[Nobbie]

Had a lovely tea last night with French beans from the greenhouse sown next to the tomatoes as a catch crop, mange routes and Tenderstem broccoli which I left a bit longer before harvesting and the stems have got a lot bigger but stayed tender. Just sowed another batch of mange toute and French beans which should give a crop going into autumn. Quite pleased with the volume of food from the plot as things were looking dire just six weeks ago with constant rain and slugs eating everything in sight. The orange beetroot I transplanted are starting to grow strongly, so looking forward to them.

[KalisDad]

My peat based toms and cucumber in the green house, 3 sowings of carrots to have barely anything to show, chillies are doing well, everything else is either at least a month behind or decimated by slugs and snails due to the wet weather, its a be thankful for what I get year

[cc]

Cucumbers I was away for a week. They went mad while I was gone ...so many flowers...so so many flowers....nice if get some actual cucumbers!!

[Aunt Sally]

First peas picked today, just the start.  

[mumofstig]

I had my first cucumber (short variety) yesterday, and my 2nd today! Woohoo 

[Cavolo Hero]

First peas picked today, just the start.  

Wow that’s quite a harvest! You must be so hap-pea 

I had my first cucumber (short variety) yesterday, and my 2nd today! Woohoo 

Our cucumbers have gone mad! We’ve had 2 long ones (carmen) and lots of short ones (passandra I think?)
That’s definitely been a success here too 

The beans, sweet corn and butternuts have really taken off with the week of hot temperatures!

[Aunt Sally]

First peas picked today, just the start.  

Wow that’s quite a harvest! You must be so hap-pea  !

They are just from the bottom of the first row.  We grow 4 rows of peas - yes, we love peas and our neighbours do too. 

[Aunt Sally]

4 rows of peas at different stages of growth.

We are very careful to prepare the seed bed for the chitted peas very well.

 1.  Dig out the seed bed about 2-3 inches deep and fork over the bottom.  Tamp it down and cover it with a layer of sifted soil.  Water well and leave for a while to drain.

 2. Spread the chitted peas out along the row  about 2 inches apart in a 2 - 1 - 2 pattern   : - : - : - : -

 3.  Cover the chitted peas with  enough sifted soil to cover and then cover over with remaining soil removed from the row. 

 4. Protect from wild life and spray against pea moth a couple of days after flowers start to open. (Peas are self fertile so no pollinators harmed.

[New shoot]

… and I have managed a handful from a row that struggled from the get go   

I need to heed the advice about soil prep 

[Aunt Sally]

… and I have managed a handful from a row that struggled from the get go   

I need to heed the advice about soil prep 

Soil prep as above.  We harvest enough peas to last beyond Christmas.  (We blanch and freeze the excess).

[Cavolo Hero]

… and I have managed a handful from a row that struggled from the get go   

I need to heed the advice about soil prep 

Soil prep as above.  We harvest enough peas to last beyond Christmas.  (We blanch and freeze the excess).

Wow I am so impressed AuntSally! Thanks for sharing all your tips. What varieties do you grow?
Peas are definitely on my ‘Must try harder’ list.
We love fresh peas so much but rarely grow enough to take home as they’re picked and eaten on the spot by my 10 yr old 

[Cavolo Hero]

Plot update -
Lettuces have done/are doing very well, along with the cucumbers.

Tomatoes and sweet peppers are setting fruit. Aubergines are flowering but cannot see any fruit set yet.
Chillies are just coming into flower (grown from seed in January)
Sweetcorn have thickened stems, and the first batch are growing side shoots.
Butternut squashes are just starting to vine, after sitting there doing nothing for weeks until we had that hot spell of weather (seems to be in the distant past, it’s quite cold out there today)
Climbing French beans are flowering and courgettes are just starting to produce.

Bindweed is just not going away, still set on total plot domination 

[Aunt Sally]

Wow I am so impressed AuntSally! Thanks for sharing all your tips. What varieties do you grow?
Peas are definitely on my ‘Must try harder’ list.
We love fresh peas so much but rarely grow enough to take home as they’re picked and eaten on the spot by my 10 yr old 

We only grow two varieties Kelvindon Wonder and Hurst Greenshaft.  Both grow to about 3 ft high.

[vikingraider]

Wow I am so impressed AuntSally! Thanks for sharing all your tips. What varieties do you grow?
Peas are definitely on my ‘Must try harder’ list.
We love fresh peas so much but rarely grow enough to take home as they’re picked and eaten on the spot by my 10 yr old 

We only grow two varieties Kelvindon Wonder and Hurst Greenshaft.  Both grow to about 3 ft high.

Do you grow them in the same spot every year Aunt Sally?

[Aunt Sally]

No we don’t.  We use a 3 year rotation. 

When the peas are finished we plant winter brassicas to use the nitrogen that the peas have fixed in the soil.