Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 12! Plotmenters hoping for better weather

[bookbook]

Well, previous thread is nearly full, and I am busy the next couple of days, so thought I had better get this up and ready.
Thanks for the plot title Una
Everyone welcome to join in and share their experiences, tips, the woes and joys of growing their own .
Summer and harvests here we come ( and we''ll do our best to beat the pests)
Previous thread HERE

We are back from our holiday. There are loads of green tomatoes on my plants so I didn't miss them all while away. Still loads of blueberries to ripen as well, and a little courgette that is nearly ready.

Will catch up with the thread properly now!

I went to the plot today with my 'barrow and have harvested the overgrown courgettes, beans and more cucumbers. The slow cooker is full of tomatoes, courgettes and garlic, ready to be blitzed and frozen for pasta sauce. When I was pushing my 'barrow back from the plot, a young man, maybe 9 to 12 yo started walking with me and chatting to me about my harvest, we were walking together and I gave him a cucumber. He was as happy as Larry!

I've just got back from holidays too, and had some pleasant surprises at the plot (will post a pic later when I'm on my phone). Runner beans doing really well, courgettes producing slowly but steadily, picked two which weren't overgrown at all. Sunflowers in full bloom and Swiss chard doing really well after a bad start (it was self seeded). A few golden tomatoes and lots of green ones still to come hopefully. The weather seems to have really turned while we've been away.

Elephant - how lovely, I wish I could get my DCs (young teens) to take as much interest, DD dips in and out but DS really isn't bothered at all.

Bellende - I would be concerned about your neighbours plans too, do you have a set of rules and have you checked them? I'd be tempted to contact the committee privately rather than FB it but I don't think you are being at all unreasonable. I do use it very occasionally myself but only on individual plants (dandelions and brambles) and usually gel so no drift.

Whoknows my Dcs are the same as yours. Dd is quite interested when there are berries to be picked or potatoes to be dug. Ds has been quite helpful lugging gravel boards to the plot to make raised beds, but their interest is really piqued when there is sweetcorn to harvest and BBQ. I was just really surprised and delighted by this young man I met today!

650g of broad beans (don't think I'll get any more as despite lots of growth, there are no more flowers ), 189g runner beans (loads more on the plant but I have enough for tonight) and 570g of King Edwards (1 and a bit shaws). And a marrow rather large courgette

My rosella tomatoes are finally starting to pinken - but they're the only ones. Have topped off most if the tomatoes at 6 trusses (may go go down one more) - I live in hope of an Indian summer even if I have left the greenhouse door shut the last two days and today even closed the window (It's been cold and miserable today in Glasgow).

More blackberries (a total of 1kg picked this weekend), a couple of tomatoes and a chilli today.

Finally got round to making the marrow chutney too, as well as using some courgettes in two lemon and courgette loads which are now in the freezer.

*loafs

Lovely harvest pics.
Peridot, thanks, I love chard, so will get sowing.
Bellende , I know glyphosate is a controversial subject for many. I have and still do use it on massively overgrown areas to clear them, away from current crops to avoid drift. It is supposed to be deactivated once reaches roots, and as soon as I can see this has happened by wilting/browning, I cut the foliage down. I then cover the area if not sowing.
I really admire you for having the determination to dig everything out by hand.... but for some this is not possible from a mobility/time perspective. It would be polite for it to be discussed with you first, and your plot shielded from the spray as far as practical...unless glyphosate is banned on your plots (unlikely).
My plot is my garden, so haven’t had to worry about this.

I have a similar approach to quince re glysophate - probably also helped by my garden being my "allotment". I've even let dh use Pathclear on the patio and monblocked driveway But I do admire the determination to dig everything by hand

My raised beds are organic though - with the exception of slug pellets no mercy (although I don't use metaldehyde any more and the ones I do use claim to be organic )

Morning!
got back from weekend away .
I'll try and remember what everyone posted
Welcome pinkrose are you South/North/East/West ? for overwintering, I agree chard /spinach is a good call. If you like lettuce , that will do well. Mostly brassicas for overwinter, - cabbage/spring greens etc but then you have to consider how much space you want to forego against early spring planting. Broad beans /garlic/shallots all do well over winter too.
quince - the soda bread was delicious , and very easy RECIPE HERE - lovely pictures!
Belleende - its a very tricky one for allotment sites. If it is very overgrown, it often puts people off, as the task seems too large an enterprise. I am a digger and organic plotter ( the odd organic slug pellet the exception ) but I think everyone is different - if my NDN wants to have it sprayed , I have no actually right to stop him. I can only control what is on my plot . In fact, there are often calls when a plot becomes overgrown from surrounding plots to have it sprayed, to stop weed seeds blowing onto their plot. I would go and have a word in private with the site manager to raise your concerns . I can see why you are upset about it , but ask , and find out what the situation is regarding weedkiller usage . On our site we have a member of the committee who has been on all the approved courses , and is certified ( ! ) so if spraying is asked for , he does it- no one else, and it is in a controlled fashion. We also offer strimming off and rotavating too .
I went down to the plot this morning. Guess what - it rained on Friday , so I have a lovely green haze of weed seedlings ......So I hoed the brassica cage, and around the bean wigwams. Will go back this afternoon to water if the rain doesn't come ( forecast )
Picked courgettes, a few remaining french beans - they seem to have stopped, and not many flowers either. Managed to accidentally pick a few unripe borlotti beans in the search for runners Cropped calabrese - the side shoots after cutting the main head off , and a few flowers. Also starting picking off the ripening plums , so the wasps don't get them . Will be doing a load of tomato and veg pasta sauce and more soup this afternoon .
The grass is now desperate to be cut after a few rain showers last week

I do love harvest time! In addition to what's pictured here we have 11kgs of delicious honey (our first honey crop!) which is making me very happy.

Missed a picture....

Oriental greens are good to plant now - pak choi, chinese broccoli, chop suey grrrns, loads more.

Lovely story about the young gardener - my nearly 4 year old loves digging and raking - and eating of course!

Today's harvest: redcurrants ( still got loads on the bush ) And runner beans (just the big ones that I'd missed ) plus some dahlias, cosmos and cornflowers.

Have now decanted last year's plum gin so I can start to make some redcurrant gin . I'm going to have to buy some more kilner jars for the plethora of plums that are ripening And buy yet more gin!

Prettybird I think I may have to pay you a visit and sample all this gin. For research purposes

Evening!
Una - wow - fab pictures /harvest
pretty - redcurratns are very prolific aren't they! - are you planning an alcoholic winter ?

Realised the thread is nearly full, so have set up a new one ready
NEW THREAD HERE

The difference this year was a) all the fruit set in the great spring (after the Beast from the East ) and b) and more importantly this year we netted the bush for the first time.

I think there's going to be a lot of fruit gin Christmas presents [santa]

BTW - the plum gin makes a lovely cocktail with bubbly [hic] Looking forward to trying a seasonal version at Christmas with the redcurrant gin (I've never made it before). [santa]

I am after a bit of advice! I am growing tomatoes (21 plants to be precise) and up until last week growing well. I have some lovely looking green tomatoes but have noticed these last few days that as soon as the tomatoes are changing colour they are beginning to rot from at the bottom. They are an Italian brand if that makes a difference. I am so disappointed as I have nurtured these blessed plants from seed!

What am I doing wrong? Anything I can do to stop them? I did think about picking all the green tomatoes and hope they colour up on my window sill!

I have posted on this thread before but have recently named changed!

Sounds like some of them have blossom end rot - they were stressed (heat, water) at a key time in their development. Nothing that can be done with those that have it (except maybe make green tomato chutney) but "newer" tomatoes should be ok.