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

maisymoo5

Hi all, I've been on holiday and have come home to a greenhouse that looks like triffids have invaded. I have nine tomato plants in there and I cannot tell which stems belong to which. I had a neighbour's son watering everything for me. I've managed to prop them up best I can and have pinched out the tops. They are different varieties and I can see lots of tomatoes but sadly all green still at this stage. Not sure why they are taking so long to ripen this year.

My first cucumber was absolutely delicious. I've never tasted anything like it. I only have one plant but I've since harvested another and have two more getting plumper. Mmmm.

My butternut squash look good and I have plenty of flowers so I'm hoping there will be something to harvest. I had another go at a few cabbages but they are continuing to get eaten alive so they are outside fending for themselves and I'm keeping my eyes out for the culprits. I can't see any eggs or caterpillars.

I have potted on my chill plants and need to pot on my lupins again for planting out later. The slugs are eating the delphiniums I bought as my seeds didn't grow but my hollyhocks are doing very well and my gladi are just about to flower too.

The onions are in a cauldron so will probably not be much larger than spring onions but it's exciting to see what can be grown and I have the bug now. My leeks which are in a deeper pot are also getting thicker and I am topping up the soil in them. The rest of my wild flower seeds have all grown and the bees are loving it. My salad is still going strong and I am continuing to plant new seed every two weeks. Just wish my tomatoes would start to ripen. Can't wait. Oh and I have a few french beans and dwarf beans which will be ready soon. Not a lot but it's my first year and I only have a greenhouse and pots (no veg patch) so I'm thrilled with it all. Happy gardening all

Fruittea

So nice for you to come home to all that produce. And at least they got watered. I'm a bit the same with the tomatoes. I really need to give them a bit more support as a couple had slumped over with the weight of the toms.
All good though.

sazzlebgood?

lots and lots of courgettes coming from the allotment any ideas of how to use them up?Already have used them on pizza, in brownies (very nice), cake, quiche, and a toast topping.

zafiro1984

sazzlebgood? wrote: »

lots and lots of courgettes coming from the allotment any ideas of how to use them up?Already have used them on pizza, in brownies (very nice), cake, quiche, and a toast topping.

I have the same problem, could you share your brownie recipe as I rather fancy making some.

Fruittea

Morning Everyone
It's been a bit quiet but I expect everyone's been so busy. Everything is growing so well - so it's mainly been weeding for me but I have sown more salad and some cabbages. Lovely raspberries this year from the new plants I put and lots have been going in the freezer for winter puds.
The pumpkins are getting huge - I'm growing about 10 this year so will hopefully have plenty for over wintering.

I'm backwards and forwards on a house sit at the mo so things are busy.
Hope you're all reaping in the produce.

Zafiro this is a pretty good recipe for courgette and orange bread:
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/5998/courgette-orange-bread.aspx
I like the tip about grating and freezing the courgette for later use.

I do the same with orange zest so I always have some - might make one in my new combie microwave - as I'm just getting used to using it.

All the best everyone.

smeeinnit

Hi all

Trying to get back to normal after losing mum last month, still feels strange doing normal things, I suppose it will all take time.

Courgettes are still going crazy despite unintended neglect, carrots are looking ready to pull any day, as are the onions when we have a bit of dry weather. The runner beans have definitely had it so I have left what beans remain to go to seed for next year. Cucumber is hanging on but no more fruit yet.

On a positive note I harvested the last of my new potatoes, 12lb, will be giving some away as there's more than enough for me and OH. The cherry tomatoes are producing a handful or two a day, the currant sized ones are all stubbornly green, but plentiful. Glut alert coming!

I will have to sow some more salad leaves as all those I did have didn't survive my absence, however as I bought *ahem* rather a lot of seeds a while back, I have plenty for this year and next and the next

We are going to visit family in Spain next month, hope to have a touch of maisymoo magic and come back to lots of lovely crops

Hope everyone is ok and the growing is good x

CAFCGirl

Well I've managed to get the plot bumbling along in the right direction.

Onions have been lifted and are drying, I have mutant tomatoes in the growtunnel - quite clearly not gardeners delight as they have grooves and are about a child's palm size. My two 99p chilli plants have done amazingly in the grow tunnel - Gusto and Apache. Gusto is a lovely almost black purple fruit so it looks smashing. Apache has so many little green chillies on it - prolific I think is the term.
The purple green beans have produced plenty, I seem to miss picking them at the right time though, but thankfully what's too tough for us is great for dog food additions.

Probably the best success however has been my summer squashes - which turned out to be 'Summer Sun' and 'Patty Pan' -I have had 32 fruits in total so far, 11 of which were given away to plot neighbours and our house neighbours. There are still at least 15 on the plants. Note to self, 2 plants would suffice not 5

The seating area around the shed is going well. Re-used slabs and have used the old swing seat frame (was going to use it as a plant trellis) as a hammock stand - DS is besotted with it. It only went up yesterday but he sat in it happily the whole time and asked to go back again today, and all this week so he can sit in it. This might be the answer to my prayers!

The plums have all been picked - when the birds start nabbing them, that's my sign to get picking My plan is to make slow cooker Chinese spiced plum sauce with them. Plentiful supply of pears left on the tree too but theyre not quite ready just yet.

I need to get sowing again now. I have 3 large beds all waiting for a crop.

MissPop

I think my broccoli might just make it after all :eek: It was almost completely shredded by caterpillars a couple of weeks ago - I doused the whole lot with bug killer, anticipating the lot having to go in the garden waste bag, but after cutting back the worst affected leaves there's definitely lots of new growth going on Fingers crossed, the other half loves broccoli, but only Tenderstem (where's the rolleyes emoji when you need it?!) and it's so much more expensive than the bog standard type!

zafiro1984

I made icecream with the remaining blackberries from last year as the new lot is starting to turn colour, looks like a huge crop this year.
I've also started collecting the onions and drying them - a lot have bolted mainly the red ones,
Courgettes not doing as well as I hoped but I forgot to muck their patch earlier this year and I suspect that's the reason why.
Blight has attacked my Red Duke of York so I've cut the haulms off and shall harvest the pots as and when needed.
Mange tout doing ok as are the dwarf beans but the climbing and runner beans were almost completely eaten by the deer so they are taking their time to recover
Sweetcorn just starting - harvested just two so far - delicious
kale doing ok
peas a bit of hit and miss
too many cucumbers not enough tomatoes yet
carrots just coming into their own

lettuce, fennel, more dwarf beans, broadbeans, beetroot, brocolli, kohl rabi all germinated and need pricking out - to go out when and where there is enough room.

Busy time and I wish it would stop raining as the weeds are loving it.

Happy growing everyone, central heating came on this morning soon be turning cooler.

CAFCGirl

Another large bed sown at the weekend. Pak choi x2 and some choy sum.

Harvested a load of chillies, tomatoes are still green, the swede are starting to sprout, beans are coming to an end, and the squash of plenty is still going. Got some rather magnificently sized pumpkins on the go so thats exciting for DS.
Next up is going to be the skinny long bed by the side of the growhouse and turnips are going in there