Vegetable Growing 2024

I planted out cucumbers yesterday. Nights to stay above +10c from now. Hope they will produce something for me.

 

We did too (plant out)....

 

Temperature in my greenhouse since late April. Shows how cool the nights were in June. Not the best for peppers and aubergines and melons, the toms didn't seem to mind too much. a bit cooler outside of course , plus those plants had to deal with continuous windy weather

 

I know how things differ from one end of the country to another, but we now have lots of bean flowers! Does anyone have beans yet?

 

What sort of beans? Broad beans, French beans, runner beans?

My broad beans in France are a bit late so we didn't get to eat many before coming to the UK yesterday. Runner beans are just starting to climb up the poles. We'll be there for them.

 

French, runner and string (flat) - beans.

 

The germination rate of our dwarf french beans has been terrible. I have now sown 2 whole packets indoors which I do every year and then transplant the seedlings out. This year we have had 6 germinate from pkt 1 and 2 from pkt 2. What is going on? I still have more pkts so will have another try in a few weeks but obviously this will mean a very late if at all harvest.

 

I find that dwarf French beans are best sown direct. I sow climbing beans in root trainers and plant out, when established.

 

@Allotment Boy if we sow directly we see nothing as the mice get the seeds the same with peas.

 

Ah yes there is always some critter waiting in the wings. The pigeons got my first lot of pea plants, in spite of having sticks all round them.

 

I have black mulberry saplings after getting some seed from the RHS seed distribution scheme. 3 are planted in the ground along the boundary between our "garden" and our paddock and I have more in pots for swaps, spares and give aways. Looks like it'll be a while before I get any fruit.

We harvested the garlic today because the tops had turned. It's now laid out on some webbing so it can dry out a bit. The bulbs seem to be smallish but firm.

We then let the hens in there to peck about for seeds and pests and tomorrow I hope, we'll get that bed manured so I can plant out my 4 squashes. They're in pots in the polytunnel and have been fed and watered but are not doing great given the cool, dark days and occasional snail attacks. The two I planted out 10 days ago are not looking any bigger.

The tomatoes and cucumber in the polytunnel are also really slow to get going this year and I fear we'll need an Indian summer to ripen them and any squashes.

On the other hand, the potatoes are enjoying the weather and looking very sturdy and bonny with flowers just starting. We're experimenting and using the hay/straw from strimming the long grass to earth them up rather than soil. I'm hoping it will work as well and feed the soil too.

Lots of rasberries this year too and a good crop of loganberries. Not many strawberries tho. i shall have to start a new bed and cage it to keep he chooks off.

 

Climbing French Beans - I've actually picked 5 so far - they are really slow. Plus 4 Beth Alpha cucumbers and probably about 20 Strawberries over the last 6 weeks or so.
Definitely finding things are slow/less prolific this year.

 

No... ! Damm south always gets the best first... Hope you enjoyed your 5 beans! Very jealous as I reckon ours are 1-2 weeks away.

 

First outdoor garlic, a spanish hardneck from Sainsbury's, I think a turban. Bit variable in size, might not plant it next year, but being early is always a bonus. 32 planted I think 28 made it