Vegetable Growing 2024

I picked four tomatoes yesterday that were hiding, the Aubergines and peppers are coming along slowly and I have courgettes taking over the garden, also there are some melons and pumpkins making an appearance! More courgette and carrot soup to be made.

 

Picked some really nice Broad Beans yesterday for our dinner, Bunyards Exhibition are without doubt the best beans I grow, tasty, reliable and quite productive too.

 

Yes it's good to see the crops coming at last. Last Monday's rain then a bit more sun and warm the end of the week has made such a difference.
Some Charlotte as well as foremost, as the tops are going down on the former already even though they are supposed to be 2nd cropping . The tops on Foremost are still green. Just shows the plants don't read the books.

 

It's certainly been a good year for blueberries

 

"It's July and the first glut of the year. For nearly 8 months the gardener has worried, would there be enough for the cook at the big house. At long last the boot's on the other foot" ....Peter Thoday the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

I was beginning to think that I wouldn't have a good year.

 

Great harvest @Allotment Boy!

 

This morning's visit to the allotment

 

Not sure what is for tea, but new potatoes and garden peas with it. Sharpes Express and Onward peas looking and tasting good.

 

Brilliant harvests everyone!
I haven’t grown much this year but my courgettes are coming along at last! My yellow ‘Butterstick’ ones will have a few ready for the weekend. Just thinking how to cook them, something different to just adding to a tray of roast veg…

 

Lots of recipes on the BBC Food and Good Food sites @AuntyRach if you put courgette in the search box.

 

Well truly depressed now. So many fabulous photos of amazing harvests. This year has been and continues to be the worst year we have had for soft fruit and veg. The veg germination has been horrendous either in pots inside or directly outdoors. We have sown so many packets of dwarf french beans, swiss chard, onions, peas, broad beans, spinach to name just a few. Germination has been so poor we have only 5/6 plants that may produce anything.
But well done to you all for your wonderful harvests. Hopefully next year will be better for us.

 

@On the Levels , you're not alone with poor germination, on top of that the slugs and snails have reaked havoc on crops that did germinate. Had to completely resow parsnips and lost at least four rows of carrots, plus lettuce and spinach to slugs/snails. Climbing beans doing well but the majority of dwarf beans were decimated. Sweetcorn germination, normally 90% was around 30%.
I think it's a combination of the weather early on and getting used to the variability in the standard of peat free compost. Strangely my chillies which I expected to struggle have thrived, certainly a weird year.

 

My first lot of sweetcorn had poor germination, I think its too easy to blame the weather or yourself, they are just selling us rubbish seed in my opinion.
My second lot germinated ok, so it wasn't me.

 

Sympathies @On the Levels You are not alon.

I have had amazing germination in new crops such as garlic kale but they bolted as soon as I planted them out. On the other hand, poor germination in PSB and cavolo nero and what there was got munched by snails.

Really poor and slow germination with the curcubits from cucs to squashes and courgettes and then half got scoffed. Tomatoes were slow to germinate and grow and most are only just flowering.

I wouldn't normally grow potatoes as it's too dry ad hot here but OH insisted. One plant pulled so far and a good harvest. Our garlic and shallots are much smaller than usual.

 

Oh yes, I agree very difficult year. I found most things germinated reasonably well but after pricking out, they just sat and sulked. The same even when they were bigger and planted out. That trug full of beans I showed is a real surprise, less than two weeks ago I struggled to pick enough for even one meal for two, let alone that amount. We spent hours preparing and freezing French and Runner beans last evening. We have also brought a generous bag full to OH'S sister today. I know this flush of a crop will be gone as quickly as it has arrived. I am hoping the brassicas will finally arrive to fill the inevitable gap.
On the downside, I have not had a decent crop of raddish, or rocket, all bolted. My peas have been a total failure. Luckily with the space of a full Allotment when one crop fails, there is usually something else to fill the gap.