Kitchen Garden Forum

Brrr! Just a little above 3C here last night, and that's in the greenhouse. No frost but the wind was fierce yesterday- if I don't take down my runner beans and their supports soon, they will come down of their own accord.
I harvested my florence fennel this week, a decent crop if not as plump as I would have liked, but an absolutely superb flavour. I shall be growing greater quantities of this in succession next year.
My tomatoes, courgettes and aubergines are still cropping so I will see how long they can last. The yellow delight plants will come out soon, mind you, as they are pretty well exhausted with yellowing leaves, but they've given their all to the last and were delicious.
There's plenty still going on with salad seedlings and I'm pleased to have received my garlic bulbs today, so I'm looking forward to getting those in.

I put in my garlic yesterday! I'm confused though with the planting depth - when I started growing it was leave the tips showing but cover with netting to stop the birdies getting interested, now saying plant deeper. I tried deeper last year & strong healthy tops gave very little return! Just a bad year or bad guidance?

The leaflet that came with mine said to plant it so that the base of the clove is at a depth of twice the length of the clove. I remember from years gone by, though, that they used to say about leaving the tips exposed; my RHS allotment book says to plant them just below the surface - take your pick!
I'm going with a hybrid version. I need to put a good deep layer of green waste compost on my beds to improve the soil, so I'll plant into that and so that the tips are just below the surface. This should keep them out of the heavier part of the soil and make them less prone to rotting over the winter.

Still got a tomato plant [Harbinger] with very green fruits on. Do I take a gamble and leave it out for a bit longer or pick now. Really wanted this plant for next years seed.

After the blight my tomatoes are showing healthy new growth a couple have succumbed but most have survived,I normally get the last ripe tomatoes in November but I don’t plant them as early as some on out allotment

Picked what i think might be my last outdoor cucumber and courgette today. Still have a few flowers on plants but can,t see them developing into anything.
I have one self sown pepper (or possibly chilli) olant growing in my veg patch which is bearing tiny fruits. Might dig it up and repot into my plastic greenhouse or even indoors to see if anything will come of it but dont have high hopes so late in the season.

Shallotman, can you cover your tomato plant with some fleece to protect it.? Did you not manage to save any seeds from your earlier tomatoes from it?

I always save the seed from early harvested tomatoes if I want to keep the seed as ive learned from bitter experience if you wait until later in the season you could lose all your fruit from blight.

Primrose wrote:Shallotman, can you cover your tomato plant with some fleece to protect it.? Did you not manage to save any seeds from your earlier tomatoes from it?

I always save the seed from early harvested tomatoes if I want to keep the seed as ive learned from bitter experience if you wait until later in the season you could lose all your fruit from blight.

Primrose. Yes I did save earlier Toms, trouble is, wife has dementia and ate them.

Oh that's unfortunate. I guess in future you'll just have to tuck them away safely somewhere until you can process them.

5 degrees this morning when I went down to lottie & it wasn't that early. By 1pm I had shed the coat, the fleece & the long sleeve T shirt & down to vest top as it hit 18 & the sun came out & the wind died down! Then you have to lug the excess layers home again! Mind I may have worked up the excess warmth as official first full visit to the plot for the new family addition!

Went better than expected, but she has a problem noting the black plastic netting & going around does not enter the wee brain, but diving forward & bouncing off is entertaining to watch & great for spotting if not secured tightly enough!

She is a cutie, Westie...

I just love the name of the heritage french bean, that D.T.Brown have introduced to their collection, 'Lazy Housewife'.
I can see a few Husbands wearing a frying pan....

Well I have put the factor 50 away....

Ive cut off al,the remaining tomatoes and put them in the greenhouse to (hopefully) ripen. We are going to see if we can break up the hard standing this week, and I can finally start my new little veg plot at home.

Retropqnts. Hope the weather permits demolition. I sense your frustration at not having a vegetable growing area in your current home and sense you are just itching g to get going again ! At least for a few months now you have the relief of knowing you're not really missing out on another growing season.

All my tomatoes are ripening nicely indoors now. Still have too many and freezer is jammed packed full too - An embarrassment of riches this year. And i still have one butternut squash in the garage to use up from last year which still, on the outside at least seems to be in excellent condition. These plants are excellent provision for lockdown storage and similar emergencies !

Primrose wrote:........ And i still have one butternut squash in the garage to use up from last year which still, on the outside at least seems to be in excellent condition. These plants are excellent provision for lockdown storage and similar emergencies !

Oh yes!

I regularly have squash from the previous year around when about to harvest the current years crop.
Got some huge butternut this year.