Hell is ever closer - part 2

[SistemaAddict]

Following on from the previous thread.

Hell is ever closer-how's your stash looking? http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eureferendumm2016/3646002-hell-is-ever-closer-how-s-your-stash-looking

thought about cooking it all up, but dont know how long freezer had been open (it's the one out the back) so decided better safe than sorry...

Its over 65s for flu jabs first.

Mum is having hers on friday.

Looks like pils will have a bumper apple harvest this year (unlike last year) so I'll ask for some to freeeze.

Ds1 has just informes me that we are getting a 2nd beast from the east this winter....

I don't think we can say that yet Hooo It seems to stem from one research team who are predicting the jet stream position in January/February will be far southwards. I'd love to read their actual report.

The met office currently are forecasting through to the end of November as being more likely to be warmer than average.

I've had a good pear and tomato harvest today. I think we might turn some of the pears into pear wine. Apple harvest is pretty good too, but our tree is small.

The geese are flying already, which is generally a bad sign. Though what they know that we don't, I'm not sure!

My gp surgery is only booking in the over 65s for flu jab at present. It's a different jab from those younger who are in at risk groups. They've said that there is a limited stock available in mid october for those who are in at risk groups. Which is a bit of a bugger.

The hedges were heavy with hips and haws as well... Also supposedly not a good sign.

We don't have enough freezer space for fruit. It's rammed with green and runner beans and courgettes!

I am a first year gardener this year and just picked our first tomatoes There are only about 5 big ones but got maybe 30 cherry ones, so I am really chuffed!

Do any of you grow in greenhouses over winter?

Just a practice year for us really, but want to get a bit more organised for next year. Can you recommend any good "starter" veg?

Thank you @flouncyfanny I was hoping someone would say potatoes are easy as I would like to give them a try

I've only had my allotment a year, so I think guru is a bit optimistic!

I'd do potatoes in sacks. We currently have our second batch going to keep us in spuds through winter.

Peas and beans tend to be quite easy. Carrots depend on your soil type; they don't like heavy soil. You can sow broad beans at the end of next month to overwinter, as well as peas like Early Onward.

Sweetcorn can be fussy (I soak the seeds for about an hour before sowing them), but is very tasty and easy once they're on the go!

We seem to be doing well with pumpkins and squash.

Our alliums (onions, garlic and leeks) didn't do amazingly well this year. I'll try once more then give up, I think!

My brassicas are OK, but take up too much space for very little reward.

Lettuce and beetroot have been hit and miss for me too.

Courgette and cucumber are OK. And my tomatoes are just coming good.

Thank you for all the advice, I have got a veg trug that was on offer when our homebase closed, its nice and deep so I might have a go with carrots in that. The ground soil seems decent-well it must be for a complete novice like me to have grown anything! We have some strawberries well established (by accident-they reseeded themselves and have spread like mad!) and raspberries have done really well. I think we were a bit late catching the gardening bug this year but am going to have a proper try for next year :)

I am definitely going to try the spuds!

Blackeyed. Yup! It has been a good fruiting year, but that's down to favorable conditions this year and importantly no destructive badly timed frosts.

Folk law = bad winter coming.
Science=good growing season past.

My mum always did well with beetroot. Potatoes are easy but I have not dug them up yet so we shall see.

I think there used to be something in folklore, we now know about how the jet stream can influence our weather, giving rise to the same pattern for months, so it's probable that these patterns were spotted. Unfortunately, I think we've broken that now.

My tomatoes and pears are still totally raw out there in the garden! I'm envious of you lot doing harvesting. On the plus side, if they ever do ripen there'll be loads of both! The tomatoes are mysteries, too, as I grew six different kinds of seeds, got the saplings all mixed up, and randomly planted out the best ones, and haven't been able to figure out which is which.

No mention yet in our GP surgery website on flu jabs, which is unusual, as they generally do a few dedicated Saturdays just for flu jabs in late September and early October. We're both in the under-65s risk group, always getting the free jab. I suppose if there's still no mention of jabs at the GP's by the time it starts getting sold in the pharmacies, we might just buy it.

All this talk of the Beast from the East reminds me that we need to get new lagging on our pipes!

Pak Choi in a pot grow well and taste great.

That's comforting kitten

Last feb/March was brutal.

I guess I should say I'm not forecasting that there won't be a very a cold spell either, I'm just saying that it's far, far too early to say yet.

Pipe lagging is a good point though. I need to renew mine.