Kitchen Garden Forum

I don't have anywhere to store potatoes so I keep them in the ground and harvest when needed - high risk strategy because of slugs and mice (I need one of those cats at the allotment). But they seem to keep away from the pink fir apples. Made delicious oven baked chips from these last night.

Some of those are a good size Pawty - congratulations!

Slugs are my nemesis, got to do some research over winter before next years go in as it appears I've got my growing Ok as size was good but not when 3/4 of it goes in the compost full of slug holes!

Westi

Enjoy those spuds Pawty, should taste good.

Westi
Our spuds this year were planted in a 60sq mt section of the plot that had had two cubic metres of sharp sand mixed into it 2 years ago to break up some of the clay base

This was the first time since that sand was introduced that potatoes have been grown there and it was highly noticeable how little slug damage we suffered.

I'm just going to get some very late planted Charlotte potatoes, (so will scrape nicely), runner beans, carrots, a parsnip and some curly kale.
So looking forward to dinner tonight.

Rainbow Chard, kale, a very wee cabbage, 3 courgettes and a handful of berries.

My dahlias are amazing - the last show before a frost, but full of flowers & full of new buds. And full of bees - one was very intent on the bunch I was taking home & tried to follow them into the car. All OK though, used the same flower he liked so much to get him out.

Westi

I harvested a few carrots from a concrete trough which were totally carrot-fly free and the taste was so different from the commercially grown supermarket ones. It's really satisfying to eat things you've grown yourself. i have masses of kale still to harvest. I supect we may be growing a little bored with it by the time winter is over though!, I'm hoping the few remaining runner beans I have left growing will survive the imminently dropping overnight temleratures.

Thirty foot row o King Edward.
Very disappointing, riddled with holes loads of unwanted residents and small, not even a flat to the brim barrowful.

Only good spuds I've had this year were Pentland Javelin.
Just had some as steamed 15 mins, then baked with spices dusted on, wedges, delicious cram taste.

Must get my normal Charlotte and Nicola that I failed to secure this year.

Today I harvested a bunch of baby beetroot [cylindra, seeds courtesy of KG mag] which i planted in a large pot near the terrasse. They are currently boiling away, i am pickling them for this winter.
I also harvest a few carrots (2 purple sun, 2 yellowstone and 1 resistafly) which alongside a couple of onions (Paris silverskin) and 2 small cucumbers (Prima Top still going strong outside!) i will also pickle - i just hope the purple sun will not bleed all over the rest. Time will tell.
It's a good thing i like pickles...

ok, if anyone (but me) was in doubt, my red carrots are discolouring in the pickling liquid

I thought I would share... Looking forward to trying red cucumbers, onions and garlic (oh and orange carrots turned red too!) later this year

Hey Oscar, they look really good!

I've never had pickled carrot - do they stay crispy?

I picked a courgette today - mid October! You think you've had the last one and then the plant start producing again.

Also, last of the chArlotte potatoes, kale and picanti peppers.

I had planned a dig day today but we had so much rain last night, it wouldn't have done the ground any good.

Pawty

I harvested the sweetest little cabbage. I always cut the cabbages & put the cross on the top. From this I always get loose leaves which are nice and tender, but one of last years savoys has given me 3 little tight headed mini cabbages, just enough for 2!

Westi

I honestly have no idea if the carrots will stay crisp - i most wholeheartedly hope so, that is what I am aiming for...
I will let you know around Christmas (can't wait 3 months so setting this milestone as THE one when everything will be ready...)

Geoff - if I could click on a 'like' button I would.

They look amazing - very jealous!

I see you have crown prince squash. So so delicious but the most filling veg I have ever tried. We were eating ours for a good couple of weeks once we stared!

Pawty

Geoff - amazing harvest! You must be chuffed indeed! What's those white pumpkins? Are they good to eat? Is the flesh yellow/ orange?

Just because you mentioned how filling they are Pawty, they can keep quite well for some time! If you take out all the seeds then push cling film into the gap right next to the flesh they'll go on for ages. Just cut off thin bits if it dries too much. Also if you cut your chunk off and microwave it for a minute or so it is much easier to cut the skin off!

Westi