Water the greenhouse tomatoes, checked for side shoots and oh my 1. I now find out they can regrow 😮 2. That the suckers from the base of the plant keep on growing back 😥
3. I have shoots growing from the end of the flowering trusses ☹️☹️ So I have removed all again and trimmed the growth from the end of the trusses. I do hate being a total beginner. Weeded the onions, which are looking brill.
I'm only an average vegetable gardener but everyone has to start somewhere, I have picked up some knowledge over the years and its a great feeling when you know what to do and when to do it, it is only a matter of time before all the little bits of information or experience add up it will come.
It's so true. It's a continuous learning experience especially with getting to know a new plot. I've just planted the first few tomatoes in my plot alongside with starting a compost bin for the first time. Was not quite pleased to find solid clay 20cm below the surface but will have to try things that may not suit the site in a textbook way... sometimes plants defy all expectations.
Picked more mangetout, I really can't believe how they are performing I am taking a large mixing bowl everyday. Went through the tomatoes on hands and knees trimming off all side shoots, suckers and the yellow leaves. Also nipped the tops of the marmade tomatoes which all have 4 big trusses, I think that's enough to get rippened by summer's end.
This morning had to nip off the tops of three sungold toms with six trusses on each that had reached the greenhouse roof. Outside the thunderstorm last night knocked over one of my "spare" tomato plants in a pot. It was ok. Picked a handful of strawberries and still had to water all the veg, even though it chucked it down last night.
I picked more mangetout, sugar snaps, broad beans, courgettes, lettuce. The early strawberries, have finished but the mid season ones are on the way. No matter as the loganberries are ready early.
Mainly short visits to the allotment site as the ground is too wet to walk on so just to take kitchen waste to compost it, water the tomatoes in the greenhouse and pull a few weeds out that are growing around the edges, in my experience it is at times like this when these weeds really take over if not pulled out, many plots around me are vacant or look vacant and are waist high with weeds, I've visited the plot before when it is too wet to do anything and ignored the weeds romping away thinking that I would do something about them when the weather allowed only to find that when that time comes they are 30cm higher. Deer have been getting into my fruit tree area which is rather secluded behind the shed and surrounded with makeshift fencing and brambles but they get in at will it seems, they nibble the new growth on the apples and pear tree which didn't bother me much but I planted two pumpkin plants there a couple of weeks ago and covered them with netting, after a week they were growing well so I removed the netting, when I visited a couple of days later the pumpkin plants were fine however the other day I noticed that one had been completely defoliated and the other had the tip of the main leader chewed off so the netting had to go back on and I tied string with plastic bottles crisscrossed around the area so that when the dear touch them the bottles will knock together and hopefully scare them off, I also added a bag of human hair after getting a much needed haircut as this is said to frighten them away. Today there was no sign of deer infiltration behind the shed but they had been at the two pumpkins on the main plot nibbling the tips of the leaders off so more bottles, string and flappy fleece had to go up there. I don't know if the deer population has increased but in nine years I have never been so aware of their night time antics, maybe I'll get a trail cam so I can see what they get up to when I'm not there.
Up early before the rain arrives. Lifted all the beetroot, after a very dodgy period when I nearly pulled it all up I've had a decent crop. I did remove a lot of very misshapen beets buy some slipped through and were only good for the compost.
Cut the grass last night and mixed in the clippings while turning a bin. I lined another compost bin with the steel roof cladding I acquired from the neighbours, that's 4 done and only 1 to go.
Removed all the yellowed leaves from the sungold tomatoes which are outside, the lack sunshine is not helping the huge number of tomatoes to ripen
I don't know if the tomatoes will be ready for their traditional time of third weekend in July @Wilderbeast , but the cucumbers are managing ok. I don't know if it's the variety, as its their first time, but Beth Alpha are not growing very tall, but have been fruiting quite well. Lots of strawberries from my 10 plants, and as usual the spring onions are romping away. Definitely prefer the Speedo carrots.
Posts
1. I now find out they can regrow 😮
2. That the suckers from the base of the plant keep on growing back 😥
So I have removed all again and trimmed the growth from the end of the trusses. I do hate being a total beginner.
Weeded the onions, which are looking brill.
Deer have been getting into my fruit tree area which is rather secluded behind the shed and surrounded with makeshift fencing and brambles but they get in at will it seems, they nibble the new growth on the apples and pear tree which didn't bother me much but I planted two pumpkin plants there a couple of weeks ago and covered them with netting, after a week they were growing well so I removed the netting, when I visited a couple of days later the pumpkin plants were fine however the other day I noticed that one had been completely defoliated and the other had the tip of the main leader chewed off so the netting had to go back on and I tied string with plastic bottles crisscrossed around the area so that when the dear touch them the bottles will knock together and hopefully scare them off, I also added a bag of human hair after getting a much needed haircut as this is said to frighten them away. Today there was no sign of deer infiltration behind the shed but they had been at the two pumpkins on the main plot nibbling the tips of the leaders off so more bottles, string and flappy fleece had to go up there. I don't know if the deer population has increased but in nine years I have never been so aware of their night time antics, maybe I'll get a trail cam so I can see what they get up to when I'm not there.
Cut the grass last night and mixed in the clippings while turning a bin. I lined another compost bin with the steel roof cladding I acquired from the neighbours, that's 4 done and only 1 to go.
Removed all the yellowed leaves from the sungold tomatoes which are outside, the lack sunshine is not helping the huge number of tomatoes to ripen
Lots of strawberries from my 10 plants, and as usual the spring onions are romping away.
Definitely prefer the Speedo carrots.