The ups, the downs and the insides out of growing your own in 2024!

FreeBear

Suffolk_lass said:

alicef said:

@FreeBear - I'm thinking your freezer stores have something to do with photography? 

I assumed cling film 🤔🤣

Hush. You'll be wanting to know who is in there next

Sweetbriarrose

Morning folk alicef thanks I didn’t know growing solo was on YouTube. It’s nice to put a face to a voice and see his small holding.

I hope to be as organised as most folks are here next year to fill my freezer with HG veg.
Garlic not planted yet or dahlias dug up as my plans for the week went out the window, I have a cold/cough, so keeping warm, hydrated and sleeping a lot.

alicef

@Sweetbriarrose sleeping is one of my favourite activites.  I hope you recover swiftly!   I've finished watching the vids on youtube and, I have to say, I was most impressed that he managed the year. 

On to this week.

Apple pressing for 2024 is done and dusted. The next day I walked into the orchard and just stood there, pleased that the main harvest is over. There’s a little bit to do over the winter – some pruning; I’ll remove any fallen apples and pile them into the shelterbelt; a couple of trees to plant, (donated by one of our pressing visitors); the OH might manage a last cut of the grass late November and I have some bulbs to plant.

All the garlic is in (hurrah).

One of our apple pressing helpers told me she grows hops, so following her inspiration, I’ve put in an order for a couple of Fuggles rhizomes. These won’t be delivered until late November. I should be able to train them horizontally, along the ‘dead hedge’, (hedge made from prunings), between the pond and the orchard.

I made a start on clearing out the polytunnel. Dead headed the roses. Cut off more sunflower seed heads. Thought about what material I could forage for making a door wreath. The herbs in the tunnel need an overhaul, (I’ll save all the leaves from the lemon verbena). Pots need to be collected from wherever I have abandoned them, and put back in the pot store. 

Suffolk_lass

FreeBear said:

Suffolk_lass said:

alicef said:

@FreeBear - I'm thinking your freezer stores have something to do with photography? 

I assumed cling film 🤔🤣

Hush. You'll be wanting to know who is in there next

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Well that made me laugh out loud this morning!

Still to plant my garlic, finish processing seeds, and some plantlets to dig out and move from where they have self seeded. I might plant some left over onion sets too. I have, at least, cut down my tomato plants in the greenhouse and harvested all the little green things. Some will ripen, some I shall make chutney with

rtandon27

My veg & fruit gardening has minimal this year, but there is always something to do in the garden! 

Today's project is to dig up another container of potatoes, dig up the spent Greek oregano, plant out a few sprouting onion sets (we use these for fresh green onion garnish in the winter), dead head the potted mums & plant out a purple heuchera in the front bed.

KajiKita

Found a baby courgette in the garden this afternoon, so that has come indoors with me. 

The chives are resprouting as well 😊

KK

Suffolk_lass

rtandon27 said:

My veg & fruit gardening has minimal this year, but there is always something to do in the garden! 

Today's project is to dig up another container of potatoes, dig up the spent Greek oregano, plant out a few sprouting onion sets (we use these for fresh green onion garnish in the winter), dead head the potted mums & plant out a purple heuchera in the front bed.

@rtandon27, while Greek oregano might survive in a sheltered place, our marjoram has spread across the lawn after self seeding there. It's fabulous when the lawnmower comes out and resists moss, surviving well over winter with no help from us. I love heuchera (especially the old staple, London pride)

KajiKita

Sown broad beans and sweet peas this morning 😊
Physio appointment for shoulder is now booked ….

KK

alicef

@rtandon27 - I dug up my sprouting onions as needed the ground; I hoik out the inner green bits and use instead of spring onion.  On herbs - my aim for next year is to ensure I grow enough dill & coriander - I'm rubbish at making sure I have a continuous crop.

@KajiKita - baby courgette - a treat!  I've started off some broadbean seed on damp kitchen towel (The Sutton rather than Aquadulce - because I haven't got any of the latter).

Right - off to carve a pumpkin (after a cup of tea).

alicef

I rang up and changed my hop order to 1 x Fuggles and 1x Whitbread Golding – apparently it is a good combination for beer brewing – not that I know anything about brewing beer. Also, I’m horribly unkind to my poor rhubarb plant, (Timperley Early), and force it more often than I should, so I’ve placed an order for three crowns, (Timperley Early; Raspberry Red & Victoria). Hopefully this will extend my rhubarb harvesting period. I am now trying to avoid further temptation from the plant/seed catalogues.

My recently sown sweet peas are starting to emerge and I’m germinating some broad bean seed. As with the sweetpeas, I shall sow into loo roll inners – in the past we have had snow that squashed outdoor seedlings. I’ll keep the beans with the sweet peas, in a spare propagator, with the lid on overnight to prevent access by marauding rodents. I’ve planted up my ordered bulbs (Cheerfulness & snake’s head fritillary, both outdoors), and the prepared hyacinth bulbs, (I’ve stuck a box over the top of the latter to cut out light).

My OH knocked up a bay for leaf mould production next to the compost heaps. I do have spent compost from this year, & some broken down wood chip; this I can use for seed compost next spring, but the sooner I get into the swing of having a good source of leaf mould the better. Swept up some leaves and added to new bay. The OH has racked the wine.

Polytunnel cleared of pots; picked & dried lemon verbena leaves; last batch of green tomato chutney 2024 made; bletting medlars. Did a light sprinkling of wood ash over the garlic and the asparagus beds – added the rest to the big compost heaps. Did some salvia cuttings.

Still need to cut the hornbeam. Thought about doing some weeding.

Finally - welcome Samhain!