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

thriftylass

Hello,

still sunny and warm up here. Finally planted my replacement seedlings out like beans, pak choi, spinach, beetroot etc. However, I forgot to label the seedlings for cabbage, brussels, kohlrabi and broccoli etc. but they look so similar :eek:. So I planted them anyway and we'll just see what we get .

Fruittea

Hi Smallholding I'd say it depends on the tomatoes and you. I eat a lot of tomatoes and then bottle any over as I love the taste of bottled toms during the winter. Last year I had 4 cherries and about 10 different types of large tomatoes. I get through about 3 large supermarket packs a week.
So if you have more plant them up. The average rule of thumb is 2.5 per person. Be good to know what ones you're growing?

sazzlebgood?

hi smallholding I'd agree with fruittea we generally plant lots of toms and we're a family of four.This year we've grown 6 tigerella, 6 plum and 3 cherry toms. Hopefully this should keep us going through summer and autumn with some left over to freeze to make soup in the winter. Sown french, borlotti, shelling and runner beans. Green houses are fit to burst but reluctant to plant out squashes etc in case we get a late frost. fingers crossed that the rain has finished now as we have the last of the pots to go in and tonight is our only free night this week. Fox hasn't managed to get into the peas so far, but did find an empty chickens egg in with the last of the purple sprouting broccoli which is netted!

Scottish_Mike

My quince tree has blight Popped outside this morning and noticed brown patches on the leaves that have appeared overnight. I'm gutted. Just been on eBay and purchased chemicals to make Bordeaux mix, but not sure it'll be successful. So far it was only on about 6 leaves, but they were all over the tree, so I'm sadly expecting more to pop up

smallholding_antics

I hope your quince tree makes it Scottish Mike .


Fruittea - the tomatoes I am planting and have planted are


Beefsteak brandywine
Sungold
Golden Cherry
Jersey Devil
Mega byte


In the order from Mr F's I bought some different ones which i haven't planted. I'm thinking they can be next years as I have around 25 plants now. I love the smell and thankfully the taste too! LOL.


We plan on bottling, preserving, roasting, boiling, eating fresh, making into sauces, doing whatever we can jolly well think of with them and I can't wait!


The beans are doing really well, shooting up now though the peas are slow on the uptake. Borlotti's coming through.


Some red cabbage planted tonight along with more caulis! I have sooo many caulis! Leeks in too.


Another section of those dreaded beds done tonight and more manure dug in.


I love seeing everything grow!


Fruittea, anyone, for the lasagne method for controlling weeds, you said I needed to add fresh grass. I've done that tonight, hope that's ok. What else should I be doing? It won't be needed this year. Thanks

Fruittea

Lasagne beds. Layer as you have done. Finish with sterile compost - shop bought - it won't have weeds in - and don't dig. You have the perfect no dig bed. Plant anything it will be perfect.
Can't wait to hear how it goes.

sazzlebgood?

been to the allotment this am to take out the last of the purple sprouting broccoli (got another 2 bags of it to freeze) whilst FIL planted up the toms I've grown. Finally managed to cut the cherry tree out of the netting that he put up last year to protect them from the birds.It seemed to take forever and was hampered by the fact i can't keep one of my arms above my head for long (old injury). Decided to make some bird scarers with the kids to hang of it instead, any ideas greatly recieved.

Waterlily24

We've planted cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels and broccoli in the garden today. It's fairly warm but very windy so hoping they will be OK.


We planted loads of gourds a couple of days ago so hoping we will get a lot of lovely shapes and colours - knowing our luck they will all be the same lol

smallholding_antics

Thank you Fruittea - I'll keep my eyes open for a good price compost bag. No rush though.


Last night I dug over a big more of the dreaded bed, which is fast becoming the nicest looking bed on the plot! Lots of lovely veggies to go in there this weekend when its finished.


Rhubarb to be harvested tomorrow morning and asparagus tonight. Making soup with the older asparagus and the other will go as a side or with dippy eggs.

Ken68

Just harvested a purple sprouting broccoli, except there are no shoots, but very clean leaves and soft stalks.
I think maybe the yellow netting I put over has blinded the plants.
No big loss, enormous foliage.