The ups and downs of growing your own dinner 2016...

thriftylass

Good morning,

the new seedlings in the conservatory look good and hopefully can grow another week before I put them out. What was left of the veg patch has slightly recovered. So glad I covered them when I did otherwise would have lost it all. Going to leave the plastic sheet on for a while yet. Pak choi and peas are growing fine, carrots and parsnips are finally emerging and a few other things survived and are doing well now underneath it. My blueberry bush and Oscar the apple tree have flowers and I too hope they didn't get damaged in the snow and frost.

laidbackgjr

Enjoying seeing the pictures, so I thought I'd get involved as well - just been out in a gap in the showers to take this.



Currently got Blueberry plants in the pots, potatos - planted in 3 phases, the first phase is doing nicely and the second phase just starting to come through. Some onions - grown from seed and doing well, a couple of courgette plants - again grown from seed and doing well. A couple of strawberry plants - didn't have much luck with them last year - so down from six - one now in a pot on the patio - seem healthier in the pot then the ground.

A raspberry plant - autumn fruiting but starting to grow nicely
Rhubarb plant - had the first stalks of the year - and hopefully will continue to offer lots more.

Also planted up peas / carrots and beetroots - nothing showing yet - but it's early days.

Planning to get some tomato plants to grow in bags again this year and finally got a couple of chilli plants growing nicely on the window ledge.

zafiro1984

Quite a busy weekend, planted the artichokes, raked the dead twigs/leaves out of the fruitcage, it's almost ready to be planted for the very first time. I have blueberries, raspberries and rhubarb ready to go in, plus, just for this year I'm going to use it for my peas, runners, and French climbing beans.
Things for the greenhouse/polytunnel are doing OK, Just sown things for outdoors, all the runners, leeks, kohl rabi and celery. The overwintering onions are springing back into life, and the strawberries have started to flower. I do use quite a lot of fleece both in the green house as well as outside so hopefully I've not lost much. Carrots aren't showing yet. Dear husband has made me two new raised beds one is 30'x3', the other is 26'x5' both are 18" high so now I've no excuse.

They say things 'come in three', well I can beat that, how about 'things come in four' Over the weekend -
1) A very good friend's daughter ended up in hospital unconscious, having fallen off a chair, fortunately she's ok.
2) we lost a filly foal - broken leg,
3) last Friday - my kawaski mule 610 (it's a UTV, looks similar to a golf buggy) was stolen from the front of the house.
I use it all the time as I've two new hips to get me walking again after an accident, it's used to carry anything and everything. So if anyone sees a Kawasaki Mule 610, yr 2007, red, new tyres and battery, it's only done 2150 hrs for sale please let me know, police informed etc.
4) (and you can laugh at this one) I've had my blood pressure tablets changed and they state in large letters - no alcohol - just when I need a bottle of the red!!!:rotfl:

sazzlebgood?

Been to the lottie this morning and sown some beetroot, turnips, carrots and some black radishes. Kohl Rabi decimated as FIL took glass protecting them and didn't put it back on. Some rather fat guilty pigeons hanging around, FIL decided to put in the leeks and hopefully later will put in the mangie toutie and OH will be planting the rest of the pots now the rain has ceased. Lettuce plants transplanted and covered with glass. Last of the forced rhubarb picked to make crumble.

sazzlebgood?

Does anyone know if carrot flyaway actually resist carrot fly? Our late crop was riddled with it last year.

thriftylass

Lost one brussel sprout plant to the slugs, but some more plants seem to be recovering in my veg patch. Keeping my replacement seedlings in the conservatory for another week though. Got some drinks cups from work yesterday (recycled form the water cooler bin :cool:) and planted my beans and cucumbers in them as the seed trays got to small for them, also thinned out my spinach. Potatoes coming on nicely now.

When chives flower is that bad for the plant (energy wise), I quite like the flowers and use them in cooking and salads. But not sure if I should take them off to get more chives.

Ken68

I think the answer to carrot fly, Sazzle.....is to keep the emerging tops mounded up. Free.

sazzlebgood?

Thanks ken will give that a try. Using companion planting as well so will experiment with both methods. Started culling the purple sprouting broccoli which has started to flower. Quick visit today so hoed of the weeds but i think my hoe needs sharpening. OH up there at the mo putting in the late maincrop pots. Hope you've all been enjoying the sunshine

Ken68

Ken68

Part of my front garden. Charlotte and Clematis.