Edible Gardening

Wavy, wavy, waves.This is me visualising your handful of strawberries, except, they're on a plate. From this I can deduce that you have very big hands.The strawberries can not yet be compared to a summer's day but they were delicious, nonetheless.

Hi Chris, I've had that happen a few times, especially early in the season. I cut them off the plant, and use the "fat" end straight away (texture and taste is fine). Once the plant is in full cropping mode, it tends not to happen again. I think it's to do with borderline growing conditions?

I often eat them on holidays, delicious floating in a pool of garlic butter.

Thanks Nigel, that's very helpful. The last thing I wanted to do was kill bees. I sprayed well before flowering infact it is a long way off flowering yet so hopefully the bees won't be badly affected. I'm going to throw this insecticide away.

Never heard of that one alex, shame about the taste.

I'm growing some too for the first time, no idea what they taste like but the pigeons like them so that's positive. I've had to net them. They were free from van Meuwen when their web site threw a wobbly last year

Ok thank you palustris.

I was going by picture two. I would not expect a nectarine to have such a long stalk.Not sure which pics are yours and which are off the internet in your last post?

Oh yes, see it now, it looks bad. A real pity, not sure I'd be putting more toms in the greenhouse this year, bearing that in mind. As they say, there is always next year.

If you can keep the slugs away from it that Iris will do very well for you!

Cant think any kind of special feeding is going to do much. Just let nature take its course.

Thank you to both i will do that job this afternoon a shame but as you say it will help in the long run

Yes Broccoli will come again but Caulis are a one off and should be pulled up.

I store maincrop ones from last year, for baking, in the garage, but they still sprout at this time of the year. I have read that stored below a certain temperature makes them have a slightly sweet taste, due to some of the starch turning to sugar. Think the best bet is to not buy more than you...

All good advice from John Snowbaby and you can tell when they are ready to harvest either by the foliage going a yellow colour and wilting as it dies off,or you could have a gentle rummage amongst the soil to see if there are any tubers ready,but this is going to be quiet a few weeks away yet if...

Hi Noisette Yes it could be the sawfly. Agreed the weather has been so dodgy it is difficult to calculate (if you can at all) when the moths might be doing their worst, I put it out to get a head start. I have a second pheremone capsule and will wait till the weather turns summery before...

I've noticed that often the lower leaves do go yellow especially if overshadowed by the ones above.I've been looking for blight on my toms, I must admit, if it doesn't stop raining soon it could be a total disaster year.

Thanks. Really helpful.

I've put them in a sunnier spot, but there's nothing I can do about the weather lol

What can I still sow? Live in Newcastle upon Tyne. I have plastic grow homes, not glass greenhouses. I do have a south facing back garden should the sun ever come out again.