Garden produce

Loadsabob

I've had a terrible time with carrots. I did a couple of deep troughs of them, promised baby carrots. Well, yes, they are 1cm long babies! Very tasty, but not what I'd call a crop! I didn't get any from the ones I sowed in the ground. I think I have to accept that carrots don't grow well for me, I've never had a good year. SO I'm no help to you on that!

On the garlic, mine went in in November, and was pulled a couple of weeks ago. It needs a long time in the ground, and prefers a cold spell. There are types you can plant in January, but I didn't have success with those. Other than that, I'm not sure what else you could do to ensure a crop?...mine is bought from seed suppliers, not planted from shop-bought. But I believe others have achieved crops from kitchen garlic?...not much help to you there, either, really!

Glad to hear your successes with courgettes though! And chillis.

catznine

I'm getting a good supply of courgettes now from 4 plants, also tomatoes so can make courgette and tomato bake now. Still lots of blackberries coming, Loadsabob do you dry your herbs in the microwave? I have heard that blackberry tea is good and it seems a shame not to make good use of the leaves as well as the fruit! I could pick the leaves from the branches that are not carrying any fruit.

My spring onions have done well but not many carrots here either! I also have leaf beet spinach but have not used any yet other than with some lettuce in salads. My lettuce has now bolted so I too need to sow some more.

Loadsabob

Catznine, I've never dried herbs in the microwave...I've not dried herbs at all yet. Generally I freeze them. With the camomile there seem to be more flowers every day, and picking them stimulates the growth of more, same with cutting leaves from the other herbs. So a whole load of them go in the freezer each day over and above the ones being used for tea. Then when the flowers stop coming at the end of the season, a few flower heads from the freezer make tea that tastes just like the fresh, and goes right through the Winter.

Blackberry tea sounds good, I've not tried that! I've seen raspberry leaf sold in shops though.

catznine

Thanks Loadsabob! I've just bought a camomile plant so I'll have to try that! I used to dry raspberry leaves and make tea from them long ago when my children were little so will have a go with the blackberry leaves and let you know how I get on.

nightsong

Jet wrote:

My chilli's are doing well, loads of flowers that are now dying and turning into chilli's.

Tomatoes are doing well too, loads of flowers and some green toms.

Potato foliage is starting to wilt a little now, so I think it's nearly time to pull them up.

Courgettes are doing well, enough to stop me from buying.

Lettuce not done very well, just doesn't seem to grow very well.

Planted a small row of carrots and 2 have grown! Pulled one up yesterday, it was white and hairy - not very carrot-like at all!

I planted a clove of garlic ages ago. I read that when the green top starts to die off, it's time to harvest. Pulled it up yesterday and ..... I got a clove of garlic with roots!

Any idea what's gone wrong with the carrot and garlic?

Our garlic was hopeless too though admitetedly it went in very late. We have heavy clay soil here which suits some things (brassicas and beans) but I'm thinking it must be hard work for root crops to grow in. i know carrots in particular like a light soil so we don't bother with those.

Loadsabob

catznine wrote:

Thanks Loadsabob! I've just bought a camomile plant so I'll have to try that! I used to dry raspberry leaves and make tea from them long ago when my children were little so will have a go with the blackberry leaves and let you know how I get on.

Well don't forget it's the FLOWERS you need!! My boyfriend made his first cup with the foliage, and it was gruesome! :eek: ..then we read a book! I'll look forward to hearing how you get on with the blackberry tea.

N9eav

Just discovered this thread.
Most of my veggies are fabulous this year. Parsnips, carrots, swede, beets and onions are in fine shape. Peas are being picked and pumpkins coming for halloween. Sweetcorn is unreal.
Cauli's on the other hand were pants. they all bolted and went wierd? why is that?

Simba_25

Hiya,

My 3 year old has asked me if we can grow things in our garden!!! Now i have never done gardens before so really dont have a clue where to start. At the min i havnt got one (just a shared concrete courtyard) but my mum has said i can put some containers in her garden if i want to.

Now the question is...... is there anything we can try this time of year?? and what and how?? lol

The most i have ever done is cress! But he goes to a playgroup and they have there own allotment that he goes to and helps out with. They have only just got this tho so obviously havnt produced anything yet. As much as i have never done anything in a garden before he is showing a lot of interest in it so want to do it for him.

Any help is much appreciated
Linzi

squeaky

Gosh, it's late in the year now to start stuff from seed... you could try places like B&Q and garden centres for any trays of plants they have left - at least they'll get bigger and might produce an extra flower or two...

..other than that - we'll have to set a challenge:-

What can we plant now that will flower before the end of the season/year?

Simba_25

I had a feeling it was probably too late but thought it was worth asking.

Thanks anyhow! I will have a look at the garden centre, if he waters something a couple f times i think he will be happy for now lol