Newbie alert

[lulubell]

Hi Everyone

I apologise in advance for any silly questions I may subject you to in the future

This is my first year growing veg in my garden I started out with one of those zip up large walk in plastic covered thingys that got blown all over the garden and ripped to bits in the bad winds in the end of april then had to start over again, so my hubby bought me a small greenhouse, 2 compost bins and a water butt to compensate as I was gutted about losing everything i'd already done.

i've not done too bad so far with some things my courgettes are fruiting, onions are nearly ready to lift (I think as they've started dying back) the cabbage seem to be growing well, swede seem to be doing fine and i've just put in some xmas potatoes.

Problem areas seem to be the outdoor marketmore cucumber loads of miniscule ones that dont seem to be growing very much (I have given them a helping hand with a cotton bud

Runner and french beans have flowers but nothing else on any of the 10 plants i've got.

Mushrooms from a kit nothing at all happening there.

My tomatoes have a few brown spots on some of them but the leaves are all healthy doesn't look like the photos of blight ive seen but I could be wrong, its not end rot as its not on the bottom of the friut so im not sure what the problem is could it be insects?? (will try and post a photo when I can find my camera) Ive cut these ones off and will see what the others that are starting to grow are like.

Also I bought 2 chilli plants and 2 pepper plants from B&Q in may 1 of the chilli plants has tiny chillies on and nothing on the other one and 1 pepper plant has a few tiny ones starting and nothing on the other 1 at all was just wondering if I dont get anything on the other plants before the end of the growing season do I just bung them in the compost and start again next year or can I keep them indoors for next year or will they just die?

Sorry for all the questions again no doubt there will be many more to come

[Hazel at the Hill]

Well good evening to you, Lulubell.

Sounds like you are doing a fine job there!

Let's see - courgettes sound like they are doing what they do best; onions you might as well lift as they won't do any more now, I don't think. If you can get them under cover in an airy place to dry out, then you can do the fancy plaiting thingy should you wish. You do have to get them to dry out well or they won't keep (rotting onions - euwwwwww!)

The cabbage should do well as long as you can keep the pigeons & butterflies off them, and the xmas pots just need to be kept as light as poss through the autumn & of course, frost free.

The beans will get there - I've never had a year like it when the beans have been eaten/resown/slow/sulking but they are flowering now and will yield tons of fabbo beans. It's just a bit later than we'd all expect this year.

Best of luck with the cucumbers - the chap on our plots who wins gazillion prizes at the show gave me a number of indoor grown ones as he has a glut. I managed not to punch him on the nose as my outdoor ones are still struggling to even flower what with the weather.

Post pics of your tommies - there are many experienced grapes who will be able to diagnose.

Oh - and welcome to the Vine.

[Feral007]

Hello Lulubell, welcome to the madhouse.
It's blowing a gale here and probably will be for about 12 weeks so I can sympathise with your 'blowaway'.
You'll get loads of information from here. So much that then you have the problem of which thing to try first! It's great. Good luck with the cucumbers.

[Bigmallly]

Welcome to the vine lulubell, sounds like you've got an understanding hubby. I can't add anything to what has already been said but if it's any consolation, my Marketmore are pathetic, only 9" tall with a couple of flowers..........

[veggiechicken]

Croeso lulubell from another South Walian! You seem to be having a lot more success than I am this year - it really has been dire with all this rain I'm still waiting for a ripe tomato, a decent bean and a courgette. Our best bet at the moment is to hope for the promised warm weather at the weekend and a lot of luck

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine lulubell

[Kestrel]

Hello and welcome, Lulubell. Not been here long myself and I can assure you of a warm welcome.

As regards your questions, sounds like you done brilliantly after you disaster and ^^^^^what they said. French beans and cucumbers are late for most of us this year, but better late etc.

[Two_Sheds]

2 chilli plants... do I just bung them in the compost and start again next year or can I keep them indoors ...?

It sounds like you've got more than half a clue what you're doing, and you're getting some successes in this very difficult year.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ies_63415.html

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ers_24754.html

[Glutton4...]

Hello, and welcome to the Madhouse!

Don't ask me for advice - I'm only here to keep the norty step warm.

[Two_Sheds]

i've just put in some xmas potatoes.

In the ground? The first frost will kill them: you'd be better putting them in a bucket that you can move into the gh

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...oes_58501.html

[Two_Sheds]

Runner and french beans have flowers but nothing else

It has been a bad year all round, too cool. Frenchies like it at least 16c ~ mine have only just started to crop in the last fortnight, once we got some sunshine.

Mushrooms from a kit nothing at all happening there.

That's normal

[PyreneesPlot]

Hello and welcome from another newbie - they are a grand lot here.

Even down here I've got chillies which are not going to fruit this year, so I'll bring them indoors for the winter and try again next year. Last year I brought in five and two plants made it through which is not bad as we were away for a month and they were left in the bathroom! The survivers are now fruiting (Big Jim and a Serrano).

Don't get stressed - some things will always fail but the good stuff more than makes up for it. The weather is always against us. Too hot, too dry, too cold too wet - 37 degrees here today and all the seedlings are frying...

Enjoy.

[Andromeda]

Re your beans, where you have flowers you will get beans...eventually. I had plants full of flowers for ages (following a longer period of toddler-esque 'I don't like this weather so I'm not going to grow' sulking) then over the course of a few days I suddenly had next to no flower but loads of baby beans.

This year has been very, very strange. You're doing better than a lot of people I know (novice and experienced alike).

[Jeanied]

Welcome to the vine Lulubell - sounds like you have made a great start in your growing!

[Samurailord]

Welcome to the Vine.

I have got a couple of chilli plants on the go, one has a little green chilli already with a few flowers that have just dropped, the other has only just got a single flower on it now.

Just remember - no question is a silly one if you need the answer

Andy