Vegetable Growing 2024

I think we just need some extended dry weather, although it's going to take a long time bearing in mind how wet the winter was.

 

There are hedgehogs and snakes which are out of hibernation. This spring has been cold and wet with some really hot weather end of April and then back to cold and rainy. I think these guys are all busy mating!

 

Yes we do. Badgers lived at the top of the long drive to my old house and I've seen hedgehog poo here in my garden.

 

as i keep doing i underestimated my plants, and the peas grew so tall they fell over "sugar magnolia" is currently taller than i am! hopefully the damaged stem can still make something. ill have to get more bamboo to make 3m trellises for my cucumbers and so on.

 

got all my cucumbers and pumpkins out. i dont know how tall the pumpkin is supposed to climb but ive given 2.5m room for the cucumbers, learnt my lesson! peas are just now turning into pods! i think first harvest in a week or two

 

Going to sow my gherkins today. Growing them outside.

Also going to do my beetroot, kale and PSB soon, if not today

 

Yesterday I planted more climbing French beans and celeriac in plugs, also got some outdoor tomatoes out.
Enjoy your peas @Adam I the pigeons got my first lot despite putting sticks round them , I have netted now but I think it's too late for them to recover. Hopefully later batches will produce something.

 

I planted out my pumpkins and courgettes on Sunday. Checked my runner beans and they've started to climb up the poles.

The only thing I need to plant out is my sweetcorn, my second batch of peas and my leeks.

I might sow a third batch of peas to fill in a bed that will be empty. I just need something for them to grow up.

 

The biggest of my french beans has put on a spurt and started climbing up the support.

I've got some broad beans coming - I planted Aquadulce in the autumn. Of the 6 I put out only two made it through the winter and I was tempted to pull them out and forget them, but they've gone on to make lovely big sturdy plants. Didn't get the tips out quickly enough though so the blackfly is bad, but I think I'm still going to have a few good pods. It's only my second attempt at growing broad beans, and the first time sowing them in the autumn. I will do it again this year and protect them from the cold this time.

 

I picked our first meal of broad beans of this year yesterday. (Aquadulce Claudia) Such a treat with parsley sauce, fresh cod and new potatoes.

 

I started very late with all my veg this year, no space in the house, no greenhouse and miserable weather all the main factors. However, as usual it was a joy to see those little plants slowly appearing and taking shape, right up until the slugs and snails came in and decimated nearly everything

Remind me again why we do this?



Is it too late to sow some more cucumber seeds do you think?

 

@latimer I bought cucumber plants from a local nursery. Slugs are dreadful this year. I don't have a greenhouse anymore and French houses don't have indoor windowsills, they are outside and windows open inwards because of the shutters.

I sowed my runner beans in the open sided barn on a trestle table on the rough concrete floor. I was worried about them germinating as it hasn't been very warm but yesterday I saw that they are just starting to poke out of the compost. No slugs there. I hope they don't get eaten by the time I plant them out. The strawberries and lettuces have been attacked and the brassicas have holes in the leaves. The hot weather should start next week, hopefully.

 

Planted out my sweetcorn this morning. Noticed a tiny fruit on one of my tomato plants

Looks like slugs have had my cucumber plants