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Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 22 5:25 pm Post subject:
started picking sweetcorn - am glad to say it is good - did wonder if I was wasting my effort and resources and the cobs would be teeny, but they are great. worries about lack of tomato harvest after dodgy start are now unfounded, am picking a colander full every day, starting to get a bit nervous about freezer space (never mind the fact I was attempted to turn off and have one less freezer)

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16005

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 22 6:01 am Post subject:
I have started to pick a few tomatoes every couple of days too. Have a few runner beans, but no more flowers at the moment, lifting onions and picking blackberries. We have had a little rain, but the blackberries just won't 'pick', which is what happened in 1976 until it rained properly.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6614
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 22 1:21 pm Post subject:

Tomatoes have been coming in, bad year for blossom end rot, especially in a swath of the garden with thin soil.
Melons did great, but now we have a fridge full, and I'm not sure we'll use them all up before they start fermenting. Hopefully we can choose the best ones to freeze.
Hoping to yank out the plants soon, and I'm not sure what I'll put in that spot for the last bit of the season... Maybe spinach or broccolini.
I didn't get around to an early planting of green beans, but my later plantings are just starting to get ready.
Sweet peppers also suffering the blossom end rot, so I just picked a bunch of unripe ones too freeze the good parts, but the first healthy fruits are also starting to turn red.
Winter squash is in that funny spot of "hopefully going to stay on the plant a bit longer to get to best quality and maturity, but leaves going down to powdery mildew..."
Cherry tomatoes are going wild. Cucumbers and summer squash are both starting to give up the ghost to disease, and second plantings of both are not yet fruiting.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 22 4:07 pm Post subject:
the little toms are doing a couple of good portions a day the bigger ones look like they will cross the finish line together that has some merit, i have a dehydrator and im not scared to use it b berries are ace this year, they have had tlc re home food and water and tough love with secateurs herbs toasty but excellent

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16005

Posted: Sun Aug 21, 22 8:02 am Post subject:

My crops have been rather disappointing this year; probably a combination of weather, slugs/snails, and not enough care at the right times. I am getting loads of blackberries from both the garden and woods, some tomatoes coming along, onions, small potatoes, the odd runner bean. The cabbages look good for winter, and the carrots are still growing. A bit of rain and I might get some chard in a month or two.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 22 7:40 am Post subject:
That is rubbish news to hear MR. I hope it picks up for you. I've harvested the first runners of the year. Had a few green beans, carrots, beetroot and chard. The badgers keep eating my sweetcorn.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 22 9:01 am Post subject:

that is a pain re the badgers. I remember the year they had our entire crop of carrots - it was a huge bed of them - all dug up and chewed up. To make matters worse, we had put out beer traps for the slugs - the badgers obviously thought these were drinks and snacks we had put out for them - honestly looked like one hellava party had happened that night....

I have a problem with pigeons here - they strip anything leafy/cabbagey and even have a go at peas. I tried netting against them but just ended up catching small birds, so have given up. Discovered next door is feeding the pigeons, and even rescued one which they call for breakfast 'pidg pidg!' Still, the sparrow hawk has been busy...

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 22 9:54 am Post subject:
beer, molluscs(not slugs) and fresh from the earth carrots would be ok by me if i was at a party always be welcoming to badgers, even if (especially if) they are eating your food a foot from your recently awoken face in total darkness nice critters, imho not a hazard in most contexts, i might not be keen on grabbing one even to rescue it from peril

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16005

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 22 7:24 am Post subject:

The main contact I have with badgers is that they dig latrines in the woods. The trick is to see the latrine before putting your foot in it.

We have problems with pigeons too, so I have to net things when I first plant them out. I always net cabbages, because the pigeons will also eat them when they are bigger. They land on purple sprouters and eat and mess on them. I use hoops to start with and then put higher metal bits in to hold the net up. Keep the net quite tight and cover the sides and ends of the bed as well.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8963
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 22 10:54 am Post subject:
Broad beans have now got into gear at last...but they were a late spring sowing after we missed the autumn sowing and the first spring sowing didn't germinate ! The runner beans are at last running 😄 We are getting a handful of rasberries every day..it's only a 3'x 4' bed for now...and they get eaten fresh

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 22 11:34 am Post subject:
I think the most annoying thing is that they leave loads of not even half eaten food just lying around. At least have the common decency to eat it all if you've pulled it off its stem.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8963
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 22 4:08 pm Post subject:
The blackbird Peck and Run merchants

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16005

Posted: Wed Aug 24, 22 7:14 am Post subject:

My tomatoes are coming along now; a few every day. Looks as if I might finally have some courgettes setting too. The first lot didn't seem to be fertilised. Blackberries in the garden don't seem to be ripening very well, but that could be because it is too dry. I noticed in 1976 that they didn't ripen until it rained. My runner beans have run, but no flowers at present, and have only had a handful of beans. Again in 1976 they didn't do anything until it rained. We have had drizzle the last couple of days, which should refill my water tank under the greenhouse, but not sure if it has done a lot more.

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