Planting Out

 You have to make your own decisions as to when you think all risk of frost is over.  A few weeks ago I planted out just two of my tomato plants in a calculated risk.  This is my first Sungold tomato.  This week in London it is predicted to get up to 30 degrees so I have just planted out the rest of my tender veggies! They wouldn't do well in pots this week.

 Making the best use of a small space involves companion planting, I grow climbing Blauhilde beans up walls, and up other plants and veggies. These are a lovely purple French bean, and very prolific.

 I use these lovely planters to grow up a South facing wall.  To the left is a climbing courgette Black Forest - one of my all time favourites. To the right is a Romanesco courgette  a bush variety from Seeds of Italy. Both very prolific and very healthy.

 Growing in a partially shaded West facing wall up against the house is this Morello Cherry.  Fruit has set well and I am keeping it well watered because soil under brick walls tends to be quite dry even in wet weather.  I am off to the garden centre today to buy some netting so that the blackbirds don't eat them all!

 These vegetable planters are double the depth of a traditional growbag and I have had good success with tomatoes here.  The cane support frames are really good here.

These large pots have the bottom cut out down into the grow bag.  This is a 'ring culture' which provides extra root space for growth, restricts the feeding roots at the top of the soil so that the plant grows tall, and the tap roots go down into the bag looking for water. Feed the top, water the bottom.  These are Joe's Long cayenne chillis.  A large plant with very long chillis reaching 12" or more.