Grow your own dinner 2014

tootallulah

Everything in the garden is looking pretty good this year as there were no frosts lots of supposed annuals have survived. The down side is definitely the amount of pests....Still the apricot tree is covered with fruit as is the greengage, raspberries and strawberries are looking good. The toms and beans are in, my rhubarb is not so good I have taken off three or four lots but it is looking a bit sickly. I am creating a new soft fruit bed, plants from Aldi, so by next year with a bit of luck they should be looking good too. It has rained pretty solidly for the last two days but today is clear and sunny so I should be able to get lots done.

CAFCGirl

Thankyou Annie. I ordered some tomato bag planters so perhaps i'll just move the larger plants straight into those now to avoid fortnight repotting.

I think I'm going to have my work cut out for me today! 125l of compost bought yesterday, hoping that will cover my needs for now

browneyedbazzi

Good news first - my courgettes are flowering and rhubarb and chard are both really taking off now so it might not be too long before something edible comes out of the garden here Oh, and the peas are up and it looks like I've had a pretty good germination rate. I'm hoping the birds don't steal all the shoots!

Less good news - my climbing beans are really not looking happy in their grow bags. They seem to have stopped doing anything and are just hanging on to life by a thread. I think I might put some more seeds in over the weekend in case the current plants give up the ghost. Also, my raspberry canes have not shown any signs of life, which is quite disappointing. I'm trying to decide how long to give them before pulling them out of the pots and replacing them with something alive.

I potted on my tomatoes last week as they were getting quite big, but they don't look like they've done anything since. They're outside and I'm wondering if I put them out too soon...I thought I'd be safe with the warm weather.

So my 'to do' list for this weekend is:
Plant more cobra climbing bean seeds
Plant out cucumbers
Pot on pepper plants
Decide what to do with raspberry canes
Thin the chard

I've also got some non-gyo related gardening to do - I need to dig over one of the borders that is in a state and do some planting there.

Glad it's a long weekend!

System

Hello first time reading this thread! So here is mine atm

I have indoor toms which are growing in my conservatory. I currently have three on there, one is massive but yet to ripen.

Outside I have strawberries in a raised trough, I have picked and eaten about 5 fruit so far! So they're doing really well.

In the raised bed I have...
Sugar snaps, yet to grow pods. Just starting to flower.
Peas which I sowed a few weeks ago, so far, doing well. Netted this morning.
Parsnips
Beetroot
Radish
Carrots - which I have sown 4 times over the last few weeks because as soon as anything sprouts, it gets pinched by the birds. Finally ordered some netting which arrived today. Hopefully I'll be able to grow something soon!!
Lettuce
Broccoli

In the mini greenhouse waiting to plant out are

Courgettes - in flower
Pumpkins - in flower
Gherkins - in flower
Melon (cantaloupe) this will stay in there and yet to flower
Butternut squash - yet to flower
Aubergines - yet to flower
Sweet potatoes

In the ground I have..

Potatoes - planted a few weeks ago. So far doing OK.
Garlic - planted in November time. Still going strong.

Fruit trees

Cherry (mature)
Greengage (mature)
Grapevine (mature)
Raspberries x5 canes (young)
Blueberries (young)

I sowed some sweetcorn and my runners last week so fingers crosssed they get going soon. God knows where I'll plant them .... I am growing from my garden in a rented property. So space is very limited! x

First_Trouble

I want to start my own veg patch and am in the process of cultivating the ground ready for planting however I still need to start the seeds sprouting in the greenhouse. I am really itching to start potting my seeds but don't want to end up starting too early and having nowhere to plant anything so my question is roughly how long does it takes veg seed to be ready to plant in the ground?

suzeesu2000

First_Trouble wrote: »

I want to start my own veg patch and am in the process of cultivating the ground ready for planting however I still need to start the seeds sprouting in the greenhouse. I am really itching to start potting my seeds but don't want to end up starting too early and having nowhere to plant anything so my question is roughly how long does it takes veg seed to be ready to plant in the ground?

Firstly well done on your aspirations :T

Secondly, all fruit and veg will grow at differing times - some vary a lot others are almost the same.

The best thing to do is to go to your loal garden center armed with a notebook and pencil and read the backs of the seed packets! This will tell you when to sow.

Also, get yourself onto a good website like the RHC or simply type in to your search bar something like "how do I grow veg from seed".

Of course, always join lovely folk as are on this thread, as they give loads of brilliant advice and tips.

Alternatively you could visit the library and borrow some books on how to grow your own.

Whatever you choose, good luck!

CAFCGirl

As Suz' said First_Trouble it all depends what you're growing as to what it needs and when.
I got a couple of books from the library, and The Works also had some cheap veg growing guides, ranging from 99p upward.

System

First_Trouble - there are lots of things you can start now! You can sow beans, sweetcorn, plant potatoes, carrots, parsnips ect. You can always cheat a little with some fruit and veg like squashes by buying young plants from the garden centre then come next March you can attempt to grow them yourself from seed xx

macsoupdragon

If you are looking for some cheap (and fairly healthy plants) b & m's garden centre have gooseberry bushes, red currents, blackberry and raspberry bushes for £2. I also got some pumpkin plants for 50p each, they had some oregano and thyme plants as well for 50p, although some priced up at 99p, going through at 50p. They were in the clearance dept. apologies if this could be put in a better section, but wasn't sure where to post it. Hopefully the rain will stop so I can get mine in!!

Happygreen

you have a B & M's garden centre? I'm jealous!

My pumpkins have not germinated yet, watching them like a hawk now!!
Today I'll pot on Cucumbers and tomatoes. I'm so poud of my tidied up greenhouse. I now have ordered a new fork and a riddle for my own compost, yippieh!