It certainly has been a good start to the year. A bit dry but plenty of sunshine during the day.
We've got our first chillies, tomatoes and cucumbers set which is earlier than usual and had our first early potatoes last week.
What are you growing?
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We've got our first chillies, tomatoes and cucumbers set which is earlier than usual and had our first early potatoes last week.
Peas are finaly in! Late this year, as I'm usualy eating them by now.
Rats in the compost bin!
Not nice, they have been offered some blue food, and I have recovered one dead baby rat so far. Not good news as it means they are breeding in there.
Also battled a wasps nest last night while trying to clear the bramble and nettle patch which is taking over my lovely rose Bush.
Think I have won!
It is a hairy endeavour to take that on when your escape route is through that lot!
My new water pressure sprayer that I got last week to make a shower was very usefull for spraying the nest with dish soap and water from a safe distance. This little trick works by wetting the nest and as its made of "paper" it disintegrates, and the soapy water disables and kills the wasps.
A final spray with household fly and wasp killer sorted the stragglers out pdq.
Result!
And it's now safe to finish clearing the area.
A damson tree is planned for the space.
Rats in the compost bin!
Not nice, they have been offered some blue food, and I have recovered one dead baby rat so far. Not good news as it means they are breeding in there.
Also battled a wasps nest last night while trying to clear the bramble and nettle patch which is taking over my lovely rose Bush.
Think I have won!
It is a hairy endeavour to take that on when your escape route is through that lot!
My new water pressure sprayer that I got last week to make a shower was very usefull for spraying the nest with dish soap and water from a safe distance. This little trick works by wetting the nest and as its made of "paper" it disintegrates, and the soapy water disables and kills the wasps.
A final spray with household fly and wasp killer sorted the stragglers out pdq.
Result!
And it's now safe to finish clearing the area.
A damson tree is planned for the space.
I've just come home from a week away and everything has really come on 
the gem lettuce rosettes are giving me plenty of big salad leaves, I've got a couple of spring onions ready, I've had a big harvest of chard, ate the first few peas pods (some were even too far gone so I'll leave those to seed) and the row of mixed salad leaves that were planted under 3 weeks ago will be ready for a harvest soon. We'll have a bumper crop of strawberries this year, we had a few weak plants last year so I'm hoping the crop will be a better quality this year. Potatoes look great, they are from last years crop (does that make them heirloom?? Haha) hardly any weeds to remove too. Chuffed with it so far! Multisewn suedes have been potted on, ready for when gaps appear. Any tips on getting fennel seed to take well? Can't seem to get them to grow at all
the gem lettuce rosettes are giving me plenty of big salad leaves, I've got a couple of spring onions ready, I've had a big harvest of chard, ate the first few peas pods (some were even too far gone so I'll leave those to seed) and the row of mixed salad leaves that were planted under 3 weeks ago will be ready for a harvest soon. We'll have a bumper crop of strawberries this year, we had a few weak plants last year so I'm hoping the crop will be a better quality this year. Potatoes look great, they are from last years crop (does that make them heirloom?? Haha) hardly any weeds to remove too. Chuffed with it so far! Multisewn suedes have been potted on, ready for when gaps appear. Any tips on getting fennel seed to take well? Can't seem to get them to grow at all
I get fennel seeding all over the garden from my one main plant.
My suggestion would be to buy a decent established plant from the garden centre and plant it in a border, you will find small seedlings popping up everywhere!
Bought a new blackcurrant today, as my two bushes had to be destroyed because of big bud. They both died, so I'll be starting all over again with them. No blackcurrants this year sadly because of that. I do love my blackcurrant jam. I shall miss it this year.
My suggestion would be to buy a decent established plant from the garden centre and plant it in a border, you will find small seedlings popping up everywhere!
Bought a new blackcurrant today, as my two bushes had to be destroyed because of big bud. They both died, so I'll be starting all over again with them. No blackcurrants this year sadly because of that. I do love my blackcurrant jam. I shall miss it this year.
EdS
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
My main bed is in full swing now, from top down- lambs lettuce just hidden but a good row of young plants doing well, mixed salad leaves, chard, calabrese on the left, suede on the right, small kale plants on the left, greyhound cabbage, small suedes and lambs lettuce on the left, then some hidden gem lettuce, and a whole bunch of peas.
The strawberry bed has started producing over the last few days, probably 100-150 grams a day over the last 3 days, but after the rain we've taken around 750g today. I think we are in for a good crop by the look on it
Picked my first boysenberries of the year today. They don't seem to attract the birds like a lot of other fruit does and being thornless is a big bonus in my book.
Had to Google all of those! Those hacksap/honeyberries remind me of mahonia fruits
This has been the daily harvest out of the strawberry beds for the past few days, I think we've had around 10lbs so far. Strawberry recipes welcome! There's probably another 10lbs to come off of them, they take hardly any looking after.
And this is my first greyhound cabbage, I'm chuffed with it as I've never had great success with brassica. Starting to work through some succession planting, mainly replacing mixed lettuces with suede or gem lettuce.
Attachments
First ripe tiny Tom tomatoes out of the hanging basket this morning.
Cauliflowers are comming along well, and the leeks and sweetcorn look realy good.
Had my first bit of purple sprouting too yesterday.
All the broad beans are eaten, so time to clear them out and plant something else.
Had some potatoes out as the leaves were going all yellow and wilty, so not a great yield there. But I've got a fair few good size ones, and loads of baby ones. Shame, but thems the breaks sometimes.
I'm off up the woods today to try and find some ripe blueberries and wild raspberries.
Cauliflowers are comming along well, and the leeks and sweetcorn look realy good.
Had my first bit of purple sprouting too yesterday.
All the broad beans are eaten, so time to clear them out and plant something else.
Had some potatoes out as the leaves were going all yellow and wilty, so not a great yield there. But I've got a fair few good size ones, and loads of baby ones. Shame, but thems the breaks sometimes.
I'm off up the woods today to try and find some ripe blueberries and wild raspberries.
The big surprise for us this year is white radishes. We normally grow the usual red/pink ones in successive sowings, but this year we experimented with some cheap seeds from Wilko. The variety is called ‘Icicle’, and at 25p for an envelope of (I think) 300 seeds it was worth a punt.
To our delight they grew strongly, and much faster than the pink varieties, and seemed far less affected by slugs etc. The radishes are 3-4 inches long, half an inch in diameter, with a crisp moist texture, and a strong peppery flavour. We’ve bought a few more envelopes of them in readiness for further planting this year and next. I would happily recommend them (burp!)
Cheers, Bob
To our delight they grew strongly, and much faster than the pink varieties, and seemed far less affected by slugs etc. The radishes are 3-4 inches long, half an inch in diameter, with a crisp moist texture, and a strong peppery flavour. We’ve bought a few more envelopes of them in readiness for further planting this year and next. I would happily recommend them (burp!)
Cheers, Bob
Nice one @bobnewboy , we had the same seeds a couple of years ago and you are correct they do grow very well! I'm just not keen on radishes so we don't grow them anymore
I did a little experiment with the potatoes this year, a single chitted seed potato (a second early) with around 5 litres of compost and a grass mulch- they were growing well until this week when blight hit so I had to pull them. I think the lack of compost was to blame, I've got another pot with around 20 litres of compost and a grass mulch with 4 seeds in and this seems to be growing much stronger and no sign of blight yet. I made some roasties from the blighted tubers and they were still really tasty so not all is lost!
I did a little experiment with the potatoes this year, a single chitted seed potato (a second early) with around 5 litres of compost and a grass mulch- they were growing well until this week when blight hit so I had to pull them. I think the lack of compost was to blame, I've got another pot with around 20 litres of compost and a grass mulch with 4 seeds in and this seems to be growing much stronger and no sign of blight yet. I made some roasties from the blighted tubers and they were still really tasty so not all is lost!
I’m at 5 kg of raspberries so far with a fair bit still ripening!
Just luverly!
Just luverly!
The strawberries are coming to an end, probably another week or so left. I've got around 3kg frozen to make a big batch of jam! We have had a lot of insect bitten ones but not many slug or snail issues this year.
Pea pods are starting to dry out nicely, I'm planning to save the seed for next years peas. Gem lettuce seedling are ready to be planted out and plug some gaps, and I've just sewn a bunch of multisow beetroot as another gap filler.
The multisow leeks have now been transplanted into individuals at around 6 inches deep which should blanche them nicely I hope.
Lambs lettuce is ready to start being picked, the suedes are fattening nicely.
The calabrese is growing strong but no sign of the head yet... I'm hoping soon???
Pea pods are starting to dry out nicely, I'm planning to save the seed for next years peas. Gem lettuce seedling are ready to be planted out and plug some gaps, and I've just sewn a bunch of multisow beetroot as another gap filler.
The multisow leeks have now been transplanted into individuals at around 6 inches deep which should blanche them nicely I hope.
Lambs lettuce is ready to start being picked, the suedes are fattening nicely.
The calabrese is growing strong but no sign of the head yet... I'm hoping soon???
My cauliflowers are bolting in this heat. Two are beyond redemption already, they are still small so it feels like a huge waste.
Any tips to rescue them?
It's a heck of a job keeping them happy in my sun trap garden. I'm watering copiously morning and evening and they are still wilting grandly by about 3pm.
Help!!!!
Any tips to rescue them?
It's a heck of a job keeping them happy in my sun trap garden. I'm watering copiously morning and evening and they are still wilting grandly by about 3pm.
Help!!!!
Can you shade them at all? We're growing an old variety of tomato and they're ripening quickly in this sun but suffering a little from greenback. I've just thrown some wind mean netting over the greenhouse to reduce the sun for the next few days.
I dug out the Jerusalem artichoke from the allotment yesterday. The previous tenants plantings and I suspect many from unknown leftovers as they were quite randomly growing.
4.2kg.
This’ll heat the house for a while.
4.2kg.
This’ll heat the house for a while.
I’ve just made a start. Constructed one large raised bed and the onions are coming up nicely. Going to make two or three smaller beds ready for January planting. Seeds already bought. Can’t wait !
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