Grow your own dinner 2014

annie123

Evening all, real life keeps getting in the way and stops me from posting

However, everything growing is looking OK, except for my round courgette which is down to it's last leaf so it has slug pellets, a ring of slug stopper gel and a large bottle cloche. I've given away my spares but sown 2 more seeds in case, and I do have climbing courgettes looking OK.

4 tomatoes are 30" tall and nice and stocky with flowers, the rest are average and the gardeners delight and anything but this year. If they don't get a move on they're going in the compost bin and I'll buy 1 and arm plant them in addition to doing the same with the plum ones. I'm going to buy fresh seed next year as I think these are past it now.

Dwarf broad beans are in full flower, and runners and french beans looking good too.

Parsnip seed leaves just popping out and the bucket of carrots.

Indoors is full of squash plants, so looking forward to getting them out.

Not had to buy salad leaves since March hate paying out for salad leaves easy to grow and expensive to buy.

Raspberries look to be another bumper harvest, and strawberries in flower or with little green berries, need some sun and heat to get them to turn red. Always love the first tasty strawberry.

Garden looks a mess it's the same this time every year as I move pots, dig up plants etc until I'm happy with what grows where. Looks nice from June when I've stopped playing around with it

browneyedbazzi

Following on from the talk of slugs, is there anyone here who isn't averse to using 'nasty chemicals' in the garden that can recommend a good slug killer? I know that nematodes are supposed to be good but they are expensive and I can't see them on sale in any local shops. I'd like to find something I can buy locally - I really want to put something out asap because my beans need to go outside and I'm worried they'll be eaten (one has already been attacked by a tiny slug that must have sneaked in on the compost). So, any recommendations for something I can buy from a supermarket/homebase/b&q?

annie123

browneyedbazzi wrote: »

Following on from the talk of slugs, is there anyone here who isn't averse to using 'nasty chemicals' in the garden that can recommend a good slug killer? I know that nematodes are supposed to be good but they are expensive and I can't see them on sale in any local shops. I'd like to find something I can buy locally - I really want to put something out asap because my beans need to go outside and I'm worried they'll be eaten (one has already been attacked by a tiny slug that must have sneaked in on the compost). So, any recommendations for something I can buy from a supermarket/homebase/b&q?

I use these from wilkinsons, one container lasts at least a year.

http://www.wilko.com/insecticides+pest-control/wilko-slug-bait-590g/invt/0331176?VBMST=slug%20pellets

Nematodes only work on slugs as snails don't bury themselves under the soil. London for example tends to have more snails than slugs for some reason.

Any of the other slug pellets work but due to the ingredients needs to be kept away from children or pets

Which report on all 3 types of pellets including the wilko ones

http://www.which.co.uk/news/2011/03/slug-pellets-247120/

HTH

Lifes_Grand_Plan

Just to note browneyedbazzi, nematodes aren't 'nasty chemicals', they are tiny, tiny microscopic creatures so no chemicals at all, All you are doing really is introducing a huge dose of a naturally occurring little (and harmless) bug to the garden to attack the slugs.

I use nematodes and honestly can't see why anyone would use anything else. I used to use slug pellets but the risk to kids / wildlife combined with the chemicals released into the soil just put me off.

For just over double the price of the slug pellets, its a no-brainer for me.

Oh and nematodes WILL work against snails, just not as effectively as it does the slugs.

browneyedbazzi

Hi Life's Grand Plan - I've read about nematodes and understand what they are/how they work so I know they aren't chemicals. I mentioned them in my post so that people knew why they weren't a preferred option for me since I won't be able to get them soon enough. I thought that otherwise I might just get a lot of people suggesting nematodes when really I was hoping for other options.

I read the Which? article annie linked to and I think I'll give the ferric phosphate pellets a go.

[Deleted User]

I used two packs of slug nematodes for the first time and will now use them every year. They have had an amazing result and my seedlings have been left alone for the first time ever. Annie I didn`t realise that they were not very effective against snails so I will still put half a dozen pellets on each 4x8 raised bed. It has to be belt and braces as far as I am concerned

Anyone else having trouble raising french bean seedlings? So far only 2 out of 15 are showing, I am sowing more just in case

I planted all my tomatoes out yesterday, black buckets and grow pots. They are sheltered on a warm walled patio and the buckets give a lovely bit of wind protection. Nicola potatoes in bags are looking very strong with healthy growth. Brassicas are growing on in root trainers under nets as I want them to be as strong as possible before planting out. I was good this year and only grew what I could use

Bought some more obelisks for my climbing squash, much more effective use of space. Tried the sutton broad beans this year, first time. Covered in flowers and no need to support. My neighbour has aquadulce, which don`t look too great as the allotments are wind exposed

annie123

Lifes_Grand_Plan wrote: »

Oh and nematodes WILL work against snails, just not as effectively as it does the slugs.

The quote below is taken from http://www.savethe.co.uk/nematodes-faq-i

Will Nemaslug kill snails?
Nemaslug may kill snails and some customers do report success when using for snails. However, because nematodes are active in the soil and snails spend most of their lifecycle on plants and foliage they are unlikely to come into contact with the nematodes. I would not recommend using Nemaslug for snail control.

And taken from Nemislug http://nemaslug.co.uk/nemaslug-faq

Can I use Nemaslug for Snails?
Nemaslug will kill snails, but is not particularly effective due to the snail's lifecycle. I would not recommend using Nemaslug for snail control. However if Nemaslug gets into a pond it may kill water snails. Keep application 15cm from the edge of ponds.

browneyedbazzi

kittie - my beans came up quite quickly and have absolutely shot up now. I planted a variety call cobra (a climbing french bean) and they all germinated and most (with the exception of the one the slug got) are now about 18" tall. What variety of seed did you plant? Did you plant the seeds on their side? Were they new seeds?

I've only started 10 plants indoors, I'll be planting them out and then directly sowing some more seeds outside over the weekend in hopes that I'll end up with a long cropping season.

annie123

kittie wrote: »

I used two packs of slug nematodes for the first time and will now use them every year. They have had an amazing result and my seedlings have been left alone for the first time ever. Annie I didn`t realise that they were not very effective against snails so I will still put half a dozen pellets on each 4x8 raised bed. It has to be belt and braces as far as I am concerned

Anyone else having trouble raising french bean seedlings? So far only 2 out of 15 are showing, I am sowing more just in case
Tried the sutton broad beans this year, first time. Covered in flowers and no need to support. My neighbour has aquadulce, which don`t look too great as the allotments are wind exposed

That's what I do Kittie, only takes a few pellets and I started a few months back.

I put 4 French beans in a black bucket a few weeks ago in case May turned out nice like last year. They all came up but are out under cover and sulking. I'll do my main sowing in a weeks time as usual.
And I grow The Sutton too and yes all in flower and even in the wind they bend and go back to where they should all by themselves.

Happygreen

French beans have been a failure here too (maybe eaten by mice?) and I had 2 goes already. Runner beans I'm not that keen on of course are doing great in their tray! I bought another packet of French beans and will raise in module trays as well now. up on a table with mousetraps nearby...got growbags at £ 1.29 each for the cucumbers (1 bag for each plant on it's side) which worked great the last 2 years.