2023 - the good, the not so good but hopefully not ugly of growing your own!

alicef

Tied in the broad beans. Have been pinching out the tops of the broad beans now that they have started to set pods to minimise/avoid the black aphids.  Also, have started to pinch put the side shoots on the toms - this year I might try making more tomato plants from the side shoots but I think the shoots need to be a bit longer.  Still haven't potted on the pumpkins & squashes - I think I'll be skipping that bit and just put them into the ground. 

carinjo

Ms C and i finished building the squash frame, hoping to plant tomorrow. The tomatoes and salad planted last week settling in well. 

Suffolk_lass

MissRikkiC said:

@Suffolk_lass did you mention T@M weren’t great for plugs? Tia 

Yes, that was me. They are fine for seeds but my experience (and bearing in mind they are pretty local to me) is that they are dried out and half dead - certainly vegetable plugs have been terrible during and post pandemic

carinjo

After having a read about growing squash vertically, i've added some horizontal bamboo support to help with the weight. The arch is either going to be awesome and full of squashes or the biggest ornamental structure on the allotment! 
Planted butternut and crown prince to grow along the ground.
Removed most of the cloches for purple climbing bean. A couple got munched by slugs even though they were covered!
Got some discounted bedding plants from l1dl going to stick in holes between beans and squashes for colour

YBR

carinjo said:

After having a read about growing squash vertically, i've added some horizontal bamboo support to help with the weight. The arch is either going to be awesome and full of squashes or the biggest ornamental structure on the allotment! 
Planted butternut and crown prince to grow along the ground.
Removed most of the cloches for purple climbing bean. A couple got munched by slugs even though they were covered!
Got some discounted bedding plants from l1dl going to stick in holes between beans and squashes for colour

I have taken to growing courgette vertically too, seems to do just as well. I have quite a solid structure along the back of my little veg bed that suffices for peas, beans, courgette and squash. Unfortunately no squash this year as none of the seeds germinated. 

Has anyone grown celery? I'm trying for the first time and not sure what to expect.

alicef

I visited a biodynamic grower the other day who uses rebar mesh for growing vertically.  Looks great. 

The first of the succession sow peas are in flower and this single standout beauty makes me smile every time I walk past the bed.

Suffolk_lass

I have been growing beans and squashes on arches over the paths in my veg garden since seeing them at Helmingham Hall, some years ago. These are my four rotation beds so I grow dwarf beans under the climbers and rotate the squashes round (butternuts after potatoes are harvested, normally). This pic was in December. The fencing is rabbit fencing we made

carinjo

@YBR i'm going to have a go at growing some of my courgette vertically. Do you tie them onto a stake/bamboo?
@Suffolk_lass your plot is very tidy. Being able to walk under the arches once they covered in veg must be lovely! 

YBR

carinjo said:

@YBR i'm going to have a go at growing some of my courgette vertically. Do you tie them onto a stake/bamboo?
@Suffolk_lass your plot is very tidy. Being able to walk under the arches once they covered in veg must be lovely! 

Yes, I tie them to bamboo poles, they need quite a lot of ties or the the top flops over.

ArbitraryRandom

Am I too late to start squash now (North West)? 

I've just been given a packet of Harrier (Butternut) squash, and I think the seeds would be good until next year but if I could have something from my garden this autumn that would be fab  

If they'd do okay, then is it as simple as I spread out an area of my compost and keep it watered/weed free?