Well, I'm in New York at the moment and as it's Halloween there are Squash everywhere and in everything. What better place could I be in for inspiration. However - I've just had a 'squash, vodka and cinnamon' cocktail. It wasn't good and not a recipe I'll be bringing back to the uk. I best get looki...

Hi, cut mine back last weekend to about 3 - 4 inches. Gave them some new top compost, bit of feed and water and brought them inside to sleep for the winter. I took off all fruit that looked like it might have some kick, but the smaller ones went in the composter. What's the worse that can happen ......

Same as everyone - mixed bag for different reasons. The good (sort of) * potatoes. Charlottes were the best. Blue kestrel and Casablanca also good. The first earlies never flowered (strange) but did produce a crop. * courgettes - although the gold rush were poor croppers compared to the green variet...

Hi, we pay £12 subs per plot, then £1 per rod. My plot is 5 rods so I pay £17 a year - an absolute bargain! The subs have just gone up from £5. Increase needed as we've had to replace lots of stolen equipment - to be fare it was £5 for years so probably about time. No greenhouses or sheds but you ca...

Crown prince is a fantastic tasting squash. My only reservation is that I've had mixed experience in 1) getting the seeds to germinate and 2) fruit actually forming on the plant - some none, others only one. I've never been overly successful at squashes but I keep trying. Is it normal to only have o...

Many thanks. Really interesting that it was listed so long ago. It's exactly as discribed. I wonder if it's a bit too ripe? Anyway, I boiled some, then mashed with butter, salt and pepper, and ovened it to get rid of water. It was lovely. I might try and oven some from raw, like I normally do, I jus...

So, I decided to go for it (picture below - lovely colour and looks like the picture on the seed pack cover) - however the squash is nothing like I expected. It has a really high water content (almost poring from it) and the texture (when cooked) is almost spaghetti like. Because of the high water c...

Thanks primrose. My plants look nothing like the pictures on the Internet. I do wonder if the pack contained the right seeds...... I'll dig out the pack and have another look. If they do taste good, I'll let you know!

Paula

Hi,

I love to grow novelty veg. This year I planted radish rat tails (suttons) . The plant looks nothing like the cover and has no fruit pods. However it does have a huge beet like root. Does anyone if you can eat this?

Many thanks

Paula

I think I'm going to need a bigger freezer! Great ideas, can't wait to start eating them (along with the other twenty or so other mixed squashes which are being revealed as the leaves die back). Although, when you do start eating squash it really does make it feel like autumn. Now to start thinking ...

Hi, well it's a few months on now so I thought I'd share the results. The over wintered chilli plants have done brilliantly and we've been harvesting lots of fresh (and very hot) chillies. Now all I need to do is try and dry them. I think I'm going to try splitting them and putting them in the oven ...

Last year my husband and I took trip through France and Italy. Along the way I bought lots of interesting looking seeds. So, this year I tried to grow a few in my allotment include the a squash called ' zucca lunga piena di Napoli'. The result is two squashes over a metre long which will require two...

I didn't get the patch dug in time to plant out my autumn shallot sets last year so I put them in individual pots and placed in a cold frame ( and watered every now and again) until April when I put them in the final position. I've had the most amazing crop ever! Will definitely do this again. Also ...

In my first year of allotmenting I was way too keen and put all of my bean and courgette plants out in early April. Just as I finishing, standing looking proudly at my plot one of the older guys came up to me and shook his head saying 'you don't want to be doing that'. I stood there in my pink welli...

Hi, it's been a month or so, and you were right - the flowers have dropped on their own. I potted them on with some fresh feed and all of the plants (doreset naga, lemon drop, tobasco and some others I can't remember the name of) appear to be doing better than ever. I'll keep you updated!