[JayG]

Ah, congratulations are in order, although given your new technique it's difficult to know exactly what for! 

[barley]

OK so Wales missed out on the sunshine again today 

my walnut tree has only  just coming into leaf 

so much for flipping global warming !!!

[ConfusedGardener]

OK so Wales missed out on the sunshine again today 

Not all of Wales. We had sun most of the late morning/afternoon here, and just the occasional cloud in the afternoon. My missus was complaining it was too hot earlier! Hardly any clouds since 5PM... just blue sky, and a gorgeous evening so far. Could see lots of thick cumulus in the distance earlier on, which I'm guessing is what you were under!

[digby]

With the exception of my potatoes I have a seriously sulking patch too. I think I'm going to resow beans as they are putting in a no show the leaks I got 7 out of my first sowing. It just doesn't seem to want to get going.

[Paul Plots]

With the exception of my potatoes I have a seriously sulking patch too. I think I'm going to resow beans as they are putting in a no show the leaks I got 7 out of my first sowing. It just doesn't seem to want to get going.

My potatoes seem happy... well the tops are good ... especially as they are gorwing in a light-shade area.

French climbing and runner beans are... gradually thinking about it. I surrounded mine with corrugated plastic sheet on both sides of a traditional bean-frame. It kept the wind off and may have kept them slightly warmer. By now the sheets would normally have gone but - like the season - I'm in no rush. 

Leeks... I have a couple of hundred but they are so very slow to thicken - gave them a liquid feed hoping they might eventually be pencil thickness by planting out time. Fat chance at this rate. 

[Totty]

With regards to the sulking, are people finding it more a problem with plants that are transplanted as opposed to things that are sown direct (potatoes included)

Last year I noticed a lot of stuff struggling to get going a bit after transplanting. This year, I've changed my potting on mix to contain 50% mp compost and 50% soil from the bed the plants are destined to be planted. When they then grow on in pots, the roots get used to the soil. This year, no sulking.

On a separate note, I've tried for the past couple of years to eradicate rotten stems from cukes. This year I've buried a little deeper each time I've potted on but used perlite around the stems. They are all happily stem rooting now with no collapsing. Yet.

Totty

[digby]

I've never had any problem with cucumbers but I transplant straight from seed tray  into final position into the greenhouse I read the other day they don't like being messed about with and prefer just to be left so maybe that's why it's worked.

Yes wih me it is more of the transplanted stuff. I like the idea of mixing plot soil with compost. Makes a lot of sense. Thank you x

[JayG]

....my successful cuke-growing neighbour's GH is quite a bit more shaded than mine, and what seems to have happened with my cukes each year is that the leaves have been drying, and then dying, as quickly (and then more quickly  ) than it grows new ones.

Had a chat with aforementioned lady yesterday, who was embarrassed to confess that for the first time ever she'd had to buy tomato plants because a cold snap a few weeks ago caught her on the hop and hers all turned blue and died! 

I asked her what happened to her cukes, which were also in the GH at the time: "Oh, they were fine", she said, sounding a little surprised I even needed to ask!

Mine are still cosseted in my kitchen - given Lardman's 'treat 'em mean' technique and the above tale I might as well give up now!   

[mumofstig]

My La Diva cukes have been in the greenhouse since 2nd May - and are looking really healthy, for a change 

One in the polycarb in full sun, one in the glasshouse in shade from 3pm................ so who knows 

[Yorkshire Lass]

Here is a pic of my sweetcorn...does it look like it needs some attention or is it just waiting for the sun.

[JayG]

Bit hard to tell whether they have gone a bit yellow, or just look that way in the pic because of the, er, sun!

Look quite sturdy, and it is a bit warmer now, so fingers crossed - a liquid feed might help them (unless you've already done that recently or you are certain they have lots of nutrients in the soil.)

[ptarmigan]

Your sweetcorn looks substantially better than mine - only about 4 inches tall and really not trying very hard at all.

[Beetroot Queen]

My sweetcorn and peas seem to be the only things doing ok oh and toms.

Cabbage well lets not go there, french beans seem to be awol. Driving me mad this year.

[Yorkshire Lass]

I'm having the same problem with my runner beans, I killed a few, the sun has killed a few, mice, pigeons to name a few.  At this stage I am delighted to have 3 plants left. 

[beesrus]

Those corn look OK to me for the start of June.  A bit of nitrogen/chicken pellets etc might help a bit. My Sundance are rather yellow and just a little smaller than that, yet my golden bantam are storming away, nice and green.. One is lucky to transplant sweet corn and for all of them to shoot away immediately.

I don't know if it's a met office mistake, but the good news is temperatures are about to soar at the week end and into next week. That will see them off alright. Just a little too much breeze to contend with first down here.