God I love growing our own

[JamezF]

From memory my polytunnel is 30'x14'. I have a 12'x8' greenhouse that I use for propagation and a 10'x10' one that's mostly been used for growing melons, aubergines, squashes and basil so far.

I also have a pair of non-matching greenhouse frames, I think one of 8'x8' and the other 10'x8' that I'm hoping I can join together to make a large passive solar greenhouse, but that's a project that hasn't been started yet.

James

 

[Moobee]

I’ve had dreadful garlic harvests recently - I get some rust but that never seems to affect the bulb size but for the last two years, they’ve been hammered by blackfly in the spring. They also infested my onions too. Thought they didn’t like alliums…..?
Any thoughts how to combat this?

 

[enrico]

What size poly does everybody have? Peppers aubergines tomatoes melons carrots and peas…, no room for anything else
Oh …. two grapes but they are in the roof

one 14 x 10 and one 12 x 10 greenhouse

 

[JamezF]

I’ve had dreadful garlic harvests recently - I get some rust but that never seems to affect the bulb size but for the last two years, they’ve been hammered by blackfly in the spring. They also infested my onions too. Thought they didn’t like alliums…..?
Any thoughts how to combat this?

I've not heard of blackfly attacking garlic and onions before. They only thing I can think of that might help is growing them under mesh.

James

 

[enrico]

I’ve had dreadful garlic harvests recently - I get some rust but that never seems to affect the bulb size but for the last two years, they’ve been hammered by blackfly in the spring. They also infested my onions too. Thought they didn’t like alliums…..?
Any thoughts how to combat this?

Also never had blackfly on alliums. Soapy water. Or a sacrificial crop of broad beans?

 

[Hiveanidea]

I do find rapeseed oil spray (home-made to match made-up ‘Bug Clear’) is very effective against whitefly and other aphids (at least as good for whitefly or black fly as any commercial product). Virtually complete clearance with one spray but, as always, repeat after a couple of weeks to get those that were eggs or pupae at the time of the first spray. I need to do our Claret with its second lot now. Buy cheap rapeseed oil (bottom shelf at W, under the vinegars, for example!) and use 17ml per litre, with a good slug of F Liquid to emulsify.

 

[JamezF]

Has anyone successfully over-wintered peppers?

I know it's done, but I've only seen people do it where they keep the pepper plants in pots all year round, so around now they prune back the plants and move the pots indoors.

I'd have to lift the plants because they're planted out in the polytunnel and put them in pots for the winter, which is what I did last year. Unfortunately not a single plant survived. I've no idea if it was lifting them that caused the problem, or doing it too late, perhaps the greenhouse where I kept them was just too cold or maybe it is something else that I've just not thought of.

I've got so many plants I want to bring indoors this year already what with the four pineapples and a whole load of tomato cuttings that I plan to pot up this weekend. If I add a whole load of pepper plants I think my wife might have a total sense of humour failure. What we really need is a conservatory, which would also provide space for her orchids (currently occupying almost every south-facing window in the house). Unfortunately the design (I use the word ironically) of the house doesn't really make one feasible.

James

 

[Goran]

Has anyone successfully over-wintered peppers?

I know it's done, but I've only seen people do it where they keep the pepper plants in pots all year round, so around now they prune back the plants and move the pots indoors.

I'd have to lift the plants because they're planted out in the polytunnel and put them in pots for the winter, which is what I did last year. Unfortunately not a single plant survived. I've no idea if it was lifting them that caused the problem, or doing it too late, perhaps the greenhouse where I kept them was just too cold or maybe it is something else that I've just not thought of.

I've got so many plants I want to bring indoors this year already what with the four pineapples and a whole load of tomato cuttings that I plan to pot up this weekend. If I add a whole load of pepper plants I think my wife might have a total sense of humour failure. What we really need is a conservatory, which would also provide space for her orchids (currently occupying almost every south-facing window in the house). Unfortunately the design (I use the word ironically) of the house doesn't really make one feasible.

James

One old man ( unfortunately deceased) here had in pots for several years hot peppers - bell shaped. I had seed of it and plant it outdoor, but after few seasons we stop to grow it, cause we had it only as decoration.. He used to get it out in spring and bring it in the house in autumn. It was interesting to see the plant was relative huge about 2m height and wide and as he claimed several years old. Now when I think, it was about 20 years ago..
Now when is taken from the ground and placed in the pot, don't know how will react the root and stressful for the plant will be

 

[enrico]

Has anyone successfully over-wintered peppers?

I know it's done, but I've only seen people do it where they keep the pepper plants in pots all year round, so around now they prune back the plants and move the pots indoors.

I'd have to lift the plants because they're planted out in the polytunnel and put them in pots for the winter, which is what I did last year. Unfortunately not a single plant survived. I've no idea if it was lifting them that caused the problem, or doing it too late, perhaps the greenhouse where I kept them was just too cold or maybe it is something else that I've just not thought of.

I've got so many plants I want to bring indoors this year already what with the four pineapples and a whole load of tomato cuttings that I plan to pot up this weekend. If I add a whole load of pepper plants I think my wife might have a total sense of humour failure. What we really need is a conservatory, which would also provide space for her orchids (currently occupying almost every south-facing window in the house). Unfortunately the design (I use the word ironically) of the house doesn't really make one feasible.

James

We frequently overwinter chilli's which often produce all winter too if you have do where warmish. But we grow all our peppers in pots snyway

 

[JamezF]

You reckon they need to be indoors rather than in an unheated greenhouse?

 

[enrico]

You reckon they need to be indoors rather than in an unheated greenhouse?

They won't take minus temperatures.

 

[JamezF]

They won't take minus temperatures.

I'll take that as a "yes" then

James

 

[enrico]

I'll take that as a "yes" then

James

I guess that depends on global warming! ... Still waiting for a decent amount of rain here!

 

[JamezF]

Still waiting for a decent amount of rain here!

Same here, to be honest. Some of the swimmers I coach took part in a swiming event at Wimbleball reservoir a few weeks back. The photos make it look so empty that it might have been considered more of a challenging run rather than a swim.

James

 

[JamezF]

I took cuttings from some of my tomatoes today to see if I can get them to root and then keep them through the winter for next season. Some of them shouldn't be a problem to get seed for next year, but I'm not sure about all of them so I'll also try saving some seed for the non-F1 varieties.

The wind has been getting a bit gusty here over the last few weeks and the frame for my climbing beans has taken on something of a jaunty angle so I decided it's about time I harvested what I can. The runner beans are actually still flowering and looking lush and green whereas the borlotti bean plants are starting to go yellow and most of the pods are drying out so I collected all of those. I don't need to do anything with the French beans because I assume they took exception to the hot dry summer and the crop didn't amount to, well, a hill of beans. I reckon if I picked everything there is we might manage two each with dinner.

So for the moment I just have to shell what's dry from this lot and let the rest dry out a bit more.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Most of our tomatoes have been taken out. A few green ones are in a dark drawer in the sunroom to ripen ( A Monty Don)
I’ve saved seeds from the Polish Linguisa which did very well and some new seeds arrived today
Ananas Noire, another heirloom variety.
Excited to have a go at these next year

 

[pargyle]

I potted 60 or so Strawberry runners. We used to be self sufficient in strawberries until I gave up the allotment last year - 'er indoors is a strawberry addict and it's cost a fortune at the strawberry farm shop down the road this year as I could not move enough plants from the allotment. Hopefully with theses 60 first year plants next year plus the existing ones I brought home that situation will be reversed next year. Sowed my broad beans in pots ...I start them off in pots and then plant them out in January or February and they take off like a train once spring arrives. Next job garlic and overwintering onions and shallots to go in ... thinned the old wood from the blackberries, loganberries and gooesberries ... sowed some grass seed where I had a row of Lleylandii removed a couple of months ago.. soile warm and damp so ideal for a new bit of grass to grow.

Was going to have a bonfire tonight but it's started raining so gave up on that.

Bees just about tucked up for the winter (phenomenal smell of Ivy nectar in the apiary today) but it doesn't stop does it ?

 

[JamezF]

Most of our tomatoes have been taken out. A few green ones are in a dark drawer in the sunroom to ripen ( A Monty Don)
I’ve saved seeds from the Polish Linguisa which did very well and some new seeds arrived today
Ananas Noire, another heirloom variety.
Excited to have a go at these next year

I'm going to give Amish Paste another go next year, but I do also fancy trying Polish Linguisa. Physically they look a bit similar to the Olivade F1 that I've grown for several years, but I'd rather grow an open-pollinated version rather than an F1. I really must try blending some to make a Bloody Mary, too.

James

 

[Moobee]

I'll take that as a "yes" then

James

You could try them in an unheated greenhouse but with a mini tent of fleece. I did that in spring to get my seeds going and it worked well - seemed to create a little micro climate within the greenhouse.

 

[JamezF]

You could try them in an unheated greenhouse but with a mini tent of fleece. I did that in spring to get my seeds going and it worked well - seemed to create a little micro climate within the greenhouse.

Yes, that could be worth a go.

I've been thinking that perhaps last year I left it too late as well, but that's tricky given that they still have fruit ripening.

James