??? ???
Well, I have the best radishes ever and the rhubarb is enormous, so its not all bad news. The little gem lettuces in the greenhouse are doing particularly well with it not being too hot, but the lettuces outside are not really lettuces yet. I'm hoping for sun this week and I've planted tomatoes outside today with flowers just starting to open. Peas and Broad Beans are loaded with flowers. All the fruit bushes and strawberries look promising so if the sun does come out as I have planned, we should be cropping all sorts in June.
Strawberrys have all flowered and look healthy
Winter onions are coming along nicely
The whole line of Parsnips have come up, been weeded, thinned out and are just about the best I have had
Spuds are flying and after a firkle I reckon I'll be eating a few earlies in a couple of weeks or so
Beetroots again have been weeded and thinned and are coming along
Summer onions are 6 to 8 inches up
On the down side Peas, Cabbages and Sweetcorn are struggling a bit
So Jimbo not too bad on the whole. :)
I think it is swings and round abouts. Spuds doing well. Also have strawberries looking very bonny with loads of flowers. I have a bit of an issue with brassica seedlings so I am going to start some more. Peas a bit slow but they have been under bottle cloches. Broadies and parsnips also good. Beetroot seedlings disappearing. Some carrots good others poor. Raspberries and other fruit looking good. Hard frost two nights ago not sure if that will affect apple tree production.
Courgettes getting leggy on the windowsill, will start some more of those off as well. Sweetcorn dieing so will sow some more of that too.
Slugs/snails a bit rampant.
..absolutely not... ;D
Rhubarb is gigantic this year..garlic stem look really thick and if that is a promise for things to come, they could not be better, shallots are sprouting and have thick 'heads' on. Newly planted strawberries have rooted well, all have good amount of leaves on and some flowers are just coming on. Peas are slow to grow but don't look sad neither.
I've been slow to get crops out this year and in some ways its been good thing.
Only crops I'm not sure about is fruit.. :-\..trees been flowering just as we've had this bad weather. Currants and gooseberries are not bothered..those look like there is plenty to come...but my plums took worst of the weather so I'm not expecting much this year..apples are just flowering, but bees are not able to fly much with this cold and windy weather. Peach in GH didn't set many fruits..usually I have to thin young mable size immature fruits out, not this year. I've got 4 set.. ::) ..well..it saves me a job..every year I throw bucket full of thinnings into compost bin.. ::) I should have assisted the pollination with rabbit tail..or..the weather just was too cold for set this year.
Walking around the plot yesterday,the Barb is monstrous and we cant get thru it quick enough,all the fruits...goose/plums/ has small fruits everywhere.
Onions and Garlic are looking awesome carrots are springing up nicely,as are beetroot and parsnips.
How ever inside the Tommies/peppers/chillies/cues/are all on a go slow and look bluddy terrible for this time of the season.
We are off to Scotland in the morning for some R and R,,,,,,im hoping the 2 weeks away will give the
above time to pull their finger out and get growing...if we have some warmer weather that is.
Gazza
Garlic is looking very good, spring onions, carrots, beetroot, peas, cabbages are all doing ok. :)
Strangely no sign of parsnips after nearly 9 weeks, so re-sown seeds. ???
Potatoes seem to be growing ok, though allotment neighbours potatoes all went rotten due to his allotment being turned into a lake due to all the rain!!! :(
Everything in the greenhouse is growing ok, not putting anything else out for a good couple of weeks because the weather forecast isnt to good!!
It's always a mixed bunch. Teh spuds are awesome but I hope they don't all get blight when it warms up! Peas are flowering and coming on very well. The first runners are up and starting to climb. The lettuce is sulking a little but it's better than normally. Rhubarb is the best crop ever and the artichokes are very big plant-wise, now just see when the flowers (globes) will come out. Garlic is huge and the onions are not bad, I regret not having done the usual quantity in fact.
The tomatoes etc are out, I had to tie them in already and erect a windbreak as the weather is so bad. They hate this weather! it has been cool here and very very wet. But I think they will pick up. The aubergines are having a major sulk but the peppers don't seem to mind that much!!!! Odd that.
There is a lot of grass and weeds though....
any one haveing a re-think ?
Quote from: jimtheworzel on June 12, 2012, 12:18:16
any one haveing a re-think ?
I fully agree with Goodlife, ok for potatoes, peas, salad greens, radishes, etc. The problem is that the tomatoes and squashes will be struggling if this keeps up for much longer.
We have hardly any apples this year on the trees apart from the big Bramley, because their flowering time overlapped with non-stop rain and nothing got pollinated. Pears fared a little better. One of our pear trees (variety Dr Jules Guyot) seems to have developed the ability to spread its flowering - there are some buds and some open flowers even now, whilst little pears are growing on others parts of the tree. I wish our apple trees were a bit more like this.
Strawberries are late, gooseberries look very fat, but probably won't be very sweet. Soft fruit is late and not too abundant either.
On the one hand it is a blessing to have a good amount of moisture at last, after several very dry springs and routinely running out of stored rainwater and having to use grey water frequently. On the other hand .......
Brassica should be ok, ditto leeks. If possible, it may be worth rigging up shelter over the outdoor tomatoes or investing in a cheapie tunnel or plastic greenhouse for the outdoor tomatoes.
On the other hand, summer might yet be glorious ....... we can but hope (even if it is still coats, hats and gloves in the meantime ;D)
I look at what is growing now and I am really dispirited, but then I remember that this is less than a month later than I started out last year and at this point then we had nothing.
Early potatoes are going really well (21 plants) and had the first couple at the weekend.
Broccoli have done OK and have a couple ready to be taken.
Loads of radishes (obviously). Nothing makes you feel successful like a few rows of radishes.
Rocket all bolted in the couple of weeks of really hot weather, got around a dozen nicely shaped lettuces coming along.
Parsnips and carrots that were directly sown have done almost nothing.
Swede, turnip and beetroot that was directly sown a couple of weeks ago is coming through in good numbers.
Peas and beans all failed early on, but a new sowing a couple of weeks back are all poking through now.
Courgettes have been a nightmare to germinate this year after a bumper crop last year, but finally have some shoots coming along nicely. Again seems late, but no later than we were last season.
Leeks nearly all got eaten after they were planted out, same as last year.
Loads and loads and loads of very green but quite large strawberries.
Bed of onion and garlic seems to be doing well.
Hanging basket tomatoes have just started flowering.
So, doesn't look good but still far more advanced than last year, and we managed to get the entire plot covered in stuff we could eat then.
A bit of warmth right about now would be useful though.
I've been picking collards and salad leaves and that's it.
I've got a fruit on a cherry plum tomato outside, and one on a giant one inside.
My pumpkins, marrows and courgettes are still more or less the same as when they were planted out, so no prizes for me this year. :'(
ny beans or squash but everything else is ok, even got kiwis on our 5 yr old vine , just need them to get bigger and ripen. Plus, loads of figs ;D
Winter onions are a plenty
Dug some more earlies today RDOY
Beetroots coming up OK and parsnips are flying
Sweetcorn is slow going
Peas are starting to take off, but did need re-sowing
Carrots and springies are very poor
Rhubarbs died a death
Hamburg parsley was very poor germination
Cabbages don't look very healthy
Pak choi bolted.
:-\
Just copying Kevs format :P
winter onions - excellent
Summer onions - bolted
Carrots in a waist high raised bed - very good
Sweet corn - not bad
Peas- struggling..they need some sunshine.
Courgettes - look sick
Squashes- look tired
greenhouse tomatoes- just setting fruit but looking good
Greenhouse cucumbers - way behind
chillies and peppers - slow
Spring onions - excellent.
lettuces - very good
Strawberries - eaten by slugs.
Runner beans and French beans - refusing to climb
Cabbages - looking very good
No not a dead loss at all. The rain is a bit scary if it warms up more I shall ne worried about blight but beyond that things are doing well. Fortunately my whole plot is raised beds, so although we are squelching on the paths the veggies are OK.
We had a heat wave for 2 weeks about a month ago which killed off all my growing peas, despite all the watering they radually died off but we have resown and due to the colder weather they are doing very well.
My outside tomatoes are actually looking good which amazes me.
Carrotts and parsnips are doing well as are gren onions , spinach etc.
My beetroot isn't doing so well though, poor germination but the seeds were old so we will re sowin the gaps.
We usually take a picnic to our plot and have a ggod chatter with our lottie friends and that is mot happening to smuch but overall, it is ceratinlky not a failure.
Would be if we were not all raised beds though as underfoot it is waterlogged.
XX Jeannine
Well, I wish I had sowed more radish in any case!!!
The tomatoes are growing very big!! and already have flowers! But hope they don't get sick. The peppers and aubergines and squash are disgusted and sulking.
Best peas I have ever had! Runners are great but french beans not too happy. I will sow some more, no worries about those.
Spdus are starting to get sick, gooseberry has sawfly (first tim ever!) And teh fruit is a disaster. The bettroot looks good though and we've had lovely lettuce. Best rhubarb ever!
very good: brassicas of all sorts
blackberries, blackcurrants and blueberries. Lots of fruit on healthy plants
gooseberries
lettuces
radish
herbs
good: potatoes - we have been eating for two weeks
winter and spring sown onions. Winter ones already dehydrated as were too wet to keep long
runner and french beans are climbing
swedes and turnips but have to constantly watch for slugs and flea beetle
early peas-but not early enough
tomatoes-remarkably are developing fruits
celery is taking off
parsnips sitting there but looking good
rhubarb
iffy: broad beans not enough pods, sickly plants
garlic-rust
shallots-flowers on one, too many small bulbs on the other
beetroot-poor germination and slugs
chillis and peppers-standing still
courgettes and squash-standing still
strawberries-loads of fruit but masses of mould and slugs
poor:carrots-poor germination of four different ones
florence fennel-one germinated out of fourteen
the plot won`t be a failure but I am keeping on top of harvesting to preserve before mould, rust and rot take hold. No bees seen for weeks now and rain almost every day. 60 mph gusts today as well
Most things are good for me in the North, but then we are used to some difficult conditions and prepare for it. The use of cloches and fleece is normal practice for me and protection will not be removed before the end of June.
Last couple of days my sweetcorn and maize has started to sulk...the cold and wet has finally has effect..I'm not happy.. >:( I've got about 170 plats of all and it was going to be my big year for this crop...it all started so well. If we only would have a good week in between and I'm sure the plants would perk up and able to take some more rain.. ::)
Squashes and courgettes look very happy though..the warm mulch is working treat, corn was going to get same treatment once they get bit bigger.. ::)
I'm not going to give up to doom and gloom as yet..but it is not looking promising.
Plenty of kale of nothing else.. ::)
Spuds in poly amazing ;D outside poor but PFAs from TPS are loving it....
peas tall and lots of pods but not swelling ??? brassica ok and under various net benders, outdoor toms under impromptu plastic poly, runners best of climbing beans, all curcubits pale and languishing even indoor ones. Chilies, peppers etc slow although indoors-no sun. But sun forecast for next week so hopefully all will be transformed. PS Weeds are FANTASTIC and love it.... :P
Sweetcorn starting to liven up a bit
Beetroot and Parsnips coming along nicely
Peas starting to get some pods and have resown more
Runners are up
Brassicas looking sad
Strawberry's ripening
Cherry tree looks a no no
Eating new spuds and winter onions
Cucumbers, Tommies and Sweet Peppers looking healthy in my back garden
Celeriac slow but healthy. ;D
Not the best year on the plot this year but not the first,shared by some other plot holders also.
Spuds and onions are great,peas and corn struggling on.
Courgettes and pumpkins are contemplating giving up,with not only the wet weather of late but also the sudden heatwave we had very briefly.
Atleast mr severn trent and mr thames water have a much harder job of raising the rates with all this rain,there tears alone filled a few resevoirs.Softens the edges i guess ;D
My daughter lives in London Ontario and tells me the farmers there have lost 80%of their apple harvest due to a very sharp frost as the fruits were setting.
qahtan...
And we are trying to grow runner beans, huh joke, at last the squirrels have left a few, but they are pitiful.
And the wind is blowing off what apricots and plum there could have been...
sad, sad, sad. q
Started to clear my allotment for next year
rotting spuds, onions bolting, ect ect, its been a disaster
but will 2013 be any better ?
Sweetcorn is sulking and hardly moving
Squash and Courgettes hanging on but only just
Garlic's got rust
Carrots very poor germination so far
Parsnips ditto
Runner Beans dont look overly happy so far
Having said that soft fruit is doing well with some excellent redcurrants so far. Loads of Blackberries and Gooseberriess to come.
Spuds growing well - just hope blight stays away
Broad Beans are ok - blackfly aside
Peas and Mangetout did well - those that I could the pigeons off that is
Onions and Shallots doing OK
Brassicas growing well and no whitefly yet.
Bit of a mishmash really and I'd like a bit more warmth and a bit less wind and rain
But then there's the pigeons - blooming things!!!
Here it is still raing, almost constant now for several weeks baring the odd day. I haven't been tio the plot for a week as we are ankle deep in water but there are two days more rain forecast then at least 12 days of sun so am hopeful everything is hanging on.
It has been a very bad year for rain here, the worst I remember. They say in BC we get 1 hot dry season in three, well this is the third wet season so maybe it nmeans we get three wet one dry..so roll on next year.
XX Jeannine
We finally had a decent down pour, though a bit late for the garden, no apples
a few plums not sure what they will end up like, lots have been blow off by the winds we have had.. hardly any pears, blackcurrants, tomatoes look terrible as do the runners. shallots are almost ready to lift but quite small.
we have picked about a pint of loganberry's.
the temperatures we have been and still getting about 30/32c with humidity it is about 40c'
To buy local raspberry's . they are $5 half a pint.
I did buy some nice apricots today, California, a very good price $1.98 lb
so I bought half a box, 8 lb. so that give s me a few to freeze.
we normally have a good crop from our trees but not this year.
Sorry to sound like a moaning minnie, it s just that it ticks you off some times..
:) :-* qahtan
What are the apricots like Qahtan.
Over here they are never that nice, except I had some at a buffet the other day and they were gorgeous. It made me realise what they are supposed to taste like. :)
First batch of sweetcorn now looking healthy, second batch starting to get going.
Brassicas weird misx... brussels and Kohl Rabi at home thriving, someof the cabbages on the plot are doing OK, but then the next one in the row just lokos like it is bolting...
Peas on the plot ravaged by pigeons before I realised, peas at home doing OK, more peas sown in module strips......
Cut and come again salad doing OK in module strips and pots, a few lettuces that are still in a shelter now picking up
POtatoes... someproblems with contamination again, but quite a few now growing away well.... blight worry on HBR...
Fruit at home... well the strawberries ahve been nice but the earlies are finished adn the ever-bearers haven't started, started to get some first year raspberries and realise I need to be more brutal with their training and pruning next year. First blackcurrants (woohoo)... will make somejam and freeze some compote for yoghurt...
Toms and peppers in GH... just started to get some cherry toms, the odd one every feqw days or so.... the rest look pretty healthy but they're not very big yet, peppers look KO, starting to set, might well try to track down soe Sweet Banana seed next year, the bought plants I've got are well ahead of everything else adn they've done that since planting out... The few Gigandas in teh GH are miles ahead of the ones outside, startin gto set...
Outdoor beans are not too bad all things considering, some of the earliersorts (San Antonio, Mennonite Stripe) are starting to flower.... forgotten how pretty Mennonite Stripe flowers are.... a lovely fuschia-purple...
Parsnips adn celeriac on the plot seem to be happy, shallots and onionslook OK so far, the nuclear option of washing all my trays and pots with arimllatox whilst stood on the bit where I'm growing onions this year might well have paid off wrt the white rot.... hoping that the garlic trick has worked under the spuds... will find out next year when i put some onions in there....
Not been too bad, but I got lucky with the weather in March coinciding with when I could get stuff done.... plot onesweeds are not thriving, I got a lot of them out in March and it's now jsut hoeing.... plot two will get the treatment later.... but with the soil loosened it's easier to hoe down the fallow areas, doesn't take 15 minutes to do the thing, but the weazther keeps allowing the weeds to re-root... but they're weaker every time , hopefull a stale bed will be achieved soon....
the apricots I bought, Californian, were just as delicious as you would expect, sweet and a good size.. about 2 pound 75 a pound. normally 3 x that price, but then I don't normally buy them as we usually have a crop from the garden,, this is some of them, sweet, good size and lovely. the two trees that we have were grown from pits many years ago...
one of them is a a rather flattish fruit quite big, the othe is more round and a bit darker, could maybe be like a Van.
qahtan
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y58/qahtan/garden/100_0900.jpg)
this is a sinkful waiting to be washed, pitted and poached ready for freezer,,
to eat and enjoy in the winter.. ;) ;) qahtan
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y58/qahtan/garden/000_0001.jpg)
Glad things doing ok for you Chriscross
Those apricots look great Qahtan!
Picked 5 or 6 lbs of gooseberries today, plus a couple of ponnds each of blackcurrants and raspberries, 4 lb of strawberries, they all taste a little watery but I'm sure they're full of vitamins ;D
Noticed yesterday that blackcurrants are getting overripe... compote and jam sessions coming up soon.....
Our blackcurrants really need picking.for juice and jelly. don't grow raspberries and strawberries, and gooseberries just don't wanna' grow here. My brother has one bush he always seems pleased with the fruits, but to me they are miserable
maggoty little things. I would dump it, but he say's no' they are all right... to each his own... :) :) qahtan
still hot and sunny, down were our daughter live, London, Ontario it was 37 c
45 with the humidity'
picked the blackcurrants this morning,, made jelly,, qahtan
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y58/qahtan/garden/000_0010-1.jpg)
yes!! i am just one ot the maney
Have just spoken to my daughter Karen she lives in London Ontario, she said in the market
clingstone peaches a 3 litre basket $8.99. thats 3x the price of last year, I suppose due to lack of rain.( oh, my goodness, whats rain") and there was a late frost... Bing cherries a 2 litre basket $12.99.. it's going to be a very expencive this year for fruit and veg
have to see what luck I have from the farmers...... qahtan
Well things have perked up - we found a caulie the other day which was promptly cut and eaten and yesterday Mrs Stick picked just under 24lbs of gooseberries from our two bushes with a few more still to pick.
Lovely.. gooseberries.. they don't seem to want to grow here in Ontario.
are yours nice big sweet ones or little sour balls... but never mind the flavour is there... what are you going to do with them. qahtan
Hi everyone, I had a great harvest of gooseberries as far as numbers are concerned but they are very bitter :-X Luckily I don't mind their tartness but no-one else in the family will go near them when they are this sour (lucky me, lots to stew with water for topping my porridge) xjane
BUMP
Well hope rises! most plants are really picking up now. Verging on optimisim........
it looks like a lot of you plotters thing yes its time to pack in
me included? may be give it one more season-trouble is i will miss it after 33 years on the allotments
jim
Quote from: Crystalmoon on July 17, 2012, 17:33:56
Hi everyone, I had a great harvest of gooseberries as far as numbers are concerned but they are very bitter :-X Luckily I don't mind their tartness but no-one else in the family will go near them when they are this sour (lucky me, lots to stew with water for topping my porridge) xjane
I think tart sour fruits make great jam. Some years our plums have a tartness to them and that is when the plum jam is really good.
Duke