Vegetable Growing 2025

Just a few pictures of my stuff coming along, onions are sets but the ones between the beetroot are seed grown Zebrune shallots.
I dont grow much veg these days but I'm quite pleased with how its all growing, no watering at all until last nights down pour.

 

My Aztec broccoli seed sown last Wednesday has germinated.

 

I picked a big bunch of spinach beet for my evening meal. It keeps producing flower heads but I promptly pick and eat them, and it's still putting out lovely new leaves which nothing seems to be attacking.

 

I think I left the mangetout a bit too long, they are tender though. The ordinary peas are just spot on. Should have broad beans by now but the black bean Aphids had other ideas.

 

Definitely Mangetout envy here @Allotment Boy - mine are a real disaster this year. What variety are yours ?

 

I haven't got a photo but I recommend Mr Bethel's Purple Podded Pea. It has cropped really well, and has pretty flowers too! Only snag is that when steamed, they leave purple water stains. Tastes good.

 

@Philippa , They are Franchi seeds,
Pisello Rampicante, Gigantic svizzero.
Which probably explains why they have grown so big, these too have purple flowers. I used to be a bit dismissive of this brand as I thought being grown in Italy They wouldn't suit our conditions. Then one of my fellow plotholders told me that they had attended a talk from one of the company. He said they are a family firm and they still produce their own products, their conditions in the region of Italy where they are based, are very similar to southern England. Their range is perhaps a bit more basic than some other brands but for basic crops especially salads they are very good. You get a much more generous amount of seed in a packet too. I do use seeds from several other companies I mix and match depending upon what I am growing.

 

I have always found Franchi seeds to be good, and as @Allotment Boy says, generous packets! The basil packet lasted me ages!

 

I have grown Franchi seeds in previous years and found the larger quantities of variable use- depends how many you can usefully use ! I have also found certain garden centres are less than reliable as often the Franchi seeds are at or near to their sow -by date. This I think is due to low sales volume and possibly they enjoy no 'sale or return' terms.Buyer beware !
However, they offer good varieties and the seeds ,when fresh, grow reliably.

 

Can anyone advise please? I’ve just read to pinch out the tops of broad beans to prevent a black fly infestation, does that mean more flowers/pods will be produced by the plants after being topped? I’m first time broad bean growing and this year there are a lot of aphids so want to do the right thing. TIA.

 

They wont really make more pods once pinched out, I usually make sure the lower flowers have set decent pods before pinching out.

Not growing any this year, definitely not missing all those black fly.

 

I was wondering today whether my increasing accuracy with a hand pumped water pressure sprayer - jetting blackfly off the broad beans, through the netting and across the bed, might win me a prize at the fair someday...

 

The days of a goldfish in a bag are over.....

 

Thank @pete I have them in a raised bed growing up a frame so I’ll keep getting my ladder out and check the tops!

 

Just been told today by my Dentist that one of his patients is currently growing potatoes in straw rather than soil. Using a hessian sack, straw in the base then the tubers. The method of topping up each time the sprouts/leaves appear is as you would normally do but just with straw. Has anyone heard of or used this method themselves ?