Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi,

After a weeks long holiday I was dying to get back to the allotment, unfortunately, my tomatoes where also dying as my brother (who was put in charge for the week) didn't notice they were on a low shelf in the greenhouse. Never mind, they are growing again now.

I spent bank holiday monday planting out my sweetcorn. I decided this year to use some ground cover to stop weeds so I don't disturb the corn roots, so it took longer to cut holes in the fabric then it did to plant out the corn!

So, here's a pic of my sweetcorn at the moment...

Clareg

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They look great claireg - they're a bit further on than mine. No fabric under mine though, the hoe will have its work cut out! Yesterday I soaked some dwarf french bean seeds and this morning I sowed one near each corn plant in the hope of having, if not 3 sisters, maybe 2 sisters and a little cousin! The other sisters (the squashes) are behind the corn so I can trail them round when they grow a bit.
Your plot looks remarkably weed free. Well done that gardener! It doesn't look like you've been away for a week!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated October 12th

Hi Flummery,

What you can't see behind the camera is all the weeds, never know what to do with them, so they are in a big pile near the shed covered with carpet!

I wanted to try the 3 sisters but wanted to avoid weeding too, and I didn't think squashes would grow well with fabric as they would have no place to put down roots as the stems grow. In front of the sweetcorn (where the straw is) I have planted a Big Max pumpkin, a courgette, a marrow and another squash that another allotmenteer gave me. I'm not sure what will grow (maybe I'll invent a new marrowsquash thing if the bees mix the pollen!!).

Clareg

Clare that looks brilliant! Very organised, nice neat and tidy! I finished planting my sweetcorn out last weekend, but they arent as big are yours. I've planted courgettes/squash in the squares inbetween my sweetcorn, just hoping they all grow! Was going to try the three sisters thing, but the peas were bigger than my sweetcorn - maybe next time! Bernie

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Just brilliant ClareG. My corn is nowhere as far on as that. When did you plant them.
I was intrigued with your comment that the squash would have nowhere to root in as it grew if you used membrane. My squash just sprawls across gravel and doesn't root in anywhere or produce any roots they could do it with. What variety of squash are you growing.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Hi,

Thanks for your comments everyone.

My sweetcorn went in a propagator at the end of March. I bought a really great propagator (bought 6 actually) from B&Q but you can get from other places too. Its called a self-watering propagator made by Parasene. I recommend these for starting off all veggies. Only £3.98 each and will last a few years.

I have Big Max pumpkins growing this year, I read in a gardening book somewhere that pumpkin tendrils/shoots/stems grow little roots to anchor themselves to the ground and take up nutrients. I assumed they would need soil for that but I could be wrong. When I grew pumpkins last year they did have roots along each tendril, so it could just be pumpkins.

Went to the allotment tonight and came back with the first batch of new potatoes (Arran Pilots), strawberries, radish and "cut and come again" lettuce! Everyone else on the allotments just seems to be getting started, my allotment must get all the good weather!!!

Clareg

Looks fantastic Clareg!