Veg plans for 2021

tromtipp wrote: »

near Nenagh, that's a kind thought.

PM sent.....

Zero experience with growing veg but sowed the following a couple of days again indoors, planning to transplant them outdoors.

Radish
Carrots
Red cabbage
Kohl Rabi
Cauliflower
Turnip
Cabbage
Broccoli
Calabrese
Beetroot
Runner beans, moonlight

From what I've read, I should really only have sowed the carrots, radish and beetroot directly outdoors.
I've also started a few months too late but not too bothered about that as I want to kick things off and see what happens.

Need to build a raised bed next week.

I had my first new potatoes for dinner last night. They were not quite at the 90-day point, but I wanted to see how this particular crop sown from saved seed in far-from-ideal conditions was doing. Not too bad - half a kilo from one sad little plant. Signs of drought-stress on the tubers, which would be consistent with them having been essentially surface-sown and not earthed up very much - at attempt to give them as much warmth as possible while it was still quite cold and wet.

Moneymaker tomatoes are now flourishing. From the first lot of laterals that I pulled off for propogation, there are only three that have taken, but I left a few conveniently outward-facing laterals at the time, and have increased the number of trained vines now from seven to twelve (with another twenty laterals pulled off for propogation.

With the way the weather's been so far this year, I'm going to ignore many of the traditional "seasonal guidelines" and sow some crops at very much the "wrong" time just to see what happens. That does depend on getting my beds back into proper working order though - proving very difficult at the moment with wave after wave after wave of thunderstorm sweeping past.

Igotadose wrote: »

I've been trapping slugs like crazy ...

I've outsourced my slug-control to someone who's happy to do it for free!

Igotadose wrote: »

Has the slug population dropped since you built your pond? ... I think your pond is fairly new, so maybe you have some observations pre- and post-pond on the frog's impact.

Difficult to say, as the whole garden is still very much a building site. In fact, the pond itself is still under construction - that fellow is soaking in a test trench that'll eventually be enlarged to become a yard overlooking the (future) pond. The storms of the last month have kept it wet enough for some of the locals to go for a swim:



If there's a definite benefit, it's been to increase the range of species: that's the first time I've seen a natterjack toad on my own land - it's always been common toads up to now; and although I didn't see any frogs at all here (in 16 years) until last summer - even before I started to think of creating a wetland area - this one is a different species too. The population of green lizards has most certainly increased significantly as well.

Are they coming here because they know there's a great supply of organic slugs available, thanks to my no-kill gardening practices, or because the neighbouring farmer has switched his fields from pasture into Roundup-ed monocultured cropland. Dunno, but I'm not complaining ... except for the fact that I waste an awful lot of time sitting still, watching (and talking to) them!

SouthWesterly wrote: »

What does a ripe artichoke look like.

Have some but no ideas how to even eat them

It's stopped getting bigger and it's leaves are starting to open; if about 1/2 the leaves are bent back, it's ready.

In this image, I'd say the 3 biggest artichokes are harvestable, with the one with the dark leaves behind the small one in front is very very harvestable and should be eaten soon.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Ripe_artichoke_flowers.jpg


Here's how we prepare and eat them. In Corca Dhuibhne, the earwigs love living in them, so we completely submerge the artichoke in water in a sealed container or whatever keeps the artichoke submerged. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.

The earwigs will float off, you pour out the water, replace with fresh and repeat the process. Usually takes about three or four repetitions to get them all.

Then, rinse the artichoke very well. Put it in a pot on the hob that has about 3cm of water in it. Boil it on a low boil until the leaves are tender and easily pull away. Probably 45 minutes to an hour.

To serve, we serve it with melted garlic butter. Peel the leaves and eat the insides of the leaves, just scrape them off with your teeth, like you'd eat the cheese off a cracker. When all the mature leaves are done and you get to the thistly-looking heart, scrape off the 'furry' top and enjoy the heart with the butter. Great treat food.

Artichokes should do well in Kerry climate, they don't mind it damp or foggy. I have seen them growing wild (perhaps feral is a better word, abandoned house), and cultivated in gardens and they taste fine.

quazzy wrote: »

First time poster on here. Great to read about all the GIY efforts. I've got a very small allotment.

Currently picking peas, sugar snaps and some broccoli. Also gobbling up a few punnets of strawberries.

I have a question about leaf curling on tomatoes.

I have about 5 different varieties of tomato in this year and one variety has significant leaf curl. I have 3 plants outside and 3 inside the greenhouse and they all are affected equally.

I've been watering consistently every 2 days but there seems to be little change. Any thoughts?

Any black edge to leaf curl?CAN be due to over fertilising.

Well, after an actual hot week (first time in 6 years I wore a pair of shorts for 4 days in a row), the veg has kind of perked up. Brassicas and beetroot which were doing fine prior enjoyed it. Warmer loving vegetables like squash improved a little, but far behind where they were a year ago this time.

Watered everything nearly every day, now that the rain's back its good to not have that chore.

Finished the softneck garlic harvest, I clearly planted too many, have enough buds for planting out next year and for consumption well into next year. Really like the 'Provence" purple variety I got from Fruithill farm, its by far the biggest and tastiest of the various garlics I put out last fall.

Spent a fair bit of time hacking back the brambles, willowherb, thistles and nettles in the side yard for another patch for herself to put in more fruit bushes. There are so many pests in that part of the yard, slugs, earwigs, woodlice and so many weeds that only really tough things like fruit bushes and garlic do well there, everything else is a struggle to keep it from being eaten or outcompeted. It's the least windy and sunniest part of the yard which is a big shame, without the challenges it'd make about 1/3 acre of prime garden space.

An attempt to grow carrots in large flowerpots did very well. No root fly problems, the only mistake I made was not to thin more aggressively so we got a fair number of small carrots but a decent amount of large ones, too. Onions planted similarly did well. Definitely planning on expanding the flowerpot garden next year. I once grew spuds this way, and they did o.k. too.

Fruit bushes poor this year....maybe birds got to them first.

Lots of peas....picking and freezing last of them.

Broad Beans only so so.

Runner beans looking good.

Outdoor sown tomatoes doing well....just need to turn red. Saved seeds from shop bought plum variety doing best of all.

Turnips good....Suedes poor.

French Beans good.

Dozens of Sun Flowers about to display in the next week or so.

I need to purchase about 50 long Bamboo sticks, about 6 feet in length. I know that these can be bought in Woodie's and Garden Centres. Just wondering if anyone has found a source that has them at a good price. I am based in Dublin South. Thanks

Did you use the same source for seeds? I got chioggia beets (all our beets grew like crazy this year) from two sources, both taste fine but one is a more consistent growth - size, coloration, and probably a bit more flavorful. The 'good' beets were from Woodies, packed by Unwins. The 'o.k.' beets were from Seedaholics.

FWIW, inconsistent growth seems to be a feature of most of the seeds I got from Seedaholics. Assuming reasonable availability of seeds this Autumn/Winter I doubt I'll use them again. I sang their praises here this Spring as they had great availability and tried many things from them.

Their squash was wretched, very poor fertility and 'wimpy plants. The beets a bit 'off', parsnips failed to sprout at all. Kales and chard did fine, those are easy to grow for me.

I found the same from Seedaholics as well this year. I've nearly always bought from them, but really undecided whether to give them another chance.

Two types of salad leaves didn't germinate at all. I originally thought it was just me/soil/timings (first year for new garden in new house, so new set up and new soil etc and things were a bit late getting started) but I gave some seeds to the neighbours and they had the same results as me. And a few other seeds had very poor germination rates.

My outdoor grown tomatoes are doing nicely. Many seeds saved from shop bought tomatoes. The problem is.....they are not turning red. Is it too early or what? They are getting plenty of sun when it shines. Should I pick them now and wrap in newspaper or leave them alone. I am concerned that blight might take them if I don't pick now.

We have decided to cut the new flowers off the top of our tomato plants. Our reasoning is that we would like the goodness to go in to lower fruit rather than grow new tomatoes. I don't think that these outdoor tomatoes will bear fruit at this late stage and certainly not ripen.

Is this a good or bad idea?

Courgettes and other squashes were worse this year than in previous years. Except this courgette:

Weighed in at almost 4lbs. Seemed to show up in the last couple weeks, squash do that.