Todays harvest.

All good things come to an end.

sorry about the lack of updates recently iv'e been rather ill with swine flu no less, but all is well now (ish) and i'm back.

All things seem to be coming to an end now. my beetroot have all been harvested and eaten, they were on the small side but I think that was due to my tomatoes dominating the soil and light. My sweetcorn was a spectacular failure, all was going well it grew to about five feet in height and four sweetcorn's formed but alas they never developed yellow teeth they went brown or stayed green. This was a great disappointment but its all part of the learning process, so I cant moan to much.

The tomatoes I grew have been by far the most successful plant I have grown this year and there still forming flowers and fruit to this day. I generally get around fifteen tomatoes a week which covers the needs of my girlfriend and I. I water them twice daily and give them tomato food every two weeks. As its the getting on to the middle of October they seem to be slowing down a little now but this is to be expected.

This isn't good, my first tomato to split. this was caused by irregular watering. I generally water them in the morning and in the evening, but unfortunately i missed a couple of morning waters this week causing this one to split. All the other tomato's seem OK, but only time will tell.

Tomato's are still doing well and i'm still getting flowers and tomato's forming. Apart from the constant watering they mainly look after themselves. All I had to do this week was to chop the tops of them again. this allows all the plants energy to create new flowers and support the fruit.

Its only a lemon!

Its a lemon sapling, i really hope it survives the winter and grows a bit more next year.

Golden Sunshine

These are some of my golden sunshine tomato's. This variety has given me my best yield so far.

Sweetcorn

There's nothing baby about this baby sweetcorn plant. its now reached five feet in height and about two foot across, also the sweetcorn itself has grown to about seven inches long.

Roasted toms

Were going to roast these with olive oil and salt.

My windowsill.

My sweetcorn is coming on nicely, i think another two days and they it will be ready to pick! I need to wait for the fibers to turn brown then i will just need to twist it off.

Just one of my latest harvest of tomatoes.

Will you just look at these! Its incredibly exciting to come home after a week and to see all the changes that have taken place. Good times!

Sweetcorn

Ive been away in Sheffield for the last week and look what greeting me when I came home. Its my sweetcorn and it looks fantastic, I can't believe how well its doing.

More tomatoes

My most complete branch of tomatoes. I can't wait until these turn red!

Sweetcorn.

My sweetcorn. Growing this could not be easier, it needs plenty of sun and water and well thats about it. If anyone could let me know how large baby sweetcorn plants get I would be eternally grateful!

Dave

The tastiest tomato that I have ever eaten!

My first red, edible tomato.

The top of my sweetcorn plant. I think its quite arty.

Just a few of the flowers on the tomato plants

Hello there, Here’s a bit of a catch up for you all. Firstly my tomatoes are going on fine with new tomatoes forming everyday as well as flowers coming through all the time. Similarly my cucumber plant is coming on nicely with lots of flowers and cucumbers forming on it, its grown about 5-6 inches over the last two weeks which seems to be the standard for the plant after doing some research. Also my sweet-corn is growing rapidly, about an inch everyday so far. I’m getting a bit worried about where I’m going to put it after next week, but I will cross that bridge when it comes.

So your all thinking it seems to be going ok well not exactly. My beetroot seem to be struggling at the moment, I think it might have something to do with my tomato plants being to close to them. I had a brain freeze when I planted them, but I’m sure they will come through in the end especially with my musical experiment I’m going to do next week. My experiment is going to involve exposing my plants to various genres of music. I haven’t decided what types of music I’m going to expose them to yet, but I’m sure I will think of something. If you have any ideas please don’t hesitate to comment or contact me via email.

All the best, Dave.

Beetroot.

This is my first beetroot of the year and I must say it looked and tasted beautiful. It was easy as hell to grow, it needed a good water everyday and a lot of sunlight but nothing to difficult.

If your a keen gardener or just a beginner, this website is a good place for information with a good community.

http://www.gardenersclick.com/

All the best, Dave.

Tiny tiny Cucumbers. What else is there to say?

My cucumber plant seems to be doing well. It was a bit of a slow starter, but with the help of a q-tip pollinating it all seems to be doing well.

These are my lovely plants. Its not a very good photo, but there full of flowers and tiny tomatoes.

These are my biggest and best tomatoes, i think there coming on nicely.

Just a quick tip for all you buddy gardeners out there, dont leave your plants alone for four days they will not be happy! Im going to give them a lot of TLC and hopefully they will be in good shape by tomorrow!

My other tomatoes are here as well as my lettuce, rocket, cucumber, aubergine, parsley and rosemary. All seem happy and are coming on nicely.

My tomatoes are coming on nicely, i picked out the top of the plants in the week and have already got two real tomatoes and about 25 flowers. Its all very exciting, ive even changed my route home so i can see them from the street. As you can see i have had to make a support with some twine as there getting so BIG! I can't wait until i get my first proper tomato!

Also I have started using this plant food, it was 99p from Wilkinsons. i will keep you posted.

A corner of the apartment that has been taken over with my vegetable's.

Just call me Dave Fearnley Whittingstall.

Some exciting additions this week firstly we have 15 bottle's of

Elderflower champagne which seems to be a nice homebrew.

Secondly but much more exciting we have sweetcorn,

I was a lovely birthday present from the wonderful Kate

and the handsome and very hairy Bob.

Elderflower champagne!

"More plants?" I hear you cry! "Well yes" i reply "your correct more plants."

Due to a very generous donation from Lauren's mum Laura I'm now the proud grower of cucumber, aubergine, parsley and sage(not in photo).

Its a very exciting time at the moment. these are the first flowers on my tomato plants!

Oh and everybody should be able to make comments now. Remember to be nice.

This is my main crop, its coming on nicely. I think another foot then i can pick the top out and start getting some fruit.

So its finally gotten out of control. let's be honest it was always going to happen!

Lauren with our first harvest! I'm one happy Dave!!!!!!!!

Lettuce and rocket.

Beetroot.

Tomato's.

Lauren's a saint for putting up with my obsession with tomato plants!

Today i'm planting my beetroot into larger pots and sowing some radishes. Giddy as hell!

And the rest!!!!!!!

Just a few of my many tomato plants. We have three variety's here, from left to right we have a Golden Sunshine, a Marmande and finally a Moneymaker!

Friday 1st may

Good afternoon, Tomatoes and Rocket are coming on well I think another week for the tomatoes to be transferred to their bigger pots. Im getting really excited now i can't wait to eat my first tomato.

Also my tomatoes are looking good. Not forgetting my rocket which has shot up!

Well Ive had a couple of lousy days so haven't been able to replant my lettuce, but think tomorrow is the day (if i can get out of the house). Also my beetroot has come through and is looking very healthy.

All is going very well. Tomorrow is moving day for some of my lettuce into bigger pots, its all very exciting!

And also my Beetroot has just come through

Tidy

Ive have had a bit of a tidy, made some light deflectors and sown some tomatoes, peppers and rocket. very productive afternoon.

Day 5

Theres no stopping them now, im just waiting on my beetroot and then i can start thinking about seperating and moving them. Ive been told that beetroot takes about 6-9 days to germinate i really hope they hurry up. Well Im off to the garden centre now to get some tomatoes and chillies very excited!

Day 4

Well just when I was starting to get worried this happened, I can almost last the sweet taste of home-grown lettuce!

Seeds to sow

Oh I forgot to mention, the first seeds to be sown are tomatoes, lettuce, rocket and beetroot. This is a gardening blog after all.

Day 1

Day 1

Well this is day one of my attempt to grow veg on my apartment windowsill. It may not look like much in this picture, but I assure you my little patch of 2.5 metres / 0.3 metres will soon be keeping my girlfriend and I in vegetable delight!