning!!

adelight

dogstarheaven wrote: »

am great at talking the talk, but walking is a different matter!

note to oneself: must get those runners in this morning!!

:rotfl: better late than never! i haven't planted any runner beans but did plant the spaghetti squash and everything is in bigger pots. i saw a house round here with runner beans growing up the front garden railings and it looked so pretty! my toms already had a dozen or so fruits on each plant with lots of flowers and i feed them a lot (think the fertilizer is 2:2:2? just know it's not nitrogen heavy and do need a phosphorous rich one).

me and my plants are currently in a long distance relationship and i can't wait to see how they're doing next weekend when we are reuinted

if anyone has tips for taking plants cross country they'd be much appreciated! in a car, in cardboard boxes??

loucroft

Yippee - my friend that helps with my allotment has put in some runners in the kitchen waste trench, they're already coming up so tip:- can put them straight in the ground (we're South East so location may need considering!)

We've a tonne of cucumbers and loads of tommies coming through which is great.

Does anyone know if I need to pull up white turnip - think they're meant to be miniature, but they're quite big so not entirely sure if they should be tried out!

Off to bluewater to do some shopping, the window version :-) then to the lotty for some watering and to pick some delights!

Oh, should rhubarb be growing again?

diddly74

Bless me father as i have sinned.

Work and my coursework, and the failure to materialise of promised help from my MIL as meant that the lottie is getting neglected. I seems to be looking after itself quite well as I only get there every few days. I have completely lost enthusiasm for the project as I am working shifts and trying to get 2 assignments written.

Came home the other day with peas, courgettes, spinach beet, radishes and beetroot (bit small tho).

I am however able to keep an eye on the toms, courgettes, beans and cucumbers I have in the back garden. So not a complete failure this year. Will do better next year - get my !!! into gear earlier too!!!

wen3

loucroft wrote: »

Yippee - my friend that helps with my allotment has put in some runners in the kitchen waste trench, they're already coming up so tip:- can put them straight in the ground (we're South East so location may need considering!)

We've a tonne of cucumbers and loads of tommies coming through which is great.

Does anyone know if I need to pull up white turnip - think they're meant to be miniature, but they're quite big so not entirely sure if they should be tried out!

Off to bluewater to do some shopping, the window version :-) then to the lotty for some watering and to pick some delights!

Oh, should rhubarb be growing again?

Hi whereabout in Kent are you we are in Chalk (Nr Gravesend) and have an allotment there?

loucroft

Hiya wen3, just in walderslade woods (chatham) the allotment is a drive away nearer the centre of chatham, it's a real hot spot - its sloped south facing! :j

We should start adding pics here. I would ideally like to theme the lotty but I might get laughed off the site by all the old fella's! I don't do 'rows' either