Kitchen Garden Forum

apparently there are none on the "other side"
So, will try here with you friendly bunch...

Used to live in London where was lucky enough to grow successful bounty of butternut squash and sweetcorn.

Since moving to Morpeth 2.5 years ago have had beautiful strong plants - but no squash or sweetcorn.

Any northern gardeners recommend tried and tested tres early varieties for Northumberland short short summers?? Cobnut has been mentioned in few books for squash, worked for anyone?? And seville for sweetcorn?? Also having not much luck with chillies and we've tried dozens of varieties now. I have a greenhouse. West facing garden but very wind exposed.

Any help and also on any other great varieties for growing oop north muchly appreciated.

Welcome Rubykitchen, I'm nowhere near there but glad to see you here.

Awarm welcome from me too, Rubykitchen, but i'm also from warmer climes.

But we do have members from the colder parts of the country, so hopefully they will be able to help.

Maybe you could go down to Tommy's Field and ask the plotholders there.

http://www.tommysfield.org.uk/index.htm

Welcome, rubykitchen!
We are not quite as far north as you but it can still get pretty nippy. I suspect, your general weather is a bit drier and sunnier than here. Just don't get too jealous of all the things people "down south" can grow outside, like tomatoes, peppers, butternut squash, but you will know all about that if you lived in London before.

Can't believe there are no northern gardens willing to share their variety knowledge...pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaasssse.....

Rubykitchen wrote:Can't believe there are no northern gardens willing to share their variety knowledge...pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaasssse.....

Did you try my suggestion?

"Maybe you could go down to Tommy's Field and ask the plotholders there.

http://www.tommysfield.org.uk/index.htm"

alan refail wrote:Maybe you could go down to Tommy's Field and ask the plotholders there.

http://www.tommysfield.org.uk/index.htm

Thanks - yes I know of them - but I always feel a little intimidated by 'allotmenteers' in the flesh - hence my requesting the info on here. Also - if I go down there I'll be tempted to put my name down for an allotment again - as believe it or not the waiting list is much shorter than in our village 2 miles from there. But thanks for searching for the info - really appreciate it.

Would Hull.be near enough?

Hello RK
As you have been able to grow good strong plants but nothing to crop, I wonder if you are sowing or planting too late. Even in a mild area like this there is quite a narrow time in which to get seeds sown, germinated, grown on in pots and planted out so that they stand a good chance of giving a decent harvest.
Both these crops require a warm soil to thrive and don't seem to catch up if planted out too early, especially squash.
I have had good results with the more compact squashes of the Table varieties (acorn type) and sweetcorn Lark.

John

Hi Rubykitchen,

We're at 560 ft above sea level at the foot of the Pennines so even though it sounds quite cushy in South Yorkshire we get very cold winters and late frosts.

I've found Butternut squashes only do well in warm summers and the last two haven't been particularly warm and sunny. Most of my pumpkins and squashes were very poor last year, but have done well other years, so don't give up yet. You might find they do better if you start them off in your greenhouse and only plant them out as decent sized plants at the beginning of June - or grow a couple in your greenhouse.

I too always grow sweetcorn Lark which hasn't let me down yet. It isn't a tall variety but they are lovely and sweet and freeze well. I get the seeds from Marshalls.

I grow my chillies in the conservatory and sweet peppers in the greenhouse and they all do well.

You might have problems with aubergines as the season could be a bit short for them, but the long purple and the white egg ones I brought back from Thailand produced the most I've ever had even last summer. Not saying there were lots, but much better than usual.

We have tried both butternut squash and sweetcorn and not succeeded with either. In our case it may be that it's lack of sunshine under the clouds over the hills which stop things from ripening rather than low temperatures, and we just have to accept the very short window of summer up here.

Tomatoes and sweet and chilli peppers are fine in the greenhouse but, even then, in a rather dull summer they don't always ripen. It's certainly worth relying on well tried varieties rather than trying fancy ones.

Having moved into the Yorkshire Dales from the lush Lea Valley in Hertfordshire, albeit many years ago, I know how frustrating it is to be constrained.