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Hi Jeannine,

I had one too many butternut plants last year so John planted it in a very small, well manured space and let it roam along the paving in front of my apple trees. We stopped the run at about 4 meters (not allowing any branching) and harvested 4 good sized squash so I would say go ahead!

This year I've had difficulty getting Waltham butternut seeds to germinate, so am relying on the Butterfly variety, also growing Pink banana and Potimarron, growing them all on obelisks in one 2m x 1m raised bed.

Hope you are keeping well and will have a good growing season.

Tricia x

I should know this but don't.

 Can I allow a well dug in plant to ramble over gravel after the first 3 feet. I am extremely short of space, these days I just have my greenhouse and some very large pots like half  barrels  mostly. I have flower borders round the lawn but they are for the most part in shade I have a small square about 3 feet of good ground  just outside my greenhouse to the right in full sun but then all round the greenhouse it is gravel.

I have 4 very important winter squash plants that I really want to grow for seed this year and am unsure as to were to put them and looking for ideas . They were originally going to my sons but he has multiple squash planned and they would cross. Currently they are in 18 ich tall pots in the greenhouse waiting to go in the ground. I did think about keeping one in there and hand pollinating it but the space it will take up is prohibitive, growing it vertically would shade the other things in there and the squash are a bit big for that..

I could grow in a half barrel along a wall with a trellis, the sun is OK but the squash size worries me. I also have a trellis with a foot wide border enclosed in stone against a side wall with extremely sandy soil, the sun changes as the day progresses but it is in shade by 2pm.

I am sort of stuck and would welcome any ideas

XX Jeannine

Quote from: JanG on May 16, 2025, 05:27:11Were you growing the excellent Redventure last year? Might they be part of the cross too?

Only Chinese Pink and White, and no other celery around.

galina you'll have trouble seeing the difference on the littlest seedlings but mine here are still pretty small. As they grow and get UV exposure the colours will be more clear. I'll be potting mine on soon so will take some photos of what I've found there. I'm sure that they'll thrive in your care.

Quote from: JanG on May 15, 2025, 06:27:02By 'at home' I'm assuming you mean outside at home, rather than indoors, although I've read of someone keeping a single climbing bean plant indoors, out of season, in order to get precious seeds. Personally I'd prefer the at home alternative, outdoors, where you can keep a daily eye on the plant(s).

Yes, outdoors at home in a north facing courtyard. Unless the weather shifts significantly and this is projected for a long period, I agree that home is the best option. Will keep you updated!

I am growing both Red Venture and Chinese Pink this year.  There are still a lot of Red Venture seeds left from my last seed save, so I hope to save only Chinese Pink.  Thank you for telling us that we need to select.  Mine are still pretty tiny and I can't really see the different colours in the stems yet. 

I hope I have mixed celery too! I am planning a relaxed celery mix that I can just scatter in the beds. I have some big healthy pink/reds and greens that overwintered and are going to seed at the moment (much better than the ones I ever planted...). I might lose the bigger stalks, mixing them all that way, but I mainly use it in soups and stews so it's not a problem. Thanks again Vetivert for the seeds! Fingers crossed for your peas...

Leather gloves, the kind that are often bright yellow, work well. But they're a little more expensive and don't last as long as you'd hope. A pair for just nettles and thistles would be possible for attacking a patch. That tends to be the only time I wear gloves in fact, as the state of my hands testifies. If it's just one or two nettles and they aren't too vigorous, I don't bother with gloves but get the nettle right down at soil level and twist the stalk away from face and arms. There seems to be a sting-free section just where they emerge. But for a patch I wouldn't be as hardy!
For the stings up arms, which are more painful as hands can get very used to nettle stings, I can only suggest cutting the long stalks up first. But all these things - changing gloves and cutting stalks - take more time

Quote from: JanG on May 14, 2025, 06:08:15

Quote from: Vetivert on May 13, 2025, 19:20:16Thank you for organising this again Jan and count me in please :)


The Chinese Pink Celery I included last year appears to have crossed with a plant of Chinese White Celery, or accidentally mixed. I was sure they flowered at different times and the white seedhead was discarded but must have been mistaken.

Anyway, it's quite fortuitious as the seedlings are a mixture of vivid pink, pure white, pale pink, and pinky green. Selection options!

I'm fairly sure my seedlings are all pink but I shall check again today.

I was wrong! My celery seedlings have a mix. About 80% are the deep pink but, as you say, no problem.
Were you growing the excellent Redventure last year? Might they be part of the cross too?

I usually fail to achieve nettle sting free bliss, but the plasticised (butyl) gloves are the best in combination with long sleeve clothing as carrying the nettles to the bin that rots them down to produce liquid fertiliser, usually ends up with stings up the arms.  Unless I am using the left glove on my right hand (the right one is always the first to go so I wear a lot of left gloves on my right hand) and that isn't so well plasticised and then it stings. So I need all the recommendations available too please.      

Hostas need really special protection (so edible in Spring that pies/patties/pasties are on sale across the Med).

Surrounding them with a water moat is very effective but the simplest method is to set the hosta pot in the middle of your pond (and keep it clear of leaves or stems that can be used as a bridge) I'm assuming the slugs can smell hostas etc.

Also, the frogs (& newts?) are much more likely to eat the molluscs on their own "manor".

Cheers.