The great, good and not so good bits about growing your own dinner 2017

unrecordings

Today was admin day, tomorrow is gardening day: Hoping to relocate a number of young brambles. Jojo I get them all the time, but I keep the established plants trained, and relocate any seedlings I find to the border with the woods. The crop of blackberries I get now is fantastic, each patch having fruits that are subtly different. Meanwhile, the wild garlic is beginning to flower as are the woodland (native) bluebells. I'm also possibly getting the point of shallots, when last week I came to the conclusion that there was no point in planting one shallot when you only get one shallot back - I'm watching this with interest...

determined_new_ms

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Potatoes are supposed to be one of the best first things to grow as it breaks up the earth in the process.

Courgettes are easy and need little attention once in.

Would be a shame to not grow something in your first season.

when I got my plot about this time last year (well actually about a month later) I dug over & made 2 beds. 1 2.2m x2.5 m & 1 2.5 x 1m. In that I grew 3 squashes, 2 courgettes, french beans, runner beans and raddishes. Towards the end of the season I did another 2.5 x 1m and in there I put beetroot & radishes. I got quite a lot of produce from these. I then covered the rest until this year when it has been so easy to dig over I've been amazed :j

I really recommend covering whatever you won't be able to dig in a 2 week period, as it will start to kill off the growth and the ground will be much easier to dig through

Suffolk_lass

Hooray! :j I planted my tomato seeds so late this year due to making repeated trips to Scotland so on Sunday I brought them indoors and put the tray on top of the bug-zapper in the kitchen window-sill as it generates a small amount of heat from the bulbs being on all the time. Hey presto, I can see shoots!

We did a massive veg seed audit in February and sent lots into DH's School for them to grow, but I was left with the residue of packets of "Chocolate Cherry" and "Black Russian", and an Italian Beefsteak tomato - well both the Chocolate Cherry modules are sprouting (only 4 seeds, so 2 in each module) and one of the Black Russians. Just one spindle from the Sungold F1 Hybrid (they were dated 1997, so not expecting too much :rotfl:) but both lots of Costa Luto Italian ones - Genovese and Fiorentino are underway. Just my chilli seeds to do anything in the warm now.

I also moved my sweetpeas outside (having germinated in the same way) but had no luck with the perennial sweetpeas I planted - I might have to bring them in again when the tomatoes are a bit more robust.

I love this stage when everything is bursting into life! I will go and look in my greenhouse when I have had my coffee - I have butternut squash, yellow and green courgettes, melons (ogen and water), cucumbers and all my legume seeds out there.

Lots of potato and onion growth underway and flowers on some teeny-weeny strawberry plants (I had a dozen for my birthday from Ken Muir). Mercifully the asparagus seems to have survived my Son digging it all out last Autumn (case of not listening when instructions provided) - just as well! These were my last year's birthday present.

We shall have to try again with a blackberry as ours died. I might try a tayberry in the hedge at the back too.

I agree with whoever was frustrated by raspberry sprouting patterns! Our autumn-fruiting ones come up through the membrane in paths and under raised beds but are still a poor second to the ornamental Acanthus that we have been trying to get rid of for 4 years now :mad: - the veg garden used to be a secret ornamental garden and still has Crocosmia (Lucifer) and Acanthus, along with Aquilega that simply will not give up!

zafiro1984

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Smeeinnit I think I put my carrot seeds in almost three weeks ago and nothing showing yet for me either. I keep watering and hoping.

I found the same last year and resowed two or three times before anything came up. I think the seeds are very sensitive to lack of water as well as cold. This year I've sown some indoors and they were up after 10 days.

Spent a couple of hours yesterday on the plot, planted raspberry canes but I've still got another 6 to do today, did some weeding in the tunnel and dug a trench for my asparagus which I must remember to soak for a couple of hours before planting. Hopefully I can do more today.

Everything wants to grow but I'm finding it hard to keep up with things as there is so much to do, the plot is looking a bit of a mess as it needs a good tidy up but I'm afraid it will have to wait until I have more time. DH cut down some trees yesterday that were overshadowing the back of the plot, the light is now flooding in and I'll have loads of logs for next year.

Fruittea

Morning all. It's a bit over caste here in Gloucestershire. Just reading back and I see everyone is doing so well. Raspberries seem to have a mind of their own don't they. Shallots are very worthwhile Unrecordings as they split just like garlic - you'll see them split out into 5/6 cloves and swell and sort of go in different directions at the top as they grow - when you dig them up they separate and look just like the original bulb just like the only you planted only bigger.
I've filled all the shelving in the greenhouse and the floor space and am bring things in and out of the kitchen every day now. So plenty growing. It's the brassicas that are taking up the most space as I've potted them on it individual pots as they were getting a bit big.
I haven't sown any carrots yet this year as I sometimes have a problem with them. Yesterday I planted up a square foot oriental bed - so I have 6 little squares with different types of pak choi looking things - they grow really quickly but I use quite a bit of these in stir fries.
I'm considering myself self sufficient in green stuff now - so plenty of herbs, salads, and quick greens.
The veg box is cancelled and I've got quite a bit in the freezer. So shopping should just be for tomatoes, peppers, avocados from now on.

Suffolk_lass

Fruittea wrote: »

I'm considering myself self sufficient in green stuff now - so plenty of herbs, salads, and quick greens.
The veg box is cancelled and I've got quite a bit in the freezer. So shopping should just be for tomatoes, peppers, avocados from now on.

Wow, self-sufficient, that is fantastic at this stage in the year! Well done Fruittea

Fruittea

Thanks Suffolk Lass - the orientals all grow pretty fast and I would recommend them to you. You can eat the young leaves in 30 days and just 45 days before they heart up. I've got Pak Choi, Komatsuna which is like spinach and Choy sum which is good raw or cooked. I try to eat seasonally so I will be a bit restricted but there's still plenty of choice.
I also like to use quite a few sprouting seeds - another thing which is expensive in the shops.
Good news about the tomatoes - so nice when you first see them and then - they're off! Sounds as thought you're doing really well.
I have a glut of Rocket which self seeded in a cold frame and have been stir frying it. It really works well!
I've eaten the equivalent of 3 supermarket bags at around £1 this week and tonnes of herbs and spinach all of which would have cost about £7.50. The rest is out of the freezer Except for a yellow sticker cauliflower 39p which I made a charred cauliflower curry with.


So this weeks budget is: supermarket spend on veg 39p saved by growing my own £7.50.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Smeeinnit I think I put my carrot seeds in almost three weeks ago and nothing showing yet for me either. I keep watering and hoping.

My sweet peppers are doing ok though and sitting happily in greenhouse at the plot.

Cuttings of clematis still alive and cauli seedlings still looking good so there is hope yet.

My carrots are just starting to show after three good weeks in good sunlight and warmth.

determined_new_ms

yippee one of the 2 courgette seeds I had almost given up on has germinated (sown maybe 2 weeks ago) :j because I have so many varieties - round eightball 2, 1 patipans, 1 all greeen, yellow, crookneck - have done I only planted 1 of each of yellow & crookneck so have been disappointed. Earlier in the week I rooted around in the soil and nothing, but I wonder if the soil was too compact? As after this I've left them and today life is springing

I have done much this week as have been working a lot and have a deadline for my masters application so as much as I am itching to get out there I have to prioritise!

Hopefully I'll get to the lottie for a couple of hours tomorrow, but again I need to be careful of the time as have other things to be doing. My neighbour has offered me some blue piping so I can make my nets for brassicas and then came put those in

CAFCGirl

Morning all,

Not made it up the plot in well over a week
I'm making my plan for the weekend though and all the things I want to work on. Hopefully I will get a good chunk of hours in up there.

I'm also considering purchasing some new items come payday, a mattock for one and possibly some more fruit bushes/trees. My blueberry bush has died so I'm thinking of getting some more of those to have in, as well as maybe some tayberry and cranberry.