If things get tougher?

Valli

mardatha wrote: »

Am sitting here at the comp, lustfully eyeing up my neighbours rasps....she never touches them....the blackies keep pinching them ... Hmm... thinking bad thoughts...

I'd offer to pick 'em, jam 'em and give her a couple of jars...worth a try?;)

katieowl_2

mary43 wrote: »

katie - not heard of Black Russian tomatos before......mind you I haven't looked in cataloges for anything like that as we've had our tomato plants given us as freebies. Are they easily available ?

Quite a few of the more 'exotic' seed companies have them they are average priced seeds...try:

http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk

I've always found them very helpful and quick!

Regards

Kate

BilberryCharlotte

I am so pleased to hear that your tomatoes are shaping up at last! I never thought of growing spring onions before, I must try them, is it too late for this year?

mary43

Thanks katie - I'll show OH when he comes home.

Bilberry - can't help with onions of any sort as we've never grown them.......I think we ought to grow spring onions.......OH has a weakness for them

Primrose

Any time from now to September is a good time to start saving tomato seed for next year's planting, instead of spending money on seed packets. If you're happy to grow any variety, just scoop the seeds out of an existing tomato and let them dry out thoroughly on a small dish before storing in a paper bag in a cool dry place. I'm currently drying out some seeds from some small plum tomatoes bought from the supermarket but will also be saving my own Moneymaker and Gardeners Delight. If you dry the seeds out on kitchen tissue, they are sometimes difficult to separate out from the tissue once all the slimey bits have evaporated. Pepper and Chilli seeds can be saved in exactly the same way but do label them carefully as the seeds look pretty identical.

[Deleted User]

ooo the russian toms sound pretty well perfect and I`ll be getting some growing next year. Thanks katieowl

I received the solar shower today and the potential is BIG . It is a flat (gelert) pouch made of strong plastic (so I won`t be using the water for drinking or cooking). One side is black and there is a good size filler cap at one end and a shower at the end of a plastic tube at the other end. I lay it on the garden table in between showers and it warmed up enough to get the dishes done. I put 6 litres into it and it can hold 20. The shower end pulls off below the on/off plug which can be pulled out and replaced so the potential is there for me to cut the plastic tube to a smaller length, replace the on/off plug and to drain the water directly through the plastic hose, into a washing up bowl or bucket which would be standing on a garden chair. Fab potential and I was amazed that it warmed up so well and so quickly, on such a poor day re sunlight.It says that the water will heat up to 41 degrees if the outside temp is 21 and there is sun and it takes 3 hours to get that warm. I will still be using my camping kettles for solar heating for drinks and cooking

sammy_kaye18

BilberryCharlotte wrote: »

I am so pleased to hear that your tomatoes are shaping up at last! I never thought of growing spring onions before, I must try them, is it too late for this year?

im only novice i dont know.

Was half gutted because i was doign really well growing things - had the seedlings on the kitchen window and had cucumber, sprouts and some mini sunflower things and tomatoes, and they all grew fairly tall and i thought oh yeah can transplant them soon and it chucked it down so didnt want to drown them and left it to long that they all wilted and died. I managed to save two tomatoe plants but if id of been quicker/braver id of had lots more i think.

Will definately be getting ready early next year as i have stairs in my garden (im in a ground floor flat) and under the stairs is sheltered from wind but rain can get there and sunlight so think if i plant out next year i will put them under there once they are that bit bigger. If i dont kill the tomatoes off that is - they've had a good watering today becuase its been chucking it down so will feed them tomorrow now.

Went to town todya too adn have managed to get some swede, carrots and onion seeds (too late for onions but swede and carrots could be planted now) but think i will leave it till next year now when i have time as getting little one ready for big school at present. Fingers crossed then next year i will have a good crop and some stock if i cna find some boxes to keep them in with dry sand - hoping bf will get on board with it too and help out or start seeing how useful it really is to grow our own.

Mother in law sadly tried beetroot, peppers, chillis, strawberries and tomatoes and killed the lot :eek: so think next year if i grow some ill share my crop with her - besides outside her back gate is a lovely bramble patch untouched because its technically her landand she has wild rhubarb growing in her garden too!!!

that should definately help if things get tougher. Also ment ot add i found a lovely little wind up lantern/radio on amazon so am looking to get that as we have had tow thunderstorms here now in the last 24 hours and the powers been off twice and being in a welsh valley i amy need all the help i can get as if our electric goes so does the shop next door which promptly has to shut as the tills are all electric and anot backed up

BilberryCharlotte

Mary - the kids like spring onions too, and they are nice in lots of things aren`t they? It would be so nice just to be able to pick what was needed.


Sammy - You sound incredibly well organised, I think you are doing great. Your m-i-ls garden sounds a bit of a treasure trove, rhubarb is just gorgeous and the brambles would make lovely jelly. Have you ever tried to grow any blueberries? we like them with yoghurt for breakfast sometimes, but they can be quite pricey The wind up radio/lantern thing sounds great.

mary43

Just picked another lot of runner beans......thought they''d be more as they look so well but there's enough to feed four and thats it.......I was hoping to be picking a load, eat some freeze some, if you know what I mean. Still, OH seems well happy with them.
Spinach has 'bolted'.........gone to seed............. never grown it before so don't really know why but OH says we should have got perpetual spinach that just keeps going on and on, like the lettuce plant his boss gave us.
So, there was me thinking.........lovely load of spinach to eat (eat some freeze some again) but no............oh well, can't win 'em all.
No sign of any more strawberries either. They seem to have come in dribs and drabs, one or two at a time.........still they were freebies so can't complain.
Carrots are ok........well those in the tubs are but for some reason OH put some around the bottom of a shrub we've got in a tub and they look about dead ! I'm making note of all these little mishaps in my notebook so we don't make the same mistakes next year.

mardatha

Valli, I dont think they'd get as far as the jars...not once I got my mitts on them...