Quadgrow Diary
The Quadgrow keeps plants fed and watered, without sitting them in water, so they grow healthy and strong. Read our growing diary below to see the great results we have achieved this season.
Throughout the season four Quadgrow systems were set up in the polytunnel:
1. 2 pots of beans and 2 cucumber plants
2. 4 pots of tomatoes of 4 different varieties
3. 4 pots of chillies of 4 different varieties
4. 4 pots of aubergines of 2 different varieties
Weekly Diary
| 17th April 2009 (week 1) | Seeds are sown |
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This week we planted up a new Quadgrow. Two pots are planted with a mini cucumber called Cucino and two pots are sown with Dwarf beans Sonesta and Safari mixed. The lids turn the pots into mini propagators and protect the plants form cold nights. |
| 22nd April 2009 (week 2) | Germination begins |
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The beans are just beginning to germinate. |
| 6th May 2009 (week 4) | Flowering begins |
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The cucumbers are now flowering and some fruit are beginning to form. More beans have germinated. |
| 19th May 2009 (week 6) | A new Quadgrow is planted |
It is all action in the Quadgrow now. The mini cucumbers are well under way, producing both flowers and fruit. The beans are looking healthy and growing well. |
Also this week we planted another Quadgrow with tomatoes. We used varieties Scarlatto, San Marzano, Rosada and Sweet Million. |
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27th May 2009 (week 7) |
Harvest: 7 cucumbers Cucumber growth: 50cm & 70cm |
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The tomatoes have grown really well since they were planted 10 days ago, with trusses beginning to form. |
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10th June 2009 (week 9) |
Harvest: 16 cucumbers in total Cucumber total growth: 60cm & 89cm |
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This week the beans have begun to flower. |
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17th June 2009 (week 10) |
Harvest: 21 cucumbers in total Cucumber total growth: 76cm & 105cm |
Beans have begun to grow and cucumber production is increasing as the season progresses. It will soon be time to pinch out the tops of the cucumbers. |
The tomatoes, meanwhile, are beginning to fruit. Sweet Millions and Rosada both have fruit forming. |
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| 1st July 2009 (week 11) | Harvest: 25 cucumbers in total 450g beans Cucumber growth: Having reached the top of the cane, they have been stopped. |
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A new Quadgrow has been planted with chilli plants. The chillies will be going to the West Dean Chilli Festival in August. We suffered a great loss last week as one of the cucumber plants died due to a wilt infection which got into the plant after it was moved. We still have one cucumber plant and the two pots of Sonesta and Safari beans in the bean/cucumber Quadgrow. |
The Tomatoes are doing well with fruit forming on Rosada, Scarlatto and Sweet Million. |
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8th July 2009 (week 12) |
Harvest: Cucumber: 27 in total Beans: 650g in total |
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Meanwhile, the chilli Quadgrow has been moved over to the greenhouse so that we can make sure that it gets the very best of care in time for the show in August. |
In the tomatoes Quadgrow the fruit are beginning to ripen. |
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| 15th July 2009 (week 13) | Harvest: Cucumber: 28 in total Beans: 750g in total Tomatoes: 100g |
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Wow! The chilli plants are already beginning to fruit! |
| 22nd July 2009 (week 14) | Harvest: Cucumber: 36 in total Beans: 200g Tomatoes: 300g |
| The cucumber and beans are still cropping, although the beans have begun to slow down a little. There are still flowers forming though. |
The tomatoes are really just getting going. They were planted quite late which is why they are so are late to begin cropping. The cherry varieties, Rosada and Sweet Millions, are the first to ripen, and tasty they are too. |
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The chillies that Richard gave me to plant up in this Quadgrow are very interesting. One variety is called 'Goats Weed', another is a strain of 'Lemon Drop' and there is also 'Aji Chrystal' and 'Champion'. |
7th August 2009 (week 16) |
Harvest: Cucumbers: 3 Beans: 70g Tomatoes: 250g |
| The beans are still cropping although yields are now slipping away. While, the chilli Quadgrow has successfully and safely been loaded onto a van to be taken to the Chilli Festival at West Dean
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The tomatoes are ripening up beautifully! |
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| 21st August 2009 (week 18) | Harvest: Tomatoes: 500g |
| The cucumber Quadgrow has been dismantled and replanted with aubergines, 'Slim Jim' and 'Black Beauty'. They were fairly big when they were planted into the Quadgrow so it won't take very long for them to get going.
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The chillies have made it back from the chilli festival in one piece with plenty of fruit to ripen. The fruit on the chilli Quadgrow are developing beautifully and in copious amounts. With such unusual varieties, they are sure to interest visitors to the greenhouse. |
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| 2nd September 2009 ( week 20) | Harvest: Tomatoes: 850g |
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Scarlatto have swelled up to a large, weighty fruit. Whereas the aubergines are settling in nicely. |
The chillies are beginning to ripen in their Quadgrow which is performing particularly well.
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| 16th September 2009 (week 22) | Harvest: Tomatoes: 900g Chillies: 3 fruit |
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The Aubergine Quadgrow is going looking well but for one or two snail munchings. I pinched out the tips after planting it up and the plants are bushing out nicely.
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The chillies are ripening beautifully. This is a strain of Lemon Drop. It has developed slightly larger, more contorted fruit than our other Lemon Drop plant which is planted in a hydro system. The Chillies have taken a trip to Nottingham to take part in the Nottingham Food Festival with The Worm that Turned.
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