Gardening Resources & Tips

[herbidacious]

My (one surviving) romanesco plant is huge, but no head. Should I give up at this point? Are the leaves nice enough to bother cooking with?

[scullion]

i have a dozen magnificent cauliflower plants that aren't 'curding up' - they might be eaten as 'greens'...

[Suffs]

Are they too close together Scully … I was told by the old chaps on the allotment that winter caulies need a lot of space or they won’t form a curd.
Perhaps using every other one as ‘greens’ woukd persuade the remaining ones to heart up?

[Badger's Mate]

Herbi, I’ve had Romanesco sowings from which some plants have headed up in the autumn and some in the spring. Stick with it, you might get a good head of the stuff next year.

[herbidacious]

Ok, will do, BM. I have not grown them before. I had a go at 'ordinary' cauliflowers last year with limited success. I think I need to put more effort in. Just sticking it in the ground or a pot and hoping is probably not enough. This is a big plant now, so seems healthy. Maybe some feed? Or not...?

Thanks, too Scully.

[Badger's Mate]

It will want to flower at some stage, and if it is big and healthy you might expect a decent head to form. Feeding won’t hurt but probably won’t be necessary.

[scullion]

Are they too close together Scully …

maybe but they're about as close together as the ones in the field just down the road. they were from a big module tray donated, by a local farmer, to the allotments - maybe they'd been in the tray a bit too long. they romped away after they were planted.
maybe they are a later variety, who knows‽

[Suffs]

Perhaps cooler weather will trigger them?

[scullion]

fingers crossed - otherwise it'll be 'cauliflower leaf cheese' on the menu!

[Uschi]

fingers crossed - otherwise it'll be 'cauliflower leaf cheese' on the menu!

You could always go down the Rübstiel-route. In Germany and the Netherlands we love turnip stalks in spring and summer as a veg side. It works with cabbage, too.

[scullion]

yes, i always use the cauliflower greens and raab.
when i was little - and radishes came in bunches (rather than bags) we used to always eat the 'greens' of those and other veg not known for that nowadays. beetroot leaves are lovely, too.

[Suffs]

When you cut a cabbage from your garden leave the stalk planted in the ground and, with a sharp knife cut an ‘X’ about 1cm deep in the cut end of the stalk … new tufts of cabbage leaves will grow … they’re great to use as spring greens.

[Sloe-Gin]

The chillies I'm hoping to overwinter in the greenhouse got a little chilly over the last 2 nights, when the greenhouse lost a panel.

[scullion]

some of mine are still outside. i suppose i should bring them in.
i'm going over the allotment to dig up the rest of the (sarpo mira) potatoes before we get more rain (and maybe frost).

[herbidacious]

I also have a (sweet) pepper plant outside. But won't be overwintering it.

Currently flowering things include a knautia macedonica, rose campion, cranesbill, petunias, bidens, strawflower, calendula, wallflowers...

Many of these are not supposed to be hardy but have endured several frosts and some snow.

[Uschi]

The chillies I'm hoping to overwinter in the greenhouse got a little chilly over the last 2 nights, when the greenhouse lost a panel.

I also have a plant that has survived, so far. We have a small, unheated greenhouse on the balcony. Can I cut it back a little?

[Sloe-Gin]

Yes you can, Uschi

[scullion]

yes and decrease watering.
i have bought my chillies indoors. i'll cut them back and put them in the porch with the citrus trees.
i invested in a water meter thing a few weeks ago (well, a pack of two - the other may be a gift).
as it had stopped me overwatering my makrut lime before we went away and the tree is beginning to show signs of life again - the meter has already paid for itself by stopping me killing the tree totally.

[herbidacious]

Just noticed that the tarragon I brought into the lean to to overwinter looks like it's died. (Lowest temp so far in there well above freezing.) Will leave it in case there is something still alive below the soil.

[Suffs]

French tarragon will die back in cold weather. It doesn’t need to he cold enough for frost to form for this to happen.
I’d wrap the pot with a few layers of bubble wrap or similar and mulch around the crown … keep it above freezing abd keep the soil dryish and it should grow again in the spring.