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

zafiro1984

Life seems to have got very busy lately, loads of jobs to do on the veg plot, I'm so far behind, however I managed to earth up the main potatoes today but I ended up watering the beans and sweetcorn after tea when it was going dark tonight. I'll see what tomorrow brings but it looks like being another busy day, i definitely need a few extra hours a day from somewhere!!!

MKS

SweetnSavvy wrote: »

I wondered if anyone can help with rust on broad beans please. Should I be getting rid of the plants altogether and NOT composting.

If the beans themselves look alright is it ok to eat them ?

Many thanks
SnS

I had the same problem - rust from neighbours garlic. Picked all the broad beans - over 20kg and binned the plants. Don't compost them.

Jazee

Morning all. Judging week here next week and the garden doesn't look great. However, I'm leaving pulling the garlic so they can see I've been growing that, will leave the last of the broad beans as they are for now, and finally I have some little green tomatoes, ripening strawberries and a few courgettes. Herbs not too bad, potatoes flowering and loads of kale, leeks and rocket.

And in the green house the peppers are coming along nicely.

Wish me luck.

Fruittea

Hi Everyone
Just popping in to mention the August edition of Kitchen Garden Grow it. I couldn't resist I'm afraid. It cost £4.99 but it comes with 10 packets of seeds! Here's a list:
Basil - Red leaved
Pak Choi - White Petiole
Chard - Bright lights
Radish - Mino early
Lambs lettuce - Valentin
Lettuce - Lobjoits Green Cos
Coriander - Cliantro for leaf
Cabbage - Offenham
Sorrel - Red veined
Carrot - Autumn King
What I liked about is that all the seeds can still be grown now. There's also some very good articles on leeks, raspberries and organic insecticides and some good reader offers on brassicas. So I thought a worthwhile buy.
Jazee I wondered what this judging was - is it an allotment show? Good luck and can we have some pictures please.
I haven't done the shopping list this week as I've put the trip to the allotment off until tomorrow. To many jobs at home at the mo.

Jazee

Fruittea - our HA holds an annual garden competition for all residents up north here. Last year I came second in the fruit and veg section. This year I've also entered flower categories. I'd like to come first in the fruit and veg though.

I went out and gardened in the rain today to get it all up to spec. All now looking good. As always there is always more that can be done but I'd be quite happy for the judges to turn up now.

I have: watercress, tomatoes, leeks, aubergines, peppers, lettuce, potatoes, garlic, green beans, baby sweetcorn, broad beans, strawberries, parsley, chives, garlic chives, mint, carrots, radishes, kohl rabi, onions, kale and courgettes. Today I have sown a raised bed of chard.

Hopefully, this will do the trick. And yesterday I made sandwiches (egg mayo) will watercress from the garden for an event and got quite a kick that people were eating something I'd grown, however simple.

Fruittea

Sounds fantastic Jazee - wishing you all the best with the judges. Update us when you can.

Fruittea

Morning Everyone
Nice and bright here in Gloucestershire. Just stopping by with an update on shopping and the Veg Plot Challenge. It was a bit lean at the supermarket this week. I just bought a couple of mark-down veg - melon, little Gem and broccoli for the grand price of £1.64.
Allotment produce this week has been stunning. Artichokes. courgettes, broad beans, peas, manage tout, cucumbers, raspberries, strawberries and gooseberries plus all the other staples. I also brought in the garlic so I'm including that as a bulk item at £13.30.
The items have been price checked at Tesco (raspberries £10 per kilo for those that have them - think how much you are saving) and would have cost around £62. So I'll be adding that to my totals. I purposefully didn't buy tomatoes this week as I can just about see a few turning red - so they'll be off the shopping list until well into November - hope so anyway.
All the best.

Tim_Mullis

May have overdone the courgettes this year. Planted 12 plants and now have a jungle with over 100 flower heads. Planning to use it for all sorts of meals and wine with what is left over. Considering putting a small table out of the front with an honesty tin and a '50p for a bag of organic courgettes' sign.

Fruittea

Hi Tim
Welcome - don't think I've seen you post here before. This is a great thread for advice.
I'm a great courgette enthusiast but I stopped at 4 plants!
I use mine in all sorts of ways - spriralized in salads and with pasta as well as stuffed or for lasagne layers.
There are £1.89 a kilo in Tesco at the mo but the baby ones sell for £7.00 per kilo - I prefer to cut them when they are small and I guess you know you can stuff the flowers.
I often put my excess crop outside the gate but I live in a small village where people like to buy it - last year I made £53 in sales.
I can also recommend this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Will-All-Those-Courgettes/dp/0952488159
You can buy it for 1p plus postage. I think it's quite good for different ideas like courgette muffins and cake. Certainly worth a look.
All the best

zafiro1984

Just updated my signature. Brought in this weekend, raspberries, french beans, potatoes, one cucumber, strawberries, radishes, salad leaves, carrots, courgettes plus three tomatoes (which didn't make it to the kitchen)

Just off to dig up some more potatoes as I need the bed for my brussels to go out.