[Libby]

So what are your growing plans for this season?

This is my list
Aubergine (1st year)
Beetroot
Carrots
Courgettes
Cucumber (Rocky)(baby ones did well last year)
Garlic (already in)
Salad Leaves (I like the pick and come again type)
Onions
Parsnips
Peppers (now I have more greenhouse space)
Peas (Victorian Climbing peas, reach 6ft, brilliant)
Sweetcorn
Gem Squash (planted under the sweetcorn)
Tomatoes (lots of types now I have the space)
Potatoes (in bags)
Runner beans

I would like more greens, brocolli, curly kale, sprouts but the cabbage whites decimated my crop last year!

[Kathy]

I haven't even sorted my seeds yet, or dug the bit for the greenhouse.

[Aqui]

I *plan* to grow:

tomatoes (hopefully sow this weekend)
potatoes
courgettes
squash
chard
beans
garlic (well that one is already growing)
lettuce
rocket
radish
beetroot
spring onions
basil (last year's is still going strong!)
chillies (hopefully sow this weekend)
carrots
sweetcorn

(that's just off the top of my head)

But how much of it i actually do get to grow, is another matter!

[Libby]

Basil!! I forgot that!
Last year I planted my tomatoes about now and they went all leggy becuase it was a bit early, I don't know what other people think!?

[Aqui]

I usually do mine in february and when they are germinated keep them in the kitchen (as it's cooler in there, but lots of light). they do go a bit leggy, but then I just plant them deeper. I get an earlier and bigger crop this way than when I sowed them in March (they never really did much at all before the blight got them).

[Aqui]

Oh - it's good to be talking about veg gardening again!

[Libby]

It helps having the sun out too

[Aqui]

true - i'm all tingly about spring and summer now! Not that I'll be able to do much this year, again, but hopefully more than last year. I still intend to train J how to dig, and possibly hunt out and destroy slugs! lol

[Kathy]

I started my tomatoes in June, picked the last at the end of November.    

[Libby]

I planted sweetpeas at the weekend! Late I know but did the same last year and they where fabulous!
I have the onion sets, last year I did as Lottie did and popped them into trays of soil to get them going and kept them in the greenhouse until they could be planted out! I hope to do that sometime this week!
I still need to do the tomatoes

[Kathy]

I panic when people come on at this time of the year saying they are late with things. I've done nothing, no sowing, planting or anything! We usually start late March and nothing really gets planted out till end of May/June.  

[Aqui]

I sowed my toms on 24th feb. about 20 varieties, nearly 75 seeds. hmm.

a few have germinated so far.

[Libby]

Good grief!!! You like tomatoes then?

[Kathy]

 
I haven't got any tomato seeds, thought there were some in my seed box but no. Not sure what kind to grow but I've plenty of space so can do a variety.  

[Libby]

Sweetpeas are through!
I planted a variety of tomatoes, Peppers & Aubergines on the 11th, some in the greenhouse with no heat and some in the house in the prop. The ones in the house are through!
The salad leaves I planted in the greenhouse on the 13th are already through!!

Exciting isn't it.

Oh yes and I have bought my potatoes, and the onion sets are in trays in the greenhouse to get them going!!!!!

[Jojo]

Thought I might try sweetpeas in a tub this year,our soil is so heavy they never do much good, put some canes for them to grow up!!

[TheGirlsMum]

Ive just potted on 16 cucumber seedlings this afternoon.

[Kathy]

I've sown:

Sorrel
Genovese basil
Yellow and green courgette
Rainbow pepper
Red Pepper
Sweet Chocolate pepper
Squash (2 types)
French beans
Runner beans
Peas

[Kathy]

Potatoes, Orla, Pink Fir and Orkney Heritage.

Lettuce leaf mix.

Mr Kathy has sown tons of flowers and Greenlady tons of medicinal plants and herbs.

[Libby]

My peas, french beans and onions, that I started in the greenhouse are in. I have sown chard,Runner Beans,Cauli, Courgette & Gem Squash. My tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and chillis are coming on leaps and bounds since they where sown in March. I've just realised what I haven't sown, which are always gorgeous baby cucumbers how could I forget!

[Libby]

Planted the cucuber seeds the other day, out in the garden under a cloche today I've planted, lettuce, the pick and come again type, beetroot, spring onion, radish. Out in the bed, carrots and parsnips.

I've hardened of my sweetpeas and they have gone in as well today. Other than that its weeding!!!

[TheGirlsMum]

Looked in the greenhouse yesterday and the first beetroot are peeping thro as a few sweetcorn and the first runner bean seed has split ready to sprout.

In the pots in the garden the chard, radishes and lettuce are coming thro (no chickens in the garden now to sabotarge them)

In the conservator(with the candle stick - only joking)  tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers, corgette, purple sprouting brocoli, squash and broad beans doing well. Really must get up the plot and put the broad beans in they are already flowering...

[Libby]

TGM you grow squash? I only grew it for the first time last year at the request of hubby, we grew 'Gem Squash' he used to eat them when he lived in the 'bundoo' in Africa. They where brilliant, small sweet and tasty!!! Planted them under the sweetcorn!!! Did well. So have started off more sweetcorn this year and more gem squash as well!!!

[Aqui]

So far I've sown:

Tomatoes.

(what a long list)

So far I've lost:

Tomatoes.

(I forgot about them and they got all leggy and then wilted in the propagator. Oh well, a bit less for me to have to do!)

Garlic doing well.

Potatoes chitting, to be planted at a later date.

[Kathy]

Today I've sown another row of lettuce and the beetroot. Also potted on the peppers.

[Kathy]

Tomato plants went in on Sunday, still got more to go in.

Parsnips, sprouting broccoli and squashes went in yesterday.

Sweet corn plants went in last week.

[Aqui]

strawbs are doing so well this year. Got so many I keep freezing them. And each day I pick more than the previous day! Reminds me - Kathy - have you ever made sugar-free jam?

[TheGirlsMum]

My Pak Choy is growing away so need to thin them out so sorting out an extra trough for the green house can't bear to waste the seedlings

[Libby]

I have dug up my first potatoes today, I am also picking my first peas we are going to have them for lunch. My chard is ready too. My first courgettes and cucumbers are just starting to appear. French beans are a bit slow but are starting to flower. I have for the second year planted cauliflower and am going to use one of those enviro-cover things to stop them getting decimated but cabbage white which is what happened last year.  Radishes brilliant.
Beetroot, carrots, spring onions and lettuce rubbish is it too late to have another planting of these?

[Libby]

I lied in my last post!!!!! I found two carrots    
I picked two rather large courgettes, so will make them into chutney!
and 2 1/2 lb French Beans all trimmed and frozen!

[Kathy]

I'm harvesting

Runner beans
strawberries
raspberries
carrots
peas
lettuce
shallots
courgettes
redcurrants
pink fir potatoes.

I've sown some winter spinach, borecole and another row of spring onions.

[Libby]

A selection of tomatoes and a cucumber!

[Becki]

We have a load of garlic and onions in the kitchen, I'm hoping we can pickle some onions

[Aqui]

lots of garlic and over 9lbs of apples - the tree is only about 5 years old!

[Kathy]

I've harvested the onions.
I'd hoped to leave them for longer but it's just so wet and some were going mouldy.

[Libby]

Thats exactly whats happened to mine, I put them on the trays I use to dry them but I've had to move those trays in as they where getting far to wet!!
Flippin Weather!

[Kathy]

I invented a novel way of drying mine. There was an empty dog crate (yes really) so I took the plastic base out and got a pile of onions on the bottom and a pile draped over the top. The crate is sitting on top of the boiler!  

[Libby]

Excellent!

[Kathy]

Harvested my beetroot today, half is cooking for plain pickled beetroot and the other is peeled and grated ready for chutney tomorrow.

Also picked the last of the redcurrants, they're washed and in the freezer now.

[Libby]

Picked 4lbs of tomatoes, probably was more but I ate a few, well alot!!  To see what I did with them look in the chutney section!

[Aqui]

why did i not post when i planted my spuds? i can't remember now! (i know it was late though)

[Kathy]

Oops Aqui, I know you did it before me if thats any help.

[Kathy]

I did mine on 17th April.

[Kathy]

More runner beans, they just keep coming, leeks, carrots, lettuce, spring onions, courgettes and raspberrys.

[lottie]

Yummy

[Kathy]

Indeed!  

[Libby]

Planted my onions!!!    Will be interesting to see how they do over the winter, and if they don't theres always good old Wilkinsons next spring    

Also got 3 very large courgettes and my trail of tears beans saved for seed next year  

[agapanthus]

[lottie]

Got my garlic and broad beans ready to go in as soon as I get a minute - I dare not put onions in over winter cos the rabbits eat them - but not the strong tasting garlic stems.

[lloyd]

Hiya Lottie.
We have garlic ready to go now too.

[Libby]

I have garlic too just didn't get round to it today!!!

[Flowerlady]

What sorts are you chaps growing ???

[Libby]

Erm? there are different sorts???












   

Unwins................ garlic says the pack!
and
Unwins First Early Onions??????????

[Kathy]

Here you go Libby!

http://www.garlicworld.co.uk/grower/page3.html

[agapanthus]

I'm growing Porcelain....from the really garlicky company.....not too many cloves per bulb, but really big cloves!!!! Grows well in Scotland

[Flowerlady]

 I planted out some leeks that I had forgotten on Saturday, all beautifully dibbed out as I should. Went back yesterday to find the whole 15ft run covered with footprints and my leeks all scattered over the soil !!        

Apparantly we have a foxes lair on the allotments, luckily not too near me, but oh boy do they make a mess. I know they keep the varmin down, but I do think it's bad form to go dig for worms on my plot!  

The Sec says we are a nature reserve!    

This year for garlic thought I'd try Marco, the books say it's quite a srong tasting sort ??

[Libby]

I planted my garlic today.
This is the last year I will attempt to grow it. I have grown it 3 years and this is the fourth, it grew the first year then after that it has been dire!

[dee]

Not sure how to cook it, boil i suppose,hopefully in their skins [checking that out]
They look similar to Jerusalem fartichokes    
Hmm, how do you post a picture here, cant work it out  
Any how's there's a pic on my blog if you want a looksie..    

[lloyd]

Not sure how to cook garlic?

Photo posting is easier than it first may appear but have a look in our technical section first and see if that helps. If not, I or others can offer help.

[agapanthus]

Lloyd....Dee was talking about Oca

Blimey Dee.....you certainly do a lot!!!! Just checked out your blog...fantastic!!!!!