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The all new 2019 growing your own thread!

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  • unrecordings
    unrecordings Posts: 2,017 Forumite
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    unrecordings wrote: »
    This 2014 version is supposed to be more of a reboot in keeping with the original 1950's Toho/Japanese version

    Well the less said about that the better, I didn't enjoy it...

    ...In other news got a lot done yesterday. Put my last three Nimbus tomatoes in a growbag (grobag gro-bag?) and I'm very pleased to report that my Ailsa Craigs (also in greenhouse) have started to flower. I got that nice big tub of alpine potting mix done, and fixed the little plastic Haws watering can, I just need to test it again (the base easily snaps back on but will tend to seep unless you give the thing a good clean and seal the joint with wood glue/pva/etc before reassembly)

    As for the five bags of mulch, need to trim a hedge first - and I'm banned from using the trimmers :T

    Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?
  • dancing_star
    dancing_star Posts: 312 Forumite
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    unrecordings wrote: »
    Put my last three Nimbus tomatoes in a growbag (grobag gro-bag?) and I'm very pleased to report that my Ailsa Craigs (also in greenhouse) have started to flower.


    Wow, your tomatoes are way ahead of mine, even my first batch. My Sungolds are doing the best with the Ailsa Craigs a close second but none are anywhere near flowering yet.


    My first sowing of crimson flowering broad beans are just about flowering, well the flowers are poking out but not in full bloom yet. Apologies if that's the wrong terminology! Second sowing (direct, like the first) haven't sprouted yet.



    I've harvested my first couple of bunches of pak choi and going to have them for tea tonight as part of beef & broccoli stir fry. I'm having similar problems with this year's pak choi to last years - bolting. The couple of weeks of hot dry weather have dunnit I think.


    Finally decided on a patio apple tree for my half barrel, bought it yesterday. Sadly my cat had to be PTS so I am going to include his ashes in the barrel along with the apple tree.



    Going to visit a local walled garden in a minute, after I've finished my cuppa and pegged the washing out.
  • unrecordings
    unrecordings Posts: 2,017 Forumite
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    CAFCGirl wrote: »
    Quite pleased I managed to source some more 'out there's herbs than the usual. I've got bergamot, curry plant, chamomile and fennel - as well as cotton lavender, thyme
    , lemon thyme, marjoram, oregano and golden sage. For £2 each I was pleased with the variety.

    I love those more 'out there' herbs, I have an old recipe that I conjured up from somewhere nearly 30 years ago - might be Italian, might be French, I've no idea. I call it Lemony Chicken but it generally contains neither lemons nor chicken - I do tend to use a mix of fennel leaf, bergamot and maybe some verbena for the lemony bit (the rest is a secret)

    Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?
  • unrecordings
    unrecordings Posts: 2,017 Forumite
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    dancing_star wrote: »
    Wow, your tomatoes are way ahead of mine, even my first batch. My Sungolds are doing the best with the Ailsa Craigs a close second but none are anywhere near flowering yet.

    I've harvested my first couple of bunches of pak choi and going to have them for tea tonight as part of beef & broccoli stir fry. I'm having similar problems with this year's pak choi to last years - bolting. The couple of weeks of hot dry weather have dunnit I think.

    Finally decided on a patio apple tree for my half barrel, bought it yesterday. Sadly my cat had to be PTS so I am going to include his ashes in the barrel along with the apple tree.

    Looking at my calendar the Ailsa Craigs went into Grow Pots in the greenhouse four weeks ago, and I think it's been good greenhouse weather, so here's hoping for an early crop

    My Pak Choi always bolts, every year. Once it flowers I tend the leave it for the bees until the flowers fade, which is right about now in fact - it's going in tonight's ramen

    Sorry to hear about the little furry fellow, they do break your heart don't they. The apple tree sounds perfect

    Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?
  • dancing_star
    dancing_star Posts: 312 Forumite
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    Sorry, do you mean you let the pak choi grow even after it's flowered, and pick and eat it anyway when the flowers have faded?


    I have removed the flowering heads and am hoping for the best. However if it is still viable and edible after flowering I will leave them to get bigger.
  • Karmacat
    Karmacat Posts: 39,460 Forumite
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    dancing_star wrote: »
    Finally decided on a patio apple tree for my half barrel, bought it yesterday. Sadly my cat had to be PTS so I am going to include his ashes in the barrel along with the apple tree.
    unrecordings wrote: »
    Sorry to hear about the little furry fellow, they do break your heart don't they. The apple tree sounds perfect
    Condolences from me too, dancing star - thats good to put his ashes somewhere long term that will be with you for ages.


    I got back from a trip away on Friday afternoon, and haven't done a single thing in the garden yet :( but the green bin is collected next Tuesday, so I *have* to.
    2023: the year I get to buy a car
  • unrecordings
    unrecordings Posts: 2,017 Forumite
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    dancing_star wrote: »
    Sorry, do you mean you let the pak choi grow even after it's flowered, and pick and eat it anyway when the flowers have faded?

    I have removed the flowering heads and am hoping for the best. However if it is still viable and edible after flowering I will leave them to get bigger.

    Yup - pick what's still worth picking, it's past its best though once it has flowered so it's more a case of waste not want not. After that it depends on how urgently I want to change crops

    Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?
  • dancing_star
    dancing_star Posts: 312 Forumite
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    thank you for the advice and the condolences. It was very sudden - probably a tumour - I never thought he would go before my other cat who is ancient and creaky and with renal failure. She will probably outlive me at this rate.



    I'm also relieved that other folks get the same problems with pak choi. At least it's not me being neglectful.


    Bit disappointed with my aubergines grown from seed. My only real disappointment - out of four seeds sown, three germinated. One is looking okay but still only about 3 inches tall, one is about 2 inches and looking a bit feeble, and one is barely an inch tall and hasn't really grown in about a week. Not sure whether to ditch the two weaklings and buy plug plants. Other people have said the harvest isn't really worth the effort so maybe I won't even bother with that. I'm in North Yorkshire, and they will be in the greenhouse, if anyone has any advice?
  • unrecordings
    unrecordings Posts: 2,017 Forumite
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    Personally (because I just make it up as I go along) I'd keep the seedlings until it became utterly apparent they were a waste of space & water AND I'd hedge my bets with something bought in. I hate aubergine, but I grew some last year for Mrs Un, they weren't that big, but apparently worked quite nicely cubed into some kind of heinous ragu

    Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?
  • -taff
    -taff Posts: 14,503 Forumite
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    Leg stopped hurting so much so have put together my new plastic compost bin, it's much bigger than I thought it would be, but it looks a lot better [ 12 interlocking pieces of green plastic with a hinged lid] and was the bargain parice of £4 on FB. Have shifted all compost from the bed back into the bin. To other people, this might not seem that great, but I knew you lot would appreciate what a nice compost bin does for your mental state :)

    Have watered the seedlings in the greenhouse [tomatoes, sweet peas -they need going out as soon as- peppers, which are shooting up, ditto the ones in the lean to [beans, squash, courgette, cucumber, beetroot, kale]
    Will pant out some geraniums out the front in a bit, the other ones are already in pots out the back.
    Shampoo? No thanks, I'll have real poo...
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