Help MBE grow his dinner 2011

mrbadexample

Lotus-eater wrote: »

You won't bother fleecing until you lose alot one night, then you'll see the benefit of it

Talking of which, how are your fruit trees?

Lotus-eater

mrbadexample wrote: »

Talking of which, how are your fruit trees?

Ha, just answered some of that with an edit.

Lost all plums, all apples bar a couple, all pears. Horrible year for top fruit

The gooseberries are ok, lost about half, which did a decent thinning job for me.
Other soft fruit lost a small bit, which is OK, I have plenty.

Thanks for asking

mrbadexample

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Lost all plums, all apples bar a couple, all pears. Horrible year for top fruit

That's a real shame.

Lotus-eater wrote: »

The gooseberries are ok, lost about half, which did a decent thinning job for me.

You can lose gooseberries too? :eek:

I don't appear to have lost any of mine, which is lucky. Mind you, the bushes desperately need training - perhaps the low sprawl offered them a bit of protection.

mrbadexample

Unfleeced bean (probably the biggest one):

Lotus-eater

mrbadexample wrote: »

You can lose gooseberries too? :eek:

I don't appear to have lost any of mine, which is lucky. Mind you, the bushes desperately need training - perhaps the low sprawl offered them a bit of protection.

Well the frost I had was severe, -5, above that and you are probably alright with most fruit. Although flowers from top fruit like plums and pears are always susceptible to frost.
I can still see badly frosted trees around here, when I drive about.
First time I've lost apples though. Last year about the same time we had a bad frost, I think it must have been about a -4 and all the apple fruitlets were fine. So it only takes a tiny bit.

mrbadexample

lisa26 wrote: »

I have flowers on my 'red currant' tomatoes....they appeared while they were still in TINY 1.5-2" pots as i didn't have time to pot them on before the wedding!! Most have been moved now but have some for other people that they can pot on themselves lol!

It's not fair. I haven't got flowers, and I've been looking after mine!

djohn2002uk

Lotus-eater wrote: »

John, your beans look well advanced.

Only by pure chance. I planted them in pots a month earlier than usual to compete with MBEs early planting. I don't think I would do it again though because of the extra months risk of frost and you wont get any more beans. A plant can only support so many beans before it gets to the top of 8ft canes and it can do that easily by planting out in the second week in June. Plant a month early and it stops producing a month earlier. I suppose it gives me an extra month to harvest seed for next year. My advice for next year (for what it's worth) is "Patience MBE, Patience". LMAO :rotfl::rotfl:

mrbadexample

djohn2002uk wrote: »

My advice for next year (for what it's worth) is "Patience MBE, Patience". LMAO :rotfl::rotfl:

I thought I was patient! :rotfl: Last year I sowed them about 10th April. This year I waited about another fortnight. I probably got carried away with the good April weather.

I didn't know they would stop earlier. I just thought they stopped when the frost came along and killed them, in about October.

djohn2002uk

They don't stop as such. They reach the top of the canes and become all entwined in each other and the beans by then are not much good. Except for the ones you have left for seed, and these need to be harvested before that frost.

mrbadexample

Does it not make any difference if you pinch the tops out?