Have I sold 16 people a pig in a poke?

[PiggyPokkyFool]

Name changed as this is very outing.
The facts: Saw YouTube video about growing tomatoes from a slice of tomato, had some v tasty cherry ones from supermarket so planted 3 slices with low expectations. 3 weeks later, 54 seedlings, transferred to larger pots expecting to lose half, 52 survived - nearly all grew looking super healthy - had 49 tomato plants. Couldn't possibly use all so planted some, gave away some and had 28 tomato plants left. Got the bright idea of selling them on our local group for 50p each - sold all bar 3 which I offered some to my much older, much wiser chum and he said " Oh, no thanks as they are probably F1s so won't produce anything". Have I sold 16 people a pig in a poke? Never mind friends who think I am a great grower

The jam jar method introduced to us upthread.

Another time I would use half the seed though! They've all sprouted and gone a bit wild!

Bob - from Real Seeds catalogue:

'Dedo de Mocha' Sweet Ají
A hot pepper without the heat, from pepper expert Jeff Nekola. Ají are a different species: Capsicum baccatum. This is one of the largest-fruited of our Ají peppers, the beautiful fruit are shiny, almost waxy in appearance and glow a deep red when ripe.

Incredibly productive, & a favourite every year, we like it grilled and served with olive oil. Without the heat, subtle undertones of Ají flavour come out, with distinct smokey tastes being the most obvious.

One of the easier of our unusual / rare peppers to grow, though you do need a polytunnel or greenhouse. If you want a challenge - it can be overwintered if you keep it frost-free - we did have one plant that made it to 3 years old and in its last year it made over 270 peppers!

We have had a couple of reports last year of stressed plants making some heat near the seeds. But in normal conditions this should be classed as a sweet pepper.

Very rare, pretty easy to grow. Gently smokey Aji. Not hot - mostly: the occasional pepper is warm, especially towards the end of the season, or with plants in their second or third year.

Another time I would use half the seed though! They've all sprouted and gone a bit wild! Sorry, should have said - don't fill jar more than a third full

Any recommendations for chestnuts? Is it too late now? What types of wood/hedge do they grow in, what environment should I go a-hunting in?

Any recommendations for chestnuts? They grow on a large tree in the beech family - Castanea sativa (the castanea bit I think means chestnut, sativa means cultivated, as in Cannabis sativa, Allium sativum (garlic) and Avena sativa (oat).

The chestnuts are in a prickly case which makes a hedgehog look as as soft as a kitten. They're at the northern limit of their area in Britain, so you're lucky to get swollen nuts worth eating. Most likely in the warm south east. You don't often see the trees in the north of the country. If you're in the south, you may see the trees in large parks and gardens, and also in woodland, and it used to be grown and coppiced for chestnut palings for fences.

Sorry I have been absent for a while. DD1 is applying to Medical School and there seems to be a lot on. DD2 is doing GCSEs and that seems busy too.
London is grey and cold at the moment and the back garden is full of leaves so I must get my blower out this week-end.
Something to, hopefully, make everyone smile and remember that getting the most out of life can really be a question of how you look at things - love heart or bum?

Interesting spuds there Piggy

Thanks for all the information there Mere. I remember seeing/eating wild sweet chestnuts as a child, wish I could remember where though

Just about to have my last handful of tomatoes and then that is it 😪
until next year of course when I will be doing it ALL again.
Exam city here at the mo and DD1 has two medical school interviews next week - gulp....
How is everyone?

We've still got a big dinner plate heaped with ripening tomatoes - seem to be ripening OK with no rotting, so will take us through to Christmas.

I judge the monetary value of what I grow by what I haven't had to buy (it seems a fairer judgement - there's no way I'd buy as many fresh figs as we eat, but having fresh figs cuts down my purchase of peaches and nectarines), and I haven't had to buy tomatoes since mid July - so that crop has definitely paid for its compost and plant food!

Of course the real value is in the taste you get when you can leave produce to ripen on the plant.

Happy new year my chums.
At the moment this is all that is really growing - inside and out though I do have a few Camelia blooming out back.
Donated blackcurrant bush - did I mention we are the 'dustbin' for unwanted garden stuff in out street - that never grew in neighbours garden is starting to throw out shoots so has obviously survived being dug up and replanted at the wrong time of year.
How is everyone else?

Would love to keep the thread going into the next year.
....
Yes totally agree!
Happy New-ish Year Piggy and all! how are you? I have re-discovered you at last and feeling glad about it! I need to get my lazy behind outside! After months of rain the ground is saturated and i need to dig our heavy clay. I've got a green manure to plant out in the raised beds so they will not be producing for some time. Also i need to dig in the Clay Breaker i bought last year. I want to plant an acer sango kaku and apparently they like clay but it has to be well-draining. Anyone else have an acer tree planted out?
Looking forward to lots of story and pic sharing this year!

I want to plant an acer sango kaku and apparently they like clay but it has to be well-draining. They don't like draughts either. We lost ours. All our other acers are fine, in partial shade with shelter form wind, but this one was a bit too exposed.

@MereDintofPandiculation.. thanks for your help. It is most likely going to be a disaster for any future Acer in that case as the garden is north facing and even worse seems to be in a wind tunnel. I was hoping the side where i was going to plant it would be more sheltered but not sure now. I have planted a rose to grow up the fence but it has almost perished over the winter and just the top remains where it desperately seeks the sun. It's like i can only really hope to plant half a garden and have it thrive. .. the half which gets the sun.. but it will be exposed that side as the wind tunnel prevails. Ah, the sweet and sour delights of gardening!

@BobTheDuvet.. you have been busy! Puts my laziness to shame!

Thanks for the info on Charles Dowding. I've never heard of him but have read a bit about 'no digging' culture. It relies on the worms to do the work for you, doesn't it? I like that idea! I know there are worms in the soil so it's not all bad news.

I like the edible weeds idea too. Know what you mean about dancing with the devil! It's the same as foraging for fungi. We found some lovely field mushrooms last year but DH wouldn't eat them as they were so strong tasting. But we're used to the supermarket ones and wild is totally different.

I remember eating wild sorrel in salads and at first found it too bitter but i got used to it and ended up having it in every salad.

Enjoy the adventure!

I'm on the management committee for a local nature park. We have some old stone built raised beds that someone has offered the funds for to bring back into cultivation. One of them we're considering making into a "native edibles" bed - horse radish, garlic mustard, good-king-henry etc. (The other will be showy native flowers like foxgloves, musk mallow)

It's more for inspiration rather than eating. I'm not planning to label them (we have a big vandalism problem being just off the High Street, and any labels will end up in the pond or on a bonfire) so telling people will have to be via our facebook page.

Hello Pokky Gang - shall we gather together again as March is approaching?
@BobTheDuvet @EssentialHummus @Sooverthemill @TheSpottedZebra @tisonlymeagain @BikeRunSki @3dogs2cats @Tighnabruaich @MereDintofPandiculation @BooseysMom @buddinggrower @prettybird - suspect people may have name changed so this will not tag all our chums.
I overwintered my cucamelons for the the first time this year - picture to follow. Hope everyone is above water - so sick of this bloody weather!

Yes please! I've been thinking of you all the past few weeks as I eagerly started planting things on the windowsills, and one came up with grass instead of the Chinese lantern plants they were supposed to be .

I have also got chillis and a few tomato varieties going, as well as a wildcard selection from the fridge in your honour piggy. Planted a week ago, nothing's come up yet .