Help MBE grow his dinner 2010

nopot2pin

I haven't grown anything this year ...:(... due to other stuff....
But the past couple of years, I put a strategically placed ripe banana near my tomatoes to help them ripen a wee bit quicker

mrbadexample

I know it's not much help, but I'm getting red, brown, purple, orange and yellow tomatoes. Even those outside are ripening, albeit slowly.

Lotus-eater

Alot of people's tomatoes this year are ripening very slowly. My outside ones are very slow indeed, the greenhouse ones are almost normal, the greenhouse has made a big difference this year due to the overcast weather in the 2nd half of the summer.
And that seems to be the way it is this year, greenhouse toms are ok, but outside ones are behind.

lemonjelly

I finally have 1 which has turned (& will be eaten at the weekend!)

nother is starting to turn.:j

I'll be happy if they all turn slowly, as it means I can stretch them out & they'll last a while!

mrbadexample

lemonjelly wrote: »

I finally have 1 which has turned (& will be eaten at the weekend!)

nother is starting to turn.:j

I'll be happy if they all turn slowly, as it means I can stretch them out & they'll last a while!

Hurrah! I've got some great looking ones outside that I'm still waiting for - but they'll get there, I'm sure.

kirsty822001

Hello again, lovely to see you are harvesting well Mr B

Limited gardening for me still, with wrist still sore and all that, but have made first batch of spiced apple and tomato chutney and some rhubarb and some blackberry jam, rhubarb out garden berries were foraged
have just picked my 3 sweetcorn lol and my one and only tiny squash.
Lots of toms ripe (sorry to those waiting) and lots still green,,looks like will be freezing them (if room as full of rhubarb,chillis and berries !!)
Am anxious to plants something now for winter as NOT done that yet,,was fairly happy with summer growth and planting but complete novice at winter stuff.
will have a read see what everyone else is doing,
oh found a disgusting massive caterpillar today no idea what it is,,scared kids suitably!!! piccys on separate gardening thread

happy gardening

emiff6

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Alot of people's tomatoes this year are ripening very slowly. My outside ones are very slow indeed, the greenhouse ones are almost normal....

I read somewhere that you can untie toms from their supports, gently lay them on the ground on a bed of straw and cover with a cloche to speed up ripening, so I'm trying it.

No straw so using a thick paper feed sack with some old fleece scrunched up on top and a 4 ft long plastic cloche. Laid 2 plants with all green toms down on it Sunday, today 4 orangey-red toms! Yippee!!

Lotus-eater

emiff6 wrote: »

I read somewhere that you can untie toms from their supports, gently lay them on the ground on a bed of straw and cover with a cloche to speed up ripening, so I'm trying it.

No straw so using a thick paper feed sack with some old fleece scrunched up on top and a 4 ft long plastic cloche. Laid 2 plants with all green toms down on it Sunday, today 4 orangey-red toms! Yippee!!

That can work very well, it also can keep off late rain and hopefully blight with it. I always find it better to ripen on the plant if possible, rather than inside, tastes a hell of a lot better to start with.

lemonjelly

I've had to rip up & burn 11 of my 16 tomato plants.:( I've been well & truly struck by the blight (sp):(

The 5 that are left are probably going to end up with the same fate.:(

I'm just hoping that the rest of the garden isn't affected.

I'm gutted, especially seeing as one of the plants was considerably larger than I am.

jaxx46

I lost all twenty tomato plants that were outside last weekend to blight :mad: . Have loads of green ones sat on newspaper on the dining room table which are just starting to ripen so will use them in chutney and pasta sauce. The two beefsteak plants in the greenhouse seeem to have come through unscathed so far. Courgettes are just about finished as are the dwarf beans but the french beans seem to having a new lease of life so will leave them alone for a bit and cucumbers are still going mad 7, in three days :eek:.
Mr BE how did you get on with the swedes?