Gardening in Charlbury May 2011

Thu 2 Jun 2011, 08:44

Thanks Katie, unfortunately I don't have a car so trecking to Finstock with 10 month old baby boy, spade, fork etc might be a bit much - also hard when I really do back right on to the Enstone Road Allotments - any owners of these allotments who fancys having a visitor to come find out things about vegetables do let me know! I'm already friends with Don and Jim who are right outside my back gate. :~)

Wed 1 Jun 2011, 18:47

Re: Liz's Beans - could be thrips, but the important point is that pests tend to attack plants that are not thriving in the first place. If you raise plants indoors it helps to "harden them off" before planting out. This involves putting them outside in the day time and bringing them back in under cover at night. Do this for a few days. This also applies to garden-centre plants.
I've found that you get stronger plants by sowing later directly into the soil. This works particularly well for allotment crops.

Wed 1 Jun 2011, 12:10

Had planned to start a new thread for June - but there is still an issue pending so I'll hang on:

What's eating the French bean leaves?

Tue 31 May 2011, 12:22

Jody, I don't know if this is of any interest to you, but there are allotments available in Finstock at the moment according to the most recent Finstock news?

Tue 31 May 2011, 10:21

Thanks John, I was following the trend on the Enstone Rd Allotments, which I overlook. I'll try a second sowing, though the runners are climbing well now and a few of the French beans have perked up after some feed. Hopefully the warm weather that is supposedly on the way this week will help after the rain (blessed rain). :)

Sat 28 May 2011, 23:15

Can anyone help with my French beans - something is eating my beans planted at the allotments on Enstone Road - little holes in all the leaves, even the smallest newest ones. Nothing on the underside so it is some bean spider mite?

Fri 27 May 2011, 20:46

Jody, I think you set out your runners and climbing French beans too early. The beginning of June is the safe time. Beans in general don't need rich soil because they fix their own nitrogen and leave the soil richer than they found it. I would try a second sowing of French beans directly in the soil next to the original plants. The original ones may yet pick up again but there's not much you can do to make that happen. Did you know that by digging up your front lawn and growing food you are part of a world-wide trend called Edible Estates?

Fri 27 May 2011, 19:40

We've found over the last 25 years of growing beans in Charlbury that we either have a good crop of runners, or French, but rarely both. I suspect the French aren't enjoying the cold windy weather at the moment, but the runners don't mind so much. In hotter years, runners seem to set poorly, and the French flourish. no doubt greener fingers than ours kmow how to get the best out of both. Any tips?

Fri 27 May 2011, 13:38

Ooo, as a novice gardener (though following in my experienced gardener father's footsteps) and a newbie to Charlbury I'm very grateful for this thread. And as a starter question....

I have my climbing french and runner beans planted in my front garden on Nine Acres Close (loooong waiting list for an allotment so I thought I'd put my lawn to something more interesting) and although the runners are doing fairly well despite the exposure and wind (they're climbing their pyramid anyway) my French beans have apparantly stopped growing and are getting gradually paler. I grew them from seed and got good strong seedlings planted out, oh c. 3 weeks ago. Do the assembled experts thing they're lacking food (not great soil yet as it's the first year converted from turf though I have enriched with compost), if so what should I use?

Fri 20 May 2011, 17:10

The problem I have had with letting carrots etc find their own water, is that they will put down several roots, ok if you want weird looking veg, I have always given them a good soaking.

Fri 20 May 2011, 13:43

Geoff H: you could water half of them and let the other half fend for themselves? When it's harvest time, please report back which turned out the best!

Fri 20 May 2011, 12:48

I've read conflicting advice about watering my carrots, parsnips and Beetroot during this dry weather. Should I water regularly or let them fend for themselves and grow downwards to search out water?

Wed 18 May 2011, 18:07

Good advice about taking care not to plant out too soon. The problem is that everything is so advanced! We have planted some things out but with as much protection as we have available, eg. fleece. I think that 5th June is the very latest I have known a frost in Charlbury in 37 years, but, as Geoff Holmberg says, position is everything.

Wed 18 May 2011, 08:30

This month I will be mainly reading Anne Wareham's "The Bad Tempered Gardener" - the book which is apparently shaking the gardening establishment to its roots.

Tue 17 May 2011, 20:33

Give shrubs and trees at least 12 months before you pronounce them dead, they can surprise you with regrowth.

Tue 17 May 2011, 12:36

I noticed that all the new growth on my yew tree is shrivelled-looking - I think from that same early May frost - and I'm still waiting for signs of recovery in my evergreen shrubs that got blasted in the winter. THere are a few new shoots right down at the base of my 6' bay tree, but the rest of it looks completely dead. I'm planning to wait 'til the end of June before I cut it down, just in case anything sprouts further up, and the same for my camellias, hebes and skimmias which I'm pretty sure are dead but may yet surprise me!

Tue 17 May 2011, 12:13

The main problem of course this month is drought. We are all desperate for rain and often with clear skies come overnight frosts. I live in one of the coldest parts of Charlbury (bottom of Pound Hill) and there was a deep frost at the beginning of May which didn?t harm my early potatoes but did some damage to tender shoots of shrubs. I wouldn?t have predicted the shrubs that were damaged so couldn?t have done much about it.
Otherwise potatoes are good, other roots fine, broad beans flowering but peas have been a disaster because of the drought I guess ? poor germination. But the drought seems to have deterred the slugs although I think eventually they get desperate and start eating things underground.

It?s the Society?s major Plant sale this Saturday but I?d still be a little careful about putting out anything that?s not hardy ? bedding plants and pelargoniums (geraniums). I had a frost down here on 3 June one year!

Tue 17 May 2011, 12:13

Calling all gardeners, experienced and novices. The Charlbury and District garden Society is starting a ?sub-forum? relating to gardening issues particularly in relation to vegetable growing. We hope to share experiences, suggestions of what should be done this week, (and what shouldn?t), problems of growing in Charlbury, what grows best and what doesn?t seem to and we would like to encourage everyone (members and non-members) to contribute at whatever level of expertise they wish and to ask questions of other Charlbury residents. The Committee will look at the forum regularly and we aim to keep a thread going for each month and I will start a new thread on the 1st of each month.