The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

Jazee

I haven't grown courgettes this year and they haven't been missed. Picked the first of the French beans yesterday.

euronorris

Primrose wrote: »

Could you try moving the containers to a shadier part of the garden? The plants might recover.

No, one is in the trug, so I can't move that (way too heavy, plus it has other plants in it that love the sun (tomatoes).


The other is in a pot in the self watering system, but it isn't the only one in the system, if that makes sense. I suppose I could just move that single pot, but then I don't really know where I could put it instead. Quite limited on space. There is a small spot on the opposite side of the garden, but it is REALLY shaded, so I'm not sure if it would be too much shade. Worth a try I guess.


My broadbeans keep flowering, but then not setting fruit. lol. The flower disappears, and then there's nothing to see. Like it's been cut off almost. I would suspect flower drop if it had been hotter, or the soil was too dry, but neither applies to them in that position. I consulted my little growing vegetables book, and it suggested that sparrows could be the culprit. We do get quite a few sparrow visitors. How would I prevent that? Netting?


The second showing of peas are going great guns at the moment. Lots of new pods forming already


Hoping for a second showing on the blueberry bushes, as the pickings of the first lot come to an end. DH and I have barely seen any as DD wolves them down as soon as they're washed! haha


And the Brussel Sprout plant is still going strong, much to the annoyance of my husband, and delight of my MIL!


Didn't actually spend much time in the garden though this weekend. Had a day at MILs on Saturday, and then yesterday was swimming and clearing out a cupboard (boiler being replaced today), and sorting through and passing on some of DD's clothes that she has outgrown. So, not productive in the garden, but productive in the house.

-taff

When you say you're watering them day and evening, are you spraying with rose or pouring out straight? Spraying with a rose might only be wetting the first few centimeters of compost, so not really reaching the roots.
You can stand the pots in a dish and water from below, that way, you'd see when the dish was dry and pour more in. It could be a case of under or over watering, can't really tell...
With the feeding, are you doing it twice a week and with what? I tend to do pots the same as tomatoes, feeding from the top and watering from the bottom. The toms and cucs and peppers all stand in trays with stones in them and you can see the trailing roots of the toms in amongst the stones so they're good for taking up water. The stones however, now have a nice lot of algae on them, it disappears over winter when they dry out but I'm not bothered by it as long as the toms aren't...they seem to be fine atm

unrecordings

When Monty Don 'did' courgettes a month or so ago he recommended creating a well around the plant to direct water down rather than outwards

euronorris

Spraying with a rose? Did you mean hose? Yes, I use a hose. For the trug, I obviously can't stand it in water, but I give it a GOOD watering. I go off and do the plants that are in tubs, and then I go back and do the trug again. On occasion, I have seen water drip out of the bottom of the trug, so I am certain there is enough water there.


The one in the tub is on a self watering system, so it always has a supply of water from the base. During the hot weather, I have topped up from above also as I was a bit worried about them, but only did it lightly.


The feeding I have been doing once a week, when I feed the tomatoes, and with the same stuff. I thought that would be OK?!


I think, having read up about vercillium wilt, that this is the problem and that they both get too much sun in their current locations. Especially as the one in the pot, gets more shade during the day than the one in the trug and it is the healthier looking of the two. I'll move it to a more shaded area tonight, and see if that helps. Can't do much about the trug one. Just a live and learn situation.

euronorris

unrecordings wrote: »

When Monty Don 'did' courgettes a month or so ago he recommended creating a well around the plant to direct water down rather than outwards

Oh, thanks. How did he do that exactly, just kind of dig a little moat around the base? Trying to envisage it so I can replicate.

euronorris

Also, thinking of next year, to place the courgettes where the peas and beans are, and vice versa.

unrecordings

euronorris wrote: »

Oh, thanks. How did he do that exactly, just kind of dig a little moat around the base? Trying to envisage it so I can replicate.

Yes, something like that - he was planting out in the ground. Will see if I can post what I did with a growbag & single use plastic in a bit

unrecordings

2nd attempt...



Now the image seems to work: This was taken in early June. The brown thing is a supermarket mushroom tray with the bottom cut out to concentrate the watering downwards rather than let it spread out across the growbag. The tray is also pressed into the compost (like a coffer dam) rather than just sat on top to prevent leakage when watering

euronorris

Ahh, thanks for the photo. I had envisaged something different, so that really helps, thank you.

Thank you to everyone for trying to help. I have given them a heavy watering tonight, ahead of tomorrows predicted 31!!! And sprayed the leaves with water too, as seems they like to be moist all round, and maybe that is what I'm missing.

Whilst watering, I looked at the strawberries, and the ones I've grown from seed must be overbearing as I have flower buds! Pink ones! I'm pretty sure I read they dont flower/fruit much in the first year, but it's good news for next year