Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
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Bugs
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What have you got out?So far we've got some tiny brussel sprouts in the ground, and swiss chard, salad stuff, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, broad beans and various peas.
Every thing else - French beans, tomatoes, squashes, melons, peppers, tomatilloes, aubergines - is still in pots so it can be moved quickly.
Although you'd think we have it easy in suburbam Surrey, dahlinks, our garden is on a hill, inclined to be windy and subject to late frosts so we take no chances (although my rogue tomato, tomatillo and aubergines that have remained in the greenhouse through several frosts are doing just fine).
What have you got out, and where are you?
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cab
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Errm, having no end of trouble with carrots.
In the garden are lettuce, dwarf runners, tomatos (struggling a little), rocket, mizuna, leek seedlings, chard, water cress and the perennial stuff of course (sorrel, chickweed, herbs and the like).
In the plot are parsnips, broad beans, peas, spuds, jerusalem artichokes, globe artichokes, takinogawa burdock, celery (doomed to failure if I believe my neighbour), courgettes (although the ones still at home look happier, and will probably replace them), leeks, onions, red cabbage, green cabbage (ready soon!), purple sprouting, weevil infested turnips, and other stuff like rhubarb, currants, raspberries and the like of course, things that don't get put in pots.
Still in pots are, lets think, proper broad beans, sweetcorn, parcel, chinese celery, more toms, calabrese, kale, pointy cabbage, more lettuce, chillis, peppers, squashes, scorzonera (second sowing, the first one got hit by a football that came over the wall and didn't survive, so I've sown more in a pot for planting later), carrots (I'll grow them in pots and plant out IF I REALLY MUST).
Oh, in the hall (or 'conservatory' if you're an estate agent, which I'm thankfully not, it's a hall, dammit, it's nothing like a conservaatory) are the greeenhouse toms and cucumbers.
Still to be planted are dwarf french beans, more runner beans, more peas, more lettuce, more herbs...
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wellington womble
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At the moment, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach (I think) beetroot, carrots and spring onions are in containers (where they will stay until I harvest them), spuds and shallots are in the ground, peas are in the cold porch, some tomatoe plants (I confess, I bought them!) are in the growhouse, along with sweet peas and morning glory, some of the tomaoto seedlings and shortly to be joined by the peas, as they are sulking! Various other tomatoes and chillis are lurking in the porch, but I don't think they'll grow in time.
The propagator is still holding on to sqaushes, pumpkins and delicate beans, but I'll chuck them into the porch when the peas go out in favour of more squashes and beans (have given up another flower bed, as I didn't get round to planting many flowers!) Must remember to get some sweetcorn in, too. The herbs and broccoli and flowers are still on the plant mans stall, but I plant to liberate them next week! 
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Jessevieve
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I've got various pumpkins and squashes and tomatoes out but protected under cloches. Lettuce, rocket, land cress, radish, spring onions, spring cabbages, carrots, peas, broad beans, shallots, onions, potatoes and globe artichokes all out. Recently planted out is sweetcorn, borlotti beans and french beans, keeping everything crossed that we won't get another frost otherwise the lot will be wiped out. Indoors are chillies, peppers, aubegines, various tomatoes (including some black ones which are new to me), passionfruit and melons.
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cab
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Didn't mention the tomatillos. They're still inside.
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Bugs
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One of my tomatilloes appears to have a couple of flowers on it  
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cab
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Bugs, yours are a good three weeks ahead of mine then!
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Bugs
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It's just the one, and I think it had been in a too small pot. I have a bad habit of sowing too early...one of my Sungolds has a fully open flower 
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Jessevieve
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What are tomatillos, is it a kind of tomato? I've got small tomatoes on some of the plants already, swelling bigger by the day
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cab
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| Jesseveve wrote: | | What are tomatillos, is it a kind of tomato? I've got small tomatoes on some of the plants already, swelling bigger by the day |
Tomatillos are kind of like physalis (cape gooseberries), but you use them a bit like tomatoes. Very tasty, big in mexican food.
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Bugs
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That's one for the glossary, Cab/Jesseveve
Whereabouts are you (Is it Jess or Jesse for short?)? I'm jealous of your tomatoes now 
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Jessevieve
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I'm in Sussex, germinated the seeds in late Jan (I think, or was it early Feb?) and planted out mid-March, the variety is Outdoor Girl, under cloche protection. Here's a pic:
Can tomatillos be grown from seed like normal tomatoes?
Jesse
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judith
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Wow. I am seriously impressed Jesse. I was sure they would be in a heated greenhouse.
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hardworkinghippy
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Hi,
I'm in south west France, and I've outdoor toms coming on. (just like Jess's pic above!) My neighbour gave me the seed, I don't know the variety 
I've just planted out almost all of my courgettes, squash & pumpkins:
This morning, there are two tiny courgettes (yellow) here's a pic:
The sticks are to stop the chickens dust bathing in the earth!
HWH
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judith
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| hardworkinghippy wrote: | The sticks are to stop the chickens dust bathing in the earth!
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How well does that work HWH? I could do with something like that on my spuds, which seem to be the fave dust-bathing spot at the moment. 
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hardworkinghippy
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You have to use long sticks and push them really well into the ground.
We use chestnut regrowth which lasts all season.
It works fine - we had no losses last year but we do have to push the earth around to make sure the roots are covered if the chicks try to "snuggle in".
After the next rainy day, and the plants are well away, we'll put on a thick mulch and the chicks will go elsewhere.
HWH
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Bugs
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That's a very good idea HWH, saves a lot of fencing. Never thought of that (tried it on a smaller scale I suppose, but not considered it as proper protection).
Defiintely worth a try.
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Deedee
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Do you really want a list As usual I have overcrammed the garden..square foot planting has nothing on mine!!I have lettuce ready,peas swelling,flowers starting on those early peppers and tomatoes I planted just to see..lets see,courgettes,climbing french beans,dwarf french beans,beetroot,ruby chard,turnips,carrots,parsnips,spring onions,onions,mini caulis and cabbage,kale,sweetcorn and just sown some kohlrabi and celeriac today in pots!
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Blacksmith
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This year I am mostly growing..............
Broad beans, runner beans, mangetout, sweet corn, carrots, parsnips, early spuds, onions sets ( 3 varieties) seed onions, shallots, beetroot, rhubarb,strawberrys and blackcurrants.
In propagators, waiting for me to prepare the plot, courgettes, butternut squash, peppers and chilli peppers.
Dave
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Bugs
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I'm really glad to see I'm not too far behind, seem to be balancing out more or less...
My word Deedde, wot a lot you've got, I thought your garden was postage stamp sized? I'm really impressed.
Blacksmith, is there a reason you do onions from both sets and seeds? We tried seeds a couple of times but they didn't get far, and sets just seem to bolt in out garden (we just grow shallots now, as they're handy, keep well, and are expensive and diffiuclt to buy..if we had more room I'd grow more onions though).
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Deedee
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[quote="Bugs"]
My word Deedde, wot a lot you've got, I thought your garden was postage stamp sized? I'm really impressed.
quote]
it is Bugs ! I'm determined to get as much out of it as I can though, I just tend to stick things in where theres any space,if there's no space it goes in pots,when we can't walk anymore for tripping over stuff THAT'S when I stop Forgot to add I also have my new potato bed plus all the fruits..and so excited I have apples on my trees at last!Have 6 miniarettes which so far only ever gave me one apple last year  on speaking to a friend he said they needed feeding and this year they are loaded
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Nanny
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what haveyou go tout?i feel a bit ashamed really but it's still not good enough to put a lot of things out...........in the ground now i have
onions
spring onions
elephant garlic
2 types spuds
summer cabbabe
cauliflower
sprouts
lettuce
beetroot
jerusalem artichokes
broad beans
carrots
radishes
in the green house/cold frame awaiting the moment:
peas
french beans
tomatoes
hanging basket toms all basketed up and await non desturctive weather
leeks
sweet peas
courgettes
pumpkins
cucumbers
have sown sweet corn under half pop bottles but not a lot has happened in a week so getting worried
the weather just isn't with us this year..................
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Behemoth
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I've sown quite a bit but it's not shown yet. It's been cold and dry her in Leeds and nothing's been too keen to start making a move.
But Autumn sown garlic and broad bean are doing well. Spring sown broad beans are just emerging.
Parsnips, salsify and scorzonera have been very slow and patchy to come up. may have to reso a few emergency rows.
Carrott - two types - amsterda Forcing MIA, Chantenay Red core showing through. Mix of letuce, rocket and land cress will need resowing although Red Fire lettuce has bucked the trend.
Brassicas, Leeks and sweetcorn in pots are doing OK.
French beasn and runner beans, spinach and chard only recently sown so are yet to show, hopefully nex week.
Potatoes and Jeusalem artichokes are doing OK.
As well as resowing lettuce and stuff, courgettes and squash to be sown as well
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Blacksmith
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Bugs, Force of habit ! I used to show my onions (insert joke here) there was a class for seeds and sets.
Have you tried fish, blood and bone on your onion patch ? or just the fish, i was told to do this many years ago by an old gardener and have never had any problems with bolting.
Dave. ( 1998. Winner . 6 onions grown from seed. THS)
(1998. only entrant. 6 onions grown from seed. THS)
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judith
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| Blacksmith wrote: | ( 1998. Winner . 6 onions grown from seed. THS)
(1998. only entrant. 6 onions grown from seed. THS) |
But it is still the winning that counts.
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Blacksmith
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Chuffed to bits !
Got second place with my sets, out of about 10 entrants !
Best cacti.
Our kids won the cups in the junior sections !
Dave
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cab
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Planted out both butternut squash plants and all 22 (out of the 24 I planted) sweetcorn plants yesterday evening.
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alison
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On the main plot I have broad beans, maincrop potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, not quite up yet, parsnips, same, onions, garlic leeks, gooseberrys, blackcurrants, raspberries, white currants, red currants, rhubarb, thistle and dandilion.
On the other it is now ready for the aubergines, cougette, melon and marrow.
In the greenhouse there are various herbs, with a lot of basil for some reason. About 20 tomatoes, cucumber, new potatoes, baskets of strawberries and a trough of Mruttys strawberries, peppers, chili, lettuce, various and lots, and sweetcorn.
So far the peas have failed completely. The runner beans are waiting to go out too.
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tawny owl
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My peas have failed totally too, and I'm not that far away from you. Wonder what's going on? Have we got some horrible pea disease down here? Will be buying plants at this rate. Runner beans taken off like rockets, though.
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alison
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I guess with peas you could succession sow. Have I left it too late now, or would it be worth trying.
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Mad Dad
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We are a bit slow down at the allotment this year due to other commitments but so far Ive manged to get in peas, beetroot, carrot, french beans, turnip, celeriac and kohl rabi (whatever that is)(mates idea). Today I potted two varieties of courgette, butternut squash, pumpkin and maize. Ive never tried these before so I dont know how well they will do. I still have more to put in but haven't decided what yet.
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monkey1973
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I'm way behind my planned objectives as usual. So far I've got a stack of tatties on the go, carrots, beetroot, onions, garlic, shallots and asparagus. Might still have time to get some peas and courgettes planted if i'm diligent but something else will probably come up!! 
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tawny owl
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| alison wrote: | | I guess with peas you could succession sow. Have I left it too late now, or would it be worth trying. |
I'm trying to get into succession sowing, as I'm changing over completely to the square foot method, and you really do need to do that to make the best use out of it. I've planted up another few pots of peas - I'll see what happens! If it fails again, I'll just have to buy in.
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alison
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Perhaps I should then. It is quite mild down here, so we don't have to worry about frosts at the end of the season.
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John snyder
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Tomatoe bugsThe bugs are killing my tomatoe plants n'at i don't know what kind they are but they are eating them to nothing i need help n'at
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cab
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Re: Tomatoe bugs | John snyder wrote: | | The bugs are killing my tomatoe plants n'at i don't know what kind they are but they are eating them to nothing i need help n'at |
John, this would get more attention if it were posted as a new topic, rather than here.
However...
What do the bugs look like? Blackfly? Greenfly? Something else? Are the toms indoors or outdoors?
If it looks like I may lose a crop to a pest like this, then I'll use an insecticide spray. Otherwise, a little bit of washing up liquid in a spray bottle full of water, sprayed onto the leaves regularly, will fettle many insect pests. If there's a heavy insect attack then sometimes you're best picking/gently rubbing off as many as you can first.
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