Saturday 30th April 2011

Posted on April 30, 2011 by clairesallotment

First of all it’s George’s 9th birthday today. Happy birthday to my little boy. His best friend should be round soon and they’re having a sleepover. How much sleep they get is anyones guess.
I’ve just come in from the greenhouse, (washed my hand before I’ve come on the computer). I’ve just finished potting up all my Aubergines, as usual I’ve planted far to many. I’m sure I’ll find space for them. Everything’s growing so well in the greenhouse, I may have to think about getting bits out a little earlier than June. If I do I’ll have to make sure they’re covered, just in case we have a late frost.

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4 Responses to Saturday 30th April 2011

frazzledsugarplummum says:

May 1, 2011 at 12:46 am

Happy Birthday to your boy, Claire. I only had a little luck the first year with eggplant and none since. Maybe with the little greenhouses or the cloches I might do better this year. All the best for a great growing year.

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- clairesallotment says:
  
  May 10, 2011 at 1:52 pm
  
  He had a great day thank you. Egg plant or Aubergine like to have a warm climate, so hopefully the greenhouse well help. If not then grow inside on a sunny window sill and put out during the day so the bees can pollinate.
  
  Reply
Alan Meeks says:

May 3, 2011 at 6:23 am

Hi Claire, we met at the GYO Show, I was at the Kakoi stall selling slug traps and the grow bag planter. Having made a few YouTube videos myself, I am so impressed with your collection so congratulations, a great job! In particular, I just watched Part 44 – Growing tomatoes and that has been soooo useful form me. If I had realised how much of an expert you are I would have made you go through that with me at the show – I have already done a few things wrong! Anyway, just a quick question, the bit about side-shooting. Unfortunately your beautiful red hair obscured most of the shots where you showed the side shoots, I think I understand and I think I have been doing it right so far but are the side shoots basically where you have two “branches coming out from the same place, the uppermost one, which is usually much newer growth is the one you pinch out? Also do you thin the folliage out more by removing a few other “branches” or is it only ever the sideshoots?

Thanks again, keep up the good work, well done!

Alan

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- clairesallotment says:
  
  May 4, 2011 at 1:21 pm
  
  Hi Alan,
  It was lovely to meet you at the show. I’ve been thinking about your slug traps, so far they’re the best thing I’ve seen, as they don’t use too much beer. I thoroughly enjoyed walking round the show, and look forward to next year. I hope you had a great time, and if you’re going to Gardeners’ World Live at Birmingham I’ll pop to see you. Anyway, back to tomatoes. You are absolutely right about the side shoots. It’s the top one that needs to be pinched out. If however you are growing a bush variety then you DON’T need to side shoot them as they produce the fruit. When growing the tall tomatoes, when you have 4 trusses (branches of flowers) then pinch out the top of the plant, then all the plants energy goes into producing the fruit already there. If the bottom leaves start to loose their green colour then remove them, but it’s not essential. Make sure you feed the plants every 2 weeks as soon as the flowers appear. I hope that’s useful.
  All the best,
  Claire
  
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