Kitchen Garden Forum

Second morning of hard overnight frost. Not rough crystals, smooth costing like frozen prawns. Had to scrape the car.

For two or three years now I've listened in vain for our cuckoo. I thought they were supposed to return to their same habitat. This suggests that the parent has died and any offspring have failed to survive and return to their native spot. It is sorely missed.

It was about two weeks ago that I reported hearing a cuckoo and seeing a single swallow, neither can be mistaken for any other bird. I haven't heard or seen either since.

Whilst we get a lot of wind here and sideways rain, it is usually several degrees warmer. No wind this morning, close to ten degrees and no dew on the grass, I'm going to do some watering. The ground is dreadfully dry.

I sometimes wonder if the strong winds we get are more damaging than low temperatures, I have struggled to grow Escalonia for years. Escalonia is a coastal shrub, my Sea Buckthorne whilst doing ok has struggled though it has done its job very well.

Im cutting some grass every week but just to keep it tidy rather than a need to cut, I'm cutting because it's growing. If we had rain it would grow twice as fast.

It was white over with snow/hail when I got up but then there was a brief rain shower and it all went. It had only been just below zero so hadn't penetrated the cold greenhouse or the tunnel. now climbed to 5.7 but a cold wind still. I was hoping to take the double cover off the outside Potatoes today but it now says two more nights of possible frost. The tunnel Potatoes are just starting to flower. Biggest problem is my rootrainers are still full of Greenshaft Peas and I want them for Runner Beans and Sweet Corn next week.

Bizarre that we are warmer than you Geoff, the coldest spot this morning as I traveled to town and back was 8 degrees. Every now and then the sky brightens as the sun tries to get out and it shoots up to 10 degrees.

It's been raining hard for the last three hours no sign of it easing

Much nicer day here, although the wind is getting up now.
Sunshine for most of the day

I sowed some Hurst Greenshaft peas, and some Rainbow Mix carrots this morning. I've never grown Rainbow Mix before, but they were a present from my granddaughter, so must be grown

Anybody tried them before?

I tried some Rainbow Mixed a few years ago. The flavour was good but unfortunately they were so damaged by carrot fly that by the time I'd cut all the bad bits out there was precious little left worth eating.

I always grow a row of coloured carrots. I first tried them just for fun & it did take a while to get my head around the fact they were not orange, but the taste won me over as some are really carroty if that makes sense.

Just treat them the same as other carrots - environmesh over them from sowing though, as they do attract attention as also smell a bit more as well so attract the beasties!

Westi

They are worth growing then

When I've grown carrots in the garden here before, I haven't been troubled by carrot fly much.
Very few people around here seem to grow veg.

The main pest here is the cabbage white, but as I'm not growing brassicas, they shouldn't worry me

Hi PJ

They are worth growing but because it is a mix you take your chances and the ones I grow don't give varieties on the pack - just rainbow! Some are not too great, but acceptable! Many have coloured outers & orange centres - they are nice!

Just experiment Pj & if you can work out the varieties let me know.

Westi

Westi wrote:Hi PJ

They are worth growing but because it is a mix you take your chances and the ones I grow don't give varieties on the pack - just rainbow! Some are not too great, but acceptable! Many have coloured outers & orange centres - they are nice!

Just experiment Pj & if you can work out the varieties let me know.

Westi

Hi Westi,

These are just Rainbow Mix from Premier Seeds Direct. No other info at all, not even sowing instructions.
I'm quite looking forward to seeing what I get

Hi,

I do grow rainbow mix occasionally. However, growing these made me realise I love the yellow ones and not so keen on the purple ones. So I regularly grow Yellowstone (I think that's what it's called) - really sweet, great crop last year in a raised bed. And don't grow purple haze - found it to be a bit tasteless compared to other orange varieties.

Pawty

Pawty wrote:Hi,

I do grow rainbow mix occasionally. However, growing these made me realise I love the yellow ones and not so keen on the purple ones. So I regularly grow Yellowstone (I think that's what it's called) - really sweet, great crop last year in a raised bed. And don't grow purple haze - found it to be a bit tasteless compared to other orange varieties.

Pawty

Hi Pawty,

I'm looking forward to the taste test now

Overnight frost last night.