Gardening tips for Hungarian soil and climate?

fluffy2560 wrote:

my compost heap is going very well.

A healthy compost pile makes for a happy man.

Or, in other words, a happy man has got all his s*** together.   

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

my compost heap is going very well.

A healthy compost pile makes for a happy man.

Or, in other words, a happy man has got all his s*** together.   

You've done it now...now I've got the urge to go and poke it a bit and maybe if really keen, I'll turn it over before the rain arrives.

FWIIW: Now is the time to start thinking about trimming most fruit trees, rose bushes, etc.

My lettuce planted last fall, are actually doing well now. Already harvested two salads for myself this year.   

Photo from today, March 9th:



Secret is using low tunnels over winter. 

klsallee wrote:

My lettuce planted last fall, are actually doing well now. Already harvested two salads for myself this year.   

Photo from today, March 9th:

[img align=c]https://stcoemgen.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/2020-03-09-09.37.22.jpg?w=529[/url]

Secret is using low tunnels over winter. 

What difference does using low tunnels make?

fluffy2560 wrote:

What difference does using low tunnels make?

Many.

Low tunnels change the local micro-climate for the plant. To the plant's benefit. See for example:

https://ipm.missouri.edu/MPG/2019/4/lowTunnel/

Also keeps away pests ... large pests... in my case deer. Had deer last fall chew my lettuce to the ground just before I was to harvest. I was late in installing my tunnels last year -- my fault.

Also, ground cover fleece for smaller plants after planting can do similar as low tunnels without the risk of over heating or excessive humidity. But fleece has a more limited use time than low tunnels (i.e. fleece is not an over winter solution, while low tunnels can be).

My starters I put under low  tunnels, till I plant them so they get lots of sunlight and a warm environment to grow (but with plants like tomatoes or peppers or eggplant they come back into the house each night -- still too cold to over night them outside), and after planting put them under fleece.

Hope this helps.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

What difference does using low tunnels make?

Many.

Low tunnels change the local micro-climate for the plant. To the plant's benefit. See for example:

https://ipm.missouri.edu/MPG/2019/4/lowTunnel/

Also keeps away pests ... large pests... in my case deer. Had deer last fall chew my lettuce to the ground just before I was to harvest. I was late in installing my tunnels last year -- my fault.

Also, ground cover fleece for smaller plants after planting can do similar as low tunnels without the risk of over heating or excessive humidity. But fleece has a more limited use time than low tunnels (i.e. fleece is not an over winter solution, while low tunnels can be).

My starters I put under low  tunnels, till I plant them so they get lots of sunlight and a warm environment to grow (but with plants like tomatoes or peppers or eggplant they come back into the house each night -- still too cold to over night them outside), and after planting put them under fleece.

Hope this helps.

I never knew that.  We had a greenhouse when I was a kid and it made a huge production difference but I was a teenager and didn't care much abut anything.  After that period, my knowledge fizzles out.   

Mrs Fluffy is doing most of the gardening now so I'm going to share the idea with her but we're in the burbs and there's no space for farming. Mainly the focus has been on chilis and decorative plants. 

I have been building up an exotic grasses collection over the past few years.  I am nervous about cold weather bamboo unless I can put in barriers - sounds a bit too much digging.

I hope those low tunnels are recyclable and can be used each year.

fluffy2560 wrote:

but we're in the burbs and there's no space for farming. Mainly the focus has been on chilis and decorative plants.

Another option is a cold frame. You can make one or buy one (have seen then in Aldi and Obi -- but cheaper if you make your own). They can be tiny. 1 meter square for example, on up in size. You can decide. So fine for suburb living. Can even be placed against a south facing wall of your house. And if you use glass, rather than plastic, are actually warmer than a low tunnel. In fact, I melted some plastic pots in one cold frame once on a unexpected sunny, warm spring day when I did not let in enough air....

fluffy2560 wrote:

I hope those low tunnels are recyclable and can be used each year.

Plastic sheeting lasts 3 to 7 years. In normal countries, that plastic can be recycled. I do not think that is an option where I live.....

Glass based cold frame should last a lifetime.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

but we're in the burbs and there's no space for farming. Mainly the focus has been on chilis and decorative plants.

Another option is a cold frame. You can make one or buy one (have seen then in Aldi and Obi -- but cheaper if you make your own). They can be tiny. 1 meter square for example, on up in size. You can decide. So fine for suburb living. Can even be placed against a south facing wall of your house. And if you use glass, rather than plastic, are actually warmer than a low tunnel. In fact, I melted some plastic pots in one cold frame once on a unexpected sunny, warm spring day when I did not let in enough air....
.....
Plastic sheeting lasts 3 to 7 years. In normal countries, that plastic can be recycled. I do not think that is an option where I live.....

Glass based cold frame should last a lifetime.

Somehow that rings a bell. I think I might have made one for someone once using old window frames laying on some some stacked up bricks we found in the garden.   We might be able to do a cold frame but the builders are coming to do a wall now they've done the disputed fence.  It's like garden landscaping by a thousand cuts.  A bit here, bit there. Takes forever.  Cannot get anyone to do anything in one lump. Everything is muddled up here in the burbs.

fluffy2560 wrote:

In gardening news, I've discovered two grape plants in the building rubble. I've managed to save one to a pot and the other one is on the periphery of a fence post but might just miss it.   Question is how to identify the variety?

Most self started grapes are from American root stock. It it unlikely they are Vinifera, but if they are Vinifera, and self started, their roots will probably eventually succumb to phylloxera. American grapes create no useful grapes except for some jam making (but the grapes are tiny and mostly not worth it). Probably ideal to just not worry about these plants.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

In gardening news, I've discovered two grape plants in the building rubble. I've managed to save one to a pot and the other one is on the periphery of a fence post but might just miss it.   Question is how to identify the variety?

Most self started grapes are from American root stock. It it unlikely they are Vinifera, but if they are Vinifera, and self started, their roots will probably eventually succumb to phylloxera. American grapes create no useful grapes except for some jam making (but the grapes are tiny and mostly not worth it). Probably ideal to just not worry about these plants.

Why would they be American root stock?  Grapes grown here for thousands of years. Please elaborate

They were on the other side of our disputed fence but are now on our side.  The other side has various grapes growing in rows. I suppose these were sprouting from thrown away waste.  I've noticed a new set of plants have turned up as well.

I actually thought I might use them as a screen up our new fence and fruit would be a plus.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Why would they be American root stock?  Grapes grown here for thousands of years. Please elaborate

Because of the root louse phylloxera, almost all pure Vinifera grape vines grown today in most of Europe (there are exceptions, such as on Santorini) are grafted to American root stock. The roots are American, because the louse is an American immigrant, and American vines adapted to the louse long ago, but European vines have no resistance. And the American root stock will live on even after removing the top Vinifera graft. I am still finding growth, and pulling out such root stock in my vineyards 15 years after removing the "vines" on top. American root stock is very resilient.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Why would they be American root stock?  Grapes grown here for thousands of years. Please elaborate

Because of the root louse phylloxera, almost all pure Vinifera grape vines grown today in most of Europe (there are exceptions, such as on Santorini) are grafted to American root stock. The roots are American, because the louse is an American immigrant, and American vines adapted to the louse long ago, but European vines have no resistance. And the American root stock will live on even after removing the top Vinifera graft. I am still finding growth, and pulling out such root stock in my vineyards 15 years after removing the "vines" on top. American root stock is very resilient.

That's really interesting.   

I am surprised at these pockets of grape types that have resistance.  I had always thought they were just varieties at the upper end and never gave much of a thought to what went on at the bottom end.

Does the rootstock have any bearing on the grapes or the wine produced? I mean taste, etc.

Why can't we take these European resistant varieties and grow them locally?

fluffy2560 wrote:

Does the rootstock have any bearing on the grapes or the wine produced? I mean taste, etc.

The science says "no":
https://cahnrs.wsu.edu/blog/2012/03/gra … ne-cruise/

But.... it may be a bit more complicated. Ask me again, if interested in the "complications".

fluffy2560 wrote:

Why can't we take these European resistant varieties and grow them locally?

First of all, phylloxera resistance is often more about soils than vine variety when it comes to Vinifera.  Some hybrids show more resistance.... but they do not make "world class wines".

And second, Just because a plant can grow one place does not mean it can grow in another place (especially profitably). That is why there are wine appellations.  That is, you could maybe grow a pineapple in Norway... but would its fruit be worth it, even if it did give fruit? Biology, horticulture, and profit business ideals are a complex relationship.

klsallee wrote:

....

And second, Just because a plant can grow one place does not mean it can grow in another place (especially profitably). That is why there are wine appellations.  That is, you could maybe grow a pineapple in Norway... but would its fruit be worth it, even if it did give fruit? Biology, horticulture, and profit business ideals are a complex relationship.

Good stuff.

Ah well, would it be worth it....I don't know, the Hungarian orange and the East German banana projects have other motivations.

I read the article and it seems like it doesn't make any difference.  But I did read once they did genetic testing on Croatian vines and they turned out to be the same line as those in California.  Shame I don't remember more. Sounds overall more hybrids are required hereabouts.

I looked at the grape plant again this afternoon and it looks pretty healthy considering it's been beaten to death and trampled on by building work.   Seems pretty vigorous.  I cannot see any signs of disease. It was producing grapes before it was brutalised. I thought it was very dead.

Our walnut tree which was totally brutalised in moving it is really going great guns even though I had to use an axe (US:ax) on its tap root.  It's gone bonkers  and sprouted plenty of new shoots and seems to be enjoying its new home. I've speculated it was large enough as root to have reserves to draw on to try and put out some shoots.

fluffy2560 wrote:

But I did read once they did genetic testing on Croatian vines and they turned out to be the same line as those in California.  Shame I don't remember more. Sounds overall more hybrids are required hereabouts.

That is Zinfandel:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinfandel

fluffy2560 wrote:

I looked at the grape plant again this afternoon and it looks pretty healthy considering it's been beaten to death and trampled on by building work.   Seems pretty vigorous.  I cannot see any signs of disease.

If it grows, without anit-fungus spraying, then most likely American. It may be a hybrid, but I would have to see the leaves and fruit to tell more. American vines are also very vigorous. Much, much more than European vines. Some can easily grow up to 10 m in one season.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

But I did read once they did genetic testing on Croatian vines and they turned out to be the same line as those in California.  Shame I don't remember more. Sounds overall more hybrids are required hereabouts.

That is Zinfandel:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinfandel

fluffy2560 wrote:

I looked at the grape plant again this afternoon and it looks pretty healthy considering it's been beaten to death and trampled on by building work.   Seems pretty vigorous.  I cannot see any signs of disease.

If it grows, without anit-fungus spraying, then most likely American. It may be a hybrid, but I would have to see the leaves and fruit to tell more. American vines are also very vigorous. Much, much more than European vines. Some can easily grow up to 10 m in one season.

Ah I read that Wiki article.  A lot to absorb. 

There are some leaves on the vine but no fruits as it's only about 18" high.   It does seem to be rather keen to get going.  I think it wouldn't do 10m a year.  When it was on the other side of the fence, I spent quite a lot of time removing it invading from our fence and removing the grapes.  They were small ones. Mrs Fluffy said they weren't that good and other varieties should be planted.  But now it's on our side, it's being looked after (at least for the moment),  I never saw the neighbour spraying it on his side.  He has about 4 or 5 lines of vines about 20m long.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Ah I read that Wiki article.  A lot to absorb.

Been an Oenophilia for 30 years. Been growing and making my own for 20+ years. I am still absorbing and learning things.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Ah I read that Wiki article.  A lot to absorb.

Been an Oenophilia for 30 years. Been growing and making my own for 20+ years. I am still absorbing and learning things.

That term made me thought about the difference between Oenology  and Viticulture.  Looks a bit like a thin line.

Mrs Fluffy's cousin has a doctorate in viticulture. I read his thesis or at least a paper he published and it was diabolically hard work - something to do with the manufacture of liqueur or specifically fruit brandy.   Someone I work with occasionally has a husband with a PhD in Brewing - apparently stouts are his thing.

I quite like the idea of making wine etc.   My FIL is usually making wine and palinka from his vineyard and fruit trees down in Balaton.  Some of it is OK but I am sure an afternoon on the palinka down on his land would put you in a coma.   Unfortunately I no longer drink alcohol but I can enjoy the idea watching others.

fluffy2560 wrote:

That term made me thought about the difference between Oenology  and Viticulture.  Looks a bit like a thin line.

Not really a thin line. Viticulture is a subset of horticulture. And a viticulturist need not have anything to do with making wine. There are many grape farmers, who are viticulturists, who never make wine. They sell all their grapes to wine makers.

Thus the wine maker, or cellar master and the making of wine, is also different.

An Oenophile is simply someone who loves wine. An Oenophile need never even see a vineyard, and need not do anything but buy bottles of wine and enjoy them.

There is also the term "vigneron".... Which is sort of a combination of both, but really is  horticulturalist who says that the vineyard is all that matters to make the wine, and the cellar work is mostly an afterthought...

Of course, one can be all of the above, a viticulturist, a wine maker and an Oenophile. Especially if they have a small vineyard.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Mrs Fluffy's cousin has a doctorate in viticulture. I read his thesis or at least a paper he published and it was diabolically hard work - something to do with the manufacture of liqueur or specifically fruit brandy.   Someone I work with occasionally has a husband with a PhD in Brewing - apparently stouts are his thing.

Distilling is an entirely different topic. No wine is distilled. So a viticulturist need not really be involved in making beers or spirits, which is a different skill. Are you sure his degree was as you say? After all... "viticulture" is usually only about grapes. Not generic "fruits". And not so much about making brandy. Or maybe just a degree from a department as some University that normally deals with horticulture/viticulture and the uses of such horticulture products?

After all, I have a degree in Natural Resource Management. But some people may think of oil or coal as "natural resources". But the department where I got my degree did not deal with those, I don't have a degree dealing with either.

As Mrs Fluffy and I are moving our chicken house elsewhere, we've been discussing (again) using the freed up space for raised beds (even hot beds).   

In the UK people tend to make them using wooden railway sleepers (vasúti talpfa) stacked/bolted 3 or four high but we've  also seen brick built and also ones that are made using gabions or even brick.   

I'm very surprised at the price of railway sleepers - looks like 6000 HUF a pop!  That's more than I expected as I think I need like 30 of them for about 3 beds that are 2 sleepers long and 1 sleeper wide.

Anyone any thoughts on the better approach cost/performance wise - gabions,  brick or sleepers (if cheap enough)?

fluffy2560 wrote:

In the UK people tend to make them using wooden railway sleepers (vasúti talpfa)

Avoid this if a food garden. They are full of toxic chemicals.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden … s-safe.htm

Raised beds can be built using simple concrete blocks. No cement required. And can be rather easily removed later if wished. But I would not go more than on brick high (raised beds really do not need to be any higher). One example (there are many more of course):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9nL8YLpjEk

I personally pound rebar into at least one hole in the brick for support and fill with gravel to prevent weeds. Of course, concrete blocks are not as "attractive" as other options. But they can be hidden with planting annual flowers around them, or facing them with thin wood. If you wish, for a DIY project, you can also pour your own DIY concrete raised bed blocks which would be more attractive. Also videos on how to do this online.

DIY concrete raised bed panels "how to":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuSBwFkCiAw

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

In the UK people tend to make them using wooden railway sleepers (vasúti talpfa)

Avoid this if a food garden. They are full of toxic chemicals.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden … s-safe.htm

Raised beds can be built using simple concrete blocks. No cement required. And can be rather easily removed later if wished. But I would not go more than on brick high (raised beds really do not need to be any higher). One example (there are many more of course):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9nL8YLpjEk

I personally pound rebar into at least one hole in the brick for support and fill with gravel to prevent weeds. Of course, concrete blocks are not as "attractive" as other options. But they can be hidden with planting annual flowers around them, or facing them with thin wood. If you wish, for a DIY project, you can also pour your own DIY concrete raised bed blocks which would be more attractive. Also videos on how to do this online.

Oh right, never knew that about the toxic chemicals.   Good info, thanks.

I've noticed also I can get sleeper looking moulded blocks but they are pretty expensive.  DIY concrete blocks looks like an easy option since I think need about 12 per bed 2 x height.  Each one say,  1m long and 20-30cm high.  Be a bit of a factory but I'm not in a hurry and materials quite easy to come by here.  Previous owner left a large pile of wood for re-purposing - reorganising that out this week.

If you wanted to do hot beds, surely keeping it open at the bottom  without plastic sheets would encourage worms to join the party at the bottom?  It's a kind of growing compost heap surely? Or is for water retention?

Difficult subject but our compost heap has been invaded by rats.   This heap has mainly fruit and veg in it and other waste like chicken bedding and garden waste.  There is no food waste in it.

We've got about 2 m3 worth of compost going on there now.

Mrs Fluffy wants to poison the rats but with other animals about I'd like to try other alternatives to make the rodents leave.  I'm thinking:

1) Move the compost heap elsewhere and remove any opportunistic hiding places
2) Turn it over every few days to disturb them
3) Really make it soaking wet and therefore inhospitable
4) Take it all out and line with small sized galvanised mesh (I have a big roll of it) and also do all of the above.

Nuclear option:

5)  Just take it all, put it in bags and throw it all away

Any thoughts from anyone?

fluffy2560 wrote:

Difficult subject but our compost heap has been invaded by rats.   
(snip....)
Any thoughts from anyone?

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=compost+rats& … amp;ia=web

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Difficult subject but our compost heap has been invaded by rats.   
(snip....)
Any thoughts from anyone?

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=compost+rats& … amp;ia=web

Hmmm....I was thinking perhaps some practical experience here in HU rather than Mrs Google or whatever. 

In my own country, if you have rats, you have to notify the local government.

Not sure of the situation hereabouts.

fluffy2560 wrote:

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Difficult subject but our compost heap has been invaded by rats.   
(snip....)
Any thoughts from anyone?

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=compost+rats& … amp;ia=web

Hmmm....I was thinking perhaps some practical experience here in HU rather than Mrs Google or whatever. 

In my own country, if you have rats, you have to notify the local government.

Not sure of the situation hereabouts.

Rattus norvegicus is all over continental Europe. Reporting them here seems rather silly. Almost like reporting you have O2 where you live.....

We have rats. Had one in the house once, during renovation, which started to tunnel into the dirt between the stones in our house walls. Very annoying. Tried many non-lethal methods to no avail and was ultimately dispatched with poison. But that was an internal solution. Externally, remove one rat and others from nearby will simply move into the vacuum. Local solution is to discourage them from finding your compost pile an attractive food/home option. And those solutions were provided in the link I provided. You can also encourage rat predators (which I do -- raptor, foxes, snakes (I have and endorse the presence of an Aesculapian snake on our property), etc -- but living in suburbia I doubt you can do that much)

Personally, I have never had any problems with rats in my compost (and again .. we do have rats here). Because I don't make the compost pile overly attractive to rats (and probably because of the Aesculapian snake which can eat rats (especially young rats -- population control*)....). Using all the suggestions in the link I provided because rat issues are not a local issue**, but will be the same management issue world wide (eg - turning often, keeping it most, careful what you put into the pile, etc. etc. etc). For kitchen waste, if it makes up a significant amount of your compost source material, for example, maybe consider creating a separate worm casing compost bin for such waste. Hope this helps

* Having local predators or parasitoid are often a better control, with less work, than anything you can do directly. Work with nature, not against it.

** In theory.... Not always in practice. Not living in suburbia, there are far more local predators or other attractive places nearby which they will prefer and I can locally discourage them locally to go to those other places...  so it is relative to local conditions.....

klsallee wrote:

....(I have and endorse the presence of an Aesculapian snake on our property), etc -- but living in suburbia I doubt you can do that much)

.....

** In theory.... Not always in practice. Not living in suburbia, there are far more local predators or other attractive places nearby which they will prefer and I can locally discourage them locally to go to those other places...  so it is relative to local conditions.....

No snakes around here.  Well, not the horizontal legless slithering kind anyway.  We have foxes - we see them around but the dog chases them away as they come around to look opportunistically at our pet chickens.   Interestingly we had a surprise garden visit from what we think was a Merlin or something very similar - small hawk/falcon.  The sparrows disappeared rather fast.    Rats won't like birds of prey hanging around.

Anyway, Mrs Fluffy has been on the job and found out from the neighbours and her spies that the local government had cut back on vermin controls and subsequently there's a current plague of rats in the village.  We hadn't had any problems until this cut back and now they are everywhere including in our garden.  While we feel better that they are everywhere and we're not alone, I'd rather they go somewhere else.

In the meantime I've taken intermediate steps.  I've throughly soaked the compost heap multiple times,  cleared clutter around it to make it less easy to hide and for the rats to create runs. When the weather is better, I will dig it out, move it,  line it with mesh and leave it in a different position where there's more traffic.  We're also letting the chickens free range into it to ensure it's constantly "disturbed".

fluffy2560 wrote:

I've throughly soaked the compost heap multiple times

Ah, well, the trick there is to keep it moist, but not over wet. Too wet means no oxygen (anaerobic) and no composting will happen (especially worm composting). And anaerobic conditions (i.e. rotting material) may actually attract rats. 

Yeah.... it is complicated. 

But not difficult. Simply do the squeeze test. Take some of your composting bin material in your hand (not the new stuff, but some that has been there a while) and squeeze it hard. If you get more than one or two drops of water, it is too wet. Hope this helps

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

I've throughly soaked the compost heap multiple times

Ah, well, the trick there is to keep it moist, but not over wet. Too wet means no oxygen (anaerobic) and no composting will happen (especially worm composting). And anaerobic conditions (i.e. rotting material) may actually attract rats. 

Yeah.... it is complicated. 

But not difficult. Simply do the squeeze test. Take some of your composting bin material in your hand (not the new stuff, but some that has been there a while) and squeeze it hard. If you get more than one or two drops of water, it is too wet. Hope this helps

Ewww....I am not sure I want to squeeze compost but point taken.   Mrs Fluffy wants the compost heap taller than wider so I have to re-engineer the frame I made.  Make it twice the height.   Be harder to turnover though.

Anyway, the fiendish things seem to have gone somewhere else.  We haven't seen them for a few days since we made the compost wet and removed the clutter.

There are still lots of hiding places though.  One of them we saw a while back in our wood pile.  We're going to move it somewhere else because it's an eyesore and to keep up the activity in the area around their previous place.   I think there's always going to be somewhere for them to hide.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Ewww....I am not sure I want to squeeze compost

I am not judging about the manliness of being able to squeeze compost or not..... But if Charles Dowding** can squeeze his compost, so can you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf6CGj7xpFE;t=11m14s

** He has been dealing with compost for decades. I anyone knows his.... compost.... about compost, it is Charles. 

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Ewww....I am not sure I want to squeeze compost

I am not judging about the manliness of being able to squeeze compost or not..... But if Charles Dowding** can squeeze his compost, so can you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf6CGj7xpFE;t=11m14s

** He has been dealing with compost for decades. I anyone knows his.... compost.... about compost, it is Charles. 

Hmmm....I get the idea obviously but your riposte highlights a difference between capability and desirability.   It's like being a master criminal - presumably capable but is it desirable?  I've watched Mr Dowding but never noticed him squeezing it out.  I feel like I really didn't pay attention in compost class.

I've just had a look at my compost is quite rubbish compared to Charlie's.  And I actually copied his bin design so I'm doing something wrong with material, water content or something.  I'm going to let it get rained on a bit.  There's a tree overhanging it so it won't get completely soaked but maybe wet enough to ensure the rats are gone.

Worst year I have ever seen (anywhere) for cucumbers.

My cucumber plants on June 19th 2018:



My cucumber plants on June 19th, 2020:



Just too cold this year for cucumbers..... And many other warm loving squash. Peas and lettuce are doing great however (they like cool weather)

klsallee wrote:

...

Just too cold this year for cucumbers..... And many other warm loving squash. Peas and lettuce are doing great however (they like cool weather)

It seems to be drying up a bit today.  The wind direction previously was from the North and it looks like it swung around coming from the South West now.  Maybe it'll be a real June soon. 

Couldn't you put your cucumbers under cover to get them going a bit?

fluffy2560 wrote:

Couldn't you put your cucumbers under cover to get them going a bit?

Yes, you are right, this would have helped. And I put a lot of my crops under cover (low tunnels or fleece). But since I did not, it shows how bad the weather was this year (for cucumbers). In fact, some of my young starter plants I put under fleece in April actually died as April this year was too warm for them under fleece!!!! This has been a very strange year.

I guess the two reasons i did not put the cucumbers (or other squash which also are stunted) under cover was because normally by this time of the year my cucumber are 2 meters tall on my trellis (beyond my capacity to cover them ... so kind of a waste of time to setup covers if the weather improves) and I kept hoping the weather would improve....  so I did not cover them. Ping-Pong thinking. Failure.

Hi Fluffy
Been a really good season for me with the vegetables I grew on a Hugelkulture bed I constructed back in March, still picking aubergines, kale, cherry tomatoes and rhubarb chard, just wondered do you know where I can buy olive tree saplings as Italy is only a stones throw away and they've got lots, can we grow them here in Hungary?