Help MBE grow his dinner 2012

RedLass

Fay wrote: »

Oh I can imagine your little shed painted a lovely green or powder blue .... I've read on the internet to try cinnamon sprinkled on the top of the pots so I've done that. Any other tips?

Thank you Hadn't even thought about painting the shed but I really like the idea... it's pretty much falling down though so when we've finished I might ask the landlady nicely if she would buy us a new one. And then paint that

I'm afraid I don't know anything about compost-fly so can't help you with that. Hope you get it sorted though, it can't be pleasant for you.

TallGirl wrote: »

Usually have a large pot of lilly's in my garden but the pollen bad for cats so took them out and repotted them out the front to keep my two cats off them. One bulb was really nice so put that in the pot on the deck and ofcourse this happens.

Its a big advantage to have cats yourself as it does keep other off my garden and to be fair they dont damage anything really so guess I am lucky

Ok, your cat is fantastic. I'm not impressed with cats digging up baby plants and such but have to admit that these kind of photos always make me laugh - the expressions you can catch are just brilliant and you've got a corker here :T

Our sunshine is a bit hit and miss at the moment, but I'm at work anyway so can't do much frollicking in it. Good to see that even the smaller members of your family are making the most of the warmth!

lolly5648

My indoor cucs and tomato plants have white stuff on the leaves and are a bit droopy, is this mildew and if so what do I do? I have put them out today as there is some sun but the ground is still too soggy to plant them out and when it dries it will be compacted. I hate London clay.

mrbadexample

lolly5648 wrote: »

My indoor cucs and tomato plants have white stuff on the leaves and are a bit droopy, is this mildew and if so what do I do?

Bit difficult to tell without a pic...;)

lolly5648

mrbadexample wrote: »

Bit difficult to tell without a pic...;)

Will try to post a pic tomorrow - not sure where we have hidden the camera as we only use it when we are on holiday.

mrbadexample

Got my free book yesterday - read about half of it so far. One of the tips I most agreed with is "little and often". Half an hour a day is far better than planning to make a weekend of it, only to find that it rains and you can't get anything done.

I am very guilty of doing exactly that. I've put off loads of things that need doing because it's cold and wet, when really if I just kept chipping away at them I'd be much further on than I am. I'm sure last year I'd eaten more than a few radishes that I've had to share with slugs.

I need a bit of motivation. I've got to finish the pond edging - it shouldn't take more than a day if I get stuck into it. I need to mow the lawn and strim round the edges. I need to fetch more logs from my mate's house and get them cut up. I need to net my prizewinning carrots (probably already too late). I need to pot on and pr!ck out about a hundred greenhouse plants. I need to weed and dig up randomly appearing potatoes. I need to sow more stuff. I need to take a cutting from the comfrey. I've got stuff to take to the tip. I've got stuff to shred, and compost to make.

Anyone else feeling a bit behind?

Angelfeathers

Well, the biggest of my runner beans and climbing beans are going to have to start being hardened off today. The tallest ones are almost at the top of the window alcove (c. 18") so they're going to have to go out!

My plan is to get things hardening off again now the weather's warmed up a bit and weed and prepare the beds for planting them out at the weekend/early next week. That will free the greenhouse for the more tender things that will *then* need to be hardened off.

Need to try some *more* sweetcorn. Most of the first lot germinated but got eaten by kittens, and the two lots I've sown since then have barely germinated. Will try chitting some first as John Harrison suggests (wish I'd got round to re-reading that earlier) and see if I can get enough going for a decent crop. Somehow I don't think the three that I currently have will be enough to fertilise each other!

Also need to get the pepper and chilli plants outside and try and get rid of the blinking aphids on them, which have now started spreading to the beans and calabrese next to them on the windowsill, grrr.

annie123

RedLass wrote: »

No wonder, 4 cats??? Sounds like you have your work cut out, but nice job on getting your pots and beds covered. Did you find any cheap chicken wire? I hope at least they'll find your garden too much like hard work and get bored.

Got my chicken wire for the tubs, and beds now full of upside down flower buckets and assorted odd pots etc, lots a right mess but hopefully they will get bored and stop.

My garden looks about the same size as yours, only nowhere near as neat and tidy:o

lolly5648 wrote: »

My indoor cucs and tomato plants have white stuff on the leaves and are a bit droopy, is this mildew and if so what do I do? I have put them out today as there is some sun but the ground is still too soggy to plant them out and when it dries it will be compacted. I hate London clay.

I'm in London too, a mile from where they used to make bricks 100 years ago, so that gives you an idea how heavy it is here. DS lives nearby too and has some clay models he made out of his soil!

I've spent years improving my soil but this years rain has caused waterlogged soil here too but it's just starting to dry out.
I've dug the spare soil over and this has helped with drainage (but encouraged the cats:mad:), but my Q's will be going in pots this year along peas.....2 batches rotted already, french beans and will do some runner beans in pots and the ground.


I consider my toms hardened off now, showing no ill effects from cold nights under the potting table and last night I left them out but under a fleece and they're fine.
My chillies had an unexpected night out too....forgot them:o and except for a few looking a bit droopy they're ok too. The droopy ones will perk up today.
So now everything else is starting hardening off for a week or two. It'll be June by then if they can't survive outside in what ever the weather is like, then I'm not growing them this year.

I have had 1 Q commit suicide, no idea why its in the middle of the root trainers and the others look fine.

Unfortunately real life gets in the way of gardening today, which is a shame as it's dry.

Comfrey question........my 2 shoots that survived slug/snail attack are now nice little plants so ready to plant out, can I take root cuttings at this stage?

aliasojo

mrbadexample wrote: »

Anyone else feeling a bit behind?

Yes.

I'm thinking most of my stuff is getting 'past it's use by date' iyswim.

My own fault for starting far too early of course. I have pea pods on my pea plants that are still in 3" pots for crying out loud.

I can see it all dying off before the weather improves enough to get it all out.

I'm seriously thinking about putting it out now anyway and just letting it take it's chances. The plants would be under zipped plastic covers and I could fleece them too so I can't see it would be any worse than the cold porch they are in now.

Tomatoes and cucumbers are so overrated anyhow. :whistle::D

annie123

mrbadexample wrote: »

Anyone else feeling a bit behind?

Yes, by about 6 weeks.

Drea

My strawbs were growing really well but now seem to have slowed down completely. Tomatoes just keep getting taller but no sign of toms, is that normal? Chillies are doing well and beginning to think they can just live their life on my windowsill, no point putting them out now. Potatoes are all filled to the top with lots of leaves, but how do I know when they're ready? Same with my carrots? I'm getting a bit paranoid I'll end up leaving everything in the ground too long even though I know I'm probably being premature :rotfl: