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

droopsnoot

I've got some flowers on my tomato plants, and none of them seem to have grown too tall so far this year. I've got some lettuce in trays, just gone to add some compost as a couple seem to be growing up out of what was there to find that my bag of compost is full of ants, so I've left the tray on an outside table in the hope they all go away before I have to bring it into the lean-to (fixed to the house) tonight. Chilli seedlings don't seem to be growing, but I've given them some tomato feed in case that helps. Can't make them any worse. I have some lettuce under wire netting in the vegetable patch which might so something, but the leaves grow really "spread" rather than like a supermarket lettuce. Also have one potato plant to dig up now the flowers have gone.

Suffolk_lass

Ooh @greenbee check out your broad beans with blackfly for pollinators. They are one of the plants with extra floral nectaries. These nectaries encourage pollinators like wasps and hover flies that will also feed on the herbivore pests and are a form of defence. They are typically located on the stipules (small, leaf-like structures at the base of the leaves) and secrete nectar, particularly before and during flowering, and even after the flowering period. The EFNs can be visually distinct, sometimes appearing as purple spots on the stipules, contrasting with the green of the surrounding leaf tissue. 

fionaandphil

@greenbee I had a think about this and our lettuce didn't germinate well either when I think back.  After 2 failed batches I bought one of the living lettuce from L1dl and planted them, split it up, 2 in the greenhouse and one outside the back door. The 2 in the greenhouse are huge and the one outside is just starting to take off so should keep us going until August if we are lucky and the slugs don't get it.  I was talking to a friend who popped round yesterday and we were just saying all the seeds have been pretty awful this year with a lot of no shows or very straggly seedlings.

My grandad always sprayed watered down washing up liquid on the greenfly and blackfly and I have continued this practice.

Anyway, have a nice Sunday and hopefully the weather will be nice enough to get outside

carinjo

After a week in portugal came back to an allotment in lovely condtition. My neighbours done an excellent job watering (incl a bit of overwatering in greenhouse) but nothing died! The herbs bolted and the barlotti beans haven't germinated, but minor compared to last year's june holiday.
I am happy to report the gooseberry netting stayed in place, was worried about birds being caught up in it, but no gaps appeared. 
I have a rough plan for tidying and weeding for the next couple of weeks, then it a start on the next bit of sowing. I've never attempted a summer/autumn sowing, but got some seeds with magazines for lettuces and brassicas that can be sown now and some for later. 

carinjo

I need a bit of advice please. I would like to redo the (very, very small) area in front of the house with borders and perennial planting. We have hedgehogs in the area so want to do a border that they can climb over as opposed to leaving a gap. The reasoning is we can just top up the bed each year with compost etc.
What kind of material/type of border could anyone recommend? 
The dimension of bedding i have to work with is about 60cmx150cm (x2), so big railway sleepers is a no.

Suffolk_lass

We used scaffold planks - if you check out FB marketplace, a few people sell them secondhand (one or two,  or a few offcuts would work for you). I bought wooden tent pegs to hold the planks vertical. I didn't treat mine and they rotted but it took about ten years before that (and the crumbing wood provides stag beetle habitat here). We are going to re-edge when Mr Sl has fully recovered from his recent hospital stay - we intend using old concrete roof tiles as the interlock at the sides. I don't want a trip hazard though so vertically, with half buried is the plan.

-taff

I've used roof tiles to make a raised edge, lots of wildlife habitat in it..

KajiKita

-taff said:

I've used roof tiles to make a raised edge, lots of wildlife habitat in it..

That looks really lovely 🥰 

KK

rtandon27

@-taff - thanks for posting the pic, it's so lovely to see real life inspiration!

ladybird1106

Not been on for awhile, hope everyone is coping in the heat. 

Lots and lots of watering done very early this morning. Fed the squashes, courgettes and sweetcorn diluted worm sweat. Potted on cauliflowers, broccoli 🥦 and January king cabbages. Sowed some more basil, climbing French beans and savoy cabbages. Tied in more bean sticks.  OH started putting the new to us greenhouse. 

Harvested 4 lettuces - 1 for salad and 3 to make
https://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/lettuce-pea-and-mint-soup?
love 🐞