What are you growing this year ?

[liketocook]

Yes much the same idea just a DIY version
Hope your figs recover

[Herbidacious]

Thanks! Me too It does seem weird that both plants have suffered the same fate. It was tap water from the garden tap...

I am all for DIY/lateral thinking

[earthmaiden]

Could a neighbouring animal have used the pots for sanitary purposes over the winter? I've had that happen, it overpowers the plants

[Herbidacious]

Yes, or indeed a not neighbouring animal i.e. ours. The fact that I watered them and then this happened minutes later could be a coincidence. The water didn't kill of my rosemary (or indeed us!)

[Zosherooney]

My greenhouse pots are coming along nicely, they spend nights indoors and sunny days in the GH. It won't be long before the tomatoes go in the main GH pots. The peppers are a bit small yet but the butter beans have grown well except out of the 16 seeds only 6 have survived. Cucumbers are about a foot high and will need to be repotted very soon.

We had some good rain last night and hopefully the ground will soften up a bit with the moisture. Carrots are on the small side but again with some substantial rain, that might change.

[suffolk]

The usual fruit - grapes, goosegogs, autumn raspberries, pears plus a new black currant bush given by a friend which has a few fruit on.
The broad beans sowed last autumn are promising a good crop within a couple of weeks. I've sown Swiss chard (Lucullus), runner beans Butler and Borlotti beans. Toms are Sungold, Crimson Crush and some red cherries. Courgettes are Goldrush.
I'll be sowing some lettuce and other bits and pieces any day now.
The promising crop of figs was lost to the frost the other day, despite fleecing them

[Badger's mate]

We've got Butler and Borlotti too. Plus Cherokee Trail of Tears, Czar, Pea bean & Deb's Creek. Cherokees might get picked green but the others will join the Borlotti for drying.

Found a new use for goosegogs. There's a lovely chutney recipe in the Atul Kochhar fish book, goes really well with poppadums. The recipe is online, but doesn't make much. Cleared the last few from 2016 out of the freezer; will make more chutney when reinforcements arrive. Planted a dessert one this winter, probably little yield first year, but plenty of fruit on the other bushes.

Planning to put bush toms (Red Alert) into allotment next week, sweetcorn too. Both currently in cold frames awaiting their trip. Greenhouse is full of seedlings. Molluscs have nadgered some summer cabbage and celeriac but there are survivors. Hoping to have some spare plants for charity plant sales later this month. Various toms, chillies, squashes, cucamelons and achocha; hopefully lots of repotted borage seedlings.

Our figs were being investigated by a squirrel last week

[StokeySue]

Have a good look for vine weevils and for signs of fungal disease Herbi

My seed sowing take one not totally successful, I suspect it was really too cold at night, however I have potted on some decent chilli plants, which are the most important as they don't catch up if not a decent size in May, and the Thai basil is doing well.
Have planted more seeds

[Herbidacious]

I sowed some 'Lazy housewife' beans' at the weekend and some more last night. Also some more peas on Sunday some of which are coming up. Japanese cucumbers, two types of chilli (not much point growing these, in a sense, but they are somewhat unusual varieties) also sown at the weekend, borage and ajwan last night (spurred on by the apparent success of Sunday's sowings!) Sunflowers for husband on Sunday too, also already up. I potted on the pepiche on Sunday. My PSB still seem to be in arrested development! (not the band...)
My tromboncino plugs have arrived and been potted up. Need to think about a frame for them. We need a new arch to go over one of the paths to the bottom half of the garden but not sure husband will 'let me' (without a lot of frowning) get one at the moment

Sue you mean re the figs? Ok will look how to check for vine weevil. The really odd thing is that it happened to two plants that are a good 15 feet apart from one another. Maybe they just suddenly had enough of not enough water and it was too late to do anything about it.

edit: your comment re chillis... so too late for me to have sown them? Ah well.

I do keep forgetting we are almost half way into May.

[StokeySue]

Sue you mean re the figs? Ok will look how to check for vine weevil. The really odd thing is that it happened to two plants that are a good 15 feet apart from one another. Maybe they just suddenly had enough of not enough water and it was too late to do anything about it.

edit: your comment re chillis... so too late for me to have sown them? Ah well.

If figs are apart could easily be fungus or pests that has blown in on the wind?

Certainly too late for the patio chillis I grow, but other varieties might be OK, especially if you can start in a propagator

[Herbidacious]

Well I shall just see what happens, I guess (re the chillis.)

Just sent an email off to my tomato supplier, asking when the plants are likely to come. I bet I get a rude one back.

[suffolk]

A lot of figs and other plants have succumbed to the icy wind from the northeast that swept across the UK about a week or so ago ........

[liketocook]

I spent a happy afternoon yesterday sitting in the sunshine re-potting my toms, cue and chillies into bigger pots. Such a nice way to pass the time

[Herbidacious]

You know that's a job I really hate. If you want to come round in a few weeks, ltc...!

While I was putting my peas in the raised bed this morning, my neighbour appeared from over the fence (he's a bit like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn in that regard, but no Fez. Definitely no Fez.) and said words to the effect of "I see you've had a bit of frost damage to your fig." Apparently we had a dry air frost and he things that's what did for them. Good news is that I can see some tiny green buds, so it will probably spring back but I guess no figs this year. Weirdly there was snail/slug slime on some of the branches - high up off the ground. I have seen no slime or indeed snails or slugs (yet... but now I have put my tender pea plants in...) on the ground.

The garden is looking nice and tidy. Husband did the lawns and the gardeners came during the week and did lots of weeding.

[Herbidacious]

Sorry Suffs, just saw your post after I wrote mine. You and my neighbour are in accord.

[liketocook]

You know that's a job I really hate. If you want to come round in a few weeks, ltc...!

I find it quite therapeutic and have a wee chat with the seedlings as I go along - so sort a chair out next to a table and a bag of compost and I'll be good to go. Regular coffees would be appreciated - decaff please with a splash of milk

In my garden I have an old bench that is no longer safe to sit on - rather than dumping it my son popped a couple of boards from the old back step on it and yesterday I set it up as my herb spot with a couple of pots of petunias and trailing geraniums added in just give a bit of colour. It's near my back door so easy to get to and no bending needed to pick stuff so I'm sorted......

[Herbidacious]

It'a deal!

your herb bench sounds lovely!

[liketocook]

Thanks Herbi - just need my sage seeds to arrive.
Nice wee gift today from my Dad as a pot of spicy salad leaves swapped for some basket tom plants and a chilli

[TeresaFoodie]

I saw a gorgeous stone planter yesterday in the shape of a campervan! I would love to grow some strawberries in it, it would look spectacular but unfortunately only a communal garden here at the moment and I don't want anyone eating my strawbs!

[liketocook]

Finally got my greenhouse "loaded" not the best picture and it's cucumbers and some more toms on the other side - should be ok for tomatoes this year (fingers crossed) and I have 8 baskets of them under the roof of my deck . I do like home grown tomatoes Six months ago I never thought I'd manage this, it's been a challenge but I'm really pleased

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[Luca]

Super! Well done.

[StokeySue]

Look good ltc

[liketocook]

Thank you Luca and Sue , it's been a real labour of love this year but I'm pleased I managed it.

I'm not having much luck with my watercress and think I might just abandon hope of it doing anything. Debating whether to weed out what has come through as I could use the big tub for something else, it's got until next week to get it's act together or it going LOL

[Seatallan]

Well done LTC!! You should be really proud of yourself.

I have only one tomato plant (in a pot near the back door) but it's growing apace. My broad beans are coming along nicely, which is making Mr S most excited.

[liketocook]

Well done LTC!! You should be really proud of yourself.

I have only one tomato plant (in a pot near the back door) but it's growing apace. My broad beans are coming along nicely, which is making Mr S most excited.

Thank you
My broad, runner and dwarf beans all though a bit slugged originally are all beginning to flower so my fingers are crossed.

[Herbidacious]

Yes very well done, LTC. What varieties did you say you were growing? I do wish I had a greenhouse... Your cucumbers are doing well. Mine don't look terribly happy. The leaves look a bit bleached. I potted them on, assuming it's a nutrition issue.

My toms are still in intermediate pots, and I will probably pot them on this weekend.

I have three sets of peas on the go. The first two were started off together, and both are beginning to flower. I call one lot Amazing Peas, and other lot, Pusillanimous Peas. Amazing Peas were sown outside in a large deep terracotta pot, Pusillanimous Peas were nurtured first in a heated propagator indoors, and after that sat in my sitting room, one wall of which is glass doors, for quite a while. Lot number three were sown much later indoors - propagator, but removed as soon as germinated, and also sown in root trainer modules. After a shorter spell in the sitting room, they went into the raised bed with the Pusillanimous Peas today. I hope their runty size will boost the confidence of their pusillanimous siblings. I also sowed some straight out in the raised bed the weekend before last, but they have not germinated.
French lazy housewife beans went into a big pot today too.

PSB. They don't seem to have grown at all in about two months. Is this normal?

The flowers the identity of which I have forgotten have buds. Will put them in the garden at the weekend. Excited to see what they are.

[liketocook]

Yes very well done, LTC. What varieties did you say you were growing? I do wish I had a greenhouse... Your cucumbers are doing well. Mine don't look terribly happy. The leaves look a bit bleached. I potted them on, assuming it's a nutrition issue.

My toms are still in intermediate pots, and I will probably pot them on this weekend.

I have three sets of peas on the go. The first two were started off together, and both are beginning to flower. I call one lot Amazing Peas, and other lot, Pusillanimous Peas. Amazing Peas were sown outside in a large deep terracotta pot, Pusillanimous Peas were nurtured first in a heated propagator indoors, and after that sat in my sitting room, one wall of which is glass doors, for quite a while. Lot number three were sown much later indoors - propagator, but removed as soon as germinated, and also sown in root trainer modules. After a shorter spell in the sitting room, they went into the raised bed with the Pusillanimous Peas today. I hope their runty size will boost the confidence of their pusillanimous siblings. I also sowed some straight out in the raised bed the weekend before last, but they have not germinated.
French lazy housewife beans went into a big pot today too.

PSB. They don't seem to have grown at all in about two months. Is this normal?

The flowers the identity of which I have forgotten have buds. Will put them in the garden at the weekend. Excited to see what they are.

Far too many to be honest in the green house I have two of each: San marazeno, Alicante, Shirley, Ailsa craig, Costuloto. St Pierre, Brandywine, Sungold, Principe de Borghese, Marglobe, Black Opal, Black Cherry, Indigo Rose andTigrella. I have one each of Golden Sunrise, Gardener's Delight and Chocolate Cherokee (poor yield for me but fab tomatoes). I also grow various basket types under my covered deck. I grow so many because a) I love tomatoes and b) the growing season here is quite short and as my greenhouse is unheated I can't prolong it so don't get a fab yield per plant.

[Herbidacious]

Wow!

Mine are mostly different too (assuming yours are... I know you are growing a lot ) I must take care not to lose the labels on mine.

I grow all of mine outdoors, and it can be hit and miss whether I get much fruit, but I guess up in Ayrshire it's even more so. Here's hoping for a tomato summer!

[scullion]

mine (at home) are outdoors, too. marmande, money maker, lister's perfection, pineapple, currant and mrs ruck's.
i've also just planted out two of my sweet potato slips. i have three more to pot up.

[Luca]

Which are the best cherry/small tomatoes to put into a hanging basket? Any recommendations? I'd like to get to the garden centre and add to my other tomatoes already growing.

[liketocook]

Which are the best cherry/small tomatoes to put into a hanging basket? Any recommendations? I'd like to get to the garden centre and add to my other tomatoes already growing.

I find even up here the following thrive:- Maskotka, bajaja, red alert, balconi red and yellow. I've had success with mirabelle as well.

Wow!

Mine are mostly different too (assuming yours are... I know you are growing a lot ) I must take care not to lose the labels on mine.

I grow all of mine outdoors, and it can be hit and miss whether I get much fruit, but I guess up in Ayrshire it's even more so. Here's hoping for a tomato summer!

Fingers crossed

[Herbidacious]

tomato question.

A noticed that a couple of the tomato plants that arrived a fortnight ago and which are still under a foot tall are flowering and one even has a tiny fruit. Does this matter? Will they still grow? If not, I am not going to get much fruit, so may need to buy more plants...?

Why would they do this?

btw I am growing
Lycocherry (grafted Suttons) x2
Gardener's delight x 2 I think
And one each of:
Crovarese
Rosella
Ananas Noir
Brandywine Red
Ethel Watkins Best
Nyagous
Rutgers
SunSugar F1
Rosella
Piccolo
Anna Aasa

Assuming the grower sent me all the ones below Gardner's Delight on the list!

Goodness there are so many varieties out there!

[liketocook]

tomato question.

A noticed that a couple of the tomato plants that arrived a fortnight ago and which are still under a foot tall are flowering and one even has a tiny fruit. Does this matter? Will they still grow? If not, I am not going to get much fruit, so may need to buy more plants...?

Why would they do this?

btw I am growing
Lycocherry (grafted Suttons) x2
Gardener's delight x 2 I think
And one each of:
Crovarese
Rosella
Ananas Noir
Brandywine Red
Ethel Watkins Best
Nyagous
Rutgers
SunSugar F1
Rosella
Piccolo
Anna Aasa

Assuming the grower sent me all the ones below Gardner's Delight on the list!

Goodness there are so many varieties out there!

Good variety of toms herbi. I think the ones that are flowering will be just fine but you'll need to start feeding them. Hopefully you'll get a long crop from them.

[Herbidacious]

Thank you!

[liketocook]

I seem to have made booboo when putting my seeds away last year and what I thought were cucumber seeds were most likely courgettes . Consequently I have three "not - cucumbers" in the greenhouse plus a whole load of courgettes merrily growing away in buckets outdoors. I've checked the outdoor plants but no sign of any cues there so it's not been a bad labelling moment . I'm not completely sure yet but time will tell........

[scullion]

you may be surprised. how big are the plants? cucumbers can look a bit like courgettes when they're small.
i was a bit confused between our cucumbers (pickling ones) and melons a couple of weeks ago - but i've strung them up the same and just hope i've put them in the right place!

[liketocook]

They are fairly big but I'll know for definite when they flower. I'm fairly certain they are courgettes but would be delighted to be wrong

[liketocook]

Well they are definitely courgettes - confirmed by inspecting the seed packet. In the "cucumber" packet is another wee packet with the seeds in it and on it in teeny wee writing it says courgette.............. shoud have gone to specsavers.....there was also another wee packet with the cucumber seeds so I've taken a punt and planted three of them and we'll see what happens.

[Herbidacious]

Ah well. You could always buy a cucumber plant?
I potted out most of my tomatoes last weekend into the quad grows, so hopefully they will be ok while I am away. One casualty (something had broken the stem). I had to bring my peas in midweek (the peas in a pot, obviously) because of the wind. Put them out again. There were about three little pea pods I tied up the not so good peas and netted some fruit bushes yesterday before setting off and got very cross and hot and bothered. Feels like a possibly thankless task. The birds got the two cherries on one dwarf tree inspite of careful netting!

There are cherries on the tree in France. Very good ones. But mostly about twenty feet up! The birds must have had most of them. I will find a way to get some down though!

[liketocook]

It may well come to buying one....
Unless you've already ditched it you can rescue broken tomatoes by cutting the stem off just above the break and popping the top bit in a glass of water for a week or so to grow roots. They generally survive ok.
Hope you manage to reach some of the cherries

[Herbidacious]

I left it in the pot then went on holiday...

[liketocook]

I left it in the pot then went on holiday...

Well it will either be dead or thriving . If it still looking a bit broken/bent when you get back a splint of a lolly stick and some sticking plaster works wonders

[Zosherooney]

I am itching to see my greenhouse on our return. 2 weeks at this time of year will be a lot of growth and my lovely neighbour waters for me. I did try and get all the side shoots off the tomatoes before we left but I am sure there will be more to pinch out.

I was right, some big bu$$ars too ! Butter beans are nearly in flower, as are to tomatoes. I have a cucumber that is fit to be cut, carrots and snips have a lovely crop of poppies growing with them !!!!! Even the onions have made inroads especially as they should have been planted last October !!!!!

How is your crop Herb ?????

[Herbidacious]

Ok Zosh here is my one (potential - there is many a slip between mini cucumber and lack of pollination...? I.e. they can drop off) cucumber so far.

I have mini courgettes (same fingers crossed issue. I had some dropping off last year) and mini tomatoes and lots of peeeeeeeas! Had my first bowl of strawberries and a few raspberries (both the Glencoe and the Joan whatsit ones) and a few josataberries. Intend to have major potting on watering and feeding session tomorrow.

[Herbidacious]

other thing...

[Zosherooney]

Wow ! Looking' good Herb...

Your cucs. look the same variety as mine. I have one that must be 5" and almost ready to pick, just hope it is not bitter...

I am totally gobsmacked by the butterbeans grown in the GH. If the flowers produce, I will be inundated....!!!!!

[StokeySue]

am totally gobsmacked by the butterbeans grown in the GH. If the flowers produce, I will be inundated....!!!!!

Be interested to try them fresh & green, like broad beans - in the US I believe that Lima Beans are sold frozen and appear in some recipes, but in the UK you have to sub with board beans

Found this article with pics apparently the reason they like frozen is because fresh have to be peeled individually, like old broad beans

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes-menus/why-we-love-frozen-lima-beans-article

I have planted up all my containers, three types of basil (Genovese, Thai & lemon), wanted some of the small leaved Greek/Provencal basil but the local shops have only stocked plants of Italian this year, so just the ones I have seeds for
I also have a new plant of Greek Oregano, which is clearly a different variety to the one I've had before, a new sage, my long stadnin bay, thyme, rosemary, & mint, a new sage, some sickly looking summer savoury, and one seedling of winter savoury. I've sown more winter savoury and chervil without much hope, I also have some patio chilli plants from seed,
The gaps are filled with marigolds, verbena and nasturtium, so all very foodie!

[Herbidacious]

Zosh I got great satisfaction from my cucumbers last year (!) They seemed to grow visibly bigger in the course of my working day. This one is called Fem something. It's really a greenhouse one. I have some Japanese ones on the grow too, that I grew from seed, but they are runty.

I discovered last night that the weed growing at the base of my recently potted on bay plant is an oregano/marjoram. Don't know how it got there!

Your herb garden sounds lovely, Sue. I am not sure what Greek basil is, Sue. Will look it up. I have a bush one at the moment, but that's my only basil. Do you eat the nasturtiums?

My new herb patch is filling out nicely now, but the cats are still pooing in it so may put a few more things in it. I currently have fennel, lovage, two curly-leafed parsleys, two chives, two sages, some marjoram, some thyme, a variegated sorrel, and a much bigger ordinary sorrel (not sure why...) I have mints and woodruff (again, why?!) elsewhere and rosemary in pots. I did have a big rosemary bush, but it died on me this spring. My gardener suggested it was too damp for it where it was. I have taken two cuttings from it which are quite big now and still in pots. Need decide on a place to plant one of them out. Was wondering about the front. I love trailing my hand in the rosemary bushes several people have in their front gardens that I pass on the way to the train station. The trouble with the front is that it's hard to dig down further than a few inches.
I wanted some summer savoury for companion planting for my beans, but my beans are mostly gone (snails), and it's hard to source. I must have bought it online last year.

My fennel is now 4ft high!

[liketocook]

I have cucumber envy .....
Unfortunately I've binned three of my tomato plants and another two are in quarantine on my deck. I thought at first they were shocked following the pane blowing out and the wind & rain coming in a couple of weeks ago but having had a look at photos online I think they have wilt. Hopefully I've got it and I'll pop the soil from these pots in my front garden bed well away from any veggies.
My "not-cucumbers" courgettes are doing splendidly and the ones outside are not so far behind.

[Zosherooney]

L2C I am green with envy, We will see if the butter beans will provide...... they have been fed with tomato feed... They may be a tad confused