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This week in your Kitchen Garden.

French, by a country mile.
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april2010126.jpg



Anyone know what herb this is?

A neighbour gave it to me, claims he cooks with it but doesn't know what it is :hmm:

It smells like thyme, but its about a foot tall.
 
Ok so....will ants kill/eat my strawb. plants? :hmm: Got a few of the little buggers running up n down the plants n leaves....
 
Strumps - quick Googling doesn;t help much, but a possibly sensible suggestion is to set out a nice saucer of jam/honey etc for them to go for instead. :D

I would imagine that's when they're fruiting more tbh, but worth a try, eh?! :cool:

Otherwise I see aphids mentioned, but I think you'd see them too! :hmm:
 
Melinda said:
French, by a country mile.
---

april2010126.jpg



Anyone know what herb this is?

A neighbour gave it to me, claims he cooks with it but doesn't know what it is :hmm:

It smells like thyme, but its about a foot tall.
Click to expand...
looks like a variety of mint, and if it's a foot tall that's pretty mint like as well, but I've not seen that variety before myself.

have you tried tasting it?:hmm:
 
Right, I trusted to Google and find that the oddly named "Armstong Seeds" is generally thought to be the tastiest runner bean, and "Blue Lake" is one of the best-flavoured french beans and can be left to ripen - presumably making good flageolets on the way to being dryable ...

Hopefully I'll have somewhere to sow / plant them by the time they arrive ....

Since I'm having difficulty making up my mind about it, I'm sorely tempted to tidy up my front garden and grow some romanesco broccoli in the half of it that got the contents of the compost bin last year ..... :hmm:
 
I have aphid things on my strawb. plants!! :mad: So...any natural type ways to get rid? Will a drop of washingliquid in a spray bottle diluted be ok?!


Ggrr.
 
Strumpet said:
I have aphid things on my strawb. plants!! :mad: So...any natural type ways to get rid? Will a drop of washingliquid in a spray bottle diluted be ok?!


Ggrr.
Click to expand...

I read somewhere (probably on here, actually) about putting your plant in a big plastic bag, then blowing cigarette smoke into it, and sealing the bag.
 
Try that Strumps, it usually works for a day or so.

Or you can move your thumb and fore finger along the stem, massacring aphids as you go.

You end up with green fingers.
 
Can anyone advise on the minimum-sized pots I'd need for courgette plants, please? I've a ridiculous number of plants coming through, and could do with repotting them soon.
 
fogbat said:
I read somewhere (probably on here, actually) about putting your plant in a big plastic bag, then blowing cigarette smoke into it, and sealing the bag.
Click to expand...

Or soak all your fag butts in water for a week, and then spray it on the plants. Nicotene is one of the oldest pesticides around. 'swhy the tobacco plants make it, in fact.

NB, this is technically illegal nowadays, as indeed is spraying dilute washing up liquid on your plants.
 
fogbat said:
Can anyone advise on the minimum-sized pots I'd need for courgette plants, please? I've a ridiculous number of plants coming through, and could do with repotting them soon.
Click to expand...

I first repot mine into 4" square pots after germination - they are quite happy in there until they've got 4 or 5 real leaves. Are you growing in pots permanently? If so - I'd not like to try courgettes in less than a 12" pot - preferably bigger; the problem is not so much nutrients as water - they hate to get thirsty, even for a short while and a small pot will just dry out at least sometimes in a hot summer.
 
fogbat said:
Can anyone advise on the minimum-sized pots I'd need for courgette plants, please? I've a ridiculous number of plants coming through, and could do with repotting them soon.
Click to expand...
It's generally best to pot up in stages, as there's rarely enough room ... but courgettes are rockets and hate being constrained.
I sowed mine 2 days ago and I'm seeing taproots at the drainage holes of my 7cm square pots (1/4 litre) even before the things break the surface. Mine will be going into 11cm pots (1 litre) as late as I feel I can leave it to see if I can get another week indoors - I don't have the space for anything bigger).

I don't recall what I did the last time I grew them - which was well over 10 years ago.
 
prunus said:
I first repot mine into 4" square pots after germination - they are quite happy in there until they've got 4 or 5 real leaves. Are you growing in pots permanently? If so - I'd not like to try courgettes in less than a 12" pot - preferably bigger; the problem is not so much nutrients as water - they hate to get thirsty, even for a short while and a small pot will just dry out at least sometimes in a hot summer.
Click to expand...

gentlegreen said:
It's generally best to pot up in stages, as there's rarely enough room ... but courgettes are rockets and hate being constrained.
I sowed mine 2 days ago and I'm seeing taproots at the drainage holes of my 7cm square pots (1/4 litre) even before the things break the surface. Mine will be going into 11cm pots (1 litre) as late as I feel I can leave it to see if I can get another week indoors - I don't have the space for anything bigger).

I don't recall what I did the last time I grew them - which was well over 10 years ago.
Click to expand...


Cheers, both - yep, I'm growing on a roof-terrace (actually my neighbours, because it gets more sun), so all my growing is going to be in pots.

Back to the garden centre I go... :D
 
prunus said:
I first repot mine into 4" square pots after germination - they are quite happy in there until they've got 4 or 5 real leaves.
Click to expand...
That sounds promising for my 1 litre (4 1/2" square) pots.:)

My cucumbers aren't looking too unhappy in that size.
 
black spot on Roses.

It's started and spreading fast :(
Its not this bad yet, but its only a matter of time.



My climbers and hybrid teas always seem so susceptible no matter how well I much and look after them.

I really dont want to use a chemical fungicide- any tips on natural alternatives?
 
I just ordered a natural spray from Green Gardener. I ain't using chemicals.
I'd LOVE to have ladybirds but I doubt they would stick around as I only have 2 tubs and 2 small strawb. plants at mo. No grass etc. :(
 
my bbc french beans have mostly come up. the runner beans, planted the same day are dismal.

y carrots are looking good, need to teach kids how to thin them.
 
Melinda said:
I found some lush looking ladybirds in the garden yesterday.

Big too, and lots of dots.
Click to expand...

I've been very tempted by the ladybird larvae you can buy online. Considering getting a bagful then scattering them over all my plants, once I've got a load outside :cool:
 
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