This week in your Kitchen Garden.

[Badgers]

My tomato plants (two of) need repotting. They blew over today bless them

 

[sheothebudworths]

Sheo - as I understand it, the mister isn't meant to wash the bugs off. IIRC, the washing-uppy water blocks their breathing holes so they suffocate.

Yes, I said breathing holes. Yes, I have a biology degree. Wanna make something of it?

LOL

Every day, if you can, to begin with, if you've got a bad infestation.

The other thing that helps is taking out the growing tip of the plant, once it's got big enough - the rest of it will become tougher until the bastards can't pierce it any more. Probably a bit early in the gorwing season for that though.

Thankyou

So 20ml of washing up liquid in a litre of water? I didn't use nearly that much yesterday, so will give it a good go and daily's no problem really (nothing stopping me except laziness and minor irritation).

Actually the worst thing was that the spray bottle started hurting my hand - what a fucking ponce - I was actually embracing the idea of the big ones you stick on your back, lol...

 

[sheothebudworths]

Oooooh....they're only about £15!!!

 

[prunus]

So 20ml of washing up liquid in a litre of water?

Yup.

Oooooh....they're only about £15!!!

Get two.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Yeeeeehaahhhhh!!!!

 

[Melinda]

Had a bit of a tidy up in the garden, we have people over today.

Made some fritters- and they are gorgeous. Home grown herbs, onions and chillis (not by me).

Into the blender put:

One ripe plantain
Five small spring onions (chopped)
Half a chilli
Half a tin of sweetcorn (with a little reserved on the side)
One egg
tsp baking powder
tbl sugar
100g flour
Big handful of parsley and coriander
Enough water to get the blender to whizz round.
salt

Whizz up together.

Fry small dollops in pan, sprinkle on sweetcorn before you flip over.



Broadbean and chickpea falafel burgers next.

 

[gentlegreen]

^^^ nom nom nom

I've been eating my mangetouts. I've kept on top of harvesting, but they seem to have stopped flowering now - maybe because I'm not prepared to water them. I was somewhat disappointed they turned out to be dwarf ...

The cucumbers are out of control - I'm giving away far more than I'm eating.

Didn't plant my beans today - they're in the greenhouse getting slightly hardened off compared to indoors. Must go in first thing tomorrow morning. I may put fleece around them - partly for insulation, partly for shade while they settle in.

I just bought some lemongrass in Tesco on impulse - and because someone else mentioned it over dinner - a bit dry, but I have the two stems in a jar in the kitchen with an aquarium bubbler - so if there's life left in them, they will sprout.

The pak choi experiment has still not started - I must start sowing this weekend now that the beans are out of the way.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Snails love Pak Choi above all else.

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm going to be relentless !

Seep hose under landscape fabric in a slightly raised bed. I've bought some iron phosphate pellets as an experiment with which I will make an iron curtain around the whole thing.

I'm a long way off ruling out an electric fence.

 

[Melinda]

Im full to bursting- and on my 4th mojito, chin chin!


GG - My pak choi are unmolested by snails, largely because I have surrounded them with rough grit and have carried out a helicidal reign of terror.

Found two snails locked together in sex yesterday and almost vommed- lobbed them both straight onto the garage roof.

Im supposed to be finding train times.

 

[gentlegreen]

I found two in a flirty mood in one of my pots the other morning, but I didn't have the heart so I threw them on the compost pile from hell...

going anywhere nice ?

 

[Melinda]

Not for me sadly, one of my friends has to make it back to Cambridge tonight and needs to know which is the last train she can get with her ticket.

 

[softybabe]

Im full to bursting- and on my 4th mojito, chin chin!


GG - My pak choi are unmolested by snails, largely because I have surrounded them with rough grit and have carried out a helicidal reign of terror.

Found two snails locked together in sex yesterday and almost vommed- lobbed them both straight onto the garage roof.

Im supposed to be finding train times.

Talking about pak choi, when do I know when they ready for the picking....mine are looking nice

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Take the outside leaves as and when you need them, don't uproot a whole one unless you're going to eat it in one go.

 

[softybabe]

Take the outside leaves as and when you need them, don't uproot a whole one unless you're going to eat it in one go.

brill thanks!

I've just picked some along with some lambs lettuce, peas & strawberries

 

[sheothebudworths]

Take the outside leaves as and when you need them, don't uproot a whole one unless you're going to eat it in one go.

Oooh - would that stop them bolting, too?!?


Aaaaaaaanywaaaay......ANTS, AGAIN!

I've just discovered that they've built themselves a lovely NEST next to/under my lemon thyme after wondering why my basil and chive seeds (sown right by the thyme) are still showing no signs of appearing after a good two or three weeks.....would that be down to the ants?
DO I NEED TO KILL THEM?

Is it true that cinnamon is a good deterrent?

 

[sheothebudworths]

My ex shame facedly volunteered to do the daily aphid spray when he picked the boy up today, btw.

 

[sheothebudworths]

Found two snails locked together in sex yesterday and almost vommed....

LOL!

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Oooh - would that stop them bolting, too?!?

I don't think so...they bolt when they get too warm usually. It's just a weather thing. Sometimes they bolt when stressed. They sort of go "Ooh, it's tough, I may not make it. Make seeds! Make seeds!"

 

[sheothebudworths]

((((( pak choi )))))

Tbf, I had crammed them in a bit. Really I'd just grown too much at once! Going to do some more tomorrow, but slightly less this time....

Same goes for the spinach.

My mum took some of both off my hands today anyway (along with some peas and french beans) and best of all, helped me tame my billions of tomato plants.

Got LOADS to do tomorrow - starting with yet another B&Q trip....

 

[madamv]

Snails love Pak Choi above all else.

Just been out to water, they have quoffed my whole stash. I am fing fuming. The WHOLE lot fgs....

 

[Melinda]

Im horrified on your behalf.

Sow some more, and patrol with extra vigilance!

 

[madamv]

I should but i gave my leftover seeds away...... doh!

I never kill the blighters but this morning i lost the plot and skewered as many as i could see..... :madface:

 

[aqua]

I have some spare pak choi seeds if you want me to send you them?

 

[gentlegreen]

I have something fungal on one or both of my cucumbers - looks like it has measles .. amazingly have yet to find any info online - "angular leaf spot" looks closest ...
Appeared pretty well overnight.

Just got my beans planted out ... lucky I sowed extra as several had little accidents on the way ...

 

[toggle]

i'm lacking pollinators in my garden i think. seen a single bumble all week. may have to have a go at the toms and squash with a paintbrush.

next year, i plan on keeping bees

 

[madamv]

Aw, thanks aqua, but I reckon I wont bother.... Feel way too cross atm They dont seem to bothered with Rocket and Lettuce. They have munched all the leaves from the Gerbera and half way through the cucumber plant too.

I could buy some more for a little more than a quid if I was desperate for some. Its just so bloody annoying innit when a whole patch is wiped out overnight!!

My bees seems to have gone toggle. We had a next under the shed, but havent seen them for a couple of weeks now. I felt really proud they chose to come stay with us for a bit, I guess my weeding around their area moved them on ..

 

[madamv]

Sad innit.... Will pull it all about tomorrow, may have one or two to save

 

[fogbat]

Some new photos:

The invasion of my neighbours' rooftop is going well. In another few weeks, their kitchen window should be completely obscured.

My first butternut squash has appeared.

It's all thanks to the assistant gardener, pictured here.

 

[madamv]

Great pics!