The great, good and not so good bits about growing your own dinner 2017

Fruittea

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ak2_ljipfYv2jEipd65KXCdKP-CN

unrecordings

Almost gave up - here you go Fruittea
You need to go back to 'view original' on OneDrive then copy the link for that image (using the little yellow postcard icon on the MSE interface)

CAFCGirl

Fruittea wrote: »

Did you know you can over winter chilli plants CAFC they look a bit ugly as you have to cut them right back and keep them on the window sill but you'll get a flush of chillis really early. I dry my seeds on a saucer -just leave them there until they are completely dry. Then put them in an envelope and in a tin. They always seem to work for me. Sow them in February with some heat.
I grew Gusto this year and can recommend them -very prolific I started with six plants and have given 2 away and still have plenty.They are purple and quite hot.

Gusto is one of the ones I have
I agree, theyve been very generous and decent size chillies too. I was aware about overwintering but I figured just in case it didn't go very well, that I'd save some seeds to start again.

I've come home with another 12 summer squashes to add to the 20 or so still in the house!Any bright ideas for using them up?
I have a glut, I finally have a glut!:rotfl:

Fruittea

Thanks Unrecordings. I'll have another try with the photos - as you can see it's not my strong point.

Lucky you CAFC a glut is a thing to be admired! Check out this link: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/squash-and-pumpkin

And you know you can cure most of them (leave a bit of the stem on and leave them outside until they go hard) just make sure you bring them in before any frost. They will keep until around about April.

I did another small batch of tomato and chilli sauce using the gusto - they are quite hot -so be careful.
I plan a quite day pottering in the home garden today - no travelling as I think the roads will be awful. Happy holiday weekend to you all.

unrecordings

I sowed some Kohl Rabi today, possibly a couple of weeks too late, but we'll see. Also had a nose to beak encounter with a Sparrowhawk which was quite amusing until the cat came barrelling down the garden and spoiled the moment

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Came back from holiday to find the beans decided to produce whilst we were away, the tomatoes have decided to make three perfect specimens, the courgette is still on strike (but is flowering), the blackberries are just as prolific, the herbs are very happy - there are little clumps of chard poking up all over the place - and we might have two cobs of corn :eek:.

And it looks like we've got some potatoes in a pot, pus the nasturtiums have had a second flush of activity.


Came back with some seeds - winter density lettuce, perpetual spinach and red veined sorrel. I think I'll sow some of those over the next week, but it's way too hot to consider such things today.

zafiro1984

Quite busy over the last two days. Decided it was time to concentrate on the winter veg.

I took the last of the peas out, turned the bed over and sowed carrots.

Harvested a bed of potatoes early as blight has struck, the crop was reasonable and I made some roasties last night with a few, - fabulous, crispy on the outside and very fluffy on the inside. I'll keep those for roasties/chips

Weeded the bed that I'd used for onions (harvested a couple of weeks ago) and planted out some broad bean plants - the variety that you can sow in July. They should be ready Nov/Dec.

Harvested 2 beds of Red Duke of York, replaced with leek plants. I know they wont be very large but I should get a crop of usable ones.

Inside I took out my mange tout and replaced with dwarf french bean plants which should give a crop Nov onwards
The indoor carrots had finished so sowed baby turnips.
Planted out the last of the basil seedlings, 6 batches in total.

I think I'll try a couple of courgettes inside at this late stage, I don't know if it will work or not - no doubt I'll find out.

Still loads to do but It's so hot today I'm going to do housework this afternoon and venture out later.

Fruittea

Thanks to Unrecordings I can now post pictures!





Here's some of the melons. The bigger one is about 13cm across. As you can see the leaves are yellowing so I gave them a bit of a feed and will see how they go.


Zafiro I didn't know you could sow broad beans in July - I must google that as they're one of my favs. Sounds as though you're doing really well.


Nice to find the veg on your return JoJo and still a bit of time to sow some more.
All the best




Oh dear - it's gone!

zafiro1984

Fruittea wrote: »

Zafiro I didn't know you could sow broad beans in July - I must google that as they're one of my favs.

Fruitea link to the broad beans. http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/Peas-Beans/Broad-Bean-Seed_2/Broad-Bean-Luz-de-Otono-Seeds.html#.WaiY28iGMdU

I planted some I'd sown in early July outside, they were quite big plants and also some seeds - just to finish off the packet - inside, for an early crop next year.

I need to make a trip to the garden centre to get my seeds for next year. They usually have them all priced at 50p per packet at this time of the year. It adds up to quite a good saving plus I'm also a member of their club so I get an extra 10% off.

unrecordings

Think we had a very mild frost this morning

Cleared the rest of my peas this afternoon
Hopefully harvesting fennel seeds - looks like a few might be ready