What I did today - 2015

[CaroleL]

Had to rescue a rather heavy tomato truss that was causing the stem to bend over. It's well supported now and I'm hoping that the stem wasn't damaged too much.

Picked an enormous cucumber. (enormous considering it's a mini, that is). I swear it wasn't big enough to pick yesterday and today it was bigger than some of the courgettes! It was very nice marinated in balsamic vinegar, a touch of brown sugar, and olive oil, along with some onion and tomato

[kris1960]

Away Friday afternoon and Saturday, didn't start until late yesterday and only made a start on area behind greenhouses.Dreadful hay fever - the tablets work but make me feel rubbish - can't decide whether to take or not.
Got some blackberries from aldi and someone gave me a woodchipper. New toy to play with ....... when I get a generator to go with it!
Hoping for some much needed rain today.
Highlight yesterday was tennisball sized melon! It just might happen!

[vixylix]

Lots of harvesting and eating this weekend! Yesterday we had tea with lots of home grown basil and a few of my now dried shallots and lunch made with home grown carrots, beetroot, more shallot, lettuce, radish and the first of the spring onions which are finally getting to edible size! Also made a courgette and onion pickle from a recipe on the BBC good food website - I had a taste of the pickling liquid - I could have just drunk that on its own!!

Other than that, lots of tidying, more cutting down of my tomato plants (I swear the more I cut off the more they grow) and restaking courgettes which were tippling over. Also spent lots of time (as usual) staring at my chilli plants hoping to find something resembling a chilli. No such luck... lots of flowers now, just hope there is enough time / warm to get some chillies forming!

Ate lots of pea pods straight off the vine - addictive! Also was investigating my baby corns which suddenly have lots of cobs and silks when I discovered a large bumble bee sized wasp doing the same thing. I didnt fancy irritating him so left him to it!!

Lots of sunshine / rain this week - hoping that means some good progress, although need to pull up my potatoes before the risk of blight gets too high.

[Snadger]

Dug some tatties to go with my steak,beans,peas and turnips for my tea/supper. Nice evening so caught up with a bit of hand weeding of beds. Summer pruned all my cordon apples and pears. Closed the polytunnel door as it was a bit windy. Watered recent plantings of kale.

[marcofez]

Watered and fed all in the polytunnel and then the sweetcorn outside. Went to Aldi and bought some of their fruit bushes.1 each of Blueberry, gojiberry, dessert gooseberry and a tayberry. I wanted another blueberry bush but could'nt find one so will have to go to another shop the other side of town, when I get round to it!

[SusieG]

My large grow bags for use in the GH were delivered this morning. So set to filling with compost, sowed two double rows of dwarf broad beans. Placed them outside of GH ready to be moved when weather gets cold. Did a bit more weeding on future veg 'patch'. Loads of runner beans getting a decent size. STILL no red toms .... However loads of chillies, some a respectable size, must try some out tomorrow!

[Snadger]

Potted on an Aldi Gojiberry and Grapevine into bigger pots.Potted up a freebie plant from local GC into a hanging basket.Weeded my greenhouse tomato beds and gave them a tickle over with a handfork before watering.

[rosiepumpkin]

Away Friday afternoon and Saturday, didn't start until late yesterday and only made a start on area behind greenhouses.Dreadful hay fever - the tablets work but make me feel rubbish - can't decide whether to take or not.
Got some blackberries from aldi and someone gave me a woodchipper. New toy to play with ....... when I get a generator to go with it!
Hoping for some much needed rain today.
Highlight yesterday was tennisball sized melon! It just might happen!

Nettle infusion twice a day during the season works a treat. It's a natural antihistamine and works great for bites and stings too. pour boiling water over a teaspoon of dried leaves (or a bit more if fresh), leave for a few minutes, strain and drink twice a day.

[rosiepumpkin]

Today I did nothing at all on my allotment and enjoyed a luscious tomato salad instead.

[Martin H]

Today I collected cucumber seed from two ripe Tamra cucs. Should have plenty to send to the VSP.

[vixylix]

Repotted my baby PSBs ready to be planted out once the raised bed is cleared of 'summer veg'. Also moved my previously pot confined scotch bonnets into the recently evacuated potato barrel to give them a bit of room to spread - and hopefully give me some actual chillies (!) before it gets too cold

[rosiepumpkin]

Yesterday I took both Latah out of the greenhouse to the compost heap. Cause of decline: caterpillars. Still, I took all the green ones off and the compost is being reused to plant out my vervain and mrytle which have been unhappy in too small pots.

I spotted a huge caterpillar which had come out of a crysalis and shed skin along the back of a Grushovka leaf. Very impressive. I was less inclined to yell 'got you, you bastard' at this specimen. Took all the larger toms off the 3 grushovka too and cross fingers the blighters won't cross over to the other side of the greenhouse.

Today I am doing the other half's accoumts as it's been raining all day. And we ordered a cherry tree, Gisela 5 bush Summer Sun from Keeper's Nursery. Thanks to all grapes who recommend people

[vixylix]

ooh forgot about my caterpillar story! I have been flummoxed by how people are managing to find the caterpillars which are destroying their plants - so decided to upturn some leaves on my strawberry plant, which is the smallest and easiest to access. In doing so I found a caterpillar (yay) which promptly fell off the leaf and disappeared (boo). My tomatoes are underneath the strawberry and was then worried said caterpillar would start attacking my tomatoes instead! After 20 minutes of looking and staring and more looking I couldnt find it and gave up. Just as I was walking off I spotted it curled up on a leaf. result - one dead caterpillar and hopefully safe tomatoes / strawberries. If only the others were so easy to find!!

[jonny the plant pot]

Went to look at my dad's new alotment and give him 2 x 2ft tall plum tomato plants as a plot warming present to grow in his pollytunnel

[roitelet]

Today has been the first day when it has been cool enough for two weeks to attempt to tidy the tunnel. It has been dash in water and retreat before melting.

So I removed some of the tomato leaves to improve air flow. Cut two heads of celery which I will freeze. Planted beetroot that I started in pots. Repotted the chard which will go in as soon as there is room and had a general tidy up. Looks loads better now!!!