Plant round-up
30 July 2024 06:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
igenlodeThe towel-tomatoes, now in full crop, are delicious, but when I wanted to start a new 'towel' for next year I had to open (and eat) three before I found one with any full-sized seeds in it, and even then there were only six, which is really not enough to ensure a new supply. Clearly I should have been examining the various tomatoes I have been previously eating at random more closely in order to save any seed they had in them...
I had to insert tomato strings last week when the weight of the fruit and a hot dry wind caused them to collapse. Since the strings actually run over my permanent washing line this year (required due to the location of the pots) this has reduced the drying capacity of the line yet further! However, the removable line with its strap and buckle fastening has actually been working out very well, and is if anything superior to the prior (elastic) arrangement. The buckle on its own proved not to provide sufficient friction, but after the line had come down the first couple of times the wind got up I had the idea of running the end of the strap back through the top of the buckle to provide an extra layer of resistance, which works. The cut end of the strap is getting quite frayed, though. I have tried rubbing it with beeswax and ought to try dipping it in melted candlewax -- I suspect that sewing over it would make it too bulky.
The Roma tomatoes have yet to ripen. The first couple of trusses set, and then only one of the flowers in the following trusses -- which is probably just as well for the sake of the plant's ability to carry that much fruit (they are still going to be fairly *small* Roma tomatoes), but is slightly odd; we have had a couple of uncomfortably hot nights recently, but not during the relevant setting period.
I had completely forgotten about the pot of alyssum that I had sown, which is now in flower -- it had been hiding behind some other things! There hasn't really been a lot of scent to enjoy, unfortunately (as with the sweetbriar, which I originally encouraged because it is supposed to have scented leaves, but which I suspect is simply too hot and dry most of the time).
I acquired a new mystery plant in the form of a poor dried-up little pot that somebody put out for the rubbish (you can't do that! It's *alive*!) It seems to have turned the corner and looks as if it will survive, but I have as yet no idea what it is; I was hoping for some kind of cranesbill or similar, as it seems quite small-scale and delicate. The leaves and boles are actually a bit reminiscent of parsley, but don't seem to be parsley-scented.
The parsley is just about hanging on, but not thriving enough to harvest... as has been my more or less universal experience with parsley :-( The weedier of the two plants/seedlings is trying to flower, presumably a sign of stress.
The coriander is doing very nicely, really ought to have been potted on into larger pots, and as usual will probably go to seed before I have actually come across a recipe that uses it -- the last time I did need it, months ago, I didn't have any! I did manage to use a few thinnings....
The poppies are pretty much all over and I have harvested seed; the yellow poppy is dying back, and the rose in the same pot is looking healthier, possibly not unconnected! This year it set vast numbers of seed-pods, and I allowed them all to dry out and open their windows as a sign of ripeness, then broke open most of them and put the seeds around the base of one of my marigolds in a big pot so that I knew where it was. Out of at least six poppy seed pods containing hundreds of seeds each, not a single seedling has emerged :-(
The various self-sown mesembryanthemums have been doing very well, particularly the ones benefiting from the tomato fertiliser, but they are without exception dark pink; the other colours seem to have died out.
Both the honesty seedlings are looking pretty sick. I think the 'official' one is definitely on the way out, but the third, late-germinated one might possibly survive, although the Gypsophila vaccaria that was supposed to be in that seed compartment died on transplant -- not a problem as I have a healthy crop of it self-sown, which I have just harvested! We also have an unexpected self-sown Coreopsis turning up in one of the pots...
The sorrel has been a success, and appears to have established nicely. I have been eating it and it doesn't appear to have dwindled, so is presumably regrowing new leaves! The kale is still doing nicely despite the heat and despite being harvested every so often. The various beetroots are all trying hard to go to seed, and I have let one of them definitely flower; disappointingly, the rocket that I allowed to go to seed doesn't actually appear to have produced any viable seed-pods from the process!
The four(!) Demon Red chillies (all from 2022 seed :-O) are now all bushy little plants about 4 inches high, save for the largest which has attained 6 inches. They are all showing signs of coming into bud, about a fortnight later than last year (which was late enough to be a source of constant concern as to whether the fruit would have time to ripen or not!)
I am hoping to be able to dispose of at least one of the 'extra' plants to someone who expressed an interest in having a pet miniature chilli for her patio; provided it flowers, which it clearly will, and will almost certainly set seed thereafter, she should be happy enough. The fruits will be hot even if green, as I know from experience -- I have been using the green ones in cooking for the past year! -- and she won't be worrying about saving seed, so it doesn't matter too much if they don't ripen fully.
I have harvested some cornflower seed, although most of it has presumably ended up all over the place, having fallen out of the flowers. I didn't actually sow any at all this year, relying entirely on the various self-seeded plants, but it is nice to have the back-up option. The first marigold seed is ready; the nasturtiums and poached-egg plants are all over and have mostly been harvested. The first of the rudbeckias are starting to go over, but I don't know what the chances are of getting viable seed out of those. I didn't manage it last year.
I have had far too many corn-marigolds all over the place, because I have been allowing them to develop to the flowering stage in the hopes that one of them might turn out to be a pink garden marguerite -- unfortunately none of them have :-p
On the other hand the one pink Swan River Daisy seedling survived being transplanted and is actually looking quite healthy, as are its blue siblings, though all of them are a long way from flowering. The flax has been rather disappointing; it did flower and is now forming seed-heads, but wasn't terribly noticeable, possibly because I deliberately refrained from feeding it, possibly because I sowed fewer seeds, and possibly because it was rather hidden behind the Roma tomato pot and didn't receive nearly so much loving care as last year. The red flax has shown no sign of forming the linseed-pods, although as before the Gypsophila elegans has done so!
I had to insert tomato strings last week when the weight of the fruit and a hot dry wind caused them to collapse. Since the strings actually run over my permanent washing line this year (required due to the location of the pots) this has reduced the drying capacity of the line yet further! However, the removable line with its strap and buckle fastening has actually been working out very well, and is if anything superior to the prior (elastic) arrangement. The buckle on its own proved not to provide sufficient friction, but after the line had come down the first couple of times the wind got up I had the idea of running the end of the strap back through the top of the buckle to provide an extra layer of resistance, which works. The cut end of the strap is getting quite frayed, though. I have tried rubbing it with beeswax and ought to try dipping it in melted candlewax -- I suspect that sewing over it would make it too bulky.
The Roma tomatoes have yet to ripen. The first couple of trusses set, and then only one of the flowers in the following trusses -- which is probably just as well for the sake of the plant's ability to carry that much fruit (they are still going to be fairly *small* Roma tomatoes), but is slightly odd; we have had a couple of uncomfortably hot nights recently, but not during the relevant setting period.
I had completely forgotten about the pot of alyssum that I had sown, which is now in flower -- it had been hiding behind some other things! There hasn't really been a lot of scent to enjoy, unfortunately (as with the sweetbriar, which I originally encouraged because it is supposed to have scented leaves, but which I suspect is simply too hot and dry most of the time).
I acquired a new mystery plant in the form of a poor dried-up little pot that somebody put out for the rubbish (you can't do that! It's *alive*!) It seems to have turned the corner and looks as if it will survive, but I have as yet no idea what it is; I was hoping for some kind of cranesbill or similar, as it seems quite small-scale and delicate. The leaves and boles are actually a bit reminiscent of parsley, but don't seem to be parsley-scented.
The parsley is just about hanging on, but not thriving enough to harvest... as has been my more or less universal experience with parsley :-( The weedier of the two plants/seedlings is trying to flower, presumably a sign of stress.
The coriander is doing very nicely, really ought to have been potted on into larger pots, and as usual will probably go to seed before I have actually come across a recipe that uses it -- the last time I did need it, months ago, I didn't have any! I did manage to use a few thinnings....
The poppies are pretty much all over and I have harvested seed; the yellow poppy is dying back, and the rose in the same pot is looking healthier, possibly not unconnected! This year it set vast numbers of seed-pods, and I allowed them all to dry out and open their windows as a sign of ripeness, then broke open most of them and put the seeds around the base of one of my marigolds in a big pot so that I knew where it was. Out of at least six poppy seed pods containing hundreds of seeds each, not a single seedling has emerged :-(
The various self-sown mesembryanthemums have been doing very well, particularly the ones benefiting from the tomato fertiliser, but they are without exception dark pink; the other colours seem to have died out.
Both the honesty seedlings are looking pretty sick. I think the 'official' one is definitely on the way out, but the third, late-germinated one might possibly survive, although the Gypsophila vaccaria that was supposed to be in that seed compartment died on transplant -- not a problem as I have a healthy crop of it self-sown, which I have just harvested! We also have an unexpected self-sown Coreopsis turning up in one of the pots...
The sorrel has been a success, and appears to have established nicely. I have been eating it and it doesn't appear to have dwindled, so is presumably regrowing new leaves! The kale is still doing nicely despite the heat and despite being harvested every so often. The various beetroots are all trying hard to go to seed, and I have let one of them definitely flower; disappointingly, the rocket that I allowed to go to seed doesn't actually appear to have produced any viable seed-pods from the process!
The four(!) Demon Red chillies (all from 2022 seed :-O) are now all bushy little plants about 4 inches high, save for the largest which has attained 6 inches. They are all showing signs of coming into bud, about a fortnight later than last year (which was late enough to be a source of constant concern as to whether the fruit would have time to ripen or not!)
I am hoping to be able to dispose of at least one of the 'extra' plants to someone who expressed an interest in having a pet miniature chilli for her patio; provided it flowers, which it clearly will, and will almost certainly set seed thereafter, she should be happy enough. The fruits will be hot even if green, as I know from experience -- I have been using the green ones in cooking for the past year! -- and she won't be worrying about saving seed, so it doesn't matter too much if they don't ripen fully.
I have harvested some cornflower seed, although most of it has presumably ended up all over the place, having fallen out of the flowers. I didn't actually sow any at all this year, relying entirely on the various self-seeded plants, but it is nice to have the back-up option. The first marigold seed is ready; the nasturtiums and poached-egg plants are all over and have mostly been harvested. The first of the rudbeckias are starting to go over, but I don't know what the chances are of getting viable seed out of those. I didn't manage it last year.
I have had far too many corn-marigolds all over the place, because I have been allowing them to develop to the flowering stage in the hopes that one of them might turn out to be a pink garden marguerite -- unfortunately none of them have :-p
On the other hand the one pink Swan River Daisy seedling survived being transplanted and is actually looking quite healthy, as are its blue siblings, though all of them are a long way from flowering. The flax has been rather disappointing; it did flower and is now forming seed-heads, but wasn't terribly noticeable, possibly because I deliberately refrained from feeding it, possibly because I sowed fewer seeds, and possibly because it was rather hidden behind the Roma tomato pot and didn't receive nearly so much loving care as last year. The red flax has shown no sign of forming the linseed-pods, although as before the Gypsophila elegans has done so!