The ups, the downs and the insides out of growing your own in 2026!

droopsnoot

Last weekend I planted out half of the lettuce that had started coming up in a tray on the window sill, under my new frame in the vegetable patch. They don't look very healthy after a week, maybe it was a bit early, but they were going very long and straggly in the tray and the ones I left behind look noticeably better so maybe the others will perk up. Emptied the rest of the old onion seeds into a few bits of the patch just in case they do anything, and noticed that I seem to have a lettuce coming up in a spot where I planted them last year and nothing grew. Maybe I should be planning a bit more in advance.

Tomato plants continue to grow, perhaps a bit too quickly as I am hoping to dismantle and rebuild the rear lean-to greenhouse before I put anything in it. I've also got some other plants which might be chillies, or might be peppers, I've lost track.

FreeBear

Hobbled up to the compost bin to throw some kitchen scraps in. Took me about 5 minutes to do the ~15m up there. On the way back, noticed the pineberries (white strawberry) were looking a little wilted - Been over a week since I was last out there.. Another 10 minutes spent hobbling to the outside tap and dragging the hosepipe to the pots.

I'm done with gardening for another week. Mowing the weed patch will have to wait until next year.

QueenJess

ooh - I’ve just discovered this thread and would love to join in, although I may be doing a lot of lurking..

My garden is almost all deep shade, but the patio is long and baking hot (South facing) so I have a collection of pots and two absolutely massive raised bed type things on there to grow stuff. Generally I have no idea what I am doing, but I am happy to experiment. I also have little to no free time.

On the positive side, my local zero waste shop gives away free mainly veg seeds, so I am trying to do most of it for free. I already have herbs, strawberries, a lovely blueberry bush and have put in seeds for radishes, a variety of salads, sweet peas, peas and for the first time am trying out potatoes. I also grabbed some dirt cheap blackcurrant bushes as I have a redcurrant bush that regularly goes nuts.

Kantankrus_Mare

Welcome Queen Jess!!

Think thats how we all started…….a bit of trial and error. 20 years into my growing journey and I am still learning.

Like you I try to make my veg growing free. Have made almost £80 this year selling on my strawberry plants that I have created with runners. More than covers my cost of compost , seeds and my part of the allotment rental.

carinjo

Spend yesterday doing a tidy on allotment. Strimming the edges, laying down some carpet strips to keep the grass from communal paths from the plot.

Harvested large handfulls of chard and perpetual spinach, some self seeded and growing everywhere!

The pear blossoms were all on the ground after the strong winds, but close inspection showed pears forming.

Build another double height pallet collar raised bed, lined with empty compost bags.

Gifted pointed cabbage seedlings from a neighbour, so need to get the brassica bed ready asap.

Ms C asked me to give you all an update on how the L1d1 cold frame is doing: not well! Came apart in the last strong wind, she had to tape it all together, fingers crossed. But hey, it protected seedlings from light frost last night!

FreeBear

Dipped down to just under 1°C overnight. Didn't have any fleece on the apricot or plumcot. Fingers crossed I haven't lost any nascent fruits. That said, the plumcot will need thinning over the next few weeks.

Kantankrus_Mare

Well Im still here and havent yet got a date for my gallbladder removal but Im feeling blessed as I arent really getting any discomfort which a lot of people suffer with. Even thought "Do i really need it removing" but lots of research and a chat with my doctor says better to get rid whilst well as can cause major problems in the future.

Anyway its allowed me to get on with the usual jobs on allotment. My asparagus is having its best year yet and have had several pickings from it.

Now have five beds of strawberries. Some may say excessive but we freeze fruit to last us through the winter so can never have enough. Just sold the last of my plants created from runners and chuffed to bits as mad almost £140!

My tomato plants dont seem to be getting any bigger on my living room table but think they did this last year then took off all of a sudden.

Courgettes, cucumbers ,sweetcorn and green beans all waiting patiently for the the last frosts to be gone.

Potatoes are in but not showing yet. Yesterday was spent trying to transport water from the one standpipe on allotment site to fill some water butts. Cant believe how much I took for granted the water tap at end of plot and being able to water with hosepipe.

QueenJess

Popped out to do some bits in the garden with my mini helper (DD). Gave everything a good water as it's dry. The blackcurrants are growing very nicely - happy with those as they were an end of season bargain. The rhubarb doesn't look happy though, I just don't seem to be able to grow it here as I don't think it likes the heavy clay soil. It's a shame as I absolutely love rhubarb. Maybe I could use it in the middle of a raised bed instead.

Sowed a whole tray of free marigold seeds, 3 courgette seeds and some coriander. All what I already had from prior years or free from my local zero waste shop. The peas are starting to grow, the potatoes are huge, the mint is trying to take over in the container and the tomato, cucumber and pea seeds are all growing well. I still need to finish filling up the large raised bed with compost (need a few more bags of it) and will fill it with whatever I have to hand.

Suffolk_lass

Apple trees in bloom here, including the one-sided Bramley I am training back. I looks a bit weird at the moment. The garden has, of course, exploded into action but so have my bees. Out to the bees most days to finish some preventive measures to stop them swarming. It will take all day I suspect. Saturday was earmarked for the garden, with a very, very long list! - I did plant all my squash seeds and Mr Sl has been opening and closing the GH door so no fried veg this year.

I want us both out there today (while the weather is nice) to take everything out of the greenhouse, remove the cobwebs, clean the glass and remove the weeds around the edges, then put it all back in except the pots and trays that I will clean. Yes, I would much rather be planting, potting on and doing a bit of weeding but this job was not done last year and it is much needed! I don't want the tiny red spider mites in there and I do want my container-grown veg to thrive.

EssexHebridean

We seem to have had a fairly productive weekend - the one growbag left over from last year now has 4 Minibel bush tomatoes in it - my absolute favourites, those! I've also potted on the San marzano, Gardeners Delight and Maskotka into their final pots - I was a tiny bit worried about giving them SUCH a big change, but I have a feeling I did that last year and they were OK so fingers crossed…! Just the Alicante seedlings still to deal with now - that's probably a tomorrow evening job I think. I've got some spares of each of my chosen tomato variety bar the Minibel set aside ready to step in for any plants that fail anyway. We did try to get some more growbags but H0m3 B@rg@ins were out of stock when we went in, so we'll have to try again, assuming we don't decide just to go with pots - I think we may have enough.

Chilies, peppers, courgettes and cucumbers have been moved into the next size up of pots - as have the sweetcorn plants, although I only have 4 at the moment. We bought more seed at the weekend so can get some more going anyway with luck - and having two lots sown at different times will help stretch the cropping with luck.

Another tomorrow evening task is going to be to get anything else that needs sowing now done I think - so those remaining sweetcorn, some more cucumber and probably a couple of other bits as well - the plan is to just set those in propagators and then probably put them on the living room sills I think - they should get plenty of light then but not get over warm… I should probably get another pot of basil going as well, although my first one doesn't seem to be doing much!

Next challenge will be working out how everything can be kept moist while we're off camping!

A quick nursery visit on Saturday saw us get MrEH's beloved lobelia (although in a mixed colour this year - he usually insists on straight blue so I'm taking that as a win!) plus some geraniums - also nabbed a tray of hospital wing petunias as well - he then had a bit of a planting-fest in the afternoon and got those, plus some more sweet peas in around the place. If everything takes we should have a riot of colour later in the year!