Kitchen Garden Forum

When we had holidays in North Wales many years there were rhododendrons everywhere on hillsides and when in flower they were spectacularly beautiful. On returning subsequently i was quite shocked to see many of them being cut down and it was only then that I learned what an invading menace they' d become.

Tackled the tunnel! 33.8c today in there so a tiny bit cooler but any breeze was blowing the wrong way so in & out a lot! The toms are going nicely along with the peppers, aubergines & chillies but I gave them a nice root growth top up as the bed had crops in them over winter so I couldn't give those areas any of the saved cow manure I kept for there. I had to re-plant the broad beans as stems brown & rotting which I assume was secondary to the excess rain seeping under the cover, but luckily I had enough plants left. 3 melons planted which I may regret if they take off, sweet potatoes in, spent lettuce & salad stuff out & new sows. Just got one bit left which is just a weed & feed as cucumbers & peas there & maybe do a tweak of the layout.

Hoed the asparagus - again & it's still producing well but not long before I can leave it to it's own devices & it will stop the weeds in time. First direct sows of runners showing so maybe critter repeller is working, planted ones growing but still to work out the climbing bit. Brassica's sulking & a few lost so started off some more in pots as a catch up. Watch me have an excess now!

My crop of the year looks like it is going to be strawberries! Loaded with fruit! What's looking good for you?

My strawberries are also looking good, savoy cabbages growing fast and little gems looking good too! No apples set on my little columnar tree though. Bush beans not been (!) eaten (yet) so pretty happy. Peppers and tomatoes desperate to go out, but we need to make a new frame for the tomato house, as the original collapsed last year in the rain. In non veg related news, my little white wisteria has loads of 2 ft long blooms which smell incredible.

Had two pickings of polytunnel strawberries. Strawberry scones 10 days ago and a large pavlova for the birthday do at the weekend. Most things are looking good that have survived the slugs, lost a planting of cauliflowers to them. Salads, mangetout, courgettes, cucumbers and potatoes all cropping well, plenty other stuff coming along nicely. Can't wait for tomatoes to get going, had some disgusting cherry tomatoes from Lidl, don't see how growers can think they are fit for sale.

I've won the lottery....................................................£2.40, don't think will even buy me a packet of seeds, better cancel the Bentley then...............sun is out!

Dear Westi, have you heard of a Carrot variety called, Topweight….it’s meant to be an Australian variety.

I’m sure it was a Hercules flying over, this afternoon…nice looking plane, anyway…

Should have taken a picture of the other strawberry bed! 2 large ripe strawberries & plenty looking to be ready in a couple of days found today! Quickly scoffed as you can imagine, first dibs always to the grower!

oldherbaceous wrote: ↑Wed May 24, 2023 3:34 pm I’m sure it was a Hercules flying over, this afternoon…nice looking plane, anyway…

Passing NW of you at about 2:35pm? routing NE direction...and into retirement..

C.

Indeed it was, Clive….

I planted 2 packets of wilco ‘s sweetcorn around a month ago so far 5 are showing out of well over 38 planted I’m not impressed

I have2 out of 16 from first sowing and all the second sowing went mushy. I know I only have a small plot but I wanted more than 2!!

I've had poor germination the last two years so this year I changed supplier but not variety. Bought a packet of 55 (actually 57) Swift from Premier Seeds Direct. I sow as three batches two weeks apart. First batch got 18 out of 20, second batch just through 19/20 so well pleased with them.

My peas in a pot outside are looking great! I like to eat pea shoots and peas from the pod. They never live long enough to get cooked. Why?

And I had my first nasturtium flower a wee while ago. Ain't life great?

I think a few little gems will be ready soon! very exciting!