The even newer good, bad and ugly of growing your own in 2021!

Ellie78

carinjo said:

Congrats @Ellie78, it's a great feeling, isn't it?! 

Off to the allotment before it gets too hot, make sure to take care everyone, i already got sunstroke once this week and was not even on allotment that day! 

It's wonderful.  I'm so happy to finally see some greenery in there!  

If you don't already have one, get yourself a massive wide brim hat.  It makes such a difference keeping the sun off your head/neck/shoulders.  

Caitykinss

It seems I can't be pleased when it comes to the weather. Two weeks ago I was screaming for sunshine, and now I'm screaming for rain! The radish, lettuce and rocket I sowed over a week ago are nowhere to be seen, despite giving them plenty of water. My raised beds are in a really sunny position and I had exactly the same problem last spring when we had all the hot weather. It took a massive downpour to get all my seeds going. 

On a happier note, everything else seems to be loving the sunshine. My rainbow chard and pak choi in particular are looking great - almost ready for thinnings to go into a salad. Kale looking alright, although it germinated a bit sparsely, so might have to do more later on for winter. I had a massive problem with cabbage butterflies last year, who ate all my kale, but I haven't spotted any yet. Not sure if the seedlings are too small, it's too early, or the marigolds have done the trick. I've got a fine net ready, but want to leave it off as long as possible, as it makes the garden look messy. 

Out of 27 tomato plants, I've so far got about 10 tiny tomatoes growing. Most other plants are flourishing with flowers and I'm eagerly checking them every chance I get. My potatoes have exploded - doubled in size in the past week - and look as if they're about to start flowering. Aubergines all have buds on them. Beans about ready to be planted out - had a problem with slugs eating my bedding plants this year, so trying to let them get as big as possible before they go out. All looking good, apart from my peppers which don't seem to be doing much at all. They look healthy, they just seem to have slowed right down. 

carinjo

Sowed radish in the gaps in brassica bed, only a few seeds left from an old packet, only 1 grew to full size on previous sowing, so shall see. Also some of the seeds i got gifted: 2 types beetroot, spring onions and a large gem lettuce type. Previous sowing of beetroot didn't get anywhere, so fingers crossed for this sowing. 
Sowed sunflowers in runnerbean bed and cosmos and wildflower mix under the plum tree. 

A nice rainshower tonight and  i managed to catch the slug been eating my aubergine! Lovely end to the day.

Suffolk_lass

Picked our first lettuce last night to make a salad which we had with a very disappointing pizza. I must water my radishes more often - they were just the right side of starting to go woody.

bluesooz

So who had the thunderstorms and torrential rain last night?  I now have full water butts and have been round the garden emptying full plant trays. 

May lose some of the strawberries through mould as it looks like it's going to stay wet here for the next few days.  At least I've managed to pick lots already with 2 bags full in the freezer.

JasperAlex

@bluesooz Same, thunderstorms last night down south and have 2 full water butts. 

Noticed a bit of blossom drop on my tomatoes this morning - the adjacent flowers have all set fruit and I have been shaking them gently a couple of times a day so not sure what the issue is. Haven't started feeding them with liquid fertiliser yet but will start soon.

Ganga

carinjo said:

Sowed radish in the gaps in brassica bed, only a few seeds left from an old packet, only 1 grew to full size on previous sowing, so shall see. Also some of the seeds i got gifted: 2 types beetroot, spring onions and a large gem lettuce type. Previous sowing of beetroot didn't get anywhere, so fingers crossed for this sowing. 
Sowed sunflowers in runnerbean bed and cosmos and wildflower mix under the plum tree. 

A nice rainshower tonight and  i managed to catch the slug been eating my aubergine! Lovely end to the day.

Not for the slug 

Suffolk_lass

JasperAlex said:

@bluesooz Same, thunderstorms last night down south and have 2 full water butts. 

Noticed a bit of blossom drop on my tomatoes this morning - the adjacent flowers have all set fruit and I have been shaking them gently a couple of times a day so not sure what the issue is. Haven't started feeding them with liquid fertiliser yet but will start soon.

When we had that blossom end rot I looked it up and apparently it is caused by inconsistent watering and possibly plants being too close together

carinjo

Was worried the tomato plants were all drowned (it in the lowest area of the plot), but they are doing well and the borage have started to flower. Harvested some broadbeans and lettuce. A couple of the onion and leaf beets have started to flower/bolt, guess they didn't like the crazy weather last couple of weeks. The zephyr courgettes both have small courgettes! At home moving the tomato pots further apart and re-tying the cucumber (decided it prefers growing up one of the tomato plants). 

Suffolk_lass

Ooh - do have borage flowers in Pimms or salads if you don't already!