Vegetable Diary July – I will never be self sufficient!

My “Monthly Diary” and the saga of my attempts to grow my own
fruit and veg continues… My success rate to date leads me to believe that even if I had a large enough plot I certainly would not be self-sufficient by any stretch of the imagination!

Zucchini (Courgettes)

My zucchini are still desperately clinging to life as the problem of white mold on the leaves and rotting ends on the fruit continues. Apparently I have blossom end rot!

Fellow blogger Enjoy Creating suggested I try Hydrogen Peroxide and kindly gave me a link to Using Hydrogen Peroxide in the Garden so fingers crossed this may provide the answer!

I have now removed all the leaves which were covered in the white mold and sprayed the remaining leaves and baby zucchini with the diluted Hydrogen Peroxide solution. I used 2 tbsp to 1 litre of water. For those looking to buy this product in Portugal it is called Agua Oxigenada and is available in both Continente and Intermarche at under 50cents for a 500ml bottle!

The stalks on my zucchini are now over five foot long and still bearing fruit despite the fact the plants are now almost bald. Do they look like they are trying to escape?

I do hope the Hydrogen Peroxide is the magical elixir of life my poor zucchini have been waiting for! Think positive Piglet – next month they will  grow to the size of marrows!

Red Cabbage

It’s a a constant battle with the bugs as to who will have the privilege of finally eating my Red Cabbage. I spray regularly with diluted washing up liquid to deter the little critters, but they are persistent to say the least!

Spring onions, sorrel, cherry tomatoes, chilli/jalapeno peppers, orange peppers and melons are growing well – at the moment. The honeydew melon seedlings are a result of just scattering some seeds from a melon I had bought for lunch from the local market. Much to my amazement they are still alive and growing well. 

Fruit and Vegetables Grown in Pots

Strawberries

My Strawberry plants continue to bear fruit, and much to my surprise, dare I say, are still healthy and even producing runners for further plants!

Rhubarb

My solitary Rhubarb plant, kindly donated by a friend who had grown several from seed last summer, is finally producing some usable stalks and it won’t be long before we have our first Rhubarb Crumble desert since moving to Portugal. However, I suspect I will have to transplant to the ground this coming winter. Apparently, they do not grow well in pots on a long-term basis.

Does anyone have any experience of growing Rhubarb in pots long-term?

Cape Gooseberry (Physalis)

The Cape Goosberries plants are the latest victims to join my “fruit and vegetables in pots” collection. I have never tried to grow these before so I was absolutely delighted when I was given three plants to experiment with!

Does anyone have any tips on growing Cape Gooseberries please? I want to at least give them a fighting chance!

Tomatoes – Pot grown tomatoes have grown VERY slowly this year – I have about three tomatoes on each plant so my aspirations as to having a “glut” of tomatoes which I could sun-dry have been dashed. Hey ho there is always next year!

Chillies My Chillies grown in pots continue to grow well! These seem to grow all year round.

Finally…

Lettuce

The lettuce has now run to seed; I will now collect the seed and grow more. I don’t know why I have never thought of this before, so like growing the Cape Gooseberry, another first!

Garlic – While I was in France all the leaves died off; I am just plucking up the courage to investigate further to see if I have any heads of garlic lurking in the soil beneath!

Related posts:
Vegetable Diary June: Veggie Disasters – S.O.S
Growing Fruit and Vegetables in Portugal: May
Growing Fruit and Veg in Pots and Plot: April
Piglet’s Gardening Diary: Seeds, Vegetables, Pots and Plot – February 2011