Kitchen Garden Forum

Cucumber crop becoming an embarrassment of riches.
Climbing beans this year poor as plants overwhelmed by blackfly we can't shift.
Some lettuce varieties have failed to germinate.
Courgettes starting to crop regularly but butternut squash looking reluctant to do anything and sulking despite generous watering.
Carrots a write-off.

I've had a few problems with both black and green fly, found a squirt with a water and washing up liquid mixture sorts them out, I use Fairy, but I'm sure others would work.

‘An embarrassment of riches’ now I like that a lot…

Just been and cut my large bed of Comfry down, and mulched between my Chrysanthemums, to try and keep some moisture in.

Peas picked, just need to catch a fish to go with them now.

Fabulous Stephen!

Just picked a load of Black currents, plants covered with ants, not sure what they were after, now stewing them to make cordial for making ice lollies.

Primrose:- I share your pain, I couldn't shift the blackfly on the broad beans, so gave up and harvested everything there was (as above) and cut the plants. There were some harlequin ladybirds but overall too few to cope with the aphids. I have dug the area and put new crops in.

Busy with redcurrants now.

Strangely, in spite of the very warm and dry weather, we did not get any blackfly on the broad beans this year. They did get a long soaking with the sprinkler every other evening and I cut off all the tops quite early, so that might have helped. This morning, before it got TOO hot, we clean-picked all the peas and broad beans into a large bucket each, divided them into three, added some tenderstem broccoli and a courgette each and took them round to three neighbours. Our family have all had their good pick, I can't eat any more and my OH John can't cook, so they will be well used.
The shallots are 'baking' in the sun .....

That was very thoughtful of you, Monika, I would think your three neighbours were very grateful, for such a lovely gift.

Do you pinch the growing tips from the Broad Beans, stops me getting black fly on them, but the just attacked the Black Current bushes instead, a squirt with washing up liquid sorted them out.

Having harvested all the shallots (Jermor), I let them dry on wire racks in the sun the last few days and tidied them up today, nicely sitting in the shade with a coolish breeze, in fact, as the dry skins peeled off, the breeze took them away and scattered them like orange butterflies all over the garden.
It's been a good crop this year but the garlic (Mersley Wight) are smaller than I had expected, so I will keep them in the ground a bit longer.

Your words are quite poetical, Monika…..have had quite a few Red Admirals about today and those speckled orange ones with wings that look like they have been trimmed with pinking shears….

Commas, OH, commas!

Thank you Monika….i’ll try my hardest to remember their name!

Help! Is there a contraceptive pill for courgette plants? I shouldn't complain but..........!