‘Hive Mind’ Letters to the editor – Beltane 23

May 1, 2023

Do you have a question for the ‘hive mind’? Do you have any answers to these questions? Do you have any top tips you want to share? Feel free to email the editoreditor@wwoof.org.uk

Questions from our membership

Funky veg

What’s the funkiest thing you are growing this year? I love trying out ‘new to me’ vegetables from all over the world and trying out almost lost heritage varieties. (image is of Oca tubers, or New Zealand yams)

Okra

Has anyone been able to grow okra successfully in the UK? My plants always only have about 5 fruits on them. Is there anything I can be doing to help them?

Gardening trousers

I always struggle to find proper work trousers, with pockets, under £100, that fit feminine curves properly and aren’t pink! Do you have a favourite pair or brand you go to? I find charity shops, where I get the rest of my clothes, don’t get donated good working trousers.

Early Tomatoes

What is the tomato variety you’ve found fruits the earliest from an unheated greenhouse? I can’t seem to get any tomatoes before August! 

Watering

Low cost ways of watering plants while you’re away? I’ve bought a couple of watering timers to use from my water butts, and am planning on setting up some capillary matting but is there another method I’ve overlooked?

Cucamelons

Most successful way of growing cucamelons without using up green house space?

Top tips

Weedy blackcurrants, better harvest!

This year I have left the cleavers / sticky grass growing all over my blackcurrants. Last year, I only got round to weeding half of my blackcurrants and the ones I hadn’t weeded had far more fruit on them! It’s now obvious to me that I made it very easy for the birds to eat all the fruit on the weeded bushes, but almost impossible (or at least not worth the effort) on the ones I left the weeds on. 

Do you have a question for the ‘hive mind’? Do you have any answers to these questions? Do you have any top tips you want to share? Feel free to email the editoreditor@wwoof.org.uk

All images belong to WWOOF UK members or have been taken from Wikimedia Commons

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