|
Sep 2021
11:46am, 12 Sep 2021
413 posts
|
gardengirl
Tomato glut here, all in the greenhouse as it’s too cold and windy in this bit of Scotland to grow them outside (I’ve tried.
Tumbling Toms and Shirleys and doing brilliantly, some Alicante are ok and others not so much. The shocker for me this year is the black cherry tomato which has always done brilliantly in previous years but is hopeless this year.
Peppers and courgettes doing well, cucumbers so-so. I could possibly go into business though with the lemongrass jungle if I get fed up of teaching!
|
|
Sep 2021
12:02pm, 12 Sep 2021
79,499 posts
|
Hanneke
Harvested my tomatoes yesterday, to make a small batch of passata. In previous years, I had a glut. This year not so.much. cucumbers also a failure. I think it was the organic compost I used for that badge, because the others are doing well, as are peppers and, first time growing, melons!
|
|
Sep 2021
2:45pm, 12 Sep 2021
414 posts
|
gardengirl
Ooh, melons! How are they doing Hanneke? I was given two plants by a friend last but potted them on too late so they fruit didn’t get bigger than a tennis ball.
|
|
Sep 2021
7:04pm, 12 Sep 2021
79,504 posts
|
Hanneke
They are reaching tennis ball size. I heat my greenhouse, so the should just keep.growing. they are not showing any sign of slowing down. I also was late with them.
|
|
Sep 2021
9:46pm, 12 Sep 2021
415 posts
|
gardengirl
Heat will make all the difference. How is your greenhouse heated? I have a couple of paraffin burners to keep the worst of the winter at bay …
|
|
Sep 2021
10:34pm, 12 Sep 2021
79,510 posts
|
Hanneke
I have a 3 kw electric fan heater on a thermostat. Expensive to run, but it keeps my citrus trees alive...
Thinking about improving my water tank/heatsink by adding a solar pool water heater, hoping to reduce the number of hours needed to run the electric heater.
|
|
Sep 2021
8:46am, 13 Sep 2021
5,226 posts
|
ThorntonRunner
The only time I've successfully grown melons I took the plant into the office at work and put it on the windowsill. It climbed up the Venetian blinds and gave me I think three melons - aided by the near constant 21 degrees.
For some reason management suggested I shouldn't repeat the exercise the next year 
|
|
Sep 2021
10:33am, 13 Sep 2021
7,938 posts
|
Eynsham Red
gardengirl, do you get much additional condensation from your paraffin heater?
We don’t have any heating in our greenhouse, and a paraffin heater is the only option, but I’ve been a bit loath to get one as I’ve read that they can increase condensation and so mildew too.
|
|
Sep 2021
11:25am, 13 Sep 2021
79,514 posts
|
Hanneke
I used paraffin heaters in my cold frames and soot was a problem.
|
|
Sep 2021
11:26am, 13 Sep 2021
79,515 posts
|
Hanneke
TR that is hilarious!
|
