Kitchen Garden Forum

Morning Richard, yes i am on holiday and very much enjoying it.....

Loved your post, as it was full of interest.

Hi Robo,

It's been a strange year all round on the growing front. I had a problem with getting courgettes to germinat at first, but I now have eight very healthy plants which I'm cropping every other day. One year I also put it down to compost. Now, in case of poor seed I tend to grow 3 or 4 varieties, which has proved well. One year I didn't harden them off properly and the plants went in to shock and didn't survive.

French beans - first lot were grown in root trainers in a cold frame. 100% germination but because of going on holiday I had to put them outside when they were very small. Amazing they all survived and are cropping well.

However, I also put a row of cobra in the ground (triple amount 1 for me, 1 for the mice and 1 for the slugs). Strange outcome.... 5 plants ok, lots germinated but had all the tops eaten but I'm not sure by what. The bed they are in is over ran with red ants, but maybe it was pigeons - slug pellets were down so I don't think it was these? So third crop are back in the root trainers.... Purple something.

This years disasters (so far) are shallots (assume onion rot), half the garlics and broad beans (something enjoyed them though).

Pawty

My garlic went straight into the bin, absolutely rubbish! I will see if I can find what variety they were as the ones I had left I put in at home, though more pampered didn't make decent cloves either.

At least I have some courgettes!

Westi

I hate saying this, your stories of failure are encouraging for us apprentices though identifying the reason for those failures would be useful if it were possible.

In the case of garlic I'm convinced that over-wintering increases the risk of rot, also, did we ought to avoid watering garlic rather making it struggle for moisture. I noticed in some photos that the garlic was mostly above the soil rather than in the soil, was this a peculiar situation or had the grower purposely removed soil around the bulb ? My bulbs are always covered.

Should our growing areas or beds have the growing medium changed to suit a particular crop, like a lot of sand mixed into the loam then relying on adding nutrient as its needed rather than the crop getting everything it needs and some it doesn't need from the soil-mix. I once saw a TV documentary that included carrots growing in what was more like sand than soil, presumably this grower specialised in carrots feeding them on paraffin or whatever else that makes some carrots taste the way they do.

Out of five people I'm aquianted with, two of which are neighbours, none had ever used kale, didn't know what to do with it other than in one case adding it to soup. What is happening ? This far west we are mostly 10 to 15 years behind inland counties in a number of ways, some of which are worrying. My best friend and partner cares for me, she is often pointing out to me that I am also now 15 years out of touch in many ways but I know how to eat kale, make good sourdough and eat sourdough, I know what khoalrabi looks and tastes like (even though I can't spell) and that slugs will eat my carrot seedlings as they emerge. I know that if I'm not fed and watered for 16 hours I'll get poorly (they didn't know about this in our local general hospital )

Is anyone else 10 to 15 years out of touch in many ways ? Some ways ?

Morning Richard, i don't suppose there is a right or a wrong answer, it just depends what one wants out of life.

I always have, and always will, live in the past a little but, that's just me.....

Im acquainted with people (In West Wales in particular) who are unconcerned about "Not-keeping-up". One lady who occasionally gives me a lift into town to retrieve or deliver a vehicle for servicing has to always drive one particular route for fear of getting lost, she is much younger than me and there are only two ways into town. They have his and hers Apple laptops that are still on the same operating system installed when they bought them 7 years ago and can't install new software because their download speed is down to 1.25 mbps at best for which they pay £19 a month. The Welsh government paid £900 for the infrastructure to give us between 40 and 50 mbps for £15 a month but its all too complicated for them to even think about. (In fact its easy)

Compared to these people I'm a burning example of youth even though I'm not going on a dog-mushing holiday this year and only just realised its Wednesday.

So why am I 10 to 15 years behind ? Here are a few examples; I drive at 60 with the lorries on the motorway when it gets crazy rather than do white knuckles with the boy/girl-racers, Im shocked that a woman would pay £500 for a bag, or shoes, or £1000 on a dog.

Im bored, cabin fever, get on with garden work and a photo for you. Beti is a big girl now but still a puppy at 12 months.

Richard, thanks for posting a pic of Betti, she is smashing - really pretty!

I've unfortunately paid a ridiculous amount for a dog, (or rather Mr Westi actually), but no way such ridiculous amounts for bags & shoes! We have role reversal in this house, Mr Westi has all the cupboard space, all the shoes, (not handbags fortunately)

Westi
PS: Dog was worth it!

I haven't got an app - how many years out of date is that?

Westi wrote:Richard, thanks for posting a pic of Betti, she is smashing - really pretty!

Of-course they are worth it Westi, 5.30 this morning i'm getting snuffled into waking up for breakfast. Her breakfast. Beti doesn't sleep with me but she does have a choice of four sleeping positions around the barn. Today she had children visitors and spent the whole afternoon ignoring me and soking up the fun that children do without trying.

Look at this, her new toy, £25 for a frisbee. I give in, it does float in water and doesn't hurt if it hits you.

Today marks a sad day in the numbers household

It is the end of our pea harvest. Turns out we has 3 early varieties, no main and no late. The good news, I even managed to save some seeds so have 77 seeds that I can plant again next year. If anyone wants any, Drop me a line, I really dont need that meany peas

Hi Dan Numbers

I've just put another row in, another fingers crossed end of season sowing. In a week & popping up. I found some seedlings from my first sowing site, so thought why not? Transplanted the ones that popped up from dropped peas when clearing the bed, but they are sulking a bit. Packet of peas was 10p from In Xcess with 'use by' at beginning of this year, but all have germinated.

Went back down there today to get a new little fork & they had them again at 10p so stocked up. 'Use by' this year or just next year. Left the parsnips alone, but bought some more peas, broad beans, brassicas & salad seeds. Had to move around an extremely large man (width not height), who was going for the offer of 100 packets for £5 like it was the first day of the Harrod's sale. I did mention they were near or out of date & he looked at me blankly! Methinks he might be disappointed as also had to ask me what over sowing to account for losses with germination was.

Westi

Westi wrote:
I've unfortunately paid a ridiculous amount for a dog, (or rather Mr Westi actually),

Now come on Westi which was it you paid a ridiculous amount for, ???? !!!!

Tomatoes

If it is any consolation to anyone Mrs S and I have just got back from South Africa where we saw fields and fields of green tomatoes despite daytime temperatures of 24 to 30 degrees (and its their winter !!!).
What did intrigue me was how their tom plants survived because the nights were cold, very chill.

And, despite humidity no signs of blight.






The South African Orange crop must be good this year, the Baboon tasters from Del Monte they say "YES" judging by the amount we saw running across roads to go on raiding parties in the orange groves. run across road grab orange off tree, stuff in mouth with half sticking out, and run back across road to sit and eat it.
We could only guess that one side of the road was the picnic area.

Fascinating sight Pa. have never seen tomato plants looking quite like this. It looks like a positive jungle. Are the tomatoes actually harvested green for chutney making or just not yet ripe. Good that you have managed to make the most of your opportunities.

Primrose wrote:Fascinating sight Pa. have never seen tomato plants looking quite like this. It looks like a positive jungle. Are the tomatoes actually harvested green for chutney making or just not yet ripe. Good that you have managed to make the most of your opportunities.

Unfortunately there was no one around to ask. The toms were a plum type and it was a huge field totally full of them, what surprised us was the fact they were growing in bags.