Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: JayG on June 16, 2017, 18:12

Title: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: JayG on June 16, 2017, 18:12
It's been yet another strange and sometimes challenging spring, and of course we have members from all over Great Britain, all with different local growing conditions to deal with.

Some of us no doubt gambled and got away with it, others (like me) didn't take too many risks and perhaps wish they had.  :unsure:

Here is a summary of how some of the summer crops are doing in my garden right now:

Runner beans: 2' tall so now climbing, got a bit bashed about in the strong winds but doing OK.

Sweet corn: best of them about 1' tall - not that pleased about the wind-bashing but not sulking too much.

Courgettes: had a few problems with germination of Green Bush this year but the plants seem to be revving up now having lost a few stems in the winds.

Parsnips: sown on 23rd may, most up in 2 weeks, but a few gaps, so now the prospect of thinning/transplanting, which I have had mixed success with in the past.

Tomatoes: GH cordons about 3' tall, Sweet Million first to set fruit. Red Alert in cold frame racing along as usual, but looking a bit droopy (think the foliage grows too quickly for the roots to keep up.)

Cukes: had a bit of trouble with the germination of La Diva cukes, but they're doing their best to catch up in the GH. The outdoor Marketmore cukes have been out for about a week and don't appear to be contemplating suicide just yet.

Edit: forgot to mention the Lady Chrystl spuds - if what's happening under the soil matches what's happening above it I should be in for a good crop.

So, how are your summer crops doing so far?
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: LILLILEAF on June 16, 2017, 18:51
  Hi JayG
 For my vfruit and veg
The raseberrys don't want to grow and other raseberry's start to grow then die.
The strawberry's not much fruit at all now they are sulking after the winds bashed them to piece's.
The cobnut tree's are just about growing some leaves.
Tomato plants 2 have gone blind they have no main shoot,so they are very small.
The rhubarb was bashed to bits by the wind.I have 5 red currants off 3 bushes!!
I think that's it other wise not bad I will keep trying,with spuds,runner beans,apples etc.
The best thing on the whole place is the pea's
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: Growster... on June 16, 2017, 19:42
Broad beans are motoring now,

Runners attacked by slugs so a new set has been sowed and on the way...

Spuds motoring, especially the ones in the GH.

Artichokes being handed out to anyone who'll listen.

Rasps ready for an onslaught.

Toms about to explode into flower, as long as the blight doesn't affect them.

Cuces ready for bottling (new idea for the tiddlers).

Sweet peas in the vase most days now.
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: Thrutchington on June 16, 2017, 20:21
Plants inside the tunnel are doing ok, the dwarf French beans outside have been hammered by weather, birds and possibly slugs, so more have been sown inside. Strawberries surprisingly good and rhubarb did well. Peas and all other veg in good shape at the moment.
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: victoria park on June 16, 2017, 21:21
Courgettes.......three plants surprisingly unaffected by slugs and first flowers just starting to form.
Raspberries .... have just started eating them yesterday. A big crop this year.
Butternut ....... Still yet to take off. They are just like chillies in that they really need proper hot Summer weather to set them off.
Sweet peppers....... a bit slow but will flower in a week
Tomatoes.....tasted my first Sungold, now up to the roof, needs another week for start od season. Crimson Crush way way behind the cherry toms
Runners .... now climbing 2' up their bamboos that were put in late. A bit of slug damage, but they are recovering nicely
Sweet corn.......going well.
Parsnip ........ after a lot of heartache, I'm going to have a bumper season. The indifferent germination and different sowings have given me a "successional" crop  :)
Carrots..... looking good
Peas.......my third crop of the season and again looking good, and will flower in 10 days. Net at the ready for pea moth.
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: AnneB on June 16, 2017, 21:24
Field beans standing tall but leaning over a bit due to wind.  Lots of pods.
Runner, climbing and dwarf french beans all a bit behind, wind again the issue, plus slugs.
Potatoes looking good.
Tomatoes in greenhouse fine, outside a bit wind battered.
Peas all fine.
Parsnips and carrots needed a second sowing due to slugs, but now looking good.
Sweetcorn average but promising.
Brassicas doing OK but sprouts and some cabbage have mealy bugs, now squished.
Overwintering onions struggling because of dry spring.  Onions from seed minuscule.
Leeks awaiting planting out, look good.
Shallots and garlic looking good, one lot of garlic harvested already.
Squash, courgettes and pumpkins all sitting there, not doing much.
Beetroot coming on, some slug issues, spinach has bolted.
Asparagus destroyed by the wind.
Soft fruit all looking very good.
Chillies and aubergines in polytunnel looking fine.
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: Hampshire Hog on June 16, 2017, 21:55
Asparagus have done well stopped harvesting
Runner beans and French beans slow had to replace
Broad beans coming on well
Beetroot on track
Leeks coming on too
Calabrese growing steadily
Rhubarb good
Early Potatoes both in ground and bags starting to harvest good crop
Onions and garlic growing ok but quite a few bolted
Courgette and squashes responding to the heat
Tomatoes growing well at home outside some green fruit so far

Cheers HH





Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: Christine on June 17, 2017, 08:02
Most things are behaving as expected. With exceptions.

The wind has done no good to the various sorts of pumpkins and they are well behind.

Salad crops are finding the warm and humid temperatures difficult at the moment - radishes in particular are going over before they are ready to pick. Some of the salad leaves are also going to seed faster than normal.

I've learned that peas don't happen straight into the soil on my site - could explain why no-one else does it.

Onions are going to seed so we won't have the greatest crop this year. but I suspect that is the warm weather. On the other hand, raspberries are us. And the potato crop looks as if it will be good.

I'm still learning with butternut squash.
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: LandShark on June 17, 2017, 08:41
Salad leaves, Radishes and Strawberries are all producing well
Fruit bushes all heavy with fruit, looks like it'll be a good year, if the birds don't get them
Potatoes thriving should be a good crop
Tomatoes are strong, green and most have 2nd truss
Cucumber Socrates is outstanding, 23 mini's and counting
Broadbeans, pods are forming
Peas, flowering with a few small pods
Sweetcorn still looking sad but all still there
French beans really need planted out
Leeks ready for planting out
Artichokes, 3 so far
Broccolli, Cabbage & Kale all growing big and strong, won't be too long for cabbage
Cauliflower getting bigger
Autumn onions ready to lift
Spring planted onions looking good
Watermelons, think I'm losing 2 but other 4 healthy
Peppers & chillis think I can see buds appearing
White turnip still waiting on
Syboes thickening nicely
Pumpkins are showing flowers
Beetroot - Disaster, out of 4 rows I've about 5 growing, think I'm going to give up!!
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: lettice on June 17, 2017, 11:51
Was wondering if that long dry spell earlier in the year would have any effect, seems not.
The slug and snail population has dwindled to a handful this year. I'm wondering how I am going to fill my nematode bucket for next year.

Broad beans will be ready to pick this weekend, 'Aquadulce' that were sown outside and in greenhouse early March, greenhouse sown ones transplanted to final position end of March.
Runner beans 'painted Lady' this week are to the top of the poles and have started flowering this week.
Cobra beans last week have gone mad and are over the top of their poles and started to produce flowers.
Growing a few Borlotti beans and Sonesta french beans in pots and half way up the poles.
Purple Queen beans just starting to grab hold of their stakes.
Hunter (helda) beans have all hit the top of the poles and look good, just looking ready to flower.
Sweetcorn Golden Bantam  is now a few feet high and growing strong.
Rhubarb is growing well and now on its second crop for the year, will be a load more to pick in a few weeks.
First and second early potatoes, Charlotte, International Kidney (Jersey), Duke of York all planted in pots and bags mid to end March. All flowering nicely now and have had plenty of International Kidney, 34lbs so far from one pot and two bags.
Maincrop potatoes all doing very well and all now strong leafed and flowering nicely. The last to always flower are the Sarpo Mira and noticed they flowered yesterday.
Last weekend picked our first ever Mangetout, Kennedy. A great crop, we had 1/2lb, 45 pods from four of the plants. This weekend there will be double that to pick and loads more still forming. A few days ago just put in another sowing. Peas are podding well now and will be ready fro a great crop next week.
Strawberries have been producing a few bowls already.
Raspberries are five feet high and just starting to set fruit, so come July will be eating.
Gooseberries are producing now and picked a half bucket load yesterday.
Herbs are doing as well as ever sage, mint, oregano, chives, rosemary, thyme, marjoram and parsley. Sage seems to have gone a bit crazy this year.
On fifth sowing/harvesting of radish, cherry belle, been sowing about twenty at a time every few weeks.
Picking loads of French mixed leaf salad, Lolla Rossa, Rocket and All year Round from the patio pots.
The Asparagus threw up a few spears per crown in mid April and this week has thrown up 10-12 per crown, that is normal growth.
All the Brussels Sprouts are strong and a good two feet high, Groninger, Montgomery and Crispus. Did try a few Fillbasket, but they are only a foot high, would have expected them to be bigger by now as they mention being an early.
Curly kale, Westland Autumn now a foot high.
The spring sown spinach and chard is all up now and looks to be a great crop from mid summer to early Spring.
Tomatoes are all growing strong inside and outside and many are just starting to flower now.
The usuals, including Marmande, San Marzano, Tigrella, Garden Pearl, Gardener's Delight, Golden Sunrise and Red/Yellow sweet 'n Neet. Nectar Rose from my saved seed.
Also growing this year, Ace, Amateur, Blaby Special, Purple Ukraine, German Lunchbox and Yellow Pear, Yellow Perfection and Rambling Red Stripe, courtesy of Seedy pass the parcel.
Basil next to the tomatoes in the greenhouse is now producing well.
Cucumbers Burpless in greenhouse this last week have stared to grow very quickly and are now a foot high. The Marketmore outside growing okay and six inches high.
The summer/autumn picking patio pot carrots sowed April/May of Amsterdam Forcing, Touchon and Chantenay Red Cored are all up and tops now three to five inches high.
This has been my best year ever for turnips, Purple Milan. They have all been the size of tennis balls.
Glad I went back to Purple Milan from Mr Fothergills, as previous years tried some Purple Milan from other growers and a few other varieties like Golden Ball and Snowball and they were not good, barely golf ball size and many went long and woody early.
Leeks, Musselburgh all straight and about a foot high.
Parsnip, Tender and True and White Gem, all up now and an inch to a few inches high.
Beetroot Boltardy and Egyption is up, but seems slow this year, looks like will have to wait another month to be harvesting any.
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: JayG on June 17, 2017, 12:38
Crikey Lettice - so just small scale square-foot gardening then!  :lol:
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: Growster... on June 17, 2017, 21:09
Noa that's what I call gardening Lettice!

Excellent stuff - you deserve a tincture or three!
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: Aled on June 17, 2017, 21:52
French Beans and Shallots are struggling.
Carrots, Beetroot, Potatoes, parsnips, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumber doing OK.
Cheers
Aled
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: wapello on June 17, 2017, 22:20
 Im digging my spuds up,,,,beetroot getting there,,,,runners at the top of the sticks with some pods comming,,,also cutting broccoli ,,,picking peas,,also  3 types of carrots,, cues about 4ft high, same with my melons, some onions are
like tennis balls,,,cutting the pak choi,,wont be long for the garlic,,will be picking some peppers next week,, thats from  2 raised beds 16x 8 ft,,and my polytunnel,,

 What can i plant for over winter,?
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: arh on June 18, 2017, 09:36
Okay, my two-penneth, and it's only a small two-penneth.
The rhubarb took off after I started watering it every night, (thanks for the advice). 1 plant.
The Desirree potatoes are rampant, (must give them more space and support next year). 10 bags.
The parsnips are approx 18" tall and doing well. 45 plants
The seed onions are at the same stage as the onion sets, (seed only next year to start with), about 18" tall and beginning to swell.. 3 rows
The shallots are out and drying,they were huge. 1 row
The raspberries took a long time to take, only 10 of the original 20 are up, (hope that they will be better next year), there are about 10 fruits coming out.
The runner beans, which I thought would be a doddle, have been very slow to come up and on, (I will have to have a radical rethink next year). they are flowering but not very high. 1 double row of canes
The first row of peas are about ready to pick, (possibly 2 weeks time or less), the second row is 4" high, and the 3rd row goes in on Monday, (with a bit of luck).
The Black currant and gooseberry bushes are coming along fine,(long-term plan) 4 gooseberries and 6 blackcurrants
The cauliflowers are doing well, (only 1 eaten by the pigeons). 18 plants
The Brussels are 18" tall and most are standing straight. 24 plants.
I am watering regularly, every other evening as it's so dry here.
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: LILLILEAF on June 19, 2017, 06:32
Have beenable to harvest the cucumbers 3 so far :).
They are so much better than ones you buy the flavour is so fresh and crisp,by the look of the plants there are plenty more to come :D.
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: Wiltshire Worms on June 21, 2017, 20:25
Had our first picking of french beans yesterday,constant supply of lettuce, onions coming along nicely, with a few going to seed.
Tomatos in greenhouse doing fine, the ones at the plot doing OK.
Had to lift shallots, getting past golf ball size,.carrots parsnips beetroot and spinach all look fine, and my Charlotte  potato plants appear to be crossed with a triffids!  See what lies beneath this weekend :D
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: Fisherman on June 23, 2017, 20:30
The Good: -
Potatoes - Lady Christl
Potatoes - Pentland Javelin
Broad Beans - The Sutton
Dwarf Beans - Maxi
Cabbage - Hispi
Cabage - Dutchman
Caulifower - Aviron
Carrots - Nander
Pea - Kelvdon Wonder
Salad / lettuce
Cucumber
Radish
Spring Onions
Beetroot

The Unknown: -
Tomatoes
Dwarf Beans - Safari
Courgettes
Carrots - Autumn / Winter
Chillie
Aubergine
Brussel Sprouts
cabbage - Winter
Kale (Various)
Butternut Squash
Swiss Chard
Pea - Sugar Snap
Swede
Onions
Leeks
Garlic

The Bad: -
Runner Beans - Bean Rust
Brassicas & Salads - Slugs & Snails
Onions, Leeks & Garlic - Probably White Rot
Cats - Damn Things

All in all pretty good so far with the usual varying challenges.
Too many crops ready to harvest all at once but no change there then at this time of year. Neighbours love it :D

Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: mumofstig on June 23, 2017, 20:53
What should be 'Autumn Calabrese' has started to make small heads already ::) so it will mostly go in the freezer, rather than get eaten fresh  ::)

I'm having to do an awful lot of watering to keep everything growing - it's a problem now that we aren't allowed to use hoses (apart from filling water butts)
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: ptarmigan on June 24, 2017, 05:12
Everything is slow apart from the rhubarb which has completely taken over.
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: New shoot on June 24, 2017, 10:53
Tomatoes setting lots of fruit, as are peppers and chillies.  The Latah tomatoes are ripening and picking has started.  The Pot Black chillies have usable sized purple fruits - these would be the equivalent of green ones and they do ripen to red in the end.

The corn, climbing beans, squash and cucumbers planted out so far are really starting to motor now.  I have a courgette planted out at home with flower buds on it.  Got 2 smaller ones that I intend to plant into a compost bin on the plot.  I also have a sharks fin or winter melon that is a triffid already in a 1L pot  :ohmy:  I'm unleasing that on the plot this weekend as well  :lol:
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: sunshineband on June 24, 2017, 13:28
Ours are all a bit behind due to all sorts of things but are catching up nicely:

- First harvest from the new polytunnel: Diva cucumber, 2 long Jalapenos ad two large cream coloured sweet peppers
- Strawberries like having cloches over them and it helps keep the rodents off
- Courgettes are producing daily
- Runner beans and climbing french beans are near the top of their poles and are in flower
- Summer raspberries, tayberries and loganberries are feeding the neighbours as well as us (!!)
- Red Epicure broad beans are finished and Wizard beans coming along nicely
- All squashes are planted out (under debris netting to keep sun/wind off) and I noticed male flowers this morning
- Garlic is harvested and very good this year
- Carrots are amazing!
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: arh on June 24, 2017, 13:29
Quick question Mum, how do you freeze your Broccoli, and can I freeze Cauliflower the same way. Is it just normal, ie. cut into florets, blanch for 2 minutes, freeze, then cook from frozen? thank you, arh. (Hoping to have an abundance of Cauli this Autumn,  :lol:)
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: sunshineband on June 24, 2017, 13:58
Quick question Mum, how do you freeze your Broccoli, and can I freeze Cauliflower the same way. Is it just normal, ie. cut into florets, blanch for 2 minutes, freeze, then cook from frozen? thank you, arh. (Hoping to have an abundance of Cauli this Autumn,  :lol:)

As MoS is off-line right now, I can say I freeze cauliflower by blanching 2 minutes and then open freezing on trays before bagging and storing... it saves them freezing into one big lump! Then cook from frozen straight into boiling water until stems are just tender
Title: Re: How is your 'summer stuff' doing so far?
Post by: Lardman on June 24, 2017, 14:47
This just about sums up the year so far...  These are my last 3 chard plants.

I'd planted out a tray (12 chard ) each time, that was the third tray full. The next tray will be going in the gh border  :mad: