The ups, the downs and the insides out of growing your own in 2025!

carinjo

I found a burst of energy this afternoon and decided to resow the courgettes into smaller pots and they can stay on the windowsill, believe it is warm enough. 
I also had a go at potting up the romanesco cauliflower and wongbok. Not too sure about the multipurpose compost, it very rough and woody, so fingers crossed. I realised it the first time i potted up small seedlings, was a very nervous halfhour! Before have only done tomatoes from small pots to bigger ones.
Had to pause before potting up the cabbage and chillis, ran out of space in livingroom, so need to see what can be moved to greenhouse on allotment or coldframe outside. Nighttime temperature was 4C last night, so really don't want to move anything yet. Might have to convince ms c to allow me to use the bedroom windowsill for a couple of weeks! 💞

ladybird1106

Back after our holiday. Lost a few seedlings but not too many. Lots of weeds , especially bindweed has materialised. Plenty of asparagus and rhubarb ready. Lots hoeing done and last of the potatoes are in.
love 🐞

droopsnoot

I've transferred my "Money Maker" toms to larger pots, and they're spending the days outside in the lean-to greenhouse but still coming back in overnight. I've got some more to do the same with, but I think I'll leave them for a bit as I'm running out of space on the windowsills. 

carinjo

I would like advice on how to get my rhubarb to "ripen". It is massive, but i am lucky to get a few stalks a week that are easily pulled (i call it the pear method 😂)
Some reading said that leaves can cause shade and inhibit maturing and that rhubarb can have green stalks and still be mature. Also, lack of nutrients can be a cause. 

carinjo

@droopsnoot when are you planning on planting out your tomatoes? I am in half a mind in leaving mine in their small pots since planting out here in hertfordshire normally in about 2weeks' time. Last year i didn't pot up and worked absolutely fine planting it below first set of leaves for extra root growth.

Paspatur

Suffolk_lass said:

I will be trying Ajuga for ground cover; little blue-purple flowers and bronze leaves as it is doing well in the weed and moss dominated "lawn". 

Ajuga is a nightmare in my garden. Planted as ground cover. Hides weeds rather than supresses them and strangles 'good' plants
I have been trying to eradicate it for 4 years

ladybird1106

Couple hours at the plot today. I had sown early pea seeds and put glass over them. Germination was more miss than hit. Won’t bother again. Filled in gaps with new seeds, put pea sticks in, watered, weeded and put glass over to protect them frost. Did the same for mangy tout. Lots of hoeing as well. Watered the garlic. 

Love 🐞

Suffolk_lass

carinjo said:

I would like advice on how to get my rhubarb to "ripen". It is massive, but i am lucky to get a few stalks a week that are easily pulled (i call it the pear method 😂)
Some reading said that leaves can cause shade and inhibit maturing and that rhubarb can have green stalks and still be mature. Also, lack of nutrients can be a cause. 

Mine has lots of short thick stems. I believe mine is due to drought - we have not had enough rain here in the east. Nutrients are usually a good addition of well-rotted farm manure in January (taking care not to cover the crowns). The other possibilities are old plants or over-crowding. Yours don't look like they are starved (colour of the leaves is good), and I would not reduce the leaves, after all, forcing denies the plants the light so the stems grow long enough for the leaves to poke out of the top. They tend to be a bit spindly when they are young plants. Maybe that is yours? The other element is to always harvest the oldest of three stems. Never take any mini-crown two stems or it weakens the plant

droopsnoot

carinjo said:

@droopsnoot when are you planning on planting out your tomatoes? I am in half a mind in leaving mine in their small pots since planting out here in hertfordshire normally in about 2weeks' time. Last year i didn't pot up and worked absolutely fine planting it below first set of leaves for extra root growth.

In the garden? Never. I just keep putting them in bigger and bigger pots, and in a while (when they get too big to move) I'll start leaving them in the greenhouse all the time. I had a couple in pots outside a few years back and they were OK, but I'd never actually plant them anywhere, not least because I can't stop the local cats using the vegetable patch as a toilet.

My main problem is that they get very tall or "leggy". I know there's a way to pinch the centre shoots out to get them to fill out a bit, but I read that the time to do that is when the first flowers start appearing, and mine are already too tall by then.

Farway

droopsnoot said:

carinjo said:

@droopsnoot when are you planning on planting out your tomatoes? I am in half a mind in leaving mine in their small pots since planting out here in hertfordshire normally in about 2weeks' time. Last year i didn't pot up and worked absolutely fine planting it below first set of leaves for extra root growth.

In the garden? Never. I just keep putting them in bigger and bigger pots, and in a while (when they get too big to move) I'll start leaving them in the greenhouse all the time. I had a couple in pots outside a few years back and they were OK, but I'd never actually plant them anywhere, not least because I can't stop the local cats using the vegetable patch as a toilet.

My main problem is that they get very tall or "leggy". I know there's a way to pinch the centre shoots out to get them to fill out a bit, but I read that the time to do that is when the first flowers start appearing, and mine are already too tall by then.

Maybe try another variety? 

A bush type would stay lower, and depending on variety could be left to get on with it