成人快手

Tomatoes 0, Squashes 2

Post categories: squash,听tomato

Ann Kelly | 12:40 UK time, Wednesday, 5 August 2009

Thanks for all the comments, especially about carrot fly and havesting carrots - keep them coming. Now, to start with, here's a message to everybody with a fine crop of green tomatoes - if you haven't done it already, PINCH OUT THE GROWING TIPS to stop your plant getting any bigger. Otherwise you're likely to get the makings of a lot of ,听

but not many ripe, red fruits. If you've been pinching out sideshoots, there'll just be one growing tip - if you haven't, there'll be loads, but they all need to go. Snip the last little bit off with your fingernails, a pair of scissors or secateurs - take a look at the pic for help.

It may seem cruel, but you've got to force your plant to put its effort into ripening up the tomatoes its got rather than growing more and more that won't make it before the end of the summer.

My hopes for my own tomatoes are fading - unlike lucky old Chris

, I can't see any signs of ripening, and the blight is spreading fast. Thanks to everyone who commiserated with me in comments and emails, by the way.

But I am beating Chris in one department - I've got two teeny squashes growing! Look - aren't they nice? I shall treat them to a nice rotted comfrey tea feed today, to plump them up. I'm especially pleased with this because I've got a confession to make - I wasn't even sure I had a squash.

Ann's first squashes! All my cucumbers and courgettes and squash plants got mixed together, and until they fruit there's no telling them apart, so I didn't know what I had. I did know that quite a few hadn't made it, between the slugs and the hot weather, so I've been crossing my fingers that this one wasn't going to suddenly sprout a gherkin.

Tomatoes aside, my other top tip at the moment is: go shopping. You know those people who buy all their Christmas stuff in the January sales? Well, this time of year is the seed equivalent.

Garden centres everywhere will be selling off their left over seeds cheap to make room for the next lot. Apart from saving or swapping your own seeds, about which more soon, it's one of the best ways to get a bargain - and it's a great chance to take a punt on a few unusual things too. I'm trying a Brussel Sprout called "Revenge" - just hoping that revenge isn't the 听

associated with sprouts!

听

Bookmark with:
|
|
|
|
- What's this?

Comments

About this blog

The Dig In campaign has finished now. Thanks to everyone who took part in the campaign throughout 2009 and 2010. We hope you enjoyed growing the Dig In seeds, especially those of you who are new to growing vegetables. This site is no longer being updated, but it is still packed full of useful information about growing veg.

Subscribe to Dig In Blog

You can stay up to date with Dig In Blog via these feeds.

Dig In Blog Feed(RSS)

Dig In Blog Feed(ATOM)

If you aren't sure what RSS is you'll find useful.

Expert authors

Our video expert is Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins. He's a qualified horticulturalist and award-winning gardener, who's presented shows on everything from allotments to Chelsea - . He loves sharing his experience with growers old and new!

Gareth Austin is resident gardening expert with 成人快手 Radio Foyle and lectures in horticulture in Northern Ireland. Gareth has made it a prority to encourage gardeners throughout Northern Ireland to 'reclaim the space' and start growing vegetables in any area they can find.

Maria del Carmen Casarrubios is a tutor and practical instructor at , Regent's Park. She trained at Capel Manor and Writtle College in Amenity Horticulture and has 20 years' experience of working with plants. Sally Smith

Sally Smith is a freelance gardening researcher and lecturer. She headed the advisory team at Garden Organic for many years. Pest and disease control by organic means is her speciality, Sally says: "Managing your soil is key to solving nearly all gardening problems, look after your compost heap, it's your most important asset." Sally Smith

Brendan Little trained at and . Brendan runs organic gardening courses, works as a garden designer and is in the 成人快手 Radio Ulster Gardeners' Corner team." Sally Smith

Karen Kenny is the Eastern Region Rep for the National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners as well as on the management team of Suffolk and Ipswich allotments where she runs a site. Karen is also an accomplished lecturer on most gardening subjects, including allotments.

Peter Horrocks has an allotment in Newcastle. He's the regional rep for the in the North of England & Scotland, the secretary of the Newcastle Allotments Working Group. Plus, Peter is secretary of a ten-acre allotments site in Newcastle, considered by many to be one of the best in the city.

Ben Raskin is an advisor with the , as well as helping to run 22 acres of organic vegetables. With over 16 years of horticultural experience, including running market gardens and working at the Welsh College of Horticulture, he's an expert on organic matters.

Beechgrove Potting Shed is Radio Scotland's top gardening show, giving tips and advice to Scottish gardeners - and the odd Dig In grower - every Sunday.

Zoe tends the Dig In website. When she's not in the office you'll find her gardening on Hampstead Heath and in Regents Park.

Ann "Dig In" Kelly looked after the blog from day to day until May 2010. Bitten by the gardening bug a few years ago, she has progressed from a few growbags to a great big polytunnel. She hates slugs.