Questions, questions, questions

[summerday]

Ok here we go you said it was ok.

I want to have a brand new start this next season so I would like advice about the following please:

Last year I grew Lady Di runners but have found the skin tough even when picked very small so next season I would like to grow a prolific growing climbing french bean what suggestions for that please?

My squashes were Jack O'Lantern which are too small and Sunshine F1 which are a good size but not many of them and I want them for making soup and roasting.

Grew Babybeat R2 and Bolthardy but luuuuuuuvvvvvv beetroot so would like to try some new ones.

Tomatoes were Sweet Olive which tasted lovely but want to use them for chutney so too small I would like to grow some reasonably sized tasty ones.

Courgettes were Parthenon F1 and quite happy with them but I make lots of soup so would like to try some different ones. Someone in the Grow it magazine suggested Trombocino which would be good as they grow vertical but they are a funny shape.

Potatoes quite happy with first earlies Charlotte and cant remember the main crop name but they fall to pieces when boiled.

Purple sprouting broccoli Sante but although they grew lovely greenery Ive still got no heads!

Oh and what cucumbers please small ones would be good.

Many many thank you's
Summer

[rustylady]

Last year I grew Lady Di runners but have found the skin tough even when picked very small so next season I would like to grow a prolific growing climbing french bean what suggestions for that please?

I'm growing Moonlight runners and Cobra climbing french - both doing well and lovely beans.

[Samurailord]

Hi Summer.

Climbing French beans - I have grown Blue Lake for the past two seasons - very prolific once they eventually get going, and very very nice.

Squashes - can't help there as I have grown a single Jack 'o' Lantern last year which got to about 15 inches across, and I am growing Mammoth this year which has two large fruits, one about 15 inches and the other is about 30, and still growing. I have also grown a white patty pan squash which has given plenty of 'alien saucer' shaped crops.

Beets - try Cylindra. They did really well for me this year, and don't seem to mind being left in the ground for ages until I am ready to harvest them.

Tomato - I am trying loads of varieties this year, but Sparta seem to be the most prolific for larger fruits. Gardeners' Delight and Roma have given me more toms, pound for pound, but are small cherry/plum types so may not be suitable for chutneys?

Courgettes - I am growing Zuccini and Fruit Nice a la Ronde - Zuccini is a standard green fruit but quite prolific whereas Fruit Nice is a round courgette and although I haven't had as many fruits as from the Zuccini they are considerably heavier.

Purple Sprouting - this takes ages to form heads, but when it does make sure to harvest them young and tender to encourage the plant to keep producing.

I am growing Marketmore cucumbers this year - the fruit is spikey with a tough skin so you willl need to peel them before eating, they produce quite a few cukes per plant and don't seem to want to get to a huge size, I have harvested them at about 3-4 inches.

Hope this helps

Andy

[vikkib]

Hope I'm replying in the right place as I think I've seen this post somewhere else too.

Last year I grew Lady Di runners but have found the skin tough even when picked very small so next season I would like to grow a prolific growing climbing french bean what suggestions for that please?

I don't do runners either anymore! I've gone for Blauhilde this year and they are lovely looking (purple flowers and beans) and great when small but even when they get bigger they aren't stringy which is handy as I always miss some!

My squashes were Jack O'Lantern which are too small and Sunshine F1 which are a good size but not many of them and I want them for making soup and roasting.

There's a great thread about squash which I've been following avidly:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ons_74120.html

As a result I'm trying Crown Prince and Golden Hubbard next year!

Grew Babybeat R2 and Bolthardy but luuuuuuuvvvvvv beetroot so would like to try some new ones.

I've grown Cylindra this year which are lovely. Also trying Chioggia (stripey!) and Alto next year.

Tomatoes were Sweet Olive which tasted lovely but want to use them for chutney so too small I would like to grow some reasonably sized tasty ones.

Most of my medium sized one's get turned into sauce but I've enjoyed Golden Sunrise fresh and in chutney.

Courgettes were Parthenon F1 and quite happy with them but I make lots of soup so would like to try some different ones. Someone in the Grow it magazine suggested Trombocino which would be good as they grow vertical but they are a funny shape.

I'm going to try Parthenon next year as a friend grew them as they don't need pollinating they're great early in the season. I love growing yellow courgettes and I'll be trying Sunstripe next year mainly because a plot neighbour gre them and they look fab!

Oh and what cucumbers please small ones would be good.

I spent a fortune of some Zeina seeds and they have been great but I'm not sure how much better than other, cheaper, small varieties they are.

Got an expensive Duchy originals mini cuke pack in the 50p a pack scramble, think they are Picolino.

[kathyd]

Argh! Had written loads and it disappeared! Seems to have vanished when SL posted his... weird.
Anyway - briefly this time!

- Painted Lady runners - don't seem too stringy especially if picked young
- Purple podded french climbers - very pretty deep pink & purple flowers, purple podded beans which turn green in cooking
- Yellow courgettes instead of green - more prolific for me this year, and a nice colour. Used Atena Polka F1 and Sunbeam F1. Also grew last year and this year - patty pans. Huge plants, very prolific, interesting shape, lovely for stuffing, can use like courgettes and squashes, keep quite well despite being 'summer squash' I think?
- I'm growing several varieties of sprouting broccoli to get a long season - can't remember some of the names but included rudolph and red spear. Last year I grew some from Real Seeds just called 'early purple' sprouting and 'later purple' sprouting, which both did well. Also grew some Summer Purple this year - smaller plants, but grow quite quickly and available er.. in the summer .

[summerday]

Sorry about double posting new to this and didnt know if I should have put it in a different place.
Home for lunch hour at the moment so just had a quick peek at answers so will go through them all tonight and make a list thank you soooooo much.
Summer

[Tripmeup]

Hi,

Squashes: I have a good crop from a Spaghetti Squash plant this year.
Beetroot: Recommend Choggia (as other have) and Bulls Blood
Courgettes- Can recommend Athena Polka (yellow)......Very prolific cropper!
Tomatoes: Would recommend Corazon, Paul Robeson, Golden Sunrise & Totem (for growing outside)

Potatoes: well, there are so many that you will just need to experiment!!

Small cucs that did well for this year were Cetriolo Piccolo Di Parigi (Gherkin) Parisian

hope that helps!

[Potstubsdustbins]

My runners this year were my old favourite White Lady and a new one Firestorm, both have done well for me and Firestorm is self pollinating.

For a good sized cooking tom I grow Green Zebra nice and tangy.

Picasso is a good main crop spud, loads of good chippers and bakers, tasty too.

Cucumber, I have been growing Baribal for a number of years, ready for harvest at 5 to 6 inches and you should get around 20 to 30 per plant.

Potty

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

French Beans
I'd second the blue lake beans, I chanced a late wigwam after my initial ones finished (can't remember variety). Blue lake look nice, taste great and seem to be plenty coming even now.

Courgettes
We grew strata di italia, all green bush, tondo di toscana and a few others i can't remember. Particularly fond of the two italian ones. Have got F1 Goldrush (yellow) for next year (have enjoyed these previously) and Atena (after seeing the pictures of other people's on here)

Squash
I am looking forward to growing loads next year, particularly Crown Prince, Uchiki Kuri/Potimarron and Thelma Sanders (from recommendations)

[binley100]

I like white lady runners , they take ages to get fat and stringy ....
CFB ....Trail of tears
DFB.....Canadian wonder
Beetroot ...I tried Cylindrica this year and they were rubbish so going back to a round variety .
Potatoes.....for 2nd earlies you can't beat Kestrel ......
Courgettes......personally I prefer yellow ones ,no prefernce as to seed as long as they're yellow

[Two_Sheds]

Potatoes ... main crop name but they fall to pieces when boiled

Make sure you choose the right variety for your chosen use (boiling). Potato varieties | Love Potatoes |

Purple sprouting broccoli Sante but although they grew lovely greenery Ive still got no heads!

PSB shouldn't crop until Dec-March.

I've found Sante potato, but not PSB: are you sure it was called Sante?