Life on the allotment through photos

[Pawty]

Here they are.... In an Alaskan bar.....

[Geoff]

I'm afraid they look like the recycling after a night out to me.

[OscarSidcup]

I jut looked at all your wonderful pictures of produce, preserving and nature. Well done all. I've had a few ups and downs. I'll forget the downs (like the blight or the foxes) and will just memorise the ups. .. Amazing tomatoes, carrots, strawberries beetroot and salads to name a few. Giant sunflowers in the making.
And i thought i would share my first ever pickling trial. Hoping it will taste nice - funny coloured beetroots with Swedish vinegar and spices.

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Happy bank holiday weekend everybody

[Pawty]

Thanks Oscar- and that's a good looking jar of pickled beetroot. What's the variety?

I'm glad you like the photos. I haven't taken as many as I planed but next year I'm planning to take a few more and start a few threads to help I.d things like pests and disease. I lost a few things to mystery things and I wish I'd got photos so that I can understand them I bit more.

Now, what to pickle this weekend.... Have a glut of runners so maybe some runner bean chutney.... I'm off to Bulgaria on Monday so am hoping to bring back a few recipes/ ideas .... And maybe some seeds........

Pawty

[OscarSidcup]

Thanks Pawty - In this jar I put 2 types: Chioggia (with the white rings) and Burpees Golden. I put the F1 Pablo in jars on their owns that they don't color everything red at once!

For the pickling I tried two types. One lot I put in the standard pickling vinegar from Sarson's and the other lot I did my own pickling juice adapted from one I found on the Internet (so can't claim ownership!)... recipe below (but not yet tested so no guarantee!)

1 cup water
2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
2 teaspoons mixed spices: I put mustard seeds and coriander seeds (the original recipe asked for celery seeds which I could not find anywhere!)

This was just enough for 2 small kinler jars of pickles.

Time will tell...


Safe travels

[OscarSidcup]

Lovely weekend so had lots of fun tending to the vegetables. A photo here of the raised bed with tomatoes and strawberries.

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The tomatoes (San Marzano) were rescued from the brink of blight and now get a regular spray of "bouillie bordelaise" (bit weird to see blue tomatoes though). I lost a few but the plants remained healthy (despite some stems showing signs of serious attack) and lots of new growth came with beautiful fruits that will hopefully mature well. I cut so many leaves and even new flowers as at this stage I guess it is too late. I ma still amaze at how much these grow; such vigour! Note for next year - less density and stricter pruning to avoid the confused entanglement I have this year!

The strawberries are of two varieties. "Mara des Bois" were early ones (and fabulous);, they are finished so I cut them back this morning, leaving space for the late "temptation". Loads of fruit now just eagerly sucking up the sun. It being my first year I also completely ignored the suckers... I planted 5 Mara Des Bois and 6 Temptation. Both propagated like rabbits, so next year this bed will be devoted to strawberries... I cut all the suckers and just left the new plants, which all had good roots, so let's see.

[Westi]

Brilliant day down at lottie, sunny, calm & quiet with just the sound of the farmer harvesting in the field behind. Have a great crop of apples this year, as trees maturing the individual fruit size is getting quite big. Same with the grapes, individual grapes are filling out nicely.

The end pic here is my celeriac, they are already bigger than the size I usually harvest at. Their next for the grass clippings mulch, and a wee feed. Lots of muck dug in before planting, but no evidence in the soil, back to it's normal sandy loam.

Westi

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Celeriac to follow apparently!

[Westi]

So here it is!

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Westi

[OscarSidcup]

These are awesome Westi! Celeriac - i did not want to plant them as they take space, but I love celeri remoulade. Your hard work is really paying off, well done!

[Westi]

Thanks OscarSidcup!

I've been working on my celeriac, not my favourite veg but at times you crave the flavours, so persevered! I put these in under / near the apple tree, I think the wee bit of shade for part of the day is the secret to this years success, as previously the were in full sun & my sandy soil dried out too quickly, despite constant improving it always does.

Westi

[retropants]

we picked a lot of our apples on Sunday, as the parakeets and an annual thief take them if we don't. We have inherited a proper apple storage thingy (of wooden construction, with wooden slatted drawers) from a house clearance. We nearly filled it, but took the windfalls home to cook and freeze.