Plans for planting

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks.
Has anybody tried mini corn? I make a lot of stir fry so they would be a great addition

 

[JamezF]

I've not tried mini corn for years though it would be nice to have some. Something to give another go next year, perhaps. I think you have to keep on top of the picking, which I wasn't very good at doing. Possibly you need to go over the plants a couple of times a week and take off anything that's ready. If you don't they get too big and aren't really usable.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Has anybody tried mini corn

does anyone know the point of them? whatever you do with them they just taste of soil. Just little torpedoes of sorrow

 

[Erichalfbee]

does anyone know the point of them? whatever you do with them they just taste of soil. Just little torpedoes of sorrow

Not for me. I love them in veggie stir fries.

 

[Nannysbees]

I’m not keen on it myself but Stan likes it. Does anybody grow sweetcorn?
Look what I found.
View attachment 30667

Looks amazing. I think dick strawbridge from the chateaux made relish from it and it looked fab!!

 

[Nannysbees]

Bees out in their droves today. Exciting to see. Seeds popping through with the help of my new little heater. Strawberries arrived from the nursery and now in their new home.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

veggie stir fries

I'm sorry, but does not compute

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bees out in their droves today. Exciting to see. Seeds popping through with the help of my new little heater. Strawberries arrived from the nursery and now in their new home.

I love your strawberry planter. Where did you get it?

 

[Nannysbees]

I love your strawberry planter. Where did you get it?

It's fab, from amazon

 

[JamezF]

Just to return to the full size sweetcorn for a moment. My recollection is that varieties that are considered preferable for eating contain a relatively high proportion of sugars in the corn, whereas those that aren't have a much higher proportion of starch. At least some of the multi-coloured varieties are starchy rather than sugary, although that may not be the case for all of them and I know there are red/purple varieties that are good to eat.

Having finally got it to grow well in my own garden, I really can recommend giving it a go though. I can safely say that I have never tasted shop-bought sweetcorn anywhere near as good as those I grew last year, even the ones that went into the freezer after harvesting.

James

 

[Nannysbees]

Borage sown today, said on the packet plant straight into garden but since I've had the bees I sow in pots first, the plants are bigger stronger and much taller with more trusses of flowers

 

[JamezF]

I have some borage to sow, though I've not done so yet. I wasn't planning on sowing it for another month. Perhaps I should give some a go and see how it gets on.

I have however sown my tomatoes and put them in the propagator. And some Romanesco cauliflower, because we like fractal vegetables.

James

 

[B_north]

Having finally got it to grow well in my own garden, I really can recommend giving it a go though. I can safely say that I have never tasted shop-bought sweetcorn anywhere near as good as those I grew last year, even the ones that went into the freezer after harvesting.

Absolutely, home grown sweetcorn is the best. This season, with the increase in pricing and the fact I have the garden space, I am going to expand my corn patch and freeze a bunch. My season was too short for sweet corn just planted the regular way so I start mine under plastic row covers. I do that because corn loves heat, the more the better. I presprout them in a tray of damp wood shavings and plant them 3 to a hole, keep them watered well and cover them with a row cover of plastic. When the temps get too high I lift up the sides and clip them to the metal arches with book clips. That way I can control the heat and I don't take the plastic off until the corn touches the top.

 

[JamezF]

Some photos from today. First, the aubergines and peppers are looking good.

And the peas for shoots are looking very healthy.

Radishes at the bottom left, spinach at the top right, lettuces in between (and onions top left)

Won't be that long before the broad beans need to go into the ground either. I'm waiting for a few more leaves first.

James

 

[Nannysbees]

I have some borage to sow, though I've not done so yet. I wasn't planning on sowing it for another month. Perhaps I should give some a go and see how it gets on.

I have however sown my tomatoes and put them in the propagator. And some Romanesco cauliflower, because we like fractal vegetables.

James

 

[Nannysbees]

Tomatoes have been sown for two weeks, no sign of life as yet!!

 

[JamezF]

Tomatoes have been sown for two weeks, no sign of life as yet!!

It's been a grim couple of weeks though. Hopefully they'll get the idea soon.

I have to admit though that I'm not entirely comfortable with the way tomato seeds are sold. A huge number of varieties are F1 and might cost as much as 30p per seed for eight seeds. That really seems a bit extreme and doesn't give you much room for manoeuvre if something goes wrong. I'm trying to move to non-F1 varieties, but it's far from straightforward to get the type of tomato you're after that way.

James

 

[B_north]

And the peas for shoots are looking very healthy.

How do you find they transplant? Do they suffer, and how many weeks before planting do you start them. I have never started peas from seed, sweet peas but not edible peas. Good idea.

 

[bobba]

Thanks.
Has anybody tried mini corn? I make a lot of stir fry so they would be a great addition

Yes, but have always found them to be a roll of the dice.

I usually start them in a greenhouse, then transplant out to a sunny spot.

I get about 7 little corns from a good plant on a good year, but sometimes just get 1 or 2 or even nothing from a plant.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Tomatoes have been sown for two weeks, no sign of life as yet!!

I've sown some plum tomatoes and some Sungold and they were through in five days. The seeds I took from supermarket Aromatico straight from the tomato germinated in two days....I'm amazed!