I'm going to be away from my veggies during the first week in August
and I'm wondering what I should do for best results?

In particular, I have all the usual bean types and some courgettes and
tomatoes. I believe these may stop producing if I allow any "fruits" to
mature while I'm away?

My tentative plan is:

1. Harvest ALL beans and courgettes before leaving even if they're
undersized
2. Give it all a super-duper soaking just before leaving

Suggestions?

Thanks

"Jake" not far from Gloucester

That's exactly what I was going to say! Also a) Cancel going away b) mulch
the ground with something or cover with some of this weed reduction stuff c)
a week's not that bad, it'll probably rain a day or so with any luck

Robert The Devil's Advocate www.pafc.co.uk
"Jake" wrote in message
...
: I'm going to be away from my veggies during the first week in August
: and I'm wondering what I should do for best results?
:
: In particular, I have all the usual bean types and some courgettes and
: tomatoes. I believe these may stop producing if I allow any "fruits" to
: mature while I'm away?
:
: My tentative plan is:
:
: 1. Harvest ALL beans and courgettes before leaving even if they're
: undersized
: 2. Give it all a super-duper soaking just before leaving
:
: Suggestions?
:
: Thanks
:
: "Jake" not far from Gloucester
:

On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 14:05:55 +0000, Jake wrote:
In particular, I have all the usual bean types and some courgettes and
tomatoes. I believe these may stop producing if I allow any "fruits" to
mature while I'm away?
My tentative plan is:
1. Harvest ALL beans and courgettes before leaving even if they're
undersized
2. Give it all a super-duper soaking just before leaving

Jake,

Sounds reasonable to me, if you can't find a garden sitter. I have been
lucky this year, I was away at the end of June, and my neighbour cat and
garden sat for me, more than adequetly bribed by the request to pick and
eat the strawberries and raspberries for me!

If you do get a garden sitter, make sure you leave the hose pipe /
watering can out, along with watering and picking instructions. They will
also thank you if all the pots etc. are all in one place.

If you can't get a sitter, you can only do what you have suggested,
perhaps also giving everything a feed before you go as well.

SArah

On 9 Jul 2003 14:05:55 GMT, Jake wrote:

I'm going to be away from my veggies during the first week in August
and I'm wondering what I should do for best results?

Good question. I am going to be away for *two* weeks in August and I
have both an allotment and a greenhouse.

The only garden sitter available is my mother in law and the bribery
involved might be unbearable.

Will mulch make up for no watering of beans, tomatoes, courgettes,
aubergines, peppers okra etc during that time or do I need another
approach?

Colin
-----
(Please reply via the newsgroup)

In article , colin-
says...
On 9 Jul 2003 14:05:55 GMT, Jake wrote:

I'm going to be away from my veggies during the first week in August
and I'm wondering what I should do for best results?

Good question. I am going to be away for *two* weeks in August and I
have both an allotment and a greenhouse.

The only garden sitter available is my mother in law and the bribery
involved might be unbearable.

Will mulch make up for no watering of beans, tomatoes, courgettes,
aubergines, peppers okra etc during that time or do I need another
approach?


I'd go for a mixed preparation on that one. Drought harden the plants if
they're currently luxuriating in a daily dousing. Let them thirst a bit
to develop the root systems. Pick anything that would go over during the
two weeks before it has a chance to get there, sadly you'd be picking
*very* unripened stuff. Anything in a growbag will need to have holes
punched through to the real soil to let it extend roots. Assume the loss
of anything in a basket or a planter. The day before you go (or the
closest day available) chuck as may hundreds of gallons of water into
there as possible... and then mulch as thickly as you dare.

Having done all of this work adopt a cynical assesment of the chances of
anything surviving.

Having done lots of being cynical, and all that work to try to get
things through your time away, we'll have the wettest August since 1883.

Warwick

On 9 Jul 2003 14:05:55 GMT, Jake wrote:

I'm going to be away from my veggies during the first week in August
and I'm wondering what I should do for best results?

Good question. I am going to be away for *two* weeks in August and I
have both an allotment and a greenhouse.

The only garden sitter available is my mother in law and the bribery
involved might be unbearable.

Will mulch make up for no watering of beans, tomatoes, courgettes,
aubergines, peppers okra etc during that time or do I need another
approach?

Colin
-----
(Please reply via the newsgroup)

In article , colin-
says...
On 9 Jul 2003 14:05:55 GMT, Jake wrote:

I'm going to be away from my veggies during the first week in August
and I'm wondering what I should do for best results?

Good question. I am going to be away for *two* weeks in August and I
have both an allotment and a greenhouse.

The only garden sitter available is my mother in law and the bribery
involved might be unbearable.

Will mulch make up for no watering of beans, tomatoes, courgettes,
aubergines, peppers okra etc during that time or do I need another
approach?


I'd go for a mixed preparation on that one. Drought harden the plants if
they're currently luxuriating in a daily dousing. Let them thirst a bit
to develop the root systems. Pick anything that would go over during the
two weeks before it has a chance to get there, sadly you'd be picking
*very* unripened stuff. Anything in a growbag will need to have holes
punched through to the real soil to let it extend roots. Assume the loss
of anything in a basket or a planter. The day before you go (or the
closest day available) chuck as may hundreds of gallons of water into
there as possible... and then mulch as thickly as you dare.

Having done all of this work adopt a cynical assesment of the chances of
anything surviving.

Having done lots of being cynical, and all that work to try to get
things through your time away, we'll have the wettest August since 1883.

Warwick

On 9 Jul 2003 14:05:55 GMT, Jake wrote:

I'm going to be away from my veggies during the first week in August
and I'm wondering what I should do for best results?

Good question. I am going to be away for *two* weeks in August and I
have both an allotment and a greenhouse.

The only garden sitter available is my mother in law and the bribery
involved might be unbearable.

Will mulch make up for no watering of beans, tomatoes, courgettes,
aubergines, peppers okra etc during that time or do I need another
approach?

Colin
-----
(Please reply via the newsgroup)

In article , colin-
says...
On 9 Jul 2003 14:05:55 GMT, Jake wrote:

I'm going to be away from my veggies during the first week in August
and I'm wondering what I should do for best results?

Good question. I am going to be away for *two* weeks in August and I
have both an allotment and a greenhouse.

The only garden sitter available is my mother in law and the bribery
involved might be unbearable.

Will mulch make up for no watering of beans, tomatoes, courgettes,
aubergines, peppers okra etc during that time or do I need another
approach?


I'd go for a mixed preparation on that one. Drought harden the plants if
they're currently luxuriating in a daily dousing. Let them thirst a bit
to develop the root systems. Pick anything that would go over during the
two weeks before it has a chance to get there, sadly you'd be picking
*very* unripened stuff. Anything in a growbag will need to have holes
punched through to the real soil to let it extend roots. Assume the loss
of anything in a basket or a planter. The day before you go (or the
closest day available) chuck as may hundreds of gallons of water into
there as possible... and then mulch as thickly as you dare.

Having done all of this work adopt a cynical assesment of the chances of
anything surviving.

Having done lots of being cynical, and all that work to try to get
things through your time away, we'll have the wettest August since 1883.

Warwick

"Jake" wrote in message
...
I'm going to be away from my veggies during the first week in August
and I'm wondering what I should do for best results?

In particular, I have all the usual bean types and some courgettes and
tomatoes. I believe these may stop producing if I allow any "fruits" to
mature while I'm away?

My tentative plan is:

1. Harvest ALL beans and courgettes before leaving even if they're
undersized
2. Give it all a super-duper soaking just before leaving

Suggestions?

Thanks

"Jake" not far from Gloucester

Well I've got several dripper type systems now, some of the ground spikes,
and some smaller dripper taps, both of these could be attached to a largish
resevoir to provide water over a longer timeframe.

What about the auto-watering systems available, timer attached to an outdoor
tap, and run the hose pipe or dripper piping around the plants, expensive
but very effective. Alternatively, do you have a waterbutt high enough up to
use that set with a very slow flow rate, so water would simply dribble out
of it over a long period.

Some of these things will be faily expensive, but stuff like the dribbling
waterbutt are very easy to knock up, and do work pretty well.

Duncan

Jake wrote:

snips passim
I'm going to be away from my veggies during the first
week in August and I'm wondering what I should do for
best results?

1. Harvest ALL beans and courgettes before leaving
even if they're undersized

You might also pinch off the most advanced flower buds,
especially the female ones, on the courgettes (how many
depends on how fast your plants are growing)although
this probably wouldn't be practical with the beans.

Don Fitch,
who stuck four seeds of zucchini (courgette) into some
soil topping an old compost pile, early this year, and
is now seriously considering ceasing to spray the
leaves with a 50/50 mix of non-fat milk and water every
few days, to allow the powdery mildew to take care of
the glut. Thing like that happen here in Southern
California.

--

It won't help this year but..

1. Give up on veggies in the garden - its too difficult to arrange garden sitters. (Unless you give up having holidays instead). Plant things in the garden which don't mind going without water for a couple of weeks

2. Get yourself an allotment .


You'll find other plot holders who will do whatever watering is necessary. You may also be able to get them to do picking but usually they will have the same gluts as you so they may not be as willing to pick as to water. Also you'll find it a lot easier to make successional sowings of things like runner beans - which means even if you miss part of the crop you'll find other stuff coming on stream when you come back. On our plots payment for these services normally consists of sharing a couple of beers over teh barbecue.

3. Keep a diary of when you pick crops. You'll then be able to work out which weeks are best. Our holiday this year was timed to be just after the blackcurrants and before the tomatoes!