The "Grow Your Own" Thread

[lemonjelly]

First tomato has been sighted!
:disco:

 

[Stan Hullis]

I've just cut the grass, seeded and feeded (I know that isn't a word but it rhymes) and watered it.

#gardenpro

 

[Wolf Hunting]

A line of salt at the outside edge of the door will deffo stop them. They can't stand it. it melts them... They squirm like mad before they reduce themselves to water...

Watching them is like a bit from a Dr Who programme...

 

[Parkins left foot]

Just had the first bowl of fruit off my raspberry canes.

Soooo much better than the ones I bought in the supermarket last week

 

[So Long Architect]

Had a couple of decent size cucumbers off my plant last night - they do grow quick. They were tiny last time I looked. Quite a few more on there too.

Peppers coming along quite nicely.

Rocket is going like a,,,, rocket. Lettuce doing well. Carrots and beetroot shit as always, and my runner beans seem to have failed to germinate this year for some reason. Probably put them in too late.

Raspberries going well, had a fair few of them, but the dog keeps taking the lower ones. Next door's blackberry bramble is providing loads of fruit for us. And my pride and joy, the grapevine has loads of grapes on it.

All in all, quite a good year so far.

 

[lemonjelly]

I still have a jar of beetroot from 2 years ago. Got 2 large jars & it is lovely!

Next door has just been sold, but has been vacant for months. Brambles are everywhere, & I'm desperately hoping no-one moves in before I can snaffle the vast swathes of blackberries that I can see.

Really looking forward to clearing what will become the veg patch (it has turf on currently, & there is a bush needs digging out too). That's septembers job...

 

[lemonjelly]

Pruned excess branches off the tomato plants & they appear to have a 2nd wind! Sure they've grown a bit the last couple of days...

 

[Doctor Doog]

Spent the afternoon harvesting blackberries.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Spent the afternoon harvesting blackberries.

Another few days before I harvest next doors blackberries that are hanging over my fence, though another crop of raspberries appearing & the cherry tomato's coming on well (though need to prune off the excess branches tomorrow

 

[PPB]

Spent the afternoon harvesting blackberries.

I will be doing that tomorrow with the blackberry bushes that hang over our fence from the farmers fields

 

[Parkins left foot]

Tonight's dessert is an apple picked straight off the tree - superb taste

 

[lemonjelly]

Started pinching the blackberries from the neighbours brambles. Small ice cream tub half full. Hopefully that will encourage more to ripen.
I then spent an hour trying to figure a way into next doors garden (it's unoccupied currently).

Since pruning, the tomato plants have gone mad. Lots of extra flowers, as well as fruits popping up. I left some branches on which I'll remove either this or next weekend.

Been scoffing the homegrown lettuce, whilst planting more.

There is an apple tree in the garden, but I don't know what kind of apple tree it is. My brother has 2 cooking apple trees, which provides much crumbles & pies.

 

[So Long Architect]

Bloody dog has started eating my prize peppers. (Not in any way a fnarr).

 

[lemonjelly]

Bad news - one of the 3 tubs of blackberries went mouldy! Binned em.
Immediatly took urgent action. Cooked the others & made a crumble (bloody lush it is too. Am about to have a 2nd helping with ice cream).

Have been munching tonnes of lettuce, & planting even more.

Still getting tomato flowers! The winds blew over the small greenhouse. Luckily, there was almost no damage (lost a bit of lettuce). There were only 2 tomato plants in it. Moved it to a sheltered spot, but moved it back now as it was not getting enough sun.

Additional remedial work has been done, in picking more blackberries from over the fence (still can't work out how to get in, but have manufactured a reaching stick...)

 

[Parkins left foot]

Another large tubful of raspberries collected. Considering that I only put in 5 canes last year (& one of those died off) am surprised at how much fruit has come off them.

That's tonight's dessert sorted then

And they were superb

 

[From Distant Shores]

Commercial French Bean Seeds

A while back the missus bought one of them fancy aquaponics tanks. She also bought a few packets of seeds from the local Agriculutral Research Institiute (no gm stuff, more traditional, organic).

She hadn't planted them so I decided to buy a few packets of seeds at the local do it yourself shop to see what would happen. Of course, when me and the nipper were getting ready to plant the seeds (well actually sprinkle them into the tank), the missus said she wanted us to plant some of her seeds.

The reason for this post is to ask for a bit of advice from you green-fingered people that grow your own.

The thing is that the commercial seeds germinated pretty quickly, especially the French beans. They were 2" high within a couple of days and are still shooting up, the tallest approaching 3' after about three weeks. The stalks are mighty thin though.

The nipper insisted on buying a packet of sweetcorn seeds which is odd because she the only vegetables she will allow on her plates are chips or mashed potatoes. There were only three seeds in the packet, they all germinated and are now about 8'' tall, standing unaided.

The more natural seeds have hardly germinated at all. The best is a single long bean plant, though it is sturdy and looks healthily. About 6" tall.

My question is "Is it normal for French beans to grow so tall so quickly?" (I'm worried that they have been doctored with some sort of growth accelerator that means they germinate fast, grow too fast and then die - a little like a selective weed killer for a lawn.

 

[lemonjelly]

Beans generally grow pretty quick. When I've planted them, they've always been the first thing I've had to repot into something bigger. They do go nuts sometimes.

Cheers for the bump of the thread though! It reminds me;
Tomatoes are turning red. I've been eating them with lunches etc, & they're so tasty compared to the ones from the shop. Lovely.

I've planted loads of lettuce. That'll be the last now for this year I guess.

Neighbours have moved in next door. That'll mean I'll be getting no more blackberries. Good job a few ice cream tubs are full in the freezer. The brambles will be cut down by next year I guess.
Over the next month I'll be digging up turf & moving it, creating my veg patch for the future. Just hope the grass takes (where I transfer it to) & the soil is a good quality.

 

[lemonjelly]

Bumping this thread, as PPB is happy about seeing the first green shoots. The daffs have been out a while, & I planted some snowdrops in the back garden a few weeks ago.

I have the veg patch pretty much sorted ready for this year. Ordered a new greenhouse cover, which has apparently been delivered to my parents neighbours.
Spent last sunday chopping a load of branches from an overhanging tree, & it was lovely being in the garden.

This weekend, as there's no important stuff happening, I'll be setting up the greenhouse & planting a load of seeds. Both stuff to eat, & stuff for colour (never had to do that before!)
I've also acquired a blackcurrant bush (already planted, hoping that shoots are appearing) and a blueberry bush (in a pot, repotted sunday).

What (if anything is anyone else growing? I'll have a multitude of stuff, but will have to grow the contents of the following pack bought as a christmas gift by a mate:


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Funky-Veg-Plant-Theatre-Extraordinary/dp/B0060Y60YU

 

[PPB]

Seems you have been busy Mr Jelly. Weather only just picking up here, and can only just get a spade into the frozen soil,but this year I'm planning on putting more effort into my patch and and being a little more adventurous than tomatoes and lettuce. Hope you have more luck with your blueberries than I did.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Veg plots a bit of a sorry sigh at the moment due to not being able to work on them at the back end of last year.

Now the knee's been sorted out need to get out there and do a full dig over/clear out (though have decided to give up on the bed right at the bottom of the garden as too much in shade & really doesn't grow much. If I had put them in I wouldn't have done it the way it has been.)

Once I've done that will decide what o do this year.