Fruit n' veg

[Ken L]

I'm finally getting around to growing some interesting fruit and veg in the garden.

The steep south facing slope at he back of the housenow sports loquat, persimmon and peach trees - although I think I may have to move the peach to somewhere where I can keep it dry in winter.

I have a pomegranate bush to go in once it gets a bit bigger - possibly where the peach is now.

In addition to the usual gooseberries, currants and raspberries, I have some blueberries, haskap and a goji-berry bush.

As well as apples, cherries, pears and plums, I have quince and apricot.

I have some globe artichoke seeds planted up and have just planted some saskatoons and paw-paws after having had them in the fridge stratifying for a couple of months.

Does anyone cultivate anything unusual or interesting?

 

[Ajhutch]

No space for a veg patch in our garden sadly, especially with kids wanting to run around and play. We do have two small apple trees which produced a decent yield of eaters last year. We recently felled a pear tree which can’t have been healthy, all the fruit rotted on the tree sadly. We’re using the space to put in a bigger shed, including brewing space, so all’s well that ends well!

I am on the waiting list for a local allotment but I think boxes at the Royal Albert Hall come available more frequently, I might just about get one by the time I retire.

Sounds like you’re growing some really interesting stuff, you must have a nice space.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I would love to grow my own fruit and veg but i do not have the room.

 

[Ken L]

Not that big but the south facing slope at the back of the house is unusable for anything else and is as close as you'll ever get to a Mediterranean microclimate in the UK, with 14 hours of sun and shelter from winter winds.
The bottom of it will probably get a couple of fig trees later this year because I've just discovered that they can easily be rooted from cuttings.
The slope on the west side is out of sight and is where I currently have fruit trees - although I accidentally killed one of the pear trees last year when I was a bit careless with the weedkiller. This is where the paw-paw patch will go if I can get them to germinate.
Currants, raspberries etc are in a border strip along a fence and strawberries, blueberries and my apricot in containers.

 

[Clint]

Sounds great Ken! I have an allotment and have recently put a poly tunnel on it. I have a small green house at home where I grow the usual bits but do try something different...maybe a chilli or okra. The poly tunnel opens up many possibilities. ...I have around 6 varieties of tomato,some chillies and melons. Outside the tunnel I'll grow spuds,planted today, put around 70 tubers in...nearly killed me! Plus loads of onions,garlic,cabbages,beans,peas....

 

[Ken L]

Good stuff. I'll be trying some melons on the south acing slope along with butternut squash. Not sure how they'll do but the seeds are cheap/free. so why not?

 

[terrym]

. Outside the tunnel I'll grow spuds,planted today, put around 70 tubers in...nearly killed me!

Anyone working outside in our area today would have been drowned. I have a patch waiting to receive my earlies but it is now likely to be waterlogged, so I can't dig it over. The only stuff in the ground at present are garlic and onions. And the few fruit bushes I have are budding just in time for the birds to have a go. Finally first year hop plants in shoot waiting for the slugs and snails. Ain't gardening fun :thumb:

 

[Oneflewover]

I love growing my own, but I haven't got anything exotic planned. Would be really interested to hear how you get on with that lot Ken. I generally grow what I like and what I know does well in my soil.

Fruit: rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, eating apple, cooking apple, greengage.

Veg: various spuds, sweetcorn, runners, winter squashes, chard, courgette, tomatoes, cucumbers. Range of herbs.

I do grow different types of chilli each year. 5 varieties this year, mostly tried and trusted, but am growing Rococo Tropical Orange for only second time. time https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw0w1dlJmD2ou27r1Rk3VI9M

 

[Covrich]

A few years ago wife grew some cherry tomatoes in the garden it was actually a good summer that year we must have yeilded about 200.

Strawberries good too but Kids kept picking them off before i had a chance

Got a couple of courgettes but never got much luck with raspberries

 

[jceg316]

I'm finally getting around to growing some interesting fruit and veg in the garden.

The steep south facing slope at he back of the housenow sports loquat, persimmon and peach trees - although I think I may have to move the peach to somewhere where I can keep it dry in winter.

I have a pomegranate bush to go in once it gets a bit bigger - possibly where the peach is now.

In addition to the usual gooseberries, currants and raspberries, I have some blueberries, haskap and a goji-berry bush.

As well as apples, cherries, pears and plums, I have quince and apricot.

I have some globe artichoke seeds planted up and have just planted some saskatoons and paw-paws after having had them in the fridge stratifying for a couple of months.

Does anyone cultivate anything unusual or interesting?

Where are you based so you can grow these fruits??

My wife has a permaculture style farm where she is growing loads of different salads, veg, apple and pear trees, hops etc. The most exciting project is she's growing a small amount of wheat which her brother in law is gonna use to make bread.

 

[Ken L]

I'm on the outskirts of Kidderminster and the house is half way up the south facing side of a valley.
Loquat, persimmon, apricot and peach trees are all fully hardy.
Apricot and peach will ripen reliably but peach trees need to be kept dry in winter to prevent leaf curl.
Loquat and persimmon are less reliable and will need an exceptional summer or a very special microclimate to ripen the fruit.
As for the Paw-paw, again they are fully hardy but so few people grow them in the UK that they are very much an unknown quantity - although I have seen video from a chap in northern Germany who has been able to grow them and have them produce ripe fruit with no protection.
The other oddities that I mentioned were Saskatoons (AKA Juneberries) and Haskap. Those things are native to Canada and Siberia respectively and will shrug off anything that the British climate can throw at them.

 

[sdt7618]

To wet and cold up here for the soft fruits but do ok with apples, plums pears etc

Strawberrys do well as our blue berries,

The just all the normal, lettuce, courgettes, potatoes, broccoli beans etc etc.

Our growing season I recon is about 2 months shorter than the south coast.

 

[GhostShip]

I started an asparagus bed a few years back. You can’t pick for 2/3 years from planting the crowns and the season is short (around six weeks), but to come in from work, pick a bundle of asparagus and put them in the pan with some olive oil and sea salt, is one of life’s pleasures. My favourite vegetable.

 

[Ken L]

I started an asparagus bed a few years back. You can’t pick for 2/3 years from planting the crowns and the season is short (around six weeks), but to come in from work, pick a bundle of asparagus and put them in the pan with some olive oil and sea salt, is one of life’s pleasures. My favourite vegetable.

Very nice. We have perfect soil for it around here and it's grown commercially just up the road but I never got around to putting any in bar one abortive attempt that died during a heatwave.
Maybe when I move...
In the meantime, we have a farmers market.

 

[terrym]

I'm on the outskirts of Kidderminster and the house is half way up the south facing side of a valley.

So any grapes or Worcestershire hops?!

 

[geigercntr]

Not much beyond herbs here. Redcurrents haven't produced a single fruit. Same for gooseberries pear & apple. Did get about 5 raspberries last year, so definitely worth the effort(!)

 

[Ken L]

So any grapes or Worcestershire hops?!

There's plenty of hops grown in the Teme valley but not many around here apart from a few escapees in hedgerows and gardens. I don't have space for them myself.
We have a commercial vineyard locally at Halfpenny Green and my dad does OK growing grapes about 2km from me in his garden but it's space - I just don't have enough of it to grow grapes in viable quantities for winemaking..
On the other hand, I'll be looking to move in two years or so and hopefully I'll have space to grow a wider range of stuff.