Grow your own dinner 2014

Happygreen

Happygreen wrote: »

:rotfl:

this should explain it with pictures!

http://completegarden.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/how-to-hand-pollinate-courgette-flowers/

the female does carry a tiny courgette :T:rotfl:

suzeesu2000

Happygreen wrote: »

:rotfl:

this should explain it with pictures!

http://completegarden.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/how-to-hand-pollinate-courgette-flowers/

Pictures are always good :TThank you

Think I will make them a little screen so we can do it in private - they might get upset if i fiddle with their bits in public :eek: :rotfl:

[Deleted User]

we are going to have really hot weather soon (SW) so have started to plant out all possible brassicas and all under net which will also shade. Ground is perfect, moist and still crumbly enough. Squashes will be out just as soon as night time temperatures improve a little, maybe in just a day or two. I am prepared and ready for them. French beans will have to wait as they are just strting to pop up after a traumatic start. Runners look superb out, the wind net has done a great job

Re the weather, I know

CAFCGirl

It looks like its going to be a lovely day here.

Already watered the seeds that are out early this morning.
I'm toying with getting a second plastic greenhouse....

Having a flower seed sowing session later on, get them started and then plant out into our flower bed and possibly some planters for the front garden when that's cleared of all its rubbish.

I'll be making some tea for the seedlings later on too. Are they brand snobs do you think? Kenyan or Earl Grey?

moments_of_sanity

My nematodes arrived yesterday so I have been out and put it out in the garden as per the instructions, the little !!!!!!!s have even got into my greenhouse and this morning instead of a French bean I have a stalk! :mad:

Put the nematodes in the current pots with veg in so that when I transfer them the nematodes will spread to the rest of the soil (well that's what I am hoping!).

Managed to locate 50 3 litre pots for £5 so very pleased with that price! :j

Potatoes are looking terrible, no matter how many times I go out in the dark with my head torch on (imagine if you will), the slugs have had a real go at them and they are looking really sorry for themselves now, not sure I will get anything from them this year as no sign of any flowers on the plants.

ETA, I bought a pear tree over winter from a well known garden centre and paid £10 instead of £50 and it looks like it is going to be a bumper crop this year. So pleased as I don't have a lot of money at all so tend to buy a few expensive items reduced over winter if I can.

[Deleted User]

moments_of_sanity wrote: »

Potatoes are looking terrible, no matter how many times I go out in the dark with my head torch on (imagine if you will), the slugs have had a real go at them and they are looking really sorry for themselves now, not sure I will get anything from them this year as no sign of any flowers on the plants.

ETA, I bought a pear tree over winter from a well known garden centre and paid £10 instead of £50 and it looks like it is going to be a bumper crop this year. So pleased as I don't have a lot of money at all so tend to buy a few expensive items reduced over winter if I can.

Are the potatoes looking eaten or floppy or maybe yellow?

re your new pear tree, you should be brave and bite the bullet re future cropping. Wait until the june drop and (I whisper because it is hard to do, psychologically) remove all the fruits bar one or two at most. I am having to do this with new apple trees this year, very worth it though as it means the plant puts its energy into setting up a good root system

Lifes_Grand_Plan

Happygreen wrote: »

with a wee paintbrush - male flower first then into a female, touching the middle or even use a finger as long as some yellow powder sticks to it it will work. I started doing this because waiting for the bees just gave me lots of small rotting (unfertilised) fruit.

Perhaps a daft question, but can a male flower on one plant polinate the female flower on the same plant, or is there such a thing as incest in courgettes and I need to use male pollen from plant A to pollinate the female flower on plant B?

browneyedbazzi

Courgettes and cucumbers don't mind a bit of incest - you don't have to worry about using pollen from one plant to fertilise it's own flowers.

moments_of_sanity

kittie wrote: »

Are the potatoes looking eaten or floppy or maybe yellow?

re your new pear tree, you should be brave and bite the bullet re future cropping. Wait until the june drop and (I whisper because it is hard to do, psychologically) remove all the fruits bar one or two at most. I am having to do this with new apple trees this year, very worth it though as it means the plant puts its energy into setting up a good root system

My potato stems are floppy and look munched, do you think it's worth me digging them up and just hoping I have something or is that not very likely?

I am not sure I could cut all the pears off! :eek: hoping I don't lose many in the June drop, that sounds scary!

Happygreen

Lifes_Grand_Plan wrote: »

Perhaps a daft question, but can a male flower on one plant polinate the female flower on the same plant, or is there such a thing as incest in courgettes and I need to use male pollen from plant A to pollinate the female flower on plant B?

I put it on a different plant as male and females tend not to flower at the same time on the same plants - maybe that's just me!