The even bigger and better and hopefully not lower bits of growing your own in 2022!

Suffolk_lass

We also make loads of courgette soup, fritters and curry. The young ones now, before squash-a-geddon, I split in half length ways and griddle on a ridged pan

sammy_kaye18

I am currently nursing my first courgette. 
It is about courgette expectant size now so I dare say I will be picking it before long. 
I only have 2 courgette plants going at the minute as I didnt want to be inundated with them but I have a few more flowers appearing so I expect I will get a few from each plant this year. Plus Im not sure what the wandering courgette down in my runner beans is doing but it seems a bit behind the other two plants so Ill wait to see what that does too as Ive just left it to its own devices. 

I have had 4 strawberries from my transplanted plants - not sure why they arent looking so full and happy when my mother in laws seem to be growing like mad. I think I need to water more. 

Also had my first harvest of peas yesterday and got about half a cup and a good handful of tidy sized carrots - Ive taken out pork to put them with today in something. 

Tomatoes and peppers are still growing in the greenhouse nicely. 

Cabbages and sprouts have planted so I get the feeling I will have to transplant them to a bed soon.

My saved cucumber plant is now about 2 feet high and has put out its little grabby vine so Im hoping that that will take off soon too. 

Also planted more peas and runner beans and they are starting to sprout now too. 

Radishes in tubs are happily sprouting away too. 

I think I need to up my growing next year - maybe more tubs since I seem to be doing well with that and I need to look into some sort of rain water catchment and storage I think. 

carinjo

H@mebase doing a sale, got some seedling soil. Will go and get more later for next year. Does soil last till next season, or do the minerals and nutrients deteriorate over time?

Fosterdog

@Glittering_M courgettes can be used to make quite a nice chocolate cake, it's how I used some of my surplus last year, along with the other suggestions of adding it to soups and curries (and a bolognaise sauce). 

My sweetcorn is the same as yours this year, about half the height they normally get so I'm not expecting much from them.

@carinjo as long as you can keep the soil relatively dry it will be fine, it's when it gets wet the nutrients seep out with the water that drains away.

I'm thinking of trying another sowing of beans and peas directly in my main veg bed, they are so good for adding nitrogen back to the soil I might get one later season crop from them and then dig in the plant as a green manure to help improve it for next year. I've got to try something because this year a lot of things are just not growing too well at all. I also planted my king Edward seed potatoes yesterday to get my later in the year Christmas dinner harvest, I need something for that meal because not a single parsnip grew and I only have maybe 6 carrots actually growing.

Glittering_M

Thanks for the suggestions! I seem to remember previously doing a chocolate cake too 

Going to try the Fenugreek on the weekend, excited by that simply because I wasn't fully expecting supermarket culinary seeds to work.

Suffolk_lass

My emergency back-up delivery of (completely not-needed) runner beans were delivered yesterday. 12 plants - I cannot bring myself to compost them. I think we might try them in grow bags, alongside my neighbour's hedge. Another couple of mini-munch "lunchbox snacking" cucumbers picked. 2 plants, approx 2 a day - I would recommend these. In the greenhouse. I also picked chillies and a handful of tomatoes. Courgettes a coming now I have picked a few

Farway

carinjo said:

H@mebase doing a sale, got some seedling soil. Will go and get more later for next year. Does soil last till next season, or do the minerals and nutrients deteriorate over time?

Nutrients do gradually deteriorate over time but not significantly to worry about, and as you refer to seed compost that is not high in nutrients any way, high levels are not required for seedlings because all the food is already in the seed. If you find it on offer, I'd grab it now, you can always mix some Growmore or similar if you feel it may need some

droopsnoot

Started eating my first home-grown lettuce yesterday. Seems fine. I was hoping that the lettuce, tomatoes and peppers would all turn up at the same time, but the rest are miles behind unfortunately. 

carinjo

@Fosterdog and @Farway thanks for the advice on seedling soil. I got a packet of buckwheat seeds as a green manure, think will stick that in the climbing bean bed, since only a few came up, don't have more pea/bean seeds i think.
Ms C going to water this morning and potato harvest starting this afternoon.

Kantankrus_Mare

Had our first courgettes in a veggie pasta dish last night. Hoping for many more from  my 2 plants as I make soup, fritters, and risotto from them. First tomatoes picked as well with lots more to come. Been picking spinach but it quickly goes to seed so will sew more this afternoon. New potatoes lovely and raspberries starting to fruit along with blueberries that should be ready to pick soon.
My sweetcorn arent very tall but look healthy. Am really disappointed with sweet peas and mange tout though. Never had problems with either in the past but the mange tout have been eaten by birds and sweet peas dont seem to be getting any taller. Ah well......cant have all winners every year.