This week in your Kitchen Garden.

[BoatieBird]

I know where you coming from with the impatience Melinda!

I'm going to try to hang on until the weekend before planting out the runner beans. I'm putting them outside during the day and taking them in at night at the moment so they should be quite hardy by now.

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

I guess I'll hang on for a bit more then! Im sooo impatient!

LMHF- That is so sad. How did your beans die?

Pass... They were great, I transplanted them into a tub and started training them up canes and they just flunked

They were fab last year grown that way, not sure why they died

 

[prunus]

Pass... They were great, I transplanted them into a tub and started training them up canes and they just flunked

They were fab last year grown that way, not sure why they died

Were they outdoors? It might just have got too cold for them, they really don't like cold.

Still, it's not too late to start some more by any means, especially this year when everything seems about a month behind.

 

[gentlegreen]

That's just it, the nights are so cold.

I'm on the brink of getting my greenhouse fully glazed, but my cucumbers have been so cosseted indoors under lights, I'm nervous even of moving them out there into the PVC "inner greenhouse" ...

 

[rioted]

Ready to pick the first crop of rhubarb later today.

Earlier this morning the woman next door complained about cat shit on her lawn. She's got 5 cats, I've got none. But I've taken to chucking catshit back over the wall. Her cats, her shit.

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

Were they outdoors? It might just have got too cold for them, they really don't like cold.

Still, it's not too late to start some more by any means, especially this year when everything seems about a month behind.

Yep they were... I have to get a bean trench properly dug out and start over with the french beans. IM not sure whether just to transplant the runner beans into a large tub and keep them indoors for now given that a harsh frost is expected

 

[sheothebudworths]

Sheo, you've been well busy!

Sheo - you have been busy. Just reading your post made me feel tired

Tbf - I thought afterwards that the length of the post might indicate more busyness than there actually was but having said that, I woke up yesterday aching like fuck! So only strung a couple more lengths of wire for the Clematis which has shot up!

Only repot if they've made use of the compost in the original ones.

Any chance of a photo ?

Maybe, if I can be fucked to get the photos off my phone later!
I've actually just planted the four biggest ones on now (and the compost was very wet, so watered the fresh compost but will LEAVE THEM BE for a bit now!), so I'm hoping that'll sort them (they were the slightly droopy looking ones).
Will keep them inside till Thurs, then put them under the plastic cloche and see what happens.
The rest have been out there for a while, but are still quite small, so I've brought those back in!

I also repotted all my spider plants and mowed the lawn AND trimmed the edges with shears and will give that some lawn feed later...and feed all the fruit and veg outside too.

My corn and courgette seedlings are looking like I'll need to do *something* with them soon, but I've run out of pots, so I'm going to get some tomorrow and then decide whether to wait and plant them straight out next weekend, or not.

foggers - I keep meaning to ask - do your neighbours KNOW about you using their roof space, or is it a stealth mission hehe!

LMHF - Sorry for your beans! Mine are still outside and look ok but I might bring in the two huge pots overnight for the next few nights just incase.

Still done nothing about my sad sweet peppers, but might give them a go in the bigger pots tom.

 

[fogbat]

foggers - I keep meaning to ask - do your neighbours KNOW about you using their roof space, or is it a stealth mission hehe!

Yep - they're well aware

We both have roof terraces, but ours is far less well-lit, because it's lower, and surrounded on 2.5 sides with buildings.

I've promised them a load of free veg, too, so I think they're ok with it. Of course, I promised them that last year, but ended up with such a rubbish harvest that I had none left to share.


Have just managed to acquire three massive empty catering tubs from the kebab shop downstairs. They should do nicely for my beans

 

[sheothebudworths]

Yep - they're well aware

We both have roof terraces, but ours is far less well-lit, because it's lower, and surrounded on 2.5 sides with buildings.

I've promised them a load of free veg, too, so I think they're ok with it. Of course, I promised them that last year, but ended up with such a rubbish harvest that I had none left to share.


Have just managed to acquire three massive empty catering tubs from the kebab shop downstairs. They should do nicely for my beans

I suppose they'd have to be fairly dim not to have noticed, tbf but I thought perhaps it was an unused terrace, iyswim!

Nice job on the tubs!

I'm considering digging up some of my lawn to fit everything in.....

 

[sheothebudworths]

Sad peppers have been moved, btw.

I actually had two pots left and two small terracotta ones, which will no doubt be a mistake (had some trouble unsticking the aubergine roots from the sides!), but since they'll almost definitely not work anyway, I thought it was worth a try!

They look even more sad and pathetic now, though!

 

[fogbat]

Hooray! We have sun! Actual sun!

 

[fogbat]

Oh. It's gone again

 

[Hellsbells]

Anyone have any idea why the compost around my french beans is growing mould?

The beans themselves still look fairly healthy. Have i killed them though? Maybe the roots are damaged.

I re-potted them 2 weeks ago into big pots and moved them from the living room, where it's very warm and sunny, to the bathroom where it's a bit cooler. I've been too scared to put them outside yet as it's still freezing at night.

Help! I think i'll cry if i've killed my beans

 

[fogbat]

The soil is probably too moist. I'd try watering them a bit less often.

Might help to water from the bottom, too, which will leave the topsoil a bit drier.

 

[Hellsbells]

The soil is probably too moist. I'd try watering them a bit less often.

Might help to water from the bottom, too, which will leave the topsoil a bit drier.

yes, this is quite likely. I was paranoid about them being too dry so watered them loads last night, on top of the mould that was already there
Hopefully they'll forgive me and recover though.....

 

[pennimania]

I've got all my raised beds sorted in my polytunnel and planted out all my tomatoes there.

And my beans are going great guns. I would not think about putting them out here.

It SNOWED yesterday

Today's it's really warm and sunny but I'm not going to let it fool me. I've got lots of petunias and fuschias and bizzy lizzies for my patio but I shall not put them or my succulents out till next month.

 

[fogbat]

yes, this is quite likely. I was paranoid about them being too dry so watered them loads last night, on top of the mould that was already there
Hopefully they'll forgive me and recover though.....

I had the same problem with some courgettes that I was starting off in a germinator.

I just made sure they were put somewhere sunny, took the top off the tray so they got more air, and eased back on the watering. They're doing fine as far as I can tell

 

[felixthecat]

Down here in the soft sheltered south we don't seem to be suffering from exceptionally cold nights. Beans, peas, salad greens and lollo rosso, spring onions, radishes, carrots and strawberries doing nicely outside. I've covered the beans up twice when the forecast has been particularly cold, but otherwise they've been fine. The potatoes are showing their little green heads as well much to my satisfaction. Nothing from the beetroot yet............

Still got peppers (chilli and sweet), tomatoes(still seedlings), courgettes and squash in the greenhouse, aubergines just starting inside (never grown them before so this is an experiment). I have 3 tomato plants inside by some full length windows that are about 4 feet tall and starting to flower!

 

[Melinda]

I've got all my raised beds sorted in my polytunnel and planted out all my tomatoes there.

And my beans are going great guns. I would not think about putting them out here.

It SNOWED yesterday

Today's it's really warm and sunny but I'm not going to let it fool me. I've got lots of petunias and fuschias and bizzy lizzies for my patio but I shall not put them or my succulents out till next month.

You have tomatoes under a polytunnel in the snow, but are coddling your peas?


Felix- ooh flowering tomatoes!
*jealouses*

 

[Melinda]

Alys Fowler is on.

I love how she has a never ending supply of friends to help her out!

Her chicken enclosure is really big.

 

[prunus]

Alys Fowler is on.

I love how she has a never ending supply of friends to help her out!

Her chicken enclosure is really big.

Fnar fnar! Sorry. Ahem.

Just been up to the allotment - potatoes showing some frost damage. Fuck's sake. It's May, in London.

 

[gentlegreen]

brrrr !

that is all.

6 degrees C in my greenhouse ...

 

[felixthecat]

Just been up to the allotment - potatoes showing some frost damage. Fuck's sake. It's May, in London.

We haven't had frost for almost 2 months. I think we have our own little climate zone here on the wiltshire/somerset border.

GG - when i went to open it at 9am it was 24 deg in my greenhouse! I'm gonna have to take the bubblewrap down.

 

[BoatieBird]

There was frost on the grass and on the roof of my car at about 6.45 this morning. I looked out of the window and thought 'I'm glad I got my runners beans n stuff in last night' and then remembered that I hadn't

However, they were right next to the house and they were on top of the water butt so I think they might have had a lucky escape.

I was watching the weather last night and there is a possibility of a frost on Sunday night

 

[sheothebudworths]

Have weeded the veg bed, transplanted sweetcorn (am going to find it VERY hard to get to my broad beans! ), romanesco cauli, more sprouts and some very feeble looking livingstone daisy seedlings....

I bloody hope there's no frost!

Still got to move some tomato, summer and winter squash, melon and courgette seedlings to bigger pots and possibly do something with my pak choi.....

Also got some more flower seeds to sow.

STILL haven't weeded the front - it's quite a forest out there! :-(

 

[free spirit]

harvested 2 1/2 pounds of rhubarb today, and reckon there's be another crop in a couple of weeks

I'm flogging a load of excess tomato plants, sweetcorn, mangetout, and a few big corgette and pumpkin at my parents church table top sale tomorrow for action aid... what do folk reckon I should charge? toms are about a foot tall.

I was thinking a quid a go, 6 for a fiver, but maybe that's too much

defo a quid for the corgettes and pumpkins coz they're huge, and I think same with the tomato plants.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Fnar fnar! Sorry. Ahem.

Just been up to the allotment - potatoes showing some frost damage. Fuck's sake. It's May, in London.

They got 9 inches of snow in western Nebraska on May 12. Pretty late, even for us.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Yesterday I trimmed the box bush thingy (big job - but did it last night, half cut and didn't make too bad a job of it, tbf ), potted up some tomatoes and aubergines into their final pots, planted out courgettes and patty pan squash into growbags and patio planters and did a couple more big pots with some more lettuce and pak choi.

Still got winter squash and melons to go out, as well as more aubergines and tomatoes and peppers (providing those last two have a miraculous growth spurt ).

Gotta start off the psb at some point too...

 

[gentlegreen]

I finally got the new glass in my greenhouse so have been able to take the strain off my indoor seed-raising facility.

I have 6 peppers, 6 tomatoes, 2 aubergines and okra plants fattening up indoors, while the remaining plants are outdoors as emergency backup.

I've potted the courgettes up into 3 litre pots because the bed they're going in is a long way from being ready.

The salad bed isn't ready either so I have pots of salad in the greenhouse, which are now probably too big to plant out, so will end up in buckets as an experiment I hadn't really planned-for.

 

[pennimania]

I've got flowers on my tomatoes!