- This topic has 2 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 10 months ago by .
-
Posts
-
Hi Charles
The bulb fennel crop is good but I wonder for how long it can be left in the ground. The spring sown fennel bolted soon after bulbing up (as you advised!) but I expect the summer sown crop not to go to seed for some time. Can it stay in the ground for weeks/months or will it just rot?
The squash and courgette foliage has been rampant but with little to show. We have a total of 2 large butternut squash from 4 plants and lots of 5cm fruits which are unlikely to develop as the autumn proceeds. Should I have pinched out the leading shoots? The courgettes have not given much in the way of fruits. I notice on other plots rather weaker looking plants but with a good crop of squash and courgette fruits. My plants had lots of farmyard manure on the surface over the winter and have been thoroughly watered during dry spells. Have they been too well fed and watered?
Sunny Exmouth has been living up to its name and, according to the Met Office forecast, is likely to do so for some time to come. What a treat to be working outside on the allotment!
Best wishes
John
Yes autumn is more fine than summer… good for fennel, but sooner or later the bulbs may elongate, after swelling, so I would start harvesting one at a time. Also they perish in frost.
I have given up growing Butternut for the reasons you describe, it needs the kind of warmth you get in south east Britain, whereas we are cooler in the south west. Nonetheless I have harvested some Kuri squash already.
Pinching out the leaders does not help as they just make new ones, in my experience.
I think you may have an unproductive variety of courgette, what is it? Feeding and watering makes a good variety give lots of fruit.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.