God I love growing our own

[rossbyjove]

Some flowers on my Aqua Dulce broad beans....whether there is anything about to pollinate them is another matter ... and they are still covered with fleece ! My second crop is already about 3" tall in the greenhouse as I was convinced I'd lose the first lot in the frost.

Garlic, Onions and Shallots doing well.

Spent the afternoon emptying and sieving one of my compost bins ready to use some of it in my potato bags ... the spuds are (slowly) chitting ... another week I reckon before the first ones go in.

All the fruit bushes now in leaf ...they will get a spring feed and a mulch tomorrow with a bit of luck. My overwinter peas are looking a bit sorry for themselves ... I think I'll sow few more in amongst them.

Carrots going in next and runners and french beans to start off in the greenhouse.

All my winter sown veg perished.
All of it bar some garlic and several onions!
Got a load of various things on the go in the greenhouse.
Have a large veg garden and an allotment in the village.
Going big on squash this year. Uchiki Kuri being our favourite, tastes great and stores really well.
Put all the squash on the allotment, turks turban, veg spaghetti and may get a few more varieties from 'the real seed company'.
Good luck all veg growers for the coming year !

 

[Erichalfbee]

r. Uchiki Kuri being our favourite, tastes great and stores really well.

Yes mine are still ok.

 

[JamezF]

I tried Uchiki Kuri, but it didn't do well for me. I think our situation is a bit marginal for some squashes. Butternuts always do far better in the polytunnel than they do outdoors, even the varieties that are allegedly supposed to do well in the UK. I have the same situation with the spaghetti squashes I've grown, but Crown Prince did very nicely outdoors last year.

I'm having serious thoughts about a second polytunnel to be used for squash growing in the summer (because they're a bit boisterous when it comes to sharing space with anything else) and as a chicken enclosure when the bird flu restrictions are in place, though the cost is putting me off at the moment, even for a relatively small one. There are cheap ones on that Amazon, but they look a bit flimsy compared with my existing polytunnel.

James

 

[Goran]

Finally found potato with white flesh ( Monte Carlo), import from Netherlands.. Will see how it goes..
Other seedlings of veggies grow in pots.. Acquired one yellow cherry tree.. Sown Strawberry Guava, Paw Paw and Corema album in pots.. Graft from one old cherry seems thriving.. Hovenia dulcis will wait for sowing for now ( had some small accident and one hand can't use for the moment)..
Will try to rescue one old pine which my mother remember as huge while she was a kid.. Acquired some IBA powder and will try to take some cuttings from that pine as it seems is on its last breath.. I had some seedlings I grown from seed of some very tall French pine.. but unfortunately only one little tree survived wild animals.. I will try to protect this last one..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Will the frost expected tomorrow get these?

 

[JamezF]

How hard do you think the frost will be? Perhaps covering them with something might take the edge off.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes I think I will. It’s sheltered there and it’s only a chance of frost. Not seen them up this early. Thanks

 

[rossbyjove]

nO

Yes I think I will. It’s sheltered there and it’s only a chance of frost. Not seen them up this early. Thanks

Nothing in my asparagus bed so far.

 

[JamezF]

nO

Nothing in my asparagus bed so far.

Nor mine. Well, not other than sycamore seedlings, anyhow.

James

 

[markb2603]

When does Asparagus usually appear? I planted about 6 plants I grew from seed last year. I see one where the spear has broken the surface but none of the others. I thought they were on the earlier side and had all but given up hope.

 

[Amari]

nO

Nothing in my asparagus bed so far.

 

[Erichalfbee]

When does Asparagus usually appear? I planted about 6 plants I grew from seed last year. I see one where the spear has broken the surface but none of the others. I thought they were on the earlier side and had all but given up hope.

From seed? Well done.
I bought three year old crowns and even then didn’t harvest till third year.

 

[pargyle]

From seed? Well done.
I bought three year old crowns and even then didn’t harvest till third year.

I made the mistake of putting in three year old crowns and harvested the following spring ...lost the lot - they really are a long term project and need time to establish. Mine were not helped by bindweed getting into the bed and my efforts to get rid of it did not do them any favours - the crowns don't respond well to being disturbed. I'd like to try again as it's such a treat for a few weeks but ....I'm not sure I've got enough patience to wait.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Stan dug a 3 foot bed. Lined it with weed suppressant. In to it we tipped new bought compost and chicken poo fertiliser and mixed it all with industrial quantities of horticultural grit.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is anybody else having trouble with aubergines and peppers? Despite early sowing they have all stalled at 4/6 leaves. Roots look ok. I thought it might be the soil but the tomatoes sown in the same have romped away

 

[enrico]

Is anybody else having trouble with aubergines and peppers? Despite early sowing they have all stalled at 4/6 leaves. Roots look ok. I thought it might be the soil but the tomatoes sown in the same have romped away

Much the same here. They seem to know when to go for it! Obviously not yet! That's with grow lights too!

 

[enrico]

When does Asparagus usually appear? I planted about 6 plants I grew from seed last year. I see one where the spear has broken the surface but none of the others. I thought they were on the earlier side and had all but given up hope.

We have a massive asparagus bed. We have to sell loads locally as we can only freeze so much. We had our first five spears for our wedding anniversary a couple of days ago but most of it is not showing at all yet.

 

[enrico]

Has anyone else noticed just how much blossom there is this year? All our cherries, greengage and plums are laden. The hedgerows are full of cherry and sloe. The apple and quince are obviously going to have loads. I think this year is going to be a bumper crop!!

 

[enrico]

Will the frost expected tomorrow get these?

View attachment 35711

Only really hard frosts affect them

 

[Erichalfbee]

Much the same here. They seem to know when to go for it! Obviously not yet! That's with grow lights too!

Thank heavens for that. I’m not alone. Today I put them in the greenhouse with the tomatoes for the day. Perhaps that will cheer them up.