Help MBE grow his dinner 2012

dogstarheaven

mrbadexample wrote: »

Sorry, have I been inattentive?

Today I finally lost my rag and sprayed the gooseberry bushes. I don't like doing it when there's fruit on, but I'm sick of the sawfly. :mad:

I've been eating potatoes and turnips

Have you thought of using Rhubarb leaves strewn around the base of your Gooseberry bush. That's what I've been doing on mine. Wish the sun could stay with us longer as the fruits have been big enough but not soft enough to pick yet..

My pots are no way ready. Yes, there's plenty of top growth (some have flowered) but the tubers are still v small.

The turnips and swede haven't germinated all that well. Not sure to resow or not.. think I might just give up on them!

annie123

Lotus-eater wrote: »

It's gone a bit quiet in here......in here.....in here

Probably because I've been away and not whittering on as I do

aliasojo wrote: »

. The biggest of them have been flattened. It looks almost like something has landed on top of the bags and just flattened the plants.

Heavy rain flattened some of mine and garlic too.

Sorry to hear of heritage bean loses and those without strawberries. I've got strawberries,raspberries and rhubarb producing more than we can eat and quicker than I can freeze them.

My dead cucumbers are infact alive, just, so not holding out much hope but we shall see and the butternut squash that got too cold/rain damaged and eaten by snails has been kind to me and put out 4 tiny new leaves on the little stem I rooted in water. If I get one squash from it this year I'll be delighted.

My barlotti beans are 6" tall, snails dont seem to like them as much as they did the french beans.
My runner beans look sad still, weak looking plants even the miracle grow hasn't perked them up so I've popped a few more bean seeds in the tub hoping they do better and overtake the others. The original ones are around 5' but look spindly, probably due to lack of sunlight all their life.

All the little chilli plants that decided it was too cold/wet/windy/cloudy have been put in the butlers sink that the garlic were in. I'll give them a month to wake up and do something otherwise they're off to the compost bin and I'll stick some lettuce in or something.


I'm going to have a go a overwintering a tom, it can keep my pepper company. Which one is the question? I've got:gardeners delight, alicante, roma, marmande or sungold

Lotus-eater

annie123 wrote: »

Probably because I've been away and not whittering on as I do

Possibly, try not to go away next time please, obviously MBE needs help in running the thread

annie123 wrote: »

Sorry to hear of heritage bean loses and those without strawberries. I've got strawberries,raspberries and rhubarb producing more than we can eat and quicker than I can freeze them.

My dead cucumbers are infact alive, just so not holding out much hope but we shall see and the butternut squash that got too cold/rain damaged and eaten by snails has been kind to me and put out 4 tiny new leaves on the little stem I rooted in water. If I get one squash from it this year I'll be delighted.

My barlotti beans are 6" tall, snails dont seem to like them as much as they did the french beans.
My runner beans look sad still, weak looking plants even the miracle grow hasn't perked them up so I've popped a few more bean seeds in the tub hoping they do better and overtake the others. The original ones are around 5' but look spindly, probably due to lack of sunlight all their life.

All the little chilli plants that decided it was too cold/wet/windy/cloudy have been put in the butlers sink that the garlic were in. I'll give them a month to wake up and do something otherwise they're off to the compost bin and I'll stick some lettuce in or something.


I'm going to have a go a overwintering a tom, it can keep my pepper company. Which one is the question? I've got:gardeners delight, alicante, roma, marmande or sungold

My strawberries are doing fine, the usual loses in this weather to mould etc, but I can live with that, as I've been working towards this huge SB bed for 3 years and it's finally paying off.

But the summer raspberries have had their final warning and have been grubbed up, I think it's a virus, although the autumn ones in the next bed are fine. My tayberry and bosenberry will be moved into the same spot, although keeping the roots out of the area due to the virus etc.

I sowed new beans a couple of weeks ago and they are catching up with the ones sowed 2 months ago very fast.
They were supposed to be a 2nd crop but it looks like they will be a additional 1st crop. I'm not amused.

Chillies are still very little, I'd be surprised if I got any fruit this side of October.

The cucs outside are still looking very unwell, but the outside cucs in the GH are looking great, no fruit yet, but growing on well.

I wouldn't pick roma or marmande to overwinter, but the other ones are worth a go.

Sambucus_Nigra

annie123 wrote: »

I'm going to have a go a overwintering a tom, it can keep my pepper company. Which one is the question? I've got:gardeners delight, alicante, roma, marmande or sungold

Sungold. As they are the most expensive seeds to buy and taste the best.

dogstarheaven

Fay wrote: »

Dogstar heaven I think your lottie looks great. I've never heard of Anthyllis before but they're lovely, might look into getting some. I am trying to make the garden (front and back) as bee friendly as possible. I like that most of the nurseries are now displaying labels to tell you which plants are recommended for bees(

here's a list of plants that are bee-friendly

http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/plants-for-bees.html

For MSE ways, I never buy full-price GC plants (usually overpriced), always look in the clearance areas from there and big DIY stores where they sell them off at massive discounts. Or you can sow from seed, or get them off Freecycle where I dispose of my spares/divisions.. or buy from local nurseries where the owners are real gardeners who know their plants.

The plant is Anthyllis vulneraria coccinea recent purchase from a Plant Fair and I originally spotted this 2 years ago on a private garden trail but the owner didn't know the name of it til I saw it at the Plant Fair a month ago.. so I've been acquainted with this after a 2 year wait! The Scabious plant next to it is much preferred by the bees tho' if you really want them super-happy:D

I've got all 5 new squash plants that I've germinated again to act as insurance for the ones that I originally grew back in May where they're not so happy at the lotti. Am not sure whether I'd be getting anything to crop from this this year as these ones are mainly winter squashes - what do others think?

Little_Vics

It's still raining in Yorkshire. I'm depressed.

dogstarheaven

dry here but don't know how long it'll last tho. Been v. despondent about doing much on the lotti due to the amount of weeding that has to be done and none of the veg/fruit are doing much. Have a scythe and been using that to keep the grass/nettles/willow bay/thistles down. the little weeds are just getting too overwhelming for me. usually like to keep my 2 ornamental beds weed-free and the other veg beds i leave as nothing's really cropping!

Drea

Well, you all laughed... But I now own a tomato plant with lots of tomatoes on! I bought it from a farm near here :rotfl:

Have sowed some spring onion and pumpkin but not sure if it's too late. Bought winter onion plug plants too, oh and a walk in blowaway!

Went to see allotments yesterday, I could have one for £20 a month, seriously thinking about it, it was quite exciting seeing what other people have done with theirs!

dogstarheaven

Drea wrote: »

Well, you all laughed... But I now own a tomato plant with lots of tomatoes on! I bought it from a farm near here :rotfl:
wish i kept up with my toms at home for the g/h as the ones at the lotti are no where near flowering!
Have sowed some spring onion and pumpkin but not sure if it's too late. Bought winter onion plug plants too, oh and a walk in blowaway!
got some clearance leeks for 50p the other day so hopefully will something to harvest in the hungry gap next year tho' this year it seems like it's extended!
Went to see allotments yesterday, I could have one for £20 a month, seriously thinking about it, it was quite exciting seeing what other people have done with theirs!

did i read that right - £20 per MONTH??? that's way too expensive for a lotti. I know most places have their rents increased by double, but this can't be right. Can anyone in the Cardiff area with lottis confirm that's the average/reasonable amount for your sites please?

I pay £57pa for a 572 sq yard full sized plot in Nott'm but it's going up by a third this year and more next year

mumof3plusoh

Raining in Cheshire:(