Bills 2013 GYO Veggie Diary

[lancashire lass]

Make sure when you plant them nice sunny outlook and plant in a block as they like to inter pollinate

also, plant them deeper than the original soil level - this encourages secondary roots to grow and allow the plants to take up water (don't let the soil get dry), and gives them better anchorage as sometimes they can flop over

[billnorfolk]

The weather according to Bill was spot on, it's blinking windy all right ! We've gotta go self sufficient and cut out this shopping malarkey who'd have thought sweet corn would sprout like that ! Have fun putting the shopping away

Afternoon Angela

I do draw the line at putting it away ,just put a few things in the wrong place ,dont get asked anymore
Would have gone for self sufficiency a few years ago Angela but not enough get up and go now ,think it all got up and went.
May pot a few of them sweetcorn up tomorrow chits have started ,got to watch em as can grow into the tissue ,a devil to get out then.
Do you know a good rain dancer sill non

[billnorfolk]

Make sure when you plant them nice sunny outlook and plant in a block as they like to inter pollinate

also, plant them deeper than the original soil level - this encourages secondary roots to grow and allow the plants to take up water (don't let the soil get dry), and gives them better anchorage as sometimes they can flop over

Dont think they would have stood the last few days LL,bin blowing a gale hear .You are right they do need lots to drink ,they are one of those plants that make lots of growth in a very little time ,occasional feed and a drink will work wonders.I do sometimes stake the outside ones if it gets realy windy once grown ,just a cane and a plastic garden spring clip usually works

[billnorfolk]

Saturday 11th May 2013

Well the sweetcorn chitting didnt go to bad ,just 12 out of 60 didnt chit,wil give em another day or so if it doesnt happen i have enough for what i need ,8 rows x7 in a row 56 plants hopefully should have 58 .Right the chitted ones i will get potted up today .A picture of this years chitted.

Hear is my small raised bed ,3 rows raddish,2 rows carrots,2 rows red beet and a row of lettuce.Raddishes will be done first will sow 2 more carrot and another row of lettuce once they finished.

Had some luck with the runners out of 40 sown only 2 havent germinate ,i need 26 but have a couple of freinds who want what is left so wont go to waste.

The cumbers i set in the tubes have germinated,so only watering into the pot now keep water away from the stem

Watch this space hopefully see some sweetcorn pokeing through in a few days .

[HensAloud]

Good Evening Bill, great photos again, you're certainly going to have bountiful crops, does she who does make chutneys and pickles with the excess ? I'm off on me jollies on Tuesday, I've got a friend poultry sitting and watering.

[billnorfolk]

Good Evening Bill, great photos again, you're certainly going to have bountiful crops, does she who does make chutneys and pickles with the excess ? I'm off on me jollies on Tuesday, I've got a friend poultry sitting and watering.

Yes Wendy makes green and red tomatoe chutney,luvvvely .
Hope you both have a lovely time ,ill miss our little chats for a while .
Well we had some rain and its done some good,realy was needed ,talk when you get back have a good time

[HensAloud]

Good Afternoon Bill, I do like a bit of chutney I've made a curried runner bean one, that was nice and used up quite a lot, I'm not going to grow as many this year. If I can get wifi I'll send you a pic. Take care while I'm gone.

[billnorfolk]

Good Afternoon Bill, I do like a bit of chutney I've made a curried runner bean one, that was nice and used up quite a lot, I'm not going to grow as many this year. If I can get wifi I'll send you a pic. Take care while I'm gone.

Will send a jar of Wendys end of summer for you ,take care and have a realy good holiday ,look forward to any pics you send

[HensAloud]

Good Afternoon Bill, I do like a bit of chutney I've made a curried runner bean one, that was nice and used up quite a lot, I'm not going to grow as many this year. If I can get wifi I'll send you a pic. Take care while I'm gone.

Will send a jar of Wendys end of summer for you ,take care and have a realy good holiday ,look forward to any pics you send

Thankyou Bill me ol' pal.

[Annie]

Nothing to do with growing things .....................or maybe it is growing friendships.
If you two lovely laners dont arrange to meet with each over the summer sometime, it wil be such a shame, you have a wonderful rapport that comes across in the posts you exchange, it makes such happy reading.

[billnorfolk]

Nothing to do with growing things .....................or maybe it is growing friendships.
If you two lovely laners dont arrange to meet with each over the summer sometime, it wil be such a shame, you have a wonderful rapport that comes across in the posts you exchange, it makes such happy reading.

Annie there are so many lovely people on this forum and i have bee extreamly lucky to hit it off with Angela,supose it happens sometimes and who knows if i ever found myself in her part of the world then i would love to,but for now we must remain forum mates

[billnorfolk]

Wednesday 15th May 2013

Well what a day ,temp hardly 13 deg 40mph gusts of wind what ever is going on ?see snow further north ,hardly what we want for this time of the year ,got me runners outside hardening off will soon need to go in but not while its like this.



Got some redbeet and a few parsnips in moduals ,had succss with the parsnips last year secret is not to disturb the roots when planting,may cut some toilet roll holders in half and give them a try still time .

Sweetcorn i chitted last week comeing along nicely .

Open flowers on the tomatoes will start to feed next week ,just once a week to start then twice once second truss is set.

Going to cut first lettuce tomorrow looking forward to that these are the ones i sowed new years day,took 4 1/2 months so should be ok.

Set some dwarf beans in polly tunnel last week just starting to poke through.

[HappyBob]

Your Tomato,s are looking well Bill, a lot further on then mine. But saying that I dont sow anything at home only on the garden so is to be expected I suppose. Regards parsnip i have had to resow mine as the 1st sowing I mistakenly sowed from an old pkt what somehow escaped getting dumped when I sorted through my seed box in early January. Hope this cool spell dosent last long Bill also we,ve had enough rain now thankyou so that can jog on as well

[billnorfolk]

Your Tomato,s are looking well Bill, a lot further on then mine. But saying that I dont sow anything at home only on the garden so is to be expected I suppose. Regards parsnip i have had to resow mine as the 1st sowing I mistakenly sowed from an old pkt what somehow escaped getting dumped when I sorted through my seed box in early January. Hope this cool spell dosent last long Bill also we,ve had enough rain now thankyou so that can jog on as well

Thanks Bob,it does help having a warm windowsill at home,lot easier to keep an eye on as well,but you got caulies i havent .Dont think Parsnips are keen to over winter specially once opened ,i have been caught thinking just use this few up in the packet.Going to sow some in loo roll tubes today ,just a few to experiment ,give them a head start in the greenhouse ,then into the garden without disturbing(hopefully) .16 deg hear at the moment dull and still windy think the weekend forcast is much of the same ,not a great deel of rain ,think our bit sticks out into the north sea to far

[stewpot]

Those corn don't half come on fast Bill. Just got a few potted ones from the garden centre this year. Might have to try from seed next year.