Great looking spuds there @garden-to-eat! I am growing some too, my first try ever, so we'll see what they look like compared to yours!!! I was wondering how one knows when it's time to harvest, but you have explained everything. Thanks so much, and when I do my harvest post, whenever that may be, I'll be sure to get your opinion hehe!!
Hey woman-onthe-wing. Good to hear from you. That's great you're growing potatoes. Good luck and let's see some pictures when you harvest.
That's reminded me - I should take some now as they're all leafy and looking pretty good actually! (I think!) I have other things too out in my little greenhouse, and now things are growing bigger and it's got to the point where Im not exactly sure what to do next... haha. For example, I have a cherry tomato plant that's about 5" tall and currently in a pot about 5"diameter... it needs a bigger pot, right? But when, and how big is bigger? I don't expect you to answer @garden-to-eat if you're busy - I can look it up no prob - I am just showing you my level of novice haha! But surely I will get it all figured out and probably plenty of trial and error over the years :-)
No hurry to transplant the cherry tomato but it will have to go into a much larger pot if you expect to get much out of it. You know it's kind of late for a tomato plant that is only 5" tall. Are you going to let it stay in your greenhouse and produce in the autumn?
Errrrrrmmmmmm........ good question, and I have no idea whatsoever... oops! I have been a bit of a whimsical gardener this year... not getting anything planted at the right times but just having a general attitude of "It be right" (I'm from the Yorkshire Dales, England) and planting anyway. I have decided to put together a diary for next year though and be more organised about it! This year I'm just keeping them all alive and hoping for the best :-)
So you are in southern Ireland right? It's difficult not knowing the climate exactly but I assume it's rather on the wet side and doesn't get too terribly hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. We have to get your climate figured out first, then I can help with what might grow well there and when to plant things.
I'm up in the northwest coast, County Donegal, about 2 miles from the sea and a forest inbetween. It gets super stormy and wet, and even quite cool temperatures in summer. Most days are overcast and showery. The last couple winters have been milder than usual and very wet. Autumns are usually quite warm until about mid-October when the storms come and it gets chilly.
ok so tomatoes will have big trouble up there. Your best things to grow will be cool loving crops such as anything in the cabbage family (broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, etc). Any leafy greens like lettuce and root vegetables should do fine. Peas are good and you may get away with beans since they are easy. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant will have problems. Squash and cucumbers may work well since they love water but they may be slow due to the cool weather. There's some ideas. What are you interested in growing?
Ah ok yes, because tomatoes etc need lots of sunshine and warmth right?! I never stop hoping for a decent summer haha! Honestly I love all kinds of veg and fruit and would happily grow anything because I really would like to grow instead of buy. Organic food is so pricey but I refuse to poison my family with pesticides and GMOs so surely anyone's fingers can become 'green' with determination and experience over a few years! I'm glad you say broccoli would do well as broccoli is my ultimate love and I'd marry it if I could ;-) Thanks for this advice @garden-to-eat!