The Veg Plot.

[Sir Trev]

In a break in the rain this evening after work I lifted my main crop spuds. Quite a nice crop so happy days.

[garynortheast]

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

In a break in the rain this evening after work I lifted my main crop spuds. Quite a nice crop so happy days.

All the spuds here went in quite late so are 2nd earlies are just coming ready to lift now.

No scab or wireworm damage I hope Trev?

We're now eating masses of stuff from the veg plot; runner, french, and broad beans, maincrop peas and sugar snaps, beetroot, swiss chard, spring onions, lettuce, courgettes. Tomatoes are ripening, celery is coming along nicely.

All the hard work is paying off now.

[Sir Trev]

My order from Suttons cocked up so I only ended up with a small bag of Desiree this year instead of them and earlies. Got them in three months ago and they've just finished flowering so just right for lifting. I've found to my cost in previous years that hoping they'd get bigger by leaving them in the ground longer means a lot of skin and worm issues but these look fine. I'll let them dry for a day or two in the trug in the dark of the shed then bag them in a paper sack.

My lettuce are all done now (they bolt so fast in the summer so I only do them for spring eating), carrots are ok but "ugly" due to my stony soil, beetroot are doing/eating very well this year, had several meals from the runner beans with lots of flowers still on them, onions are bulking up well, the pumpkins have gone mad with some of the runners over ten feet long now with some of the fruit the size of small footballs already, and I've never had such a good growth of parsnips - we'll be eating those for months later in the year! Toms are not quite ready yet so I've lost my annual race with dad as he's been eating his now for a couple of weeks.

[garynortheast]

Carrots this year I planted in two full sized enamel baths filled with a 60/40 mix of soil and builders sand. Growing them in the baths has meant no carrot fly as they are too high up for the fly to reach. The sieved soil/sand mix has resulted in lovely long tapering carrots with no misshapes. I'm pulling baby carrots as thinnings now and they are beautifully sweet and crunchy.

[Sir Trev]

I can just imagine the looks I'd get from the neighbours if I started bringing old baths home from skip raids and growing things in them

[garynortheast]

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

I can just imagine the looks I'd get from the neighbours if I started bringing old baths home from skip raids and growing things in them

Ha ha! That would probably be one of the incentives for me!

[redtrummy]

I find Arran Pilot seem to cope with the slugs well. Left some last year in the ground until September - all ok.
I have grown carrots in a dustbin the last few years - not a large crop but a good taster (as I tell a friend that must feed his ground steroids) Shallots I left in the no dig bed really good. Those in the garden crap.

[garynortheast]

Not sure what variety of spuds we have here beyond being one lot of 2nd earlies and one lot of mains.

Just lifted and dug out the first 3 plants of 2nd earlies. Tonight I shall mostly be eating potatoes!

[Seeker]

I think my hawthorn tree is sick Some of the leaves are turning brown, others are curling and they feel dry. I'm going to take a couple of cuttings to the garden centre (in a sealed bag) from where I bought it for suggestions.
I planted it last year and it produced nice blossom this spring but I've since discovered that they are prone to various insect infestations (couldn't see anything on the leaves) and a fungus.

[Sir Trev]

Fingers crossed for you. Hawthorn hedging is pretty hardy so hopefully this is just your tree settling in and getting used to your soil and watering.