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

carinjo

The brassicas finally in the ground under netting. Ms C started on preparing the leek and dwarf bean beds. Probably too late for the leeks, but the space is there, might as well stick them in. The ground rock solid, so will be watering that tonight in the hope can get a spade in it tomorrow.
The golden plum tree starting to be covered with tiny white aphids that leave the leaves sticky. Any ideas? It's covering the potatoes, strawberries nearby and neighbouring plots too. 
The squashes and courgette got some yellow leaves, can't figure out if it too much or too little water.

Happy growing this weekend everyone!

Suffolk_lass

carinjo said:

The brassicas finally in the ground under netting. Ms C started on preparing the leek and dwarf bean beds. Probably too late for the leeks, but the space is there, might as well stick them in. The ground rock solid, so will be watering that tonight in the hope can get a spade in it tomorrow.
The golden plum tree starting to be covered with tiny white aphids that leave the leaves sticky. Any ideas? It's covering the potatoes, strawberries nearby and neighbouring plots too. 
The squashes and courgette got some yellow leaves, can't figure out if it too much or too little water.

Happy growing this weekend everyone!

Maybe give them a liquid feed containing nitrogen, like a seaweed type feed, and use a can so you know how much you are giving them. In the current muggy conditions it is most likely water deficiency, but a liquid feed will give them a little boost. I can't remember if you use buried water bottle reservoirs, if not, I would scrape up soil so they are in a little pool and make sure the water is not covering the leaves or stalks too much, but this lets the water reach the roots

Suffolk_lass

Here we are harvesting strawberries. I filled two 400g punnets, so plenty left over, after a generous dessert last night. The asparagus is all frondy so it's the tips being munched, not the forming seeds. I haven't watered the potatoes or onions enough really but they are close to ready and I will boost them with more water for the next week or two. Not long until my remaining (netted) gooseberries are ready, but I need to attack the brambles and creeping thistles in there

MissRikkiC

I went out to check the veg this morning and overnight the brassica beds have developed cabbage white fly. Checking RHS it says they’re not detrimental other than to young kale (which I have!) but it’s very annoying, almost like the dust from burnt paper. I definitely saw some very small caterpillars too which are new, only little baby ones but with too many to wipe off manually I think I’ll pop out at lunch with some WUP watered down in a spray bottle and hope it helps keep it all at bay! 

carinjo

Spend a couple of hours tidying up the tomato and climbing bean beds. Weeded, removed side shoots (tomatoes) and tied up everything. With some of the beans where both seeds germinated, unwinded one plant from bamboo and run it along a thick rope tied in horisontally, hope it will produce more beans. And not one aphid! Saw a ladybird couple of days ago, i squashed the aphids i did have and send good wishes to the ladybird, job done!
My asparagus also very tall and full of fonds. Thinking they need staking maybe since they flopping over all over the place.
The squashes seem to be recovering slowly (gave them a feed as suggested by @Suffolk_lass). One of the Crown Prince is going crazy, counted 9 baby pumpkins on one plant, so will have to remove a branch or two.
The red gooseberries almost ready, didn't net them this year, so it will be a race against the birds. 
Harvested the autumn planted garlic today, looks lovely! At least one success so far this year.
Unexpected bonus: a heap of soil i removed from another area producing perpetual spinach and borage! Got to love nature and the will to survive.

Soontobeoap

Well doe @carinjo. My garden really needs a tidy uo like that. We finallyhave rain. I love this sunny weather but the rain will really help the veggie crop My first potatoes are in flower. Even the peelings that I stuck in a pot are beginning to grow. Lots of green cherry toms just waiting to ripen, Carrots are ready for thinning. Hoping to add the little ones to a stew for the freezer. Cant even think of eating stew in this heat. Most of our Strawberrys have been eaten now but raspberrys are still fruiting nicely. Runner neans are in flower. I am most pleased with my mini munch cucumbers. I have tried them before with no success but this year I already have 7 beginning to form. I have only 1 beetroot plant and not sure whether it is too late to sow more. Also only 2 swede. I am not so good at growing veg in the ground and will possibly stick to pots next year. I used my own compost for the first time this year. Very pleased with the quality but it was full of ants. Any tips on how to stop this happening would be gratefully recieved. So looking forward to reaping the rewards of my labour. Good luck all

carinjo

@Soontobeoap, yes you can still sow beetroot, i'm planning on doing so this week. 
Rain, glorious rain! Finally.

MissRikkiC

According to the latest GW magazine @Soontobeoap there’s still time to sow beetroot and carrots!

carinjo

Watering in the rain. Only an allotmenteer will be doing that. It was the wrong kind of rain. 
The beans are growing like mad. The brassicas doing ok, leeks too. 
First year asparagus about waist height and flopping over, shall i stake them?
Ms C harvested handfulls of red gooseberries and blackberries for dessert. 
Harvested a handful of perpetual spinach growing wild for dinner.
The ground was too hard to sow beetroot, fingers crossed tomorrow after the rain.

alicef

Been AWOL.  Too many visitors in June, who, strangely enough, didn't want to do planting out in 29degreeC.  Squashes went in very late - will have to see how they fare.  Better to cope with late planting are the peppers, aubergines and cucumbers - I still haven't finished planting the melons.  Harvested peas and broad beans; lettuces doing well.  Got in the dwarf french and sweetcorn - gave up on planting climbing beans. 

Had first of the tomatoes - delicious!