[angelavdavis]

Another quick pop yesterday to drop off some cardboard collected through Freegle.  

We harvested another pile of courgettes   and left the marrow sized ones on the bench for other plotholders.  I now have a stack of round courgettes that I am looking to convert to soup bowls!  

At last some tomatoes to harvest and a few chillis too.

Made ] http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4716/creamy-courgette-lasagne] from the long courgettes - delicious with a bit of bacon added for more flavour!

[grendel]

yesterday had an early start - visited both plots and dug some potatoes.
today its the front gardens turn as that is waist deep in weeds.
Grendel

[jmc1949]

Didn't get much done. Started strimming the grass, the rain started so came home.

[Raven50]

Well, there's not much going on plot wise at the minute, though now the weather has cooled down a bit perhaps we can get on 

Potatoes are doing well, we've started harvesting the first earlies - over a month later than normal - but they are tasty boiled with mint and smothered in butter  They're Arran Pilot, and though the quantity per plant is not overwhelming, they have grown quite big.

However, my tomatoes are green marbles, my basil has curled up and died, the slugs have eaten most of my small second-crop strawberries, the sweetcorn is a foot high instead of three or four, the flowers keep falling off the plant without producing a pod because the insects are very conspicuous by their absence... you get the picture! The cabbages are doing well though, mainly because the cabbage white butterflies are nowhere to be seen either!

[Wellpotty1]

Yesterday-Friday, no Grandchild as away on holiday so had the whole afternoon; dug out the deep rooted weeds and cut away the mares tail in the new gooseberry bed, set up the bed frame and watered the two pots before planting them. Also pulled up a few brambles that had started to grow in the paths. Had a good look at the new asparagus beds, all but two of the crowns have spears starting to go to fern, by the mid afternoon the other two were showing above the soil and I decided to pull the remaining soil around them as mentioned in the instruction leaflet. Had bought a little gas burner and set it up for a good bit of tea making after a wee wander to the local store for some milk. Watered everything as the day had cooled a bit, pumpkin, brassicas, corn, asparagus, carrots, beans and new gooseberries all settling in well.

Today-Saturday, decided to sort the shed out a bit as bags everywhere and very little hanging up places. Took a selection of hooks, nails and screwdrivers with me. Put the kettle on as arrived and surveyed the plot, not looking too bad for 7 weeks and the sun sure does help. Had been given an old pedestal sink when my neighbours had a new bathroom; and as tea making leads on to washing up I set it up against the side of the shed and screwed it to the strongest part of the wall below the shed window. Leads on to an awning at some point in the future... Gave it a good clean and found an old pop bottle for a drain catch and a piece of hose to connect to the tap, couldn't find the metal hose connector I thought I had, must still be at home. Went back to shed tidying, screwed a couple of rows of hooks and found homes for hats, gloves, tools and even put batteries in a led light. Days getting on so took out the weeding fork to clear another bed, mostly cleared and  then the heavens opened, retreated to the shed. Looked at the time, oh! best go & make some tea. Another satisfying day.

[AnneB]

Dug up all the second earlies, British Quenn, good crop, not so many as last year though.   Picked first big picking of CofE peas, smattering of broad beans and the overwintered onions that survived (not many and small) .  Made mental note to stick to spring planted ones in future.
picked strawberries and another potholder gave us their excess gooseberries too.
Planted out some red Russian kale and a pak choi.

Other half sifted soil for next raised bed.  Weeded a bit.  Tied up peas - getting v tall now.

Planted out last of leeks where 2nd earlies had been, leaving most of space for garlic to plant later.

[grendel]

up early, 6.30 at the plot, bit of weeding and finished digging up the rest of my potatos (a whole plastic trug full), just leaving as everyone else was arriving, by 8.30 it was starting to get hot.
Grendel

[Plot74]

Cut the tops off my potatoes

Planted some leeks

Sowed more Beetroot

Harvested carrots   Spring onions.   And some more peas .

Cut the grass path and did a bit of tidying up .

John

[angelavdavis]

Hubby mowed the paths so it all looks tidy now.  I weeded some of the beds on plot 37 and mulched with newspaper and grass clippings.  Cut back some of the self-seeded borage which was taking over the paths on plot 39 and cleared the last of the garlic out of the bed.  I will plant up the bed this week.

We harvested the last of the potatoes in pots, runner beans and some more courgettes.

[Paul Plots]

Not a thing on the plot today despite good intentions for my morning off... but:

• the ant bites are less painful
• watched Lizzie Armitstead cycle for a Silver!!
• slept as those antibiotics are making me feel rotten

Holding out hope for the rest of the week ahead.

[Goosegirl]

Tapped the stems of my greenhouse sweetcorn for pollination, then spent three hours trimming my box hedging - will give it a good feed tomorrow.

[New shoot]

Strimmed the edges of the plot till my little battery powered strimmer ran out of juice, put some more slug pellets round the brassicas and seedlings of my late crops and had a good natter with some fellow plot holders  

Came home and potted on green curly kale and more cabbage and sowed red kale.  Eeeerrr thats's 4 types of kale now with my black kale and heritage variety Sutherland kale.  Time to step away from the kale seeds I think  

[Kim50]

Today nothing.  Car booted instead.  Did quite well, despite the rain, thunder and lightening !  Though I can always think of something better to do on a Sunday afternoon

Yesterday, tied up and took out the side shoots of the toms, which are now starting to motor.  Now just need some sun to ripen up the green fruit

Both the varities of courgettes have fruit at last after sending up loads of male flowers

Pumpkin has had it.  Rallying after slug attack, but only just flowering

Peas, beetroot, swede, carrots, spring onions sowed last week, coming through

Cucumbers starting to fruit

Brussels decimated by the birds.  Will need to net next year

Pots doing ok.  No sign of the dreaded B..... touching wood!!

[yorkiegal]

Took my new strimmer down to the plot today, planning on getting rid of all the grass. Stopped off on the way to buy petrol for it. I don't drive so have never had to use a petrol pump before. I managed to spill it all over the forecourt and they had to put sand down to cover it and provide tons of wipes to get it off my hands and jeans. I'd looked up to see the price of the petrol and my hand automatically lifted the pump out of the petrol can as I did. Was mortified but I suppose that is better than being blown up. Won't be going back there again though lol.

So I didn't do any strimming just in case there was any residual petrol on me. But I did do a good check around the grassy half of my plot, picking up any stones and rubbish to prepare for cutting it down tomorrow.

I also removed half of the tomato plants from the polytunnel. I made the beginners mistake of planting far to many of them and then not removing side shoots. It looks a lot better now and the remaining plants are more accessible. I also discovered that all the plants grown in planters or bottomless pots have produced fruit, whereas the ones grown straight from the ground haven't.
I have tons of fruit. One of them is turning orange but the rest have been green for ages so no doubt will be very tough.

[Paul Plots]

Took my new strimmer down to the plot today, planning on getting rid of all the grass. Stopped off on the way to buy petrol for it. I don't drive so have never had to use a petrol pump before. I managed to spill it all over the forecourt and they had to put sand down to cover it and provide tons of wipes to get it off my hands and jeans. I'd looked up to see the price of the petrol and my hand automatically lifted the pump out of the petrol can as I did. Was mortified but I suppose that is better than being blown up. Won't be going back there again though lol.

So I didn't do any strimming just in case there was any residual petrol on me. But I did do a good check around the grassy half of my plot, picking up any stones and rubbish to prepare for cutting it down tomorrow.

I also removed half of the tomato plants from the polytunnel. I made the beginners mistake of planting far to many of them and then not removing side shoots. It looks a lot better now and the remaining plants are more accessible. I also discovered that all the plants grown in planters or bottomless pots have produced fruit, whereas the ones grown straight from the ground haven't.
I have tons of fruit. One of them is turning orange but the rest have been green for ages so no doubt will be very tough.

I hate petrol stations too... I only visit once a year for fuel for the mower and rotovator. Motorists seem to find it annoying (impatient lot some of them) when I cycle in with a trailer and begin filling up.