Suggest veg varieties to succeed North of Newcastle

[chickbob]

Hello - I think it wonderful that finally varieties are now listed in seed catalogues as 'will thrive oop North' - or more recently, this week I found one to make me laugh 'will survive as far north as Lancashire'!?

Anyhow - would any of you kind souls be willing (well those North of Newcastle/South of Berwick) to suggest any chilli/squash/sweetcorn varieties (or anything else you can bring to the table) that have done particularly well for you in your Northern Garden (I do have a greenhouse) - particularly any wind exposed e.g. you've actually had squash and sweetcorn and not just lovely healthy foliage like cest moi. Someone mentioned seville sweetcorn to me - anyone tried it?

I've tried loads and loads of butternut squashes and diddly squat - I wish I'd taken pictures of the bumper harvest I had in London - I've lost hope of having one again in the North. Someone has mentioned cobnut, again any luck with that variety or that of Harrier?? Also tried uchi kuri - lovely vigorous plants, but fruit got to golf ball size and rotted.

I found something the other day I've been looking for since moving from london 2.5 years ago. I wonderful downloadable growing calendar for NORTHERN gardeners...new computer...transferred files...can't find source of calendar...anyone know where I got it from??

Thanks. I look forward to any advice you can give (hopefully before I place my order for anymore seeds).

[binley100]

Hello and welcome to the vine....I'm sure someone from oop north will be along shortly to help

[Canny Grower]

We're down south in Washington - but maybe close enough!
Took over an allotment last year and had a decent crop of sweetcorn, more courgettes (Defender and Atena) than we and our neighbours could eat and some good-sized pumpkins for Halloween (Hundredweight). I'm afraid I can't remember the variety of sweetcorn - I just looked for a packet that said short season.
Also had good luck with Apache chilli peppers in the greenhouse.

I plan to try Butternut squash this year and have bought f1 Metro PMR seeds from Kings.

You have a great garden centre up in Morpeth. I'd be asking their advice and looking for plants grown locally. Good luck!

[chickbob]

Thx. Arh, Heighley gate aka 'highly priced'. It is indeed our mecca - however, I believe since they were sold to national giant they've gone 'commercial' - can't get anything out of the ordinary there - but don't get me wrong, we've spent loads of time and money in that place...I am pleased we have it so nearby.

[Snadger]

Could be worse...........could have been Sunderland!

Incredible sweet corn does incredibly well enough for me........seeds were 19p a packet at Netto last year.

Haven't tried squash yet but going to give butternut Avalon a go this year.

[Davyburns]

I had a very good crop of tumbling toms tomatoes outside in hanging baskets, but wasnt that impressed with the taste (although everyone I gave them to said they were delicious, but they would wouldnt they)

Going to try a different one this year

(technically not north of Newcastle, but only by 3 miles)

[Aberdeenplotter]

I grew a variety of sweetcorn up here in Aberdeen called Dickson and it did really well.

[Davyburns]

I grew a variety of sweetcorn up here in Aberdeen called Dickson and it did really well.

Can you remember where you got the seeds?

[Two_Sheds]

I grew a variety of sweetcorn up here in Aberdeen called Dickson and it did really well.

Can you remember where you got the seeds?

No longer available
The sweetest sweet corn - Graham Rice on Trials

I'm further south than you, but it's not awfully warm here on the east coast. Conqueror sweetcorn is my old faithful (Northern Xtra Sweet was rubbish) and I have great success with the following squashes: Mars, Hooligan, Golden Nugget, Crown Prince, Bonbon.
Butternuts are no good for me in a cool wet summer (like the last three)
I haven't had a good butternut crop since 2005

[Sylvan]

Leeks!

We're technically west of Newcastle, rather than north, but we were at an altitude of 450m and even though we've moved lower we're still incredibly windy.

Last year we had a few days of frost at the end of the 3rd week of June and several years ago we had 6" of snow one June morning, so we tend to start things like peas, tomatoes and courgettes inside in February and grow them on windowsills till they eventually end up in 11" pots. That way they can spend any warm days in May out in the garden and by the time they go out in June they're a reasonable size.

I used to live about 25 miles due west of Morpeth and the conditions were better there than any I've had since, so you should be able to grow most of these...


We had really good results with a potato-leaved variety of tomato, called "Tamina" a few years ago (and good old "Gardener's Delight" of course).

Broad beans - "Aquadulce Claudia."

Peas - "Twinkle" and "Sugar Ann". We only had a good crop from the February sown ones. The later sowings didn't do much.

Courgette "Kojac", "All green bush", "De nice a fruit rond" and "Jemmer" (a yellow one)

Broccoli "Tendergreen" and the early summer sprouting one.

Chard does well.

Gooseberries seem to love the wind. I never had any trouble with sawfly in any of my really windy gardens.

Carrot fly don't like wind either.

We tend to stick with the early varieties of potato.

Generally, if you grow short varieties and early varieties (and anything that says it's winter hardy), and start them off indoors, you should be able to grow quite a lot.

I managed outdoor cucumbers at your latitude, but can't remember the variety.

Cauliflower "All The Year Round".

Onion "Ailsa Craig" and spring onion "Lisbon".

I've tried butternut squash 3 times. Lovely leaves...

[chickbob]

Leeks!

We're technically west of Newcastle, rather than north, but we were at an altitude of 450m and even though we've moved lower we're still incredibly windy.

Last year we had a few days of frost at the end of the 3rd week of June and several years ago we had 6" of snow one June morning, so we tend to start things like peas, tomatoes and courgettes inside in February and grow them on windowsills till they eventually end up in 11" pots. That way they can spend any warm days in May out in the garden and by the time they go out in June they're a reasonable size.

I used to live about 25 miles due west of Morpeth and the conditions were better there than any I've had since, so you should be able to grow most of these...


We had really good results with a potato-leaved variety of tomato, called "Tamina" a few years ago (and good old "Gardener's Delight" of course).

Broad beans - "Aquadulce Claudia."

Peas - "Twinkle" and "Sugar Ann". We only had a good crop from the February sown ones. The later sowings didn't do much.

Courgette "Kojac", "All green bush", "De nice a fruit rond" and "Jemmer" (a yellow one)

Broccoli "Tendergreen" and the early summer sprouting one.

Chard does well.

Gooseberries seem to love the wind. I never had any trouble with sawfly in any of my really windy gardens.

Carrot fly don't like wind either.

We tend to stick with the early varieties of potato.

Generally, if you grow short varieties and early varieties (and anything that says it's winter hardy), and start them off indoors, you should be able to grow quite a lot.

I managed outdoor cucumbers at your latitude, but can't remember the variety.

Cauliflower "All The Year Round".

Onion "Ailsa Craig" and spring onion "Lisbon".

I've tried butternut squash 3 times. Lovely leaves...

Thanks for that. Will look into those courgette varieties as I didn't have prolific amount fo those either last year. Thx.

[chickbob]

Thanks - but really still after someone to come up with a sweetcorn that is still available and gives bumper crops up here or even Scotland. Also - not much luck wtih suggestions for butternut varieties - but some great squash varieties - was looking at golden nugget, so thanks for that suggestion.

Surely - t here must be more newcastle/sunderland/northumberland growers out there who have an option of a great variety to grow...

[SarzWix]

I'm not as far North as you, but I'm from Sunderland...

Butternuts will do loads better if they're covered with open-ended cloches, with the long sides facing the prevailing wind so that they don't take off. If they're open-ended, the pollinators can still get to them, but it keep the worst of the wind off, and any heavy rain too.
Sweetcorn, I've had my only crop in 4 years from Swift, grown indoors and potted up gradually to 5 litre pots. Outdoors in the day, back in at night, finally planted out mid-June when about 2ft high. 'Mini-pop', the one for mini stir-fry-type corn, always does exceptionally well though

[realfood]

There is a Scottish website that gives variety advice and growing tips on almost any fruit and veg that you are likely to want to grow. It majors on sweetcorn, Winter squash and points out the problems in growing butternuts in the North of the UK. Have a look at this page on Winter squash winter_squash

[Snadger]

I'm not as far North as you, but I'm from Sunderland...

We all have our cross to bear..............