Questions of a veggie nature

[newatallthis]

As my login name suggests I am newbie, asking for your collective wisedom. I have just filled my conservatory with 7 tomato plants, and 2 spinach plants. Outside I have, all in growbags, 2 Butternut squash, 1 Melon, 1 Strawberry, 6 Calabrese (Brocolli) 6 Cauliflower and 1 Sweetcorn. I think thats it!

Now for the questions:

My melon plant, it says hand polinate what does that mean and do I need another plant to do it?

Cauliflower, it says it likes being mixed with manure do I need to do this if it is in a growbag?

What else....

Oh yes I know,

My spinach, one in particular is growing quite tall with a good selection of leaves on, how do I go about cutting the leaves to aid more growth, or don't I touch it yet?

Any help, suggestions or pointing out of mistakes, of the planting variety, would much appreciated.
Many Thanks, look foward to hearing from you all.

[Carole B.]

I've just replied to your butternut posting when I saw this one Newatallthis and first I think you should swap the spinach and the melon around,the melon will be better inside and the spinach is as tough as old boots,he'll be happier out there!Start cutting the spinach as soon as there is enough for a meal without decimating the plant.The melon will have male and female flowers (female has a baby melon behind it)when the flower opens take a male flower and wiggle it about in the female one to pollinate it,a male flower should do 2 or 3 females if they are open.
The cauliflowers might not do very well in growbags as they like a firm soil but someone out there might know a way of doing it.

[Compo]

Do you have no spare ground then newatallthis?

Not sure u can grow it all in growbags and greenhouse, but u can do a lot if thats all that you have.

Compo

[David]

I agee with all that has been said but would also question the sweetcorn in a growbag - mine are always at least 6 foot tall and I grow them in blocks of 12 so that they pollinate each other.

It could be that the big plant will tip your bag over and /or may not get cobs due the lack of a partner.

Good luck

David

[newatallthis]

Hi to you both

Thank you for the replies, some spare ground I do have but am waiting for my darling hubby to get around to digging it over for me. And as the weather has not been great we haven't had the chance to sort it out. I intend to get more sweetcorn and plant in the ground and plant out the cauliflowers. can I do the same to the calabrese? ae well as swappimg melon and spinach.

Many thanks to you both.

[Compo]

Just looking at what u said about digging, as the weather has been raining in most places, just dig over some ground and empty your growbags on top, wack in your veg plants and weed around them once they are in, time is not on your side if u want some crops this year.

Compo