I've got way too excited.. and

[walshie]

Just a P.S. about thining - you can also eat the leaves as a salad on veg that you wouldnt think about eating the leaves. Turnip, beetroot for example, the leaves are very good in a salad. So if you cant wait for the full crop just eat the leaves - NOT ON RUBARB THO !!!!

[feefeelalabelle]

sorry, compleatly off topic but did you just watch eastenders OMG, i was flooding with tears i never used to be like that but since having DD im so teary when it comes to things like that.... and there was me worrying when i was pregnant that id have no motherly insticts

anyway soldiers... back on topic, thanks for the quick response!!
Demeter im begining to think you find it amusing having me running around outside in my jimjams....if i remember right you sent me off into the cold last week anyway job done, runner beans are back in lol
my lettuce picked its self back up today, think it had been too warm for them the other day in greenhouse
walshie, thanks for the advice....notebook at the ready!!! never knew you could eat the leaves on other veg too, but why not ruhbarb???? will it kill me lol!!!
im going to bless you all with pics of how im getting on tomorrow...if thats ok?

ohoh forgot to ask what time do you water your plants and is it once or twice a day xxx

[Sanjo]

Feefee rhubarb leaves are TOXIC. Under no circumstances should you experiment with eating them. Chop 'em up an put them in the compost but not in your belly!!
Pics would be great.
Water very early morning or late afternoon/evening. When the sun is off it anyway as it will just evaporate.
Hope your back is better. Sanjo

[Demeter]

There are LOADS of plants or parts of plants that you can eat even though they are usually grown for something else. You can eat the leaves from brassicas or any kind, alliums of any kind, and carrots. Some flowers (e.g. nasturtiums, english marigolds), as well as a number of wild plants (nettles, comfrey) and herbs. But please don't eat things without checking as there are a few that are poisonous, or need cooking to become safe! I wouldn't try tomato or potato leaves as I think they would give you bellyache and there are some common weeds that will not do you any good at all.

Watering is a tricky one - depends on the plant and the time of year and where it is growing. e.g. tomatoes in high summer where the fruit are ripening and the plant is in a container will need watering up to twice a day, morning and evening. But for the most part it will not be necessary to water every day, certainly not while the weather is still relatively cool. Many plants once in the ground and established do not need watering at all, or perhaps only when they are flowering, as they have good deep roots and they can get their own water from the soil underneath even when it is baked dry up above. For now you should only water when the soil is actually dry, not just on the surface but also underneath the surface. Watering too much will make your babies cold and wet and sad!

PS I'm loving the idea of you running back and forth in your jimjams at my command. Hmmm, what can I send you out for tonight? [evil grin]

[Wren]

A Kebab maybe!

[feefeelalabelle]

haha ive just had one actually, just uploading some pics

[Sweepster]

just uploading some pics

Of your kebab?

[feefeelalabelle]

mmm, you guys are worse than me !!!
so go on have a look at the pics and then tell me how wrong ive done it you know what im like

Thes first pic is of my four beans.... what kind? mmm i dont know !!!
second one is of my silly lettuce seed scattering expedition with my ickle tomato plant in the left side of it
third one is of my cucumber, been told it was a female ??????
fourth is the dodgy leaves on the cucmber, not sure whats happened?
last one is my other tomato plant.....its a beefsteak

are these all normal?

[feefeelalabelle]

ooopps forgot to add the other pictures xx

[Creemteez]

Morning, Feefee, how're the ache's and pains? Don't suffer it, luv - take a couple of pain killers!
Anyway. Well, look at those seedlings! They look fine! Yes, your tray is a little over sown. - Next time you sow anything, just tip a FEW seeds into the palm of your hand and use your other hand to pinch 'em up and sprinkle 'em onto the soil - a bit like putting a pinch of pepper in scrambled eggs.. I have learned from bitter experience never to try and shake them out of the packet. You ALWAYS end up over-sowing.
Your Cucumber plant is absolutly NORMAL. The "weird" leaves you are seeing are actually it's first, proper, grown up leaves! The thick rounded ones that popped up first are it's "seed leaves". If you look at all your seedlings you'll see that they all look very similar when they first come up, cos all seed leaves look pretty much alike!
I must say, you must be doing something right as your Cucumber is a nice little fella.- Just keep treating him as you have been.
No, don't be tempted to put him outside yet, he won't like it at all.
Do you know what variety he is? Indoor/Outdoor?
If you know his name someone will probably be able to tell you if he'll do ok outside eventually.
If you don't know his name, I'd call him Nigel......

[feefeelalabelle]

nigel haha, why ?, anyway thanks for the advise about sowing the seeds but unfortunatly i dont have pepper on my scrambled eggs so thats probablty why i ended up wi so many?
the bottom set of leaves on the cucumber plant are starting to go a bit funny, like crisping up??? think you can tell from the pic, any thoughts
ive got some mini sweetcorn, do you think i should wait a month then plant them straight out
DEMETER , thanks for the seeds, they arrived this morning, much appreciated xxx
ive got some

[Creemteez]

Don't worry about the seed leaves shrivelling up and dropping off. It's exactly what the're supposed to do. Seed leaves are just the "Turbo-boosters" that get your plants growing, and when the second leaves come along they become redundant (a bit like a moon rocket when it jetisons it's fuel cells after take off - Have you seen the film "Apollo Thirteen"? You really should, it's a nail-biter...I digress..)
Anyway... Nope, everything looks fine and dandy in the young plant department, Fee, just keep on what you are doing, water them only if the compost starts to look dry, and then do it from the bottom. Discard any water that had not been sucked up after about half an hour.
"Nigel" is a good name for a cucumber, don't you think? But if you're looking for a name for your Beefsteak Tomato, may I suggest, "Bernard".
Had a Guinea Pig called Bernard once.
Oh, BTW, check the bottom of Nigel and Bernards pots every now and then. If you see little white roots coming through the drainage holes it's time to think about "potting on"!

[feefeelalabelle]

right i KNOW this isnt a veg, before you all think im crazy

ive got two rather tall indoor house plants, the proper name for them is scindapsus epipremnum , im sure they are dying, the leaves are giong black on them? any suggestions please

[Sweepster]

But if you're looking for a name for your Beefsteak Tomato, may I suggest, "Bernard".

For goodness sake, the poor woman doesn't stand a chance of growing successful veg with this sort of misinformation being bandied around willy-nilly.

Feefee, please pay no attention to Creemteez. As any right-thinking person will agree, all tomato plants are called Geoff. Regardless of what anybody's guinea pig may have to say on the matter.

Incidentally, mine was called Truffles. Guinea pig, that is. So let that be a lesson to you.

[Creemteez]

No, "Truffles" is a cats name. Guinea pigs are always called something like Bernard, Wayne or Eric. It's the law! Geof is a good name for a tomatato plant, though!