Gardening/Allotmenting

[biggs682]

Rear lawn has been mowed

 

[biggs682]

Front lawn has been mowed.
Apples are coming on nicely

 

[PeteXXX]

My Pak Choi has bolted (a lot), probably due to the dry spell then mucho rain.
Q: Is it worth cooking & eating the leaves? 🤔

 

[annedonnelly]

Why not try some and see what it tastes like? It wouldn't stop me eating it.

 

[PeteXXX]

Why not try some and see what it tastes like? It wouldn't stop me eating it.

I'll pluck the leaves of and give them a go 👍

 

[Buck]

On an entirely different subject, does anyone use the "Chelsea Chop" on their shrubs and/or perennials? I am thinking of Sedums. Verbena Bonsariensis and Shasta Daisies?

Yes, I do but you have to be selective. if they are becoming a bit leggy then you can chop them to ground level - Verbena will take a full chop or you can do a Chelsea Trim which is to take around a third out to allow air flow through and you will get the original growth taller with the chopped/trimmed growth probably half or two thirds as high, not quite as strong a show and later in the season. It's a good way of stopping the plants get too floppy and also prolonging the growing season. This will be the same for daisies too.

This year with the wet then warm weather lots of plants are ahead of themselves so a good chop will allow them to put energy into the flowers and not just be too tall/bushy.

 

[biggs682]

Second picking of strawberries, rhubarb and first blackberries in 2025 .

That's more blackberries in the pot than we have had in the last 10 years and there are loads more to come.

So rhubarb, apple and blackberry crumble in the oven.

 

[Red17]

Those blackberries look suspiciously like blackcurrants, but you are a couple of weeks ahead of ours.

I was inspecting our green gague tree this morning and never seen so much fruit on it. Really looking forward to them as they are my absolute favourite fruit

 

[phillc]

Hi been on CC for a number of years, just found you all down here. Will be back to pick your brains. As l’ve just started renting an allotment of our local council.

 

[Chislenko]

First flowers of this year coming on the Canna Lily. Very early this year, we don't usually see flowers until August by which time the plant will be twice as tall as it is now.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I was at my allotment today and saw the broad beans are covered in blackfly. Also saw at least twenty ladybirds munching their way through them. I'll leave them to it. I much prefer natural predators.
The leeks are doing well, the sweetcorn have taken and the climbing beans are sprouting. Thinned out the apples and the blackberries look promising for later.
All is good in the world.

 

[Drago]

My first strawberries are almost ripe. Mini D will be happy.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

First flowers of this year coming on the Canna Lily. Very early this year, we don't usually see flowers until August by which time the plant will be twice as tall as it is now.

View attachment 775878

I have a ginger plant, which looks similar but it needs a long hot summer to really flower and I'm a bit exposed where I live.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

My first strawberries are almost ripe. Mini D will be happy.

I've never had much success with strawberries. by the time you've covered them, to stop the birds, then the slugs get in and demolish them. Any top tips?

There's a farm near me who have just rigged up strawberry beds about five feet high, irrigated etc. Underneath the sheep keep everywhere tidy. Obviously they're doing it as a commercial proposition, but I might steal the idea (apart from the sheep).

 

[annedonnelly]

I've never had much success with strawberries. by the time you've covered them, to stop the birds, then the slugs get in and demolish them. Any top tips?

There's a farm near me who have just rigged up strawberry beds about five feet high, irrigated etc. Underneath the sheep keep everywhere tidy. Obviously they're doing it as a commercial proposition, but I might steal the idea (apart from the sheep).

Mine are in hanging baskets. The current ones are rubbish but the first ones I got - specifically for baskets did OK for a couple of years. When I came to replace them those varieties weren't available. I'm not impressed with the replacements.

The pick-your-own farm is growing them on raised beds too. I bet that makes it more attractive to pickers than crawling along the beds.