What are you planning to grow 2016.

[CynicalSurvival]

Thanks Featherstick - perhaps I should think again... Stick to local produce like barley & potatoes.

[Decaff]

We had a frost again last night so I still haven't been able to plant out my triffid sized pumpkins, courgettes or cauliflowers. The indoor garlic is doing great though, three healthy shoots now!

Starting off the butternut squash this week, I had to delay as I ran out of window space!

Mr D out getting wood for the next raised bed.

[featherstick]

Cold down here too - had a light frost on Sunday morning.

I sowed leek seeds yesterday - seed saved from 2014's crop and harvested in 2015. I'll be thrilled if it works. Also sowed some of my saved squash seed, and a few more beans. Started work on the weed patch at the front of the allotment too, I want it to look pretty.

[munchh]

What i thought was a head of brocholli is now starting to flower, but 2 of the other plants now have heads, so im assuming they can do either?

[featherstick]

A head of brocolli is the flower head. Leave it for long enough and it will produce little yellow flowers and eventually seeds.

[jansman]

I WILL succeed with aubergines this year! I have a dozen plants that are doing really well in the tunnel. If they fruit, perhaps they will be a good subject for dehydrating Decaff?

[munchh]

quote="featherstick"]A head of brocolli is the flower head. Leave it for long enough and it will produce little yellow flowers and eventually seeds.[/quote]
Ive not seen one do this though and there was never enough to have thought about eating it?

[featherstick]

You can still eat it - flowers can go in the salad, or finely chopped in the stir fry. Enjoy.

[Decaff]

I WILL succeed with aubergines this year! I have a dozen plants that are doing really well in the tunnel. If they fruit, perhaps they will be a good subject for dehydrating Decaff?

Uck, sorry Jansman, aubergines are one of the very few vegetables that I really, really, really can't stand, the texture gets me every time I try I would certainly give it a go on the dehydrator though, you have nothing to lose! It may be prudent to purchase just one before you grow hundreds though, just in case they don't dehydrate/re-hydrate very well? Just my thoughts.

[featherstick]

Still very cold here and we even had hail yesterday. Nevertheless the spuds are peeping through, as are the beans and peas. The strawbs are holding on and I have been given another couple of dozen runners to plant out. My squash, with which we are sharing our bedroom (warmest place in the house) are just coming out. The transplanted autumn raspberries are going wild already and indeed I am hoeing down little runners to keep them in line. The rest of the allotment is ready for planting and I'm finally getting to have a go at the bit at the front which was a nasty weedy patch but with some nice dandelions and hellebores. This will be worked over and planted up with various overspill from the garden such as Echinacea, poppies and eryngium.

All this in tandem with lots of house project, including starting to set up the workshop at the bottom of the garden, and cleaning out the conservatory which is where all the tools, various paints etc. have been stored for the last 4 years.

It's been busy, time to throttle back and spend more time with the kids.