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

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

MissPop wrote: »

Couple of things I wonder if you guys could help me with...

I planted out three seemingly healthy dwarf French bean plants, last week I think, but they look very poorly - the leaves have gone very pale, and feel almost like tissue paper :S Any idea what that might be about?

Also, my spinach - I've got a couple of seedlings which have erupted and are well past the baby spinach stage, leaves as big as my hands! Is it still good to eat/cook/freeze?

1. Sounds like they dried out. Or drifting weedkiller spray?

2. Will be fine cooked - baby spinach is largely for salads, not cooking. It'll taste stronger though.

CAFCGirl

Just watched a video on an allotment group on FB of someone harvesting a cucumber.... with 3 others still on the plant.

Mine are still in their seedling pot! WAH!

I feel so behind....

Fruittea

Morning everyone
Good to hear how well everyone is doing.
Sometimes when plants are potted on it's a bit of a shock to them ]]MissPop and they look very said but usually within a week they perk up and throw another leaf. Imagine coming out of your pot on a hot day and being sat in the cold earth. I try to gently transfer them in and water from the butt rather than the hose. Even if it's going to rain.

Growingwise I'm doing well - still haven't placed all the pumpkins but most are in and away. I have cucumbers to -only the gherkin kind so far but I'll start to ferment them for dill pickles. I'm sure your's will soon shot up CAFCGirl.
Salads all in abundance so plenty to eat - I've just added mooli to the oriental bed -it's a large white radish - that will be a first to me - it's just coming through.

I also have plenty of artichokes which are a real treat.
I planted a new row of spinach right up tight to the old stuff (about 2 inches) and am gradually pulling up a few of the old plants for the chickens - I being very gentle and finding the new established plants are sitting there - so I've saved space and the succession is working well on that one.

Anyone growing beans can plant until July and you will get beans until the frosts get them.

The supermarket shop will be for tomatoes and mushrooms this week - so I've cancelled the Ocado shop as I'm pretty well stocked up.
Can't wait for the first tomatoes!
Anyone else doing any indoor sprouting of beans? I'm having mixed result and wondering if some of my old lentils are just too old.
Happy growing.

Suffolk_lass

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Just watched a video on an allotment group on FB of someone harvesting a cucumber.... with 3 others still on the plant.

Mine are still in their seedling pot! WAH!

I feel so behind....

Me too, don't worry - you'll have load by August

Suffolk_lass

We've just been evicted from our coffee spot; outside the back door there are two chairs in the shade with a small table. The Jenny Wren was most upset with us sitting there! We have just noticed their tiny nest under the roof. The honey bees are very busy (hurray - that bodes well!) and the bumbles are busy in the pea bed. I wonder what other wildlife stops us working?:rotfl: As if we needed an excuse!

Oops! - two nests in the cart lodge with occupants to avoid.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Got as far as vacuuming the stairs before I had to stop doing anything of any practical use today, so wandered off into the garden.

We finally have a load of radishes for tonight, the first lettuces are pretty much done for, I've lost all the leaves off one tub of beans (how? there wasn't a mollusc for yards) and the wildflowers/weeds are up to shoulderheight in places. However, the broadbean tops will be nice if they escape the blackfly for 24 hours, the herbs are going mad, especially the sage, the Nasturtiums are very big and fat and healthy, and we have a handful of ripe raspberries amongst the roses - I presume the label saying Autumn fruiting wasn't read by the canes.

tootallulah

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Just watched a video on an allotment group on FB of someone harvesting a cucumber.... with 3 others still on the plant.

Mine are still in their seedling pot! WAH!

I feel so behind....

Mine are too I've never grown them before.....ooops!

Dizzy_Ditzy

I have strawberries :j :j only a few but it's a sign of so much more to come :j :j :j

smeeinnit

Bit of a mixed bag in the garden today, some bedding plants potted up, weeded and flattened all of the growing area and moved most of my container crops into this area and spaced out a bit more logically (ie so I can get in and weed/water) and to improve airflow. I think I will need to put down some beer traps as I noticed quite a few of my potatoes had been munched :mad::mad::mad:

All the veggies seem to be coming along well, sweet pepper is flowering as are some tomatoes, the courgettes and cucumber.

I also received 3 lavatera "barnsley baby" today so they were potted up also (groupon deal, 3 for £11.99 delivered :j)

Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit more of a sowing day, in between clearing up the hedge clippings that OH produces :rotfl: the hedges do look very smart when clipped, but 200 or so foot of them can be a pain in the bum to keep tidy.

Hope everyone's crops are growing well

CAFCGirl

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

We've just been evicted from our coffee spot; outside the back door there are two chairs in the shade with a small table. The Jenny Wren was most upset with us sitting there! We have just noticed their tiny nest under the roof. The honey bees are very busy (hurray - that bodes well!) and the bumbles are busy in the pea bed. I wonder what other wildlife stops us working?:rotfl: As if we needed an excuse!

Oops! - two nests in the cart lodge with occupants to avoid.

Does an almost 7 year old count?
I swear this child is wild!:p