We don't keep count @GWRS. Not many strawberries this year and the plants have become disorganised as a result of droughts, heatwaves and my being in reduced capacity cos of the new knee last summer. We've decided to create a dedicated strawberry bed rather than try and grow them in amongst the fruit bushes and canes so they'll be easier to feed and net.
Raspberries were poor last year and we think it's because of the old stock left by our predecessors. We've decided to dig them all up and plant new so should get a good crop next year.
Great pickings from the Tay and Loganberries tho and the purple gooseberries have done well. Redcurrants OK but blackcurrants sparse.
Plenty of apples forming on our 3 new trees and I've just thinned them to concentrate energy on fewer, better fruits. We'll see.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Hello , been to allotment today O/H picked the last of the strawberries 🍓 , more raspberries ( and still more to come ) , red & white currents , jostaberrys , spring onions & broad beans
Onions look poor this year , must be the weather
I replaced 3 fence posts
I did go up in the week and thinned out Pears & Apples , never had so many apples , hope they ripen ?
Fig tree lots of growth but not many figs ?
Hope you are ok , keep seeing on the News serious rioting in some French City’s
Hi Everyone Just back from UK last night and had first bowl of Raspberries and Blackcurrants for supper. Best crop yet of both. Gooseberries tiny but coming along. We don't talk about Strawberries..no idea what these puny little red things think they are..but woodlice interested! Loads of apples coming, certainly on target to ripen in October as usual (Melrose). Talking of 🌹 Roses , they are stunning as are the Poppies...difficult to judge re Climate Change GWRS, I would say my garden is the same as usual but no Peas!!!..Think I might know the answer...I have been trying Peat free Compost this year and not having much joy...French gardening Press says many Nurseries are experiencing problems in Trials like yellowing (the 🍅 Tomatoes and Potato plants where I used this have yellowed) EU hoping to stop all peat based composts by 2025..What do you think...have you tried it... Interesting 🤔 one? Anyway had rain in Brighton overnight on Friday and seems to have rained here.
July Lunar Weather Forecast says it will be a hot and stormy month with high winds notably 8/10/14/15/19 and 20th of the month.From the 21st it will be dryer and getting hotter.
Biodynamic Preparations recommended for the month of July include adding fermentations of Nettle & Comfrey to Courgettes/Tomatoes/Aubergines/Cucumbers and Peppers to boost fertility. Gather Achilles Flowers/Valerian and Horsetail to make preparations. To avoid stressed plants in a dry period water with a Tisanne of Camomile Matricaire Flowers , and one I did not know...Give Tomatoes a boost against stress with a Dandelion Tisane in the mornings. If you have Cow Horn as mentioned back in the Spring then Spray newly planted flowers and Vegetables to boost Root Growth. To highten taste , and strength to resist disease spray crops with Silica and Horn. (For those of you who have not the Horn products listed, just dilute Hoof & Horn suitable for Organic Gardening found in Garden Centres.
This week should see you harvesting the last of your First Crop Peas & Mangetout, and lifting your First Potatoes. Bon Appétit. And Happy Gardening!
@biofreak I am lifting some first early potatoes (Foremost) and like you lots of raspberries plus a few strawberries. No peas here either, just didn't germinate, well two plants in a 30 ft double row doesn't count. Lots of threads on here about troubles and failures with peat free compost. Propagation manager at Capel Manor college is staying with reduced peat formula as long as she is able to.
I sowed peas and beans direct here in our first spring and got nothing. I din't know it at the time but we were half way thru a 13 month drought and our first real rain fell n the November. I have sown dried peas in a window box in compost to get pea shoots but that was years ago in Belgium. Haven't tried it here.
Spent the last few days weeding and planting and watering to set up both veg and ornamentals for my absence. 4 days in hospital getting new knee and then crutches for a while so maybe just some dead heading and watering supervision.
Picked my first chillies - Hungarian black - yesterday and chopped them and froze them in ice cube trays. Hungarian Hot Wax still pale yellow ad the other varieties are still in flower. Tomatoes just starting to ripen in the polytunnel but still just flowers on the outside ones.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Hello , broad beans are fantastic , however , runner & french beans about 6 inches high , peas less than that First early potatoes , I started digging them up a couple of weeks ago , excellent crop - the verity was Swift I’ve 2 beds of main crop potatoes and it won’t be long before I will need to dig one of the beds up
Peat free compost - well I think you will have to mix it with , grit , sand , own compost and / or soil improver ( what ever they are ) , to suit your growing situation
I did try peat free a few years ago , not good but I am sure they have improved In the greenhouse at home I’ve 2 grow bags for tomatoes 🍅 , which are peat free , what interesting was that you don’t put holes in the underneath for drainage So far they are doing fine Cucumbers are in large pots with a reduced peat compost and they are doing very well i intend to buy some compost with peat and mix it with peat free next year They is certainly lots of comments about this subject and I’m sure there will be even more next year
Hi all, glad I ignored the forecast and went to plots this morning. I meant to say on my previous post, that as ever some things doing well but others struggling, seems to happen most years now. On the climate change bit one thing I have really noticed is my blackberry seems to crop earlier nearly every year, and last year I didn't get a usable crop as they were literally cooked on the plant. On another note I have been using liquid seaweed for some time. I need new supplies and wonder if any brands are significantly better than others. I tend to use the Chase organics SM range, I'm quite happy with them but they are quite expensive. What if any do others use?
@Allotment Boy , hello , I buy Blood Fish & Bone , chicken pellets , organic potatoes granules , lime and tomorite which I buy in the in the end of season sales However I was given bags of rock minerals which I’ve been putting on the allotment beds and seems very good but very expensive And of course mulch with my own compost
Thanks @GWRS, yes I use most of those, I find the rock minerals particularly good for permanent fruit and the brassicas. It is pricy but you don't need much of it so a bag lasts ages. I am particularly interested to know others experience with seaweed products.
Being near the sea means that we have Seaweed in abundance and the fishmongers give it away!!! Must be rinsed well before use though. I find all makes OK but being in France we don't have the same brand names. Question? English cousin gave me this recipe given to him by French neighbour guaranteed natural weedkiller for gravel paths....4litres Vinegar /1 teacup table salt/1 dessertspoon washing up liquid. He has tried it at their holiday home and says it seems to work. (We only have white (not wine)vinegar not malt here) Thought I might give it a go. Despite predicted storms during the next few days..I'm not holding my breath but bearing in mind Lunar prediction for after the 8th and the Weatherman on TV (We watch David on Spotlight and Jersey TV) it will be interesting to see if the Moon is 👍 right. 9/10th July are Leaf Days so harvest preferably in the morning when Salad crops are at their best. Prick out all Leaf Crops including Herbs. Add Hoof and Horn to increase strength in Roots. 11/12th July are Fruit Days. Add a Silica based Liquid Feed to Fruit Trees/Bush Fruit Inc Strawberries. This will help their resistence to climatic conditions and infection. Take tops off Melons down by two leaves once fruits have formed. 13/14th July are Root Days Harvest Beetroot/Potatoes/Turnips/Carrots/Radish and the first Onions and Shallots to eat immediately. 15/16th July are Flower Days Mulch Flower Beds to suppress weeds and to save extra watering. Obelixx All the Best...hope you make a speedy recovery. Happy Gardening!
Posts
Raspberries were poor last year and we think it's because of the old stock left by our predecessors. We've decided to dig them all up and plant new so should get a good crop next year.
Great pickings from the Tay and Loganberries tho and the purple gooseberries have done well. Redcurrants OK but blackcurrants sparse.
Plenty of apples forming on our 3 new trees and I've just thinned them to concentrate energy on fewer, better fruits. We'll see.
O/H picked the last of the strawberries 🍓 , more raspberries ( and still more to come ) , red & white currents , jostaberrys , spring onions & broad beans
Onions look poor this year , must be the weather
I replaced 3 fence posts
I did go up in the week and thinned out Pears & Apples , never had so many apples , hope they ripen ?
Just back from UK last night and had first bowl of Raspberries and Blackcurrants for supper. Best crop yet of both. Gooseberries tiny but coming along. We don't talk about Strawberries..no idea what these puny little red things think they are..but woodlice interested! Loads of apples coming, certainly on target to ripen in October as usual (Melrose). Talking of 🌹 Roses , they are stunning as are the Poppies...difficult to judge re Climate Change GWRS, I would say my garden is the same as usual but no Peas!!!..Think I might know the answer...I have been trying Peat free Compost this year and not having much joy...French gardening Press says many Nurseries are experiencing problems in Trials like yellowing (the 🍅 Tomatoes and Potato plants where I used this have yellowed) EU hoping to stop all peat based composts by 2025..What do you think...have you tried it... Interesting 🤔 one?
Anyway had rain in Brighton overnight on Friday and seems to have rained here.
July Lunar Weather Forecast says it will be a hot and stormy month with high winds notably 8/10/14/15/19 and 20th of the month.From the 21st it will be dryer and getting hotter.
Biodynamic Preparations recommended for the month of July include adding fermentations of Nettle & Comfrey to Courgettes/Tomatoes/Aubergines/Cucumbers and Peppers to boost fertility.
Gather Achilles Flowers/Valerian and Horsetail to make preparations. To avoid stressed plants in a dry period water with a Tisanne of Camomile Matricaire Flowers , and one I did not know...Give Tomatoes a boost against stress with a Dandelion Tisane in the mornings. If you have Cow Horn as mentioned back in the Spring then Spray newly planted flowers and Vegetables to boost Root Growth. To highten taste , and strength to resist disease spray crops with Silica and Horn. (For those of you who have not the Horn products listed, just dilute Hoof & Horn suitable for Organic Gardening found in Garden Centres.
This week should see you harvesting the last of your First Crop Peas & Mangetout, and lifting your First Potatoes. Bon Appétit. And Happy Gardening!
Spent the last few days weeding and planting and watering to set up both veg and ornamentals for my absence. 4 days in hospital getting new knee and then crutches for a while so maybe just some dead heading and watering supervision.
Picked my first chillies - Hungarian black - yesterday and chopped them and froze them in ice cube trays. Hungarian Hot Wax still pale yellow ad the other varieties are still in flower. Tomatoes just starting to ripen in the polytunnel but still just flowers on the outside ones.
First early potatoes , I started digging them up a couple of weeks ago , excellent crop - the verity was Swift
I’ve 2 beds of main crop potatoes and it won’t be long before I will need to dig one of the beds up
Peat free compost - well I think you will have to mix it with , grit , sand , own compost and / or soil improver ( what ever they are ) , to suit your growing situation
I did try peat free a few years ago , not good but I am sure they have improved
In the greenhouse at home I’ve 2 grow bags for tomatoes 🍅 , which are peat free , what interesting was that you don’t put holes in the underneath for drainage
So far they are doing fine
Cucumbers are in large pots with a reduced peat compost and they are doing very well
i intend to buy some compost with peat and mix it with peat free next year
They is certainly lots of comments about this subject and I’m sure there will be even more next year
On the climate change bit one thing I have really noticed is my blackberry seems to crop earlier nearly every year, and last year I didn't get a usable crop as they were literally cooked on the plant.
On another note I have been using liquid seaweed for some time. I need new supplies and wonder if any brands are significantly better than others. I tend to use the Chase organics SM range, I'm quite happy with them but they are quite expensive. What if any do others use?
However I was given bags of rock minerals which I’ve been putting on the allotment beds and seems very good but very expensive
And of course mulch with my own compost
Question? English cousin gave me this recipe given to him by French neighbour guaranteed natural weedkiller for gravel paths....4litres Vinegar /1 teacup table salt/1 dessertspoon washing up liquid. He has tried it at their holiday home and says it seems to work. (We only have white (not wine)vinegar not malt here) Thought I might give it a go.
Despite predicted storms during the next few days..I'm not holding my breath but bearing in mind Lunar prediction for after the 8th and the Weatherman on TV (We watch David on Spotlight and Jersey TV) it will be interesting to see if the Moon is 👍 right.
9/10th July are Leaf Days so harvest preferably in the morning when Salad crops are at their best. Prick out all Leaf Crops including Herbs. Add Hoof and Horn to increase strength in Roots.
11/12th July are Fruit Days. Add a Silica based Liquid Feed to Fruit Trees/Bush Fruit Inc Strawberries. This will help their resistence to climatic conditions and infection. Take tops off Melons down by two leaves once fruits have formed.
13/14th July are Root Days Harvest Beetroot/Potatoes/Turnips/Carrots/Radish and the first Onions and Shallots to eat immediately.
15/16th July are Flower Days Mulch Flower Beds to suppress weeds and to save extra watering.
Obelixx All the Best...hope you make a speedy recovery.
Happy Gardening!