Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi there

Please forgive me for asking lots of questions but I am very new to growing veg (my first year with a plot) and was hoping to pick the brains of you pro's out there

The ground is nearly there hence the reason why we have tried to start things off at home, in the spare room... We will be late starters this year but hope to learn lots in prep for next year. Currently we have pot,runners, onions and garlic growing down the plot.

Dwarf french beans - I have 5 plants, which need planting out - do they need support? They currently have support as they were a little bendy.

Courgettes - My plants all have 2 leaves and starting to get some more coming up in between them - is this the right time to plant these out too?

Broad beans - I have read somewhere about planting these in double rows and making some form of rectangluar box around them with canes and string - I honestly think that they each need their own support for the moment, can I do this or will they get a little stronger once they are in situ?

Sweetcorn - we did have 10 plants but it looks like I have killed 5 off . My mum said something about over watering or not giving them enough room in the pots. Can I still take the other down the plot and sow some seeds directly into the ground?

With all of these - will it be ok to take these down the plot today, leave them overnight to harden off and plant them tomorrow?

Many thanks for reading my post and sorry to bombard you with all the questions.

Thanks again

Giley

Hi Giley, I'll try and remember all the questions!
Dwarf French - I usually don't support them but some people do. It's up to you. If they trail a bit you will get the ends of the beans slug nibbled so if they are looking a bit bendy, I'd go for it.
Courgettes. Personally I'd let them get a bit bigger. Mine are bigger than this and still in their pots. I like them to be really big and tough so the slugs will go for something less chewy and prickly! However, they will do ok if they escape slug damage - it should be warm enough at night now.
Broad beans. Some people support each bean with a cane. I grow too many for that! String around will support the block ok. Again, it's up to you.
Sweetcorn - yes, you can plant in situ at your allotment.

As to hardening off - I would always do it for longer than just one overnighter. A week or so out in the day. At this time of year, leaving them in their pots overnight seems a bit pointless as once they are at that stage you might as well plant them in the plot. Earlier in the season I leave them in their pots out day and night for a week or so because if there's a low temperature forecast I can bring them inside again. This time of year you shouldn't need to do that!

Hope I haven't confused you. Too much information?

__________________
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

Thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate it...

The dwarfs have kinda stopped growing (although probably about 8 inches tall), so I assume that they need to take off in the ground...
The courgettes I will leave for the time being... I don't want to risk them being scoffed by slugs...
The broad beans - I only have 8 plants so I will make a block and see what happens.
Sweetcorn - do I need to soak the the seeds before I plant them?

I haven't grown much sweetcorn (okay this year's 12 are my first lot!), but what I've read and seen they are very easy to overwater - I let them get quite dry between watering (mine are still in rootrainers). As for sowing more in situ, I don't see why not, but that's a guess!

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Thanks Manda - yes, over watering... and there was me thinking they were dry and in need of a drink! oh well, at least I know for next time.

hello, just read your thread and thought i'd see if i could help. are you desperate to get your plants in the ground ie are you not able to plant them out for a while? if that's the case i'd say give the courgettes a day or two outside (not night cuz you can't save them as easily if there was a massive storm or something) then pop them in the ground but get a litre water bottle and cut the top and pop it over, that will keep in snug for a while and when it starts to look a but cramped then remove it. my courgettes are my best thing on my plot and that's what i did.

thanks for the advice... that's great! I think I will leave the courgettes for a while until they are a bit bigger.

I have just been up to the allotment and the runners that we put in last week look very un-happy. Someone up there told me that perhaps they were kept at home too long as they are too spindly and what come to much. We went down the garden centre and they were none left... not sure if it is too late to sow some more!?

I hope this wont be the same for the dwarfs & the broad beans, they are still at home and I was going to put them in tomorrow. They are looking quite tall here.

The other half had to plant more runners as a few had been got at and will probable put a few more in for late crop so go for it,shouldn't worry too much about spindly beans once they get growing they will probable do fine. I always had problems with starting sweetcorn in pots so gave up and start it of straight in the ground seems to work for me but could depemd on the soil we have light sandy loam which warms up quick.

Hi Craft Collector

Thanks for your post.

I think we will put some more runners in and see what happens.

I worry about slugs getting at little ones that I put straight in - perhaps I should try some plastic bottles over them to protect them until they take hold.

Good idea. Slugs will climb inside your cloche - you could drop a pellet in there too - belt & braces. Wildlife won't be able to reach the pellets, and the slugs should die inside the cloche.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Or you could just use the cloche and not resort to pellets that might be taken by other things. Organic approach!

Perhaps put a 'slug pub' in nearby - put a stick in it as well, if its a cut off lemo bottle type, so any ground beetles that fall in have a chance of getting out.

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."