Vegetable Growing 2025

This is a surprise - it's the first flower on any of my courgettes this year, and it's not even properly open, and yet there's a fruit forming .
I'd usually expect two or three weeks of male flowers only ...

 

You wont get a fruit without some male flowers.

 

Yes I know - presumably if the flower isn't fertilised it will just fall off and the fruit won't develop any further. Those lazy males had better get a move on.

 

Wouldn't be too sure, with the quality of tap water being as it is.......
tic

 

@Philippa I've not heard of this before. I have grown cucumbers on a bale of straw before. I imagine that you would need to liquid feed, though as the straw rots it will provide some feed. The tubers will be very clean as no soil involved.

 

I've heard of growing in bales, but I don't think you break the bales down, if you are adding more straw to the bag I would assume you could end up with lots of air spaces.
I also thought the idea was that the bales heated up as the straw decomposes and you soaked the bales for about a week or more before using.

 

Oh….
I have always taken the male flowers off as soon as I see them, way before they open as flowers and have always had fruits? So confused. I picked these this morning, always pick small as it’s just the two of us and eat them as a starter. I have four different types growing, a total of six plants. Should I leave them on from now on then? TIA.

 

Broad bean question… thinking I should leave these until they are twice this size (I have small size 7 hands) looking to eat them raw in a salad. Does that sound about right please? TIA.

 

@Tinkerbelle61, I pick mine when they are about that size as there is only me to eat them. Do you have a recipe for serving them as a starter?

 

Not a recipe as such, I slice them into rounds, about half an inch thick, tiny drizzle of cold pressed rapeseed oil or olive oil, salt and pepper, a good shake then air fry 180 for 10/12 mins, shake the basket a couple of times and check they are not burning!! I don’t bother with making sure they are coloured on both sides, just a shake to move them about a bit. Can be cooked longer or shorter, just see how you like them. Could add a tiny sprinkle of dried chilli flakes but you may lose the courgette flavour. If no air fryer, I’m sure it’s probably similar in an oven. Hope this helps xx

 

@JWK @Allotment Boy @pete Potatoes in straw. Thanks all. The way it was described didn't have me convinced but there is only so much you can discuss gardening with your dentist I too would have thought feed would have to be introduced at some point and if it is similar to hydroponics, I would imagine the end result would be pretty well tasteless. I don't think I'll be trying it. Not enough space to waste on experiments.
@Tinkerbelle61 I've been growing the Gold courgette on and off for the last 20 + years. Most of the time they produce well and I don't recall ever removing the male flowers. Last year, they were pretty poor but this year I have picked a dozen or so from 3 plants and plenty more to come. Hope yours do well

 

Thanks @Tinkerbelle61.

 

More disaster with my cucumbers, snails have eaten their way through the stems of three of them they could at least nibble the leaves instead. Ill have to sow more but its so late already...