Alis girls Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 I have given up my allotment but we had some old guy who used to pinch stuff. I dont know if he'd been told but I dont think they came down too heavy as he might have had dementia. Some house holders whose gardens backed onto allotments had a door put in so they could help themselves - I think they were reported and seemed to have moved on. Some people have no morals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 We have a serious strawberry glut. I made 3 kg into jam on Monday and froze another kg, today I have picked at least 4kg probably more. These will be frozen for future jam and smoothie making, however there are loads more coming on and the plants still have flowers. They are an ever bearer variety just into their 3rd season, we had hardly any last year, this year there are loads of weeds and grass in the bed and they are producing like mad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Wow - that is a lot of strawbs Are they good and tasty? Its great when a plant finally takes off isn't it, you feel all the fuss and nuturing is worthwhile. You could make some ice-cream, homemade strawb is one of the best I know...and I don't even like strawberry ice-cream We have had a few days of heat and thunderstorms, followed by today which was rainy and is still cool. Yesterday I collected 40 windfall lemons. Today we drove past a lemon grove which was also full of windfalls so I think many of them must be naturally ripe in June, even though there is fruit on the tree all year round. I am going to make marmalade, lemonade and maybe a lemon drizzle and a lemon granita. Despite the fact we have enough gin to sink the Titanic, there is no way I can drink enough to even dent the pile. We are now not allowed a meal that doesn't involve lemon juice (it dresses both barbie meat/fish and salads), and all water is served with lashings of lemon slices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 I have lemon envy Daphne When we stay at a friends villa in Sao Bras Del Alportel, she has a lemon tree and I can't help picking several when we are there. She told me to strip the tree when I left last year and I made Limoncello with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Does anyone have a foolproof easy strawberry ice cream recipe. My OH has a serious ice cream habit so a good nutritious one would go down well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I've used this one a few times, only I use coconut sugar instead of normal sugar. http://www.food.com/recipe/strawberry-ice-cream-like-ben-and-jerrys-122151?photo=20262 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Thanks sounds pretty straightforward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 12, 2015 Author Share Posted June 12, 2015 yes, sorry, I probably should have posted earlier. OH appears to make it up as he goes along, but I know we always use a 'no cook' recipe, and I'm pretty sure 99% of the time its just fruit/sugar/cream - often single, or a mix of double and milk - and sometimes but not always, eggs. SC's recipe looks good to me, I wouldn't worry if you didn't have the lemon. Our end results are very pale, but very tasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Finally got my new garden, so runners are in (my mum grew some plants for me so they're not too far behind where they should be. I had a load of seed potatoes which wouldn't keep, so I've shoved them in today to take their chances. No time for anything else (too much decorating to do), but the raspberries are laden, as are the blackcurrants, there's a blueberry with fruit, Apple, pear and plum all with fruit. And a Jostaberry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Sounds like my sort of garden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Forgot to add, we ate our first two turnips yesterday, raw instead of radishes, they were yummy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 I love turnips - do you eat the tops too? They are quite common over here, cooked like kale/spinach, delicious I bet I have encountered a gardening issue which is unusual to most of you. Whilst weeding, I have to dodge falling peaches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 *peach envy* On a 7 day working block now, but popped down yo the lottie to do some watering yesterday. I am stunned at how quickly everything is growing now. My sunflower stems are thickening up, the courgettes, squashes and pumpkins have had a growth spurt and must be appreciating the warmer weather Peas aren't looking too good, but all in all not bad. The raised beds are all full, but I still need to find space for the kale, somewhere! Am thinking when the early potatoes come up, I might put them there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 today is my favourite day of the growing season the first spuds are ready. fresh new tatties for dinner tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 We dug some Swift yesterday that had already started to get set skins I will try one of the other varieties which are still in flower. Swift are one of those varieties which don't really flower it was only when I was examining the plants that were looking a bit sick I realised they had tiny flower stalks so had obviously gone over with our really showing. I can take or leave potatoes as a rule but fresh new ones are one of the great joys of the veg growing calendar. I could eat a whole bowl full with melted butter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Meant to say we had our first spring onions and chard yesterday and our first two small courgettes today, I am sure that the novelty will soon wear off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 I dug up my earlies yesterday and had a large bowlful with melted butter and salt. Delish! Pulled some beetroot today to give the rest more space. Boiled and skinned (with disposable gives) and eaten out of the pan. #redtongue So nice, I planted more seeds as it seems to do very well in the heavy soil at the allotment. Never had much luck in my raised beds at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 potato flowers have no bearing on the tubers in fact a lot of first earlies don't flower some and I think swift is one produce flower buds but the don't always open. the best thing to do with FE's is to go by how long they've been in the ground Swift and Rocket it's about 8 weeks from sowing to harvest decent FE's it's 8-10 weeks for 'new' potatoes think canned spud size loose skins 2nd earlies about 14 weeks for fresh dig em and cook em. 2nds and mains for storing lift 2 weeks after the tops have died off to allow the skins to set I normally have a grub around about 8 or 9 weeks and if the spuds are about ping pong ball size then I'll dig a root or 2 up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Good tip, I must make better bores on when I plant them then. I knew that some first earlies didn't really flower, but I had always understood that they had to have some sign of flowering before they were ready to eat. I will poke about in the soil at some of my other varieties. The first to be in full flower were my main crop Motzart, I think that a bed of potatoes in full flower is a beautiful sight, some are quite fragrant too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Good tip, I must make better bores on when I plant them then. I knew that some first earlies didn't really flower, but I had always understood that they had to have some sign of flowering before they were ready to eat. I will poke about in the soil at some of my other varieties. The first to be in full flower were my main crop Motzart, I think that a bed of potatoes in full flower is a beautiful sight, some are quite fragrant too. potato flowers are some of the prettiest flowers Salad Blue flowers are one of my favourites pale blue with an almost black centre my mains flowered first as well and they were planted at least 10 after the earlies the 2nd earlies had buds on them for at least 2 weeks before they flowered Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 *peach envy* Well we've been away on holiday and the sugar snaps have gone over already!!! Methinks lack of watering!!! We were on Mull getting a fair bit of water, but dry at home. I know my neighbour watered as best she could and I think DD and boyfriend did some, but it wasn't really enough in the greenhouse - my peppers were all shrivelling up! But I think I've caught them in time. French beans are beginning to look good - some better than others. Runners look rough, but are producing lots of white flowers. Had some broad beans last night and they were yum. As for strawberries and raspberries I may have to take the antihistamine for hives at the rate we've been scoffing them! I think the beetroot are ready to start pulling as they were looking good before we left - must sow more! Carrots are lovely and frondy, parsnips have become giants - hope it's as good underground for both! Celeriac seems to be looking good too. The winter onions probably can be picked as and when needed now as they have suddenly fattened up. Probably huge next month. Salady bits look good. Tomatoes seem to be slow and one San Marzano plant is going in the compost - not one flower stalk!!! Again I had to throw a seedling away from that variety as it came up blind too. I've pinched out the sideshoots of most of the toms and the Tigerellas are the best with regard to flowers, so I've potted sideshoots with good flowers on them and a couple of Sungolds - they started looking great but I think they need a dose of Epsom salts - the other tomatoes are lovely and green (including that aforementioned S. Marz). Leeks are thickening up nicely and it won't be long before they are popped into the remaining gaps. The cabbages and sprouts are looking strong, as are the calabrese and I can see the beginnings of the flower head on them. It's all looking very promising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 That San Marzano has actually started flowering! About 3ft high and it's the first one - I spotted it as I lifted it out of the drip tray. Must have reacted to the threat! But I've snapped the top bit off and popped it in a pot with 2 sideshoots from another SM - we'll see what happens now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 You are a much better grower than me - I didn't know you could plant the sideshoots Virtually all my plants are short and a bit stunted, but they are all beginning to produce toms/peppers. This happened last year as well, and they did eventually grow up and out into copious leaf as well as fruit, but they have been in over one month and still are quite rubbish looking. This might be because I haven't actually used any tom feed on them yet, but will from today! A friend of mine said I should pinch out some of the flowering stems to help promote leaf growth and photosynthesis, and thereby get a stronger plant which might go on to produce even more flowers and then toms. Being impatient I have ignored that advice, but perhaps I should take more notice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 You are a much better grower than me - I didn't know you could plant the sideshoots Virtually all my plants are short and a bit stunted, but they are all beginning to produce toms/peppers. This happened last year as well, and they did eventually grow up and out into copious leaf as well as fruit, but they have been in over one month and still are quite rubbish looking. This might be because I haven't actually used any tom feed on them yet, but will from today! A friend of mine said I should pinch out some of the flowering stems to help promote leaf growth and photosynthesis, and thereby get a stronger plant which might go on to produce even more flowers and then toms. Being impatient I have ignored that advice, but perhaps I should take more notice don't feed them if they haven't got any fruit on them as all you'll get if leaf I try not to plant mine up until their pot bound in 3 inch pots, preferable with the first truss on as I find that the trusses are closer together and the first truss is closer to the base of the plant did make the mistake one year of adding chicken pellets to the potting mix and ended up with big health looking plants with next to no fruit on them no I'm really mean with them they get just enough water to keep the alive and bare minimum feed up to the middle of August then no feed at all after that. I stop mine at about 4 trusses of flowers and remove the leaves up to the first truss once the fruit as started to swell. the last thing you want is a tomato plant growing lots of leaf, there is a school of thought that say's that you only need a few leaves at the very top of the plant to produce fruit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
