Help MBE grow his dinner 2012

Sambucus_Nigra

mrbadexample wrote: »

I've got one gooseberry that is almost sawfly free, because I sprayed it with a diluted solution of Provado when I first saw them in early April. The other I left untreated, to compare the difference. Despite repeated efforts to pick them off by hand, the bush is slowly being stripped. I'll leave it this year, but next year I'll just wade in with the chemicals. It's not worth the hassle.

I've got a squash that needs repotting before it goes out when it's a bit warmer. I still haven't worked out where I'm going to put it though.

Wow - I prune my gooseberry into a goblet shape and am religious about removing any shoots growing in the middle and have never had sawfly - whilst my neighbour who doesn't, gets loads.

It's so goblet like - it's more upside down cereal bowl shape. But the sawfly like it when it's sheltered and I don't give them the conditions in the first place.

Sambucus_Nigra

Squashes - and all cucurbits. It's been too cold for these to germinate without heat.

So either pop them into vermiculite/soil/kitchen roll, damp it and put it somewhere warm [airing cupboard, top of a radiator, heated prop] and within 2-3 days, you should have roots and 2 leaves - pot this on with the leaves sticking out the top of compost and leave it somewhere warmish - and once it has had a week indoors, start hardening off to go outside, into a greenhouse, coldframe or under a cloche in the ground.

mrbadexample

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Wow - I prune my gooseberry into a goblet shape and am religious about removing any shoots growing in the middle and have never had sawfly - whilst my neighbour who doesn't, gets loads.

It's so goblet like - it's more upside down cereal bowl shape. But the sawfly like it when it's sheltered and I don't give them the conditions in the first place.

That's because you know what you're doing. I'm only just learning how to prune stuff.

The gooseberry bushes are essentially just a sprawl. I think I've had them for about 5 years, but they were terribly neglected and completely unpruned for the first 3 of those at least. One in particular is really low to the ground:



This is rubbish because much of the fruit ends up on the ground. I am now much more confident in how to prune it, and much less scared of damaging it, so over the coming years it will get sorted out.

The other one is at least a little more upright, although the desired goblet shape is a long way off:



I've also got aphids butchering the growing tips of the lower one



but none on the one I sprayed.

Little_Vics

Update from a wet Yorkshire:

I have more peppers on the plant that won't die - it's now at least 3ft tall. I have no idea how long it can continue to live on the windowsill - I'm in danger of needing a step ladder to reach the top!

Courgettes are outside under a home made poly tunnel thingy, and mangetout aren't dead (although still very floppy). I have flowers on the strawberries...and....wait for it......on the quince tree!! Does that mean I might get some quince?! Minor miracle if so.

Toms are happy on the windowsill, squash are nearly ready to be planted out (although will need hubby to make another poly-thingy for them).

I'm feeling a bit lost without spuds believe it or not!

pink_poppy

I don't think I'll be getting any juicy raspberries this year, the dead looking stick I planted a few weeks ago still looks exactly like a dead looking stick Oh well, maybe next year...

I've got a few flowers on my strawberries though :j One flower is really big compared to the others so I'm anticipating an extra large strawberry on that plant :drool:

Indoor seedlings are growing very slowly & I still haven't got anything planted outside yet as the weather has been mostly dire with rain, wind, rain, wind...

I can't believe a cat pooped on an upturned flower bucket, annie :mad: We only get one cat coming into our back garden, I've seen him spraying the (now dead) bushes but have never seen him pooping anywhere ~ let's hope he doesn't take a fancy to my pots when I eventually get them planted up.

mrbadexample

Today's temperature has soared to 15°C. That's inside the greenhouse.

What steps can I take to prevent my poor plants from being scorched or cooked to death please?

djohn2002uk

The last time I did mine I used "Coolglass". It used to be made by PBI but Bayer do it now. It's the best I've used. You mix a sachet up in cold water and paint it on with about a 4" brush. Rain doesn't affect it so at the end of the summer if you want to remove it you just wipe it of with a dry cloth, shaking it out as you go.

hazzie123

I've done nothing all in the garden,must get my finger out! My peas are coming through and my rocket.

aliasojo

The weather here has been reasonably agreeable and the plants have been out every day hardening off but they do seem to get to a point where they start to look limp. I whip them back indoors and they soon perk up again, but I think it's the sun that's stressing them.

Given that our forecast is for sun on and off over the next few days, I'm a bit concerned that they are just not quite ready to go out yet. I was going to plant them out today or tomorrow.

They've been in and out for ages now, well over a week.

Is this the norm or do I just have particularly sensitive plants, toms especially?

I'm getting to the stage where my cheery 'good morning' to them, is turning into a gruff 'you still here then?' :rotfl:

Do your greenhouse ones go limp MBE, from the heat/sun?

Sambucus_Nigra

There's never been enough heat to make tomatoes go wilty this week - I'd say that was more from wind or lack of water personally....