GQT
 

I was just listening to it this afternoon. One question was from a woman
who lived in her motor home and wanted ideas for plants she could grow in
it.
I have mentioned here that we are away for a lot of the year with hubby's
work. I got fed up with renting houses so we bought a big caravan and live
it that when we are away. The past couple of years, I grew some tomatoes
in posts which travelled with us and they did very well. Not many of course
but a treat to have fresh. This year I planted my courgette seeds in pots.
If you have read my post on 'Sorry courgettes' you will know they failed.
Do you think that is because they were in pots; because they were moved; or
for weather reasons most others seem to have. When we came back last month
I transferred the plants into a big container in the garden. They just sat
there and sulked until they died off.

Any thoughts would be very welcome.
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I don't think it's the pots. I grow mine in pots, so I can keep them in the greenhouse which is free of slugs. This year mine were slow in producing fruits, and a couple died off, though on the plus side they haven't yet succumbed to mildew which they tend to do towards the end of the season. Previous years I haven't had any problems with cropping. So i think the bad cropping is to do with the weather - lack of sun, lack of light, lack of heat. Probably not lack of pollinators because I hand pollinate to be on the safe side.

GQT
 

"kay" wrote in message
...

'Ophelia[_4_ Wrote:
;969410']I was just listening to it this afternoon. One question was
from a woman
who lived in her motor home and wanted ideas for plants she could grow
in
it.
I have mentioned here that we are away for a lot of the year with
hubby's
work. I got fed up with renting houses so we bought a big caravan and
live
it that when we are away. The past couple of years, I grew some
tomatoes
in posts which travelled with us and they did very well. Not many of
course
but a treat to have fresh. This year I planted my courgette seeds in
pots.
If you have read my post on 'Sorry courgettes' you will know they
failed.
Do you think that is because they were in pots; because they were moved;
or
for weather reasons most others seem to have. When we came back last
month
I transferred the plants into a big container in the garden. They just
sat
there and sulked until they died off.



I don't think it's the pots. I grow mine in pots, so I can keep them in
the greenhouse which is free of slugs. This year mine were slow in
producing fruits, and a couple died off, though on the plus side they
haven't yet succumbed to mildew which they tend to do towards the end of
the season. Previous years I haven't had any problems with cropping. So
i think the bad cropping is to do with the weather - lack of sun, lack
of light, lack of heat. Probably not lack of pollinators because I hand
pollinate to be on the safe side.

Thanks, Kat. Mildew might have been a problem, but I wouldn't know how to
recognise it if it bit me on the bum:)

They started to grow and then suddenly they stopped and all the fruits
withered:(

--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

GQT
 

"Ophelia" wrote in message
...


"kay" wrote in message
...

'Ophelia[_4_ Wrote:
;969410']I was just listening to it this afternoon. One question was
from a woman
who lived in her motor home and wanted ideas for plants she could grow
in
it.
I have mentioned here that we are away for a lot of the year with
hubby's
work. I got fed up with renting houses so we bought a big caravan and
live
it that when we are away. The past couple of years, I grew some
tomatoes
in posts which travelled with us and they did very well. Not many of
course
but a treat to have fresh. This year I planted my courgette seeds in
pots.
If you have read my post on 'Sorry courgettes' you will know they
failed.
Do you think that is because they were in pots; because they were moved;
or
for weather reasons most others seem to have. When we came back last
month
I transferred the plants into a big container in the garden. They just
sat
there and sulked until they died off.



I don't think it's the pots. I grow mine in pots, so I can keep them in
the greenhouse which is free of slugs. This year mine were slow in
producing fruits, and a couple died off, though on the plus side they
haven't yet succumbed to mildew which they tend to do towards the end of
the season. Previous years I haven't had any problems with cropping. So
i think the bad cropping is to do with the weather - lack of sun, lack
of light, lack of heat. Probably not lack of pollinators because I hand
pollinate to be on the safe side.

Thanks, Kat. Mildew might have been a problem, but I wouldn't know how to
recognise it if it bit me on the bum:)

They started to grow and then suddenly they stopped and all the fruits
withered:(

Apologies, Kay,I called you kat. It was a typo:(
--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

GQT
 

In article ,
kay wrote:

I don't think it's the pots. I grow mine in pots, so I can keep them in
the greenhouse which is free of slugs. ...

I always start cucurbits off in pots and, if I start early and summer
is late. they can end up being quite big (and in biggish pots),
I start my Phaseolus beans in paper pots, too.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

GQT
 

kay wrote:
I don't think it's the pots. I grow mine in pots, so I can keep them in
the greenhouse which is free of slugs. This year mine were slow in
producing fruits, and a couple died off, though on the plus side they
haven't yet succumbed to mildew which they tend to do towards the end of
the season. Previous years I haven't had any problems with cropping. So
i think the bad cropping is to do with the weather - lack of sun, lack
of light, lack of heat. Probably not lack of pollinators because I hand
pollinate to be on the safe side.

I may try and grow more of mine in pots next year, as I can then put
copper tape around the edge, which may help if I have another year like
this one.

Courgette leaves start green, then they develop into silvery marks which form a lovely pattern. Late in the season, you may start to realise that some of the silvery patterns don't look quite as pretty as they used to, and close up you see small round patches of whitish powder on the surface - this is the start of mildew. It's usually a late season thing, when the courgettes are coming to the end of their useful lives anyway.

That happened to one of mine this year - the stem had rotted through at one point, and therefore everything died off. It would also happen if a snail had eaten through the stem, which is a strong possibility this year!

If I were growing mine outdoors, I would probably grow them in the ground because they are big plants. But on the other hand, since they're in the greenhouse they're only in 12 inch pots and that undoubtedly restricts their growth a bit - outdoors I could put them in something much larger.

They'll need feeding in a pot - I use tomato fertiliser. For soil, I start the plants in seed compost, then transplant them into my own garden compost, which is humus rich and water retentive, though varying in nutrient content.

I grow those in tubs too, in the greenhouse away from the slugs. I can't grow as many as I'd like (need a bigger greenhouse), but they crop well, and look very pretty climbing along the length of the greenhouse on the bubble wrap support, along with the runner beans.

I suspect everyone it scratching their heads and saying "who is this loonie?" but I don't have any ground level sun in the garden except for a small terrace outside the house, so while I do well with all sorts of hard and soft fruit, I can't do veg in the main part of the garden. And of course the shady damp conditions are slug heaven, especially after 6 super-wet "summers" in a row.

GQT
 

wrote in message ...
In article ,
kay wrote:

I don't think it's the pots. I grow mine in pots, so I can keep them in
the greenhouse which is free of slugs. ...

I always start cucurbits off in pots and, if I start early and summer
is late. they can end up being quite big (and in biggish pots),
I start my Phaseolus beans in paper pots, too.

So, it was nothing to do with transplanting into bigger pots then? Hmm I
know I was late sowing ... I might try again next year. When is the best
time to sow the seeds?
--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

GQT
 

Ophelia wrote:
I always start cucurbits off in pots and, if I start early and summer
is late. they can end up being quite big (and in biggish pots),
I start my Phaseolus beans in paper pots, too.
So, it was nothing to do with transplanting into bigger pots then? Hmm I
know I was late sowing ... I might try again next year. When is the best
time to sow the seeds?

I normally sow mine starting end of March, indoors, then some more in
April. And probably some more in May. And if any failed, then maybe
a couple more in June.

GQT
 

wrote in message
...
Ophelia wrote:
I always start cucurbits off in pots and, if I start early and summer
is late. they can end up being quite big (and in biggish pots),
I start my Phaseolus beans in paper pots, too.
So, it was nothing to do with transplanting into bigger pots then? Hmm I
know I was late sowing ... I might try again next year. When is the best
time to sow the seeds?

I normally sow mine starting end of March, indoors, then some more in
April. And probably some more in May. And if any failed, then maybe
a couple more in June.

Thanks very much, Vicky. I'll put that on my calendar:) I am hoping to be
at home much more next year so will probably have better luck, weather
permitting. We are meant to be going away today but most of the roads we
need to use are blocked.

--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

GQT
 

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 09:58:03 +0100, "Ophelia"
wrote:



wrote in message
...
Ophelia wrote:
I always start cucurbits off in pots and, if I start early and summer
is late. they can end up being quite big (and in biggish pots),
I start my Phaseolus beans in paper pots, too.
So, it was nothing to do with transplanting into bigger pots then? Hmm
I
know I was late sowing ... I might try again next year. When is the
best
time to sow the seeds?

I normally sow mine starting end of March, indoors, then some more in
April. And probably some more in May. And if any failed, then maybe
a couple more in June.

Thanks very much, Vicky. I'll put that on my calendar:) I am hoping to
be
at home much more next year so will probably have better luck, weather
permitting. We are meant to be going away today but most of the roads we
need to use are blocked.

We had just about the worst North Sea crossing we have ever had on
Sunday night. It was like being in a tumbler drier. I was so glad that
I wasn't one of those on a day trip to Amsterdam or Rotterdam who had
the pleasure of looking forward to the return trip in even worse
weather.

I can imagine:( Are you home? If so, look at the UK weather!

Not sure what gardeners can do in this, except sit down with a nice warm
drink and plan next year. Is there still much work to be done for this
year?

Fences and trees are blowing down up here.
--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

GQT
 

Martin wrote:
We had just about the worst North Sea crossing we have ever had on
Sunday night. It was like being in a tumbler drier. I was so glad that
I wasn't one of those on a day trip to Amsterdam or Rotterdam who had
the pleasure of looking forward to the return trip in even worse
weather.

Nick was sailing on the south coast this weekend. Meant to be a trip
to France, but the weather was off. He sent me a text message on Saturday
morning saying "Why do I do this??"

GQT
 

Martin wrote:
Yes, with the central heating turned on.

I'm refusing to turn the central heating on until November. I am so
far up to a cardigan and closing the big curtains at night.

GQT
 

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On 25 Sep 2012 11:38:10 GMT, wrote:

Martin wrote:
We had just about the worst North Sea crossing we have ever had on
Sunday night. It was like being in a tumbler drier. I was so glad that
I wasn't one of those on a day trip to Amsterdam or Rotterdam who had
the pleasure of looking forward to the return trip in even worse
weather.

Nick was sailing on the south coast this weekend. Meant to be a trip
to France, but the weather was off. He sent me a text message on Saturday
morning saying "Why do I do this??"

I bet you have asked that question many times :-)
--

Martin


I was involved with the yachting fraternity at the time of the 1979 Fastnet
Boat Race and we had two boats in the race. I saw them when they came back
:-(

I have asked that question since and now stick to proper cruising.

Mike


--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................