Allotment?Veg Patch Thread 10 - Plotmenters busy into summer ! and loving James Wong

[bookbook]

Last thread has filled up so quickly! Thought I had better get one up and running before I get off to the plot.
Busy, busy people, just waiting for the harvests to start, fighting the bugs, slugs and weather :)
Last thread here
THREAD 9

Finally got to dig the inherited strawberry bed over. We had a delivery of wood chippings so spread a load of those over and then rotavated. It needs another go but I am hoping that the wood chip will help to break up the soil which is quite clayy and heavy.

Harvested a few of our volunteer marrows and we are going to try stuffed marrow tonight for dinner. I will report back!

The wheat is nearly ready for harvest. Just waiting for the ears to drop.

This week's photos.

I am so jealous of all these pictures of lovely, organised plots and harvested fruit and veg. It makes me realise how much work I've got to do! But I'll get there in a few years.

I rang the council today and they came and took away the hazardous waste (again) and then this evening I absolutely went to town on the shed. Quite possibly one of the most satisfying experiences I've ever had! Picture below!

That is one dead shed. Well done. I am impressed with your council being so quick and on the case. Let the digging commence!

Evening!
Hound - very satisfying! - the one thing I say about allotments/growing veg - (And we all agree on ) - its a marathon, not a sprint. Take things steadily so you don't wear yourself out, but plod on and you will get there :)
Bella - I have never managed to store potatoes for long, but we do eat a lot anyway . But good idea on freezing mash, though I must admit any spare mash goes straight into bubble and squeak! Thanks for everyone letting me know!
Frouby - something eating potatoes ? Outside or holes inside? If holes inside it will most likely be slugs - thats what happens to mine . Thats why I decide to only grow second earlies this year , less time for the slugs to get them .
Gnome - let me know on stuffed marrow. I have two large marrow languishing in the fridge, but I think I am going to make H F-W courgette glutney with them - I found the recipe on the web.
Out and about today, so no plot. Heavy showers on and off, so I don't need to go and water. Still the tomatoes are staying stubbornly green in the greenhouse.
Will show my odd and prolific aubergine though - the other one is the same - hope they now start to fatten up! :)

Book Stuffed marrow was very pleasant. Stuffed with lemon cous cous and chorizo. The cous cous was crunchy which made a good contrast with the softness of the marrow.

Hound did you jump on the shed to make sure it was done for!

Elephant, if your potatoes roast well you could always do freeze-ahead roasties

Picked first runner bean tonight - unfortunately partly pre-eaten - but hopefully a sign of more to come. And we had our first meal without courgette for quite some weeks (palmed a few off!).

Thanks Una that is a good idea. I am going to feel like an 'Iceland mum', frozen mash potato and frozen roast potato. I wonder if I could do my own frozen oven chips using a similar method? Off to Google it.

found one. I really need to start thinking more creatively.

Hi plotmenters. Have been missing for a few weeks. Not much going on in the garden, things not growing nicely so I got a bit downhearted about it all.

However! My dwarf purple beans are doing great, and my courgettes are FINALLY setting some fruit, so hooray!

Welcome back, Bella!

And hello to the new people. :)

Hi everyone, welcome to new plotmenters (although i still consider myself new as only joined in the chat at the start of this year)

elephant your smiley tomato made me choke on my tea with laughter!!!

Was away on holiday last week, came back at the weekend to find flowers on our aubergine plants, hurrah!!!! (whether or not that results in actual aubergines remains to be seen!).

One of the fruits on the squash plants looks like it is yellowing and dying. This happened last year to every single fruit. If I don't get a mature fruit off the plants this year, I'm never growing squash again! Pah!

A couple of our tomato varieties are just starting to ripen. The trusses are laden with fruit so suspect we'll have a glut in a couple of weeks. Cue a freezer full of tomato sauce & soup.

Our green french bean plants have been providing yummy beans the past few weeks but the purple french beans and runner beans are still only at flower stage. Quite pleased about this as it gives us a steady supply (last year only grew the one variety and it all came at once).

Book potatoes mostly munched from the outside. Did see a couple of earwigs knocking around as we dug them up and wondered if they could be the culprits?

No plot today as it is chucking it down on and off. Got to feed the chickens in a bit but am waiting until dp comes home so I can go without ds. He loves going in and collecting the eggs but ends up clarted in mud and chicken shit which then gets dragged all over the car and carseat. Even if I take his shoes off he still usually escapes and stands all over the seats.

Just remembered I need some more canes for the peas and I planted a few weeks ago. They have come up nicely but we go away monday for a week so don't want them blowing around while we aren't here.

I was going to harvest more potatoes today but it's very wet and windy. Will they be ok in the ground for a bit longer? Apart from getting munched? I will take some up tomorrow possibly and maybe friday but we won't get through them all before we go away.

Evening!
Grouchy - at last some veg on the horizon! :)
clara - fingers crossed for the aubergines
Frouby - mmm I tend to think of earwigs on vegetation more than roots/tubers , but holes are eelworm/wireworm/slugs mostly and maybe the earwigs are taking advantage . Have you cut one open to look inside- any tunnels or such? They will be fine in the ground - its best not to harvest when they are wet .

I picked some of the purple beans today. They were being consumed by slugs, the horrible beasts. I've put down some Sluggo.

We had the beans for dinner and they were DELICIOUS. I think I will grow them every year. The children were very taken with the fact that the beans turn green while they cook. Magic beans are more fun to eat. Plus the flowers are so beautiful.

My first attempt at runner beans and they're yielding loads more than I'd anticipated. When picked, how long do they keep for?

llangennith wrap them in newspaper and store them in the fridge. They will last for at least 5 days, or you can freeze them prepared. I haven't eaten a runner bean hot yet this year, I cook them, cool them, add french dressing and have them as a salad.

Courgettes still going strong. Meet courgette three ways aka battenberg.

Afternoon!
Grouchy - they re so nice aren't they - try climbers next year, will help with the slugs , and be easier to pick!
llan - as elephant says , will last quite well, alternatively a damp teatowel works well too. They freeze really well if you want some for winter .
Pest - a thing of beauty!
I have just returned out of the jungle aka the greenhouse,. I have been ruthless with chopping leaves off the tomato plants. I can actually see the tomatoes now ...and I have 'Roma"starting to go orange at last :)
Spent the morning finishing digging up the last of the potatoes , picking courgettes ( one is very nobbly/wrinkly - not had that before ...) Dug up a cabbage for tea. I also picked some perennial spinach , purple beans and a little sprouting broccoli for a friend . Autumn raspberries just starting , but they are a bit small and soft this year , but will cook okay
I just need to rake and make sure the weeds are out of the potato patch, and then will sow some overwinter mustard green manure in a week or so.
Sweetcorn is starting to look good - brown tassels appearing :)

Good idea re climbing beans, books.

The girls and I picked all the plums today. We got just over a kg of fruit, which I've now turned into jam.

We also pruned the espaliered apple trees and picked some beetroot for dinner. It makes me so happy that my 5 year old likes beetroot, and is willing to try new things.

Grouchy did you warn your DC about red wee? Or are they already an experienced beetroot eater?

I have a wheat question. I am going to harvest my wheat this weekend. The weather isnt looking that great afterwards so I was wondering how to dry it a bit after harvesting. Or do I need to dry it if I am not planning to store it for long?

the coloured wee is the very reason my dc like beetroot.
as isvthe smell after eating asparagus.
and the black poo after eating a pile of kale
children are weird :o

children are weird

That could be a MN strapline!

Morning !
yep - children are weird
(Nearly freaked me out when DD2 was little. Potty in the bedroom - got up one morning and potty wee bright red. I nearly had a heart attack until I remembered the beetroot .)
Gnome - re wheat -mine is only common sense idea of laying out somewhere dry with air flow - it will need to be dry to grind I would assume. We need Gin to come and advise -if she is around

Children are definitely weird. Ds (3) has refused all veg since he was old enough to express his disgust. He had spag bol last night from the freezer and ferretted out every last bit of courgette because it was Bolognese courgette and therefore delicious.

Spent an hour on the plot yesterday. Lifted the rest of the early potatoes as I was worried about the holes. A few are affected but most are ok. I think it is wire worm after some googling. The plot wasnt grown on for 4 years at least before we got it so was grassed over. Which is where it's more prolific apparently.

Also got 3 courgettes and about 2lb of runner beans.

Have loads of chillis ready too. Too many to use in 1 go. Need to look for a way of preserving them. Was thinking of maybe blitzing then storing in ice cube trays or white wine vinegar like that lazy chilli I usually buy.

Heh, I didn't mention the red pee. But she does get very excited about having a "Twilight Sparkle" tongue and has to pop up to check in the mirror every few minutes.

I grow white and yellow beetroot. It solves the pee problem, also the staining everything on the plate purple one.