The "Grow Your Own" Thread

[lemonjelly]

The toms I repotted have taken well, & are growing.
The tomato seeds I planted a few weeks ago are sprouting.
Peas are sprouting too.
Little else has happened yet. Waiting for the carrots & lettuce to kick in.

Planning on planting a 2nd batch of lettuce this weekend.
Sometime in the next 2 weeks I'll plant a 2nd lot of peas, and also carrots.

Read a report yesterday suggesting 1 in 6 people are growing their own. 1 in 2 will start if food prices keep rising!

 

[lemonjelly]

Just me then?
Repotted all my tomatoes. The first batch are in bigger pots (they're about 6-9 inches tall at the mo). I'll possibly only repot them 1 more time into bigger pots, by which time they'll be flowering.
Lettuce should be edible in a week or 2. 2nd batch planted for when that lot runs out.
Peas are doing well. If the wind/rain had held off, I'd be planting them out now.
I'm also considering when to plant out the beetroot. They should be past the stage where the slugs attack them.

I've also sown a 2nd batch of carrots to keep a fresh turnover of supply in stock.

 

[Hereford Wolf]

My potatoes have done fantastically well ever since I planted them - as soon as we cover them they are breaking through again in a couple of days.

My bags are now full - no more topping up required. Presumably we now just wait a little while before the harvest!

 

[lemonjelly]

My potatoes have done fantastically well ever since I planted them - as soon as we cover them they are breaking through again in a couple of days.

My bags are now full - no more topping up required. Presumably we now just wait a little while before the harvest!

Sounds good hereford. Homegrown spuds taste lush!

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

Got a few spuds growing, some peas and beans (although I planted these a little late) Got Toms, Radish and Strawberry's on the go along with some brocolli plugs I got the other week.

Its been a long time since I grew anything seriously, with Toms I'm never sure what the best approach is, do you cut the main stem back at a certain height, and do you trim the growth below it down by pruning of the leaf stalks - this is only my second year at growing toms the first was ok but I didn't really do much with them and I felt I could have got more...

 

[yabbadabbadoo]

Very much agree with Lemonjelly about how great gardening can be for winding down after work and having a good think about stuff too. Got a fair bit coming up now - spuds, onion, leeks, lettuce, rocket, radish, spinach, carrott, runner and broad beans, peas, courgettes, chillies, cabbage and cauliflower, and a lovely fruit patch of strawbs, redcurrent, blackcurrent and gooseberries. Doing a late plant of spunds next week if the rain holds off. Doesn't really take much work if you do an hour every night and being outside in the fresh air is wonderful.

 

[lemonjelly]

Finally I am eating some home grown produce!

It is only lettuce, but hey, it is nicer than shop bought lettuce, & you can't get fresher than breaking it off the plant & putting it on yer sandwich!

All tomatoes have kicked on & are in bigger pots now. The first 11 will only be repotted 1 more time. The second batch will be upgraded twice.
I have given up waiting for summer to arrive - I was waiting for some decent weather to plant things out into the ground, but at the weekend noticed flowers on the peas, so I thought I'm going for it. The peas & beetroot are planted outside now. I also moved the tray of onions & the first batch of around 20 carrots outside to get more sunshine. Checked a few minutes ago & both the peas & beetroot appear to have taken ok in the ground. I'm hoping that they are too big to interest the slugs.

2nd batch of peas didn't produce many sprouting, so I've repotted what did sprout (will plant them out in a couple of weeks) & have planted some more.

The 2nd tub of carrots have taken really well, & I hope for a bumper crop there.

Planting more lettuce tonight, to make sure I have a regular supply!

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

I've had some disappointing results in the GARDEN LANGDALE - My Spuds had bolted a bit and I've decided that I'd planted too close (something I'm always guilty off) So I've tried to rescue the situation by pulling a load out and earthing up again. My radishes are knackered, guilty of of not thinning out in time or enough (why I struggle so much with this I'll never know) I must be the only person in the world who has failed with radishes though

On the plus side the plugs I got from Ettingshall are coming on okay I got two of each of the following, Broccoli, Sprouts, Beetroot and Spring onion. I've had some Straws of my plant. Toms are coming on well and I've finally worked out how to grow them.

I planted out the runner beans and Sugar snap peas way too late and don't expect anything this year with them.

To be honest, I've pretty much given up on this year as a learning experience. Its been years since I've grown anything seriously and the little I had learnt I'd forgotten. Hopefully next year I'll be back in the Midlands and able to spend a bit more time than the odd couple of hours on a Sunday

 

[lemonjelly]

Will we catch newbridge out again....?
Anyhow, I repotted my first lot of toms yesterday. That is their last repotting. The plants have flowers on now, so we're in a waiting game. There are 11 plants.
I have another 16 which need repotting for the penultimate time. I ran out of compost, so will get some on the way home.
Slugs have been nibbling my first lot of carrts :argh: 2nd batch of carrots appear ok for now.
I have pea pods on the pea plants, & the beetroot appear to have taken well in the ground.

I need to plant more lettuce seeds, as I keep eating it!

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

Hmmm, not too sure I should be posting here, I'll have to watch how I phrase things.

My potatoes are coming on, but I'll have to see until I lift them wether they've been a success or not. The Runner beans and sugar snap peas have been a failure - I planted them out late, straight in the ground and they've never really got growing. I'll be sowing indoors next year before planting out.

My Tomatoes are coming on well, got my first ones forming now, so it shouldn't be too long. My Strawberry's are finished, not a bad little crop of one of those hanging basket ones from Homebase.

Beetroot has been all but devoured by slugs, yet my broccoli is coming on well along with my spring onion.

Like I said, I'm just getting back into this as a hobby so its all a bit hit and miss really - I'm looking to do a bit of planning over the winter and organise it all a bit better

 

[lemonjelly]

Like I said, I'm just getting back into this as a hobby so its all a bit hit and miss really - I'm looking to do a bit of planning over the winter and organise it all a bit better

It's only ever been a hobby for me, just gets more serious!
The weather this year has really affected most growers I know.
I want to try strawberries next year.
I also need to work out wtf I am doing wrong with my peas, as they are so unsuccessful it ain't true.

 

[lemonjelly]

Went & got a bag of compost last night.
Got home & after the showers finished, repotted the last 16 of my tomatoes.
Also planted a new batch of carrots, & also a last batch of beetroot (basically because I had a big tub & spare time!)
2 more batches of lettuce planted as stocks are getting low.

>>>>>goes back to playing the waiting game...

 

[Hereford Wolf]

OK - so I now have three green bags, hopefully full of lovely potatoes.

Do I now empty one of the bags and harvest all the potatoes or do I just dig around in all three bags and take what I want when I want it?

 

[PabloWolfo]

Over 6.5lbs of broad beans harvested. Should see me through until Xmas!

 

[Hereford Wolf]

We have now harvested two of the three bags. Not a massive amount in each bag, but bloody delicious.

The soil was quite dry when we harvested the spuds despite the weather so my lesson for next year is - water the bags every week.

Great stuff - very pleased for a first attempt.

 

[lemonjelly]

Well done Hereford! I see plans are already afoot for next year...

I've been away for 6 days. A so called trusted source was due to water my plants. Looking at them at just after midnight when I got back last night (sad I know) they looked a little neglected & were very dry.

I'll fully assess the damage tonight when I get home. I've given them a soaking already though. I remain hopeful that everything is salvageable...hnoes:

 

[lemonjelly]

I have tomatoes!!!! Joy!
Sadly, my peas have given up the ghost.
Carrots & beetroot are looking good though. Will harvest the first carrots in 2 weeks.

 

[Doctor Doog]

It's been a bad year for peas and beans apparently. According to Gardeners Question Time it's been too wet for the bees to fly so they haven't been able to pollinate.

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

I've had a few Toms of my plants (well the family have as I've been stuck down London for a bit) One thing I've suffered with is the flowers not fruiting on the Truss else I'd have had loads - anyone know why this might be, is it just due to not being pollinated?

I dread to think what the rest of my garden looks like, probably just all wasted now..

 

[lemonjelly]

I believe tomatoes self pollinate Newbridge.
It is probably more a weather issues - I know not all my flowers have become tomatoes, hence only having my first fruits recently appear.