chickencam Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Lovely carrots We have spent the last couple of days really attacking the allotment, it looks so much better now. The conditions were just right for pulling up the big thistles etc. We have found some very good leeks, sprouts are ok as are the kale, swedes and celeriac. We have also taken up the onions which were a bit of a disappointment, not helped by the fact that YD took them up and missed half a row of banana shallots which then got rotovated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Oh, what a shame you've lost the shallots Seems like a good year for carrots though, we pulled lots of them over the weekend. Today I have taken the passata machine out of hibernation - instead of picking tomatoes just to eat we are at last picking bowls full which need processing. I'm a happy bunny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Cor those carrots!!! I wanted to enter my cherry tomatoes in the village show. They were a good size but not all ripe. So I didn't enter them. Typical they are now beautifully red - perfect. I've done well with these this year - just by them being on the window sill. The cucumbers are growing well too - but still a bit spikey at one end. Sweet Peas have gone crazy - I've already had 3 good bunches off them. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 This was what my gorgeous hubby picked today. Here he is at the allotment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 That's looking good SC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 We are snowed under with runner beans and courgettes Think I'll be making chutney on the weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggasperated Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Finally have spotted signs of bean growth on my French beans, might be big enough to eat before the Scottish frosts arrive . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Well I have had five courettes and I have five plants so that is not good Is there anything I can plant at this time of the year? Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 Brought a huge cake tin of tomatoes away with me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Well I have had five courettes and I have five plants so that is not good Is there anything I can plant at this time of the year? Chrissie You can still plant some winter veg like Kale, Sprouts, Cabbages. Not long until you can plant some over wintering broad beans (we did brilliantly with those those year), some people reckon now is a good time for garlic too. We had our first turnips from the allotment yesterday won't be long before we get some corn on the cob too. We did some weeding yesterday.... 8 recycling sacks full!!!!!!!! And some evil little critter bit my foot twice It's itching like anything and I have a HUGE red lump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlina Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 You can still plant some winter veg like Kale, Sprouts, Cabbages. Not long until you can plant some over wintering broad beans (we did brilliantly with those those year), some people reckon now is a good time for garlic too. We had our first turnips from the allotment yesterday won't be long before we get some corn on the cob too. We did some weeding yesterday.... 8 recycling sacks full!!!!!!!! And some evil little critter bit my foot twice It's itching like anything and I have a HUGE red lump Good suggestions I've had a year beset by 'stuff' so gardening hasn't happened - planting some things now (before term starts and I have zero time) sounds like a good plan! Do the beans go outside or in a cloche or similar? The bite sounds like a red ant - especially if it's still there and sore (waspeze is the best thing I've found for red ant bites - have tried everything as have had a plague of them this year!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 I always plant garlic in September, it needs the really long growing season. We picked our first corn on the cob at the weekend - 4 cobs ready. The plants appear to mostly have one cob per plant instead of the usual three, must be the poor season as I haven't done anything differently. Aubergines are growing well in the polytunnel and we're drowning in green beans and tomatoes......I discover the kitchen occasionally Potatoes have grown well and luckily not been drowned as I feared......but they are badly damaged by slugs I have some Cara in large crates that we lined to keep out the wireworm (Click) beetles so we're hoping that that will have deterred slugs as well. Kestrel were the least slugged, Annabelle, Maxine and Charlotte were OK, lots to cut away though. Salad Blue were not worth cooking. We don't usually have a slug problem so I hadn't used nematodes....I might next year after this very wet season. Peas have done well and for once have behaved - I grow them in succession but they usually all need harvesting at the same time, this year they've followed on perfectly....we're on the fourth long row now and have two half rows still to follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 You can still plant some winter veg like Kale, Sprouts, Cabbages. Not long until you can plant some over wintering broad beans (we did brilliantly with those those year), some people reckon now is a good time for garlic too. We had our first turnips from the allotment yesterday won't be long before we get some corn on the cob too. We did some weeding yesterday.... 8 recycling sacks full!!!!!!!! And some evil little critter bit my foot twice It's itching like anything and I have a HUGE red lump Good suggestions I've had a year beset by 'stuff' so gardening hasn't happened - planting some things now (before term starts and I have zero time) sounds like a good plan! Do the beans go outside or in a cloche or similar? The bite sounds like a red ant - especially if it's still there and sore (waspeze is the best thing I've found for red ant bites - have tried everything as have had a plague of them this year!) There were lots of red ants around one of the areas I was working so that would make sense. It's still very red and swollen, but vinegar is keeping the itching at bay. We put the beans straight out, but OH covered them in a garden fleece when it got really frosty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 It could also be a horse fly bite, they can be very nasty, my OH has had 2 this year and both took some time to heal and have left a scar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 We have taken up about half of out potato crop. It was a mixed bag, the Maris Pipers were pretty good, the Picassos were very split and slug damaged, quite a lot of blight on the Voyagers and quite a lot of small potatoes. We cut off the haulms a couple of week back and have left them until now to dig up because we did this in a previous year where there was blight around and we managed to keep most of the crop, apparently it helps prevent the blight spores from getting into the ground and therefore to the tubors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggasperated Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 The first year my celeriac has grown really well now half of it is going to seed . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 My 2 older hens got into the veg patch yesterday and ate all the carrot tops. I need to rethink this veg growing lark & keeping chickens. This is the 2nd year on the trot they have eaten everything. Sage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 My 2 older hens got into the veg patch yesterday and ate all the carrot tops. I need to rethink this veg growing lark & keeping chickens. This is the 2nd year on the trot they have eaten everything. Sage That's why we were glad that our allotment came through last year.... Our veg growing was saved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Garlic Solent Wight and Elephant went in today. STILL picking raspberries Planting peas and sweet peas into root trainers into the cold frame tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Oooh, raspberries! ours finished a couple of weeks ago. We're still picking tomatoes so I haven't cleared the polytunnel yet but I do have winter salads growing in there. Garlic was planted 2 weeks ago, kale and leeks are doing well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 My October sown broad-beans have just started poking their little heads up. I am hoping for a May crop - that's if the frosts or the slugs don't get them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 I am still picking ripe tomatoes - never known them so late before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 Our tomatoes are no longer ripening on the vine, so we are picking them green and ripening them on the windowsill. Yesterday, I had a bumper collection at the allotment..... Loads of peppers (they are still doing well), some squash, one yellow courgette (courgettes have finished now I think), some kale, a cabbage, some sprouts, turnips, swede and some runner beans (which are also coming to the end). The season does seem to be later this year..... I don't think we were picking runner beans in October last year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 We picked strawberries today - I thought they might taste watery but they are superb! A really odd year. Our utility room looks like Harvest Festival.....without the tins of soup! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 We still have a few ripe tomatoes and we had one of those lovely meals on Sunday where the only bought things on the plate was the meat, we had potatoes, roasted onions, kale, carrots the first sprouts of the season,we have better sprouts than ever before by miles this year. ED was home for the weekend and her only food request was lovely fresh homegrown veg that had been properly cooked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
