Dwarf Beand, Tendergreen

I thought i had put this pic up but i missed it somehow...

These beans have done really well this summer, they love the hot weather and can manage drier conditions that the climbing beans. You got get as many beans on the dwarfs as they are shorter but they are well worth having a few. I didn't plant a second crop this year cos i couldn't be arsed if the truth be known lol. I have had to do everything on my own this year and what with my car crash in July everything else had to take a back seat but nothing died!!

Better late than never.


They are not producing many now but the climbers are taking over so its working out ok.

Bit of a catch up.

Today 21st August. Right, the weather has been pants for a few weeks now. Not too cold but no sun. Everything seems to have slowed down, nothing happening. This time last year and the years before were very different.
My runner beans were the most noticeably affected veg i think for me. They didnt start well because the weather was so hot, then most of the flowers didnt set cos it was so hot. I think it was too hot for them. But, there is a silver lining as now the weather is much cooler and wetter they are coming to life....better late than never!

I have got very muddled though. You may remember earlier that when i germinated the runner and dwarf beans i used big pots for the runner and the smaller for the dwarfs. Easy i thought, and i labeled the varieties. A while back i thought my dwarfs were runners as they were getting very tall. They were the right ones in the end but i am not sure what variety they are as i have a few packets open. I think Tendergreen though. Where the Scarlet Emporer runners are i also have a couple of the dwarf ones that are there for some reason. :o And another variety of climbing bean that have white flowers. My labling didnt work nor does my brain sometimes ha ha. The only clue i have is a full unopened packet of Blue Lake. I know they are not White Lady. They look like my dwarf beans, not flat and ugly looking like the Scarlet. I havnt eaten any yet, the proof will be in the pudding so to speak lol

Bit of a catch up.

Feel like a goosberry?

I am a bit confused.....I have a red and yellow gooseberry bushes. I waited for them to go red but they didnt. They are much bigger than the yellow ones and sweeter. They have all been going into my smoothies and taste lovely. The wasps have now found them so i can only pick them in the evening now.


I have had about 6 pots so far and there is still loads left.

Plum Toms (Roma), Peppers various.

I havnt grown these before so i was surprised to see that they grew a different shape. I think they look cute lol


None of my toms have gone red yet even though we have had shed loads of sun this year. I started them late but i dont think this is the reason.

I have a few different varieties growing and they are on target. They always take the longest to ripen out of anything i grow. From what i remember last year whey were still not ready when i came back off holiday in October. Shame they are not ready in the summer as they are great on the barbie.I have about 10 plants so its roasted peppers at mine!

Melons.

These are better than last year as they are so much bigger. This pic was taken over a week ago. They are Emir F1. They have got some powdery mildew but its not affecting the growth.


My melons have now got so big they need a bra!


They are looking more like melons now.

I am adding a picture taken on 18th August. I dont think they will grow anymore as the whole plats are covered in powdery mildew. If you touch the leaves the powder falls off. I think you can see from the pics that they are no bigger now.


I have cut most of the leaves off but i am unsure what to do with the melons. If i leave them on the plant will they ripen more? They feel very hard. I have got this far i cant ruin my melons now. Something will go wrong, i just know it will. :)

This is one of the plants on the 18th Aug.

Shallots and red and white onions.

This is the first year i grew these and am stunned! Initially i thought there was something wrong when they started to split into bunches. I thought they grew like onions but nooooo, each one split into up to 10 shallots. They are also bigger than shop ones. I will definitely grow these again next spring.

I have taken a pic using a 50p for scale but they are now bigger since this pic was taken.



I am more than happy with the red onions. They are still growing well and not much sign of them stopping yet. I will definately use the method of keeping the stems off the ground as it allows more sun to get to the bulbs. I think i have about 30 growing.


Here are my white onions, another success. Again i kept the stems off the ground and it seems to be the answer.

Garlic Harvest.

I harvested my garlic a few days ago and was surprised at the size of them! They made me laugh though as the looked like testicles hanging down lol.......You had to be there. :)

They are currently drying out so i am very happy with them.

Carrots

I have just pulled my second lot of carrots from the trough they grew in. Nearly every carrot was dead straight. No sign of carrot fly so i guess i am one step ahead again, being female helps with the cleverness :0

This lot in the pic is about half of the trough. I have two more troughs on the go so i will have carrots galore. I froze the last lot as there are only so many things you can do with carrots.


I used the 50p so you can see the size. I always use Early Nantes as these grow so well.

Cucumber heaven

Well as i expected i now how cucs coming out of my ears and if i get anymore they will be coming out of every orifice lol


The bent one looks interesting!
My plants are about 5ft tall and each one still has about 10 growing on each plant!
My neighbour is going to make cuc wine but she is away so i dont know what to do with them. Suggestions could be helpfull. :o
I have some melons growing in the greenhouse and they have got some powdery mildew. This has spread to the cucs but only a tiny bit. Last year i grew Telegraph cucs and they were covered in it from very early. The Marketmore, which i have grown are much more resistant to it.

I think i will grow less than 6 plants next year.