Vegetable Growing 2025

Just looked and I've got some golf ball sizes beetroot ready, early for me.

I'll probably give them away and make room for the others to grow.

 

In various thread/conversations on here I’ve seen a lot of talk about the poor quality compost that’s available nowadays.
Does anyone have advice on how to improve it at home? (Without having your own compost heap that is) x

 

I had a couple of diabolical stuff at the start of the season, Id say it contained a germination inhibitor or something similar, there was no way it could be improved, everything I planted in it died, it was Westland stuff that they say contains BIO3, dont touch it with a barge pole.

My usual way is to mix one bag of non peat with a bag of JI no3.
I do it with all peat based, if you can get it, aswell.

There is a compost thread regarding the stuff they sell us.
Best supplier of compost 2025

 

I’ve just bought 3 bags of Westland. What’s your bets it contains that stuff?!

 

Well it may be OK, I think I just got hold of a bad batch as I had used it before without too much of a problem, it very variable these days and who knows what it contains.

 

I couldn't find a soft fruit thread. So I'm posting my raspberries here
Already eaten and given away lots, frozen 2 kg to make jam later. And this haul this morning.

 

Jealous! What variety, do you know?
Co-op sells raspberries at 12£ /kg, i bet youve made well more than your money back there!

 

Afraid I don't know @Adam I . I was given a couple of roots by my father in law about 20 years ago, stuck them in a border and forgot about them. Then a chap I had helping me with gardening said "do you know you've got raspberries?". After that, I let them spread and had loads of fruit every year. I only brought a couple of roots to this house, but they've spread quite well! I could send you some in the autumn if you want! They're tasty and make a wonderful jam.

 

Here's another example of where I need an "envious" option in the responses!

 

Spotted the first flowers on the Borlotti beans this morning, they are a pretty pale pink. There are flower buds on the Outdoor Girl tomatoes, and my first two courgettes are developing nicely and will be picked within the next few days.

 

My neighbour has let her Raspberries grow wild, they are coming up everywhere in my garden

 

I wouldnt know where to put them! Id have to make a geurilla raspberry patch somewhere which I have no doubt would annoy the council greatly Thanks so much for the offer though!

 

Picked my first couple of Mini Munch cucumbers yesterday . The first tiny courgettes are appearing (favourite thing is seeing the tiny yellow ones), although one plant was completely ripped out, by I'm guessing a fox, the day after planting so I'm really glad I had a spare one which so far has been untouched! The runner bean plants in the pot have started flowering. All the other beans that I planted straight in the earth have been gobbled by slugs - pre sown, direct sown, they've eaten the lot! I've started again (again!) in root trainers.