Vegetable Growing 2019

Here come the cucumbers.


Just few moments ago.

 

Wong Bok planted inbetween rows of parsley.



Both are a bit yellow at the moment because I haven't yet applied any feed.

The parsley took ages to reach this stage from seed (about three months). I've had three successive sowings of coriander in that same time.

 

Do you remember I said earlier in the year I was going to experiment growing half a dozen runner bean plants? As a reminder I'm living in the Highlands, in an exposed rural area that sits (during the winter) just above the snow line. A bit of a challenge.

Despite the bad weather in Spring and early Summer this year I've made some progress. The first beans that I started in pots indoors run rampant before I could plant them out. These below are a second crop. Despite the cooler weather here, they've stood up to the wind and downpours of rain and also the bad sandy loam soil. I dug a trench and filled it with compost before planting them out. That didn't seem to be enough as leaves started to wilt, so I've given them a couple of feeds of BFB which has given them a boost. I should also have used longer canes, next time perhaps.

They are producing flowers as you can see but the test is to see whether they'll actually produce beans before the end of the short season here. I'm quite pleased with the progress having half expected the plants to be stripped of their leaves by the wind....but so far so good.

 

Thanks @shiney They are in sun all day (when it shines) and there's nowhere else I can plant them without them being in full shade for most of the day. They are currently facing south east on the south west boundary of my garden. Depending on how they crop I'd like to plant them at the side of my bungalow next year facing south west, but that is a wind tunnel and I think it will burn the leaves.

Pollination hasn't been a problem as they're growing in a flower bed that attracts the bees and they've been busy, busy doing their job.

 

Last week I found some 2011 courgette seeds "Eton" probably from a multi pack at Poundland at the bottom of my seed box.
Out of curiosity I planted 3 in a pot with some old compost and forgot about it.
Unfortunately they have poked their big leaves through the compost and as I know it's far to late for any courgettes I'm thinking do I let them carry on or cull them. Having never considered growing them before at least I can try next year with a chance they may still be viable.
Decisions, decisions.

 

The runner beans are now in full production mode.







This is actually the second picking yesterday. The first was double that quantity and was picked two days prior.

The pile on the left are probably going to be tough and stringy as they were bulging with seeds and felt rough to the touch. It just shows how fast they grow.

 

The experimental aubergines are now all producing fruit.

 

If I hadn't caught the 'grow your own' bug before today, I certainly have after it.



Tipped out the last of my 30 litre Jazzy potato pots to be greeted with 115 of the things. Only a dozen or so are tiddlers. Immediately bought more of the potato fertiliser on eBay and made a note to buy another bag of Jazzys from ASDA and put them aside to grow next year.

 

My onions

 

Growing vegetables. Such a title has bugged me for some time now.

Growing vegetables was my introduction to gardening. Well, perhaps a slight elaborationon the truth. 1945 and yours truly was a mere babe. Can you imagine that? Me a babe!!!!!???? Vegetable growing....well perhaps not quite true. My dad did the planting and all the hard graft. My first encounter with this aspect of life, was, helping or hindering harvesting the spuds. At the time. Dad had a small plot behind, Shrapnal Barracks, where now stands the QE11 Hospital. Woolwich. Time passed and soon dad had regained renter of his old allotment on private land, Shooters Hill.

It was here that my horticultural life began. Dad was strict military, having served in two world wars. He had no horticultural qualifications, yet he sowed and planted and kept the family and our livestock fed throughout the seasons.

I followed his example and, it never failed. Garden centers etc never existed. You sowed the seeds, raised the plants, planted out and waited for a good harvest.

Soil preparation was probably the hardest part. No mechanical aids such as tillers etc... Composting was a no go. An area was chosen and digging, with a spade began. Contrary to the text books. None of this, digging out a row and setting the soil aside, so as to fill in behind the last row. Depending upon what was available, manure, leaves etc including lawn lowings. Much of this had been spread topside, and now having rotted own and the nutriements drained into the soil, and not wasted. Basic digging proceeded.

When planting spuds. We would dig three rows, then infil with a layer of whatever, set the spuds and continue to dig and turnover. Usually we planted Arran Pilot and or Arran Banner. Usually the harvest was good, several cwt of tatties. Other root crops were treated the same.

Harvesting and storeage. Spuds were sacked up and strored in a seperate shed. Excess were clamped up as also various other root crops. Freezers hadn't been invented. So some beg and fruits were pickled. Hey, what's that. Growing spuds in bags and large pots. Te gods. What's the world coming to. I had a few spuds srouting. so here goes. Extra large container. One plastic dustbin. All went well and the the test., A large sirloin steak, boild pots, asparagas spears, afew caulie floreets and som sweetheart cabbage. Veg. Top marks. Tatties. YUK. Tastless,or perhaps like candle wax.

We live and learn. Don't knock it until you've tried it. Exam wise. Go for practicle first then therory.

 

I am so impressed and envious to see the crops everyone has produced. Most seem to have triumphed over conditions - I assume @CanadianLori has a short season, and I can't believe @misterQ getting aubergine outside. Now all we need to see is @Sheal runner beans! Even though my garden is new I should have followed @Moley example - new potatoes with butter...

 

The secret is a little and often, CarolineL.

I have found that it's much better than a solid five hours of hard grafting in the garden on a weekend.

 

Will the second flush of summer give my butternuts a much needed push?





My plot neighbour's Physalis peruviana. They survived winter outdoors.

 

@misterQ you're right of course, and now that I'm retired I should be able to take my time! But my garden is currently all grass and lifting turves is quite hard going. I'm really surprised at how well your aubergines have done outside though.