The highs and lows of growing your own dinner 2015

Ken68

Echo growing chard, third cut this year, chop finely and freeze. If winter gets hard just cover with mesh.

zafiro1984

Just been to the garden centre for turnip and carrot seeds for the tunnel, expected to pay around £5. All pks reduced in price to 50p, just spent the best part of 45mins sorting out my next yrs seeds. Spent £10, I've added up the retail cost should have been £52.40p. Just left with sweetcorn, parsnips, french and runner beans plus potatoes to buy. Really pleased

Synonymous

Hey everyone, does anyone know what this is please? Was sat in a shallow hole under a plank of wood I moved yesterday on the allotment. Thought it was some kind of newt but it doesn't look like the pictures I've seen on-line. Many thanks!

zafiro1984

Common newt? they are quite small.

Jazee

Morning all. Still getting lots of tomatoes and courgettes here. Thanks for the tips on freezing chard, I'll give that a go as I have lots.

Today I will be weeding.

peaceandfreedom

Jazee wrote: »

Today I will be weeding.

Me too - best get on with it. At least the sun is shining .

Happygreen

Synonymous wrote: »

Hey everyone, does anyone know what this is please? Was sat in a shallow hole under a plank of wood I moved yesterday on the allotment. Thought it was some kind of newt but it doesn't look like the pictures I've seen on-line. Many thanks!

Newt, how wonderful, you are so lucky! :T The boys should have a red tummy I think but maybe only in breeding season. We've had none of these wonderful creatures since the chickens discovered freedom a few years back

Synonymous

Thanks everyone, your enthusiasm for the newt made me smile happygreen - alas it was gone the next day, and then we disturbed a frog yesterday under the weed suppressant. They always worry me coming out from under there because sometimes I've walked across it. We are about a mile uphill from the nearest water too.

I've gone into overdrive trying to bring my allotment back to life after being unwell over summer. Had a fire today and it's looking a lot tidier. Three beds dug over, one ready for the onions and garlic, and one I'm going to put green manure in. I'm going to get radishes and kale going under some fleece and some spring cabbages at home and see what happens. Not sure what else I can start off at this stage? The raspberries are coming along and my apple trees are looking great, had one apple pie already

unrecordings

Getting swamped with tomatoes here - got about eight kilos sat on the kitchen table. Aim to make some spicy tomato relish tomorrow, but still not made that mustard. Cleared away some Pentland Javelin potatoes - generally good (one green one and some minor slug damage) and had a huge picking of blackberries yesterday. Making an effort to collect seeds this year - starting with Borage, though I don't think i'll need it

Datchet

We have hundred weights of potatoes, tons of broad beans and the Garlic is great this year. Loads of cucumbers. Beans ( French & runner) were OK but late and low yield. Courgettes & Pumpkins virtually non-exisitent! However superb raspberry, gooseberry & strawberrys. Parsnips, sprouts, beetcarrots etc all did nowt. Some chilli. Good lettuce. Toms only ripening now!! Hopefully warmer next year