how does your garden grow?

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how does your garden grow?
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Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16548

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 25 7:49 am Post subject:

NMG, one bed of my main crop potatoes have pretty well failed; have trouble with that bed, so will add lots of compost and charcoal fines as it seems dry, but rather prone to slugs and snails. Think it was drought this year. The other bed still seems seems to be all right, but haven't tried lifting any yet. My one remaining courgette is only really growing fairly well now, but there are some courgettes forming, so may be ready for harvesting soon.

Pity about your onions Gz. Mine worked quite well this year. I put in autumn sown sets as spring sown don't seem to do as well, and I have never had any luck growing from seed.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44503
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 25 9:21 am Post subject:
the cucumbers are splendid, half a dozen huge specimens grade ones with good taste and texture a week and lots growing to replace them even with fluffing the fertilization rate of the big boys is low, plenty of flowers, so far maybe one in twenty has set a tomato

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44503
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 25 9:31 am Post subject:

taters do need a good quality open and moist soil

lots of manure, compost, weathered seaweed etc added using double spit digging

sorry, the word spud is derived from spade

create good ground and rotate it each crop(follow with a suitable crop for that season)
a couple of years is enough to avoid most disease and infestations

if it is dry, water them, they are closer to swamp plants than desert ones

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16548

Posted: Mon Aug 04, 25 7:42 am Post subject:

I will be adding lots of compost and charcoal fines to the top bed as it has always been a problem, not sure why. It is quite a deep raised bed, so as we have light soil, water is the main difficulty. I don't use a hose, and I didn't water the potatoes as I know they need more than I can give them with the watering can, and I was using the water on other things that really needed it during the dry spell. It worked as far as the onions, leeks and cabbages were concerned, but sadly the cabbage whites have stripped the cabbages, although in most cases the growing tips are all right, so hoping I will get a crop later. I did net, but had to raise the net as they grew so well. The other bed of potatoes looks rather better and is still growing, so hoping for a better crop from them. I do rotate crops, but there always seem to be one or two left, so they get transplanted.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18424

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 25 2:22 pm Post subject:

One male courgette flower has appeared, and the three courgettes do not seem to be rotting, fingers crossed.

Broad beans did well, though only put in a few plants.
Runner beans are starting; again, not that many plants, but enough.
Beets and chards coming along, just about.
Tomatoes cropping well.
Brassicas : some turnips.

Apples being pecked by birds and eaten by wasps.
Birds got redcurrants as usual. They also had most of the b/currants.
Gooseberries OK; new rhubarb still settling in.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44503
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 25 3:30 pm Post subject:

the big boys are no responding to fluffing and setting some fruit

blackberries are still doing well, most are being turned into BB gin in a sloe gin style
i have 2x 2lt kilner jars filled so far, the first will be sieved and bottled in a couple of weeks, second needs one more addition of fruit and a few weeks

after that both jars will get used for pickled cucumber

i might need some bigger jars, gherkins the size of dachshunds will need appropriate glassware
friends and family have a limited, no matter how enthusiastic, capacity for fresh cucumbers

outdoor cucs have done well this year, huge planter is less faff than big pots, both seem to work in the new improved yard

from one thing know ten thousand things, the planter and pot arrangements are adaptable and will suit a broad variety of "crops" as follow ons

"no dig" in a container gardening system is new to me, i am a friend to and feeder of worms, they are teaching me how to do it

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 9303
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 25 6:11 pm Post subject:

Russian Black toms are picking up nicely and the plant was trained up a leaning cane to give more length....it is now going horizontally at roof level in the greenhouse and is very happy!! Costeluto Fiorentino is setting and growing but still very green...needs more sun? Plenty of flowers on the Roma but no setting yet...and Piccolo toms aren't growing very fast, but were sown rather late.
Peppers are setting fruit very nicely. As are Broad and Runner beans,
Yellow courgette is setting but not growing very fast.

Probably they all need some summer weather....and are just waiting for me to be away for a fortnight

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