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

Fruittea

Hi Everyone
Haven't posted for a while as things have been a bit hectic and I've been away for a while. Reading back things look very busy for you all. I went to the allotment over the weekend and things are starting to look a little bleak. The runners are finished but I have plenty frozen. Lovely carrots going well and quite a few squashes will keep well into next year. I've brought in all the tomatoes now even the green ones which will ripen off on the window sill.
On the plus side of things there are plenty of mushrooms about. I went on a bit of a walk and brought quite a few for drying. So I'll be focusing on those for the next month.
Still not buying much from the supermarket - must have saved a fortune and that should go on for some time.
For those that need it Morrisons have launched a £5 wonky veg box and an organic one for £8. I'll be trying that when my veg runs out.
The melons went down very well - only one small left now but I definitely grow them next year.
I see everyone's going on to bulbs now. I must admit I haven't thought about them yet - but must catch up.

unrecordings

Hectic here too (well sort of). Tomatoes still going strong, runner beans starting to get a little rust. As the caterpillars did a good job on my kale, I decided to bolster that plot with some red cabbage and broccoli. I also finally got around to ordering my Autumn planting garlic and onion (via Suttons this time). Tomorrow: leaf raking

zafiro1984

Hi everyone
Rabbits have stripped the raspberries back to the stalks. I must set about protecting them more as it's heart breaking.
Third melon picked today, this one had a little rabbit damage but not too bad so I'll cut that bit out, three more to harvest.
Carrots, kale, and leeks doing well, cucumbers, aubergines, runners, french beans and tomatoes finished. Loads of Bramleys frozen but very few vegetables so I will struggle over winter.
Shallots, onions and elephant garlic arrived today along with a packet of broad bean seeds.
Early potatoes on order - to arrive this December and to be planted in the tunnel this side of Christmas

Feels like it's time to start tiding up and spreading muck on the empty beds. I need to get ahead of the game this year as I'll be out of action for quite a number of weeks in the New Year as I've an op at the Royal Brompton Heart Hosp in January

zafiro1984

Picked chillies that were ripe, going into the freezer later, planted autumn shallots and elephant garlic, massive cloves very impressed with the size. Onions still to plant.
Dug up the rest of a bed of carrots and turned it over - not too many carrots left as we've been eating them for a couple of months. Harvested a very large courgette yesterday, it was having an identity crisis as thought it was a marrow.

Definite Autumn chill in the air.

unrecordings

Just about to be overrun with tomatoes (the pick now or fall off and rot time of year). Made some spicy relish with a kilo of the little blighters today. I'm waiting on my onions etc to show up. In the meantime one of my neglected peppers has finally turned red(ish). Mulched the rhubarb, then started refilling the leaf bin today.

CAFCGirl

Now the weather has turned, I'm finding it much easier to get stuff done.

Yesterday saw me dig over, and build a 3 pallet collar bed and level that out. Today I'm hoping to be able to do the same in the spot next to it where the summer squashes are. It's finally time to say goodbye to them. Prolific little things!
Then I'm hoping to make good use of the free mulch/wood-chip pile at the community stores too.

Had one of those 'cringe' conversations yesterday with another plot holder who asked me when I'd got the plot, and how I was getting on to which i had to reply 2 1/2 years. He gave me a bit of a look - which was either 'you'd be better off giving up girl' or 'i'd have had this done in a fortnight'....

Right time to pack a flask!

Former_MSE_Andrea

Reading all your posts with envy! I'm moving house so haven't been able to grow veg this year other than strawberries and the usual fruit trees. Hopefully I should have a garden to get back on track with by 2018!

Suffolk_lass

unrecordings wrote: »

Just about to be overrun with tomatoes (the pick now or fall off and rot time of year). Made some spicy relish with a kilo of the little blighters today. I'm waiting on my onions etc to show up. In the meantime one of my neglected peppers has finally turned red(ish). Mulched the rhubarb, then started refilling the leaf bin today.

I've got one of those bug zapper things in my kitchen and I stood my green unripe tomatoes on top of it (it's on the windowsill) and the ones on the zapper are ripening really fast. The ones on the windowsill are still resolutely green! The same with chillies and peppers

unrecordings

I don't try to rush my green tomatoes, the good ones will last me until xmas

Former_MSE_Andrea

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

I've got one of those bug zapper things in my kitchen and I stood my green unripe tomatoes on top of it (it's on the windowsill) and the ones on the zapper are ripening really fast. The ones on the windowsill are still resolutely green! The same with chillies and peppers

What kind of bug zapper is it Suffolk lass? Do you have a photo?