Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 16 Weather weirdness prevails !

[bookbook]

Hello to everyone !
pull up a garden chair and join in with the trials and tribulations of growing your own , against the odds of weather , pests and diseases.
Previous thread is HERE

I'm still following this thread but the gardening has fallen by the wayside this past month or so - we went away for a few days then I was quite ill for a week or so (not Covid-related!) and everything frazzled up, to be honest. All I can do now is plan for autumn

Ruby My apple trees show quite clearly the history of me being off work with depression about 20 years ago Doesn't stop me getting crops of up to 100kg though. Plants have a strong will to grow and reproduce - the garden will still be there when you're ready to get back to it.

Those aubergines look amazing bookbook. Are they hard to grow? I might attempt them next year but they just seem difficult.

Morning!
been to water and pick first thing this morning . Think another courgette has succumbed to virus , but still have 3 doing okay . Having said that , nearly courgetted out anyway!
Still miles too hot - had to water in the greenhouse 3 times yesterday , but feels a bit cooler today .
Ruby - I spent years not able to find time for gardening , let alone veg growing , so I would not stress , and see how it goes . It will be there when you are ready to come back to it
Rookie - I have found them very easy to grow in the greenhouse , I just treat them like tomatoes and water and feed them . This year , I had trouble germinating mine ( though I do have one just starting to produce fruit ) I normally grow Jackpot , which have more , smaller fruit . So I bought these plants as seedlings from a charity stall - called Money Maker , and they have been astonishing - maybe due to the warmth in no small part.

@RubySlippers77 I'm expecting my first baby in December having thought we could never have children, so we threw ourselves into our plans for the garden, but I'm sure it will go a little on the back burner to start with. You'll get there again, and it will welcome you back like an old friend.

Thought I'd share some pics of our three sisters patch. We've got some great sized squash coming, four different varieties, the sweetcorn is looking great and the beans are just about to start flowering. Am really pleased but think the prolonged hot weather has been instrumental to the success of the corn getting so tall. Not sure how well it would work in a cooler or less consistent year.

@bookbook I really want to grow aubergines next year. Need to get a new greenhouse those. We had to demolish ours as DH couldn't stand up under it and the glass and bolts were gradually falling to pieces all by themselves!

Has anyone ever picked up and moved a garden shed? Ours is in pretty good condition but in a very sunny spot which would be better for the new greenhouse and the shed could go on a shadier area. Am not sure it would respond well to being taken apart but not sure it will be moveable intact....

restoration - people quite often pick up and move sheds on our allotment site. plotholders sell them on when plots change hands. they are quite small and not very old though.

@dreamingofsun that's good to know. I saw them do it on a gardening programme the other week and thought "now that would be handy". I don't really want to buy a new one as it's fine and we could then just put a new base down. Worth a try anyway as it won't stay where it is regardless!

Much cooler here today, if it stays dry should be able to catch up on some weeding and general tidying after work, although rain would be most welcome as well.

First lots of blackberries picked today, along with the usual suspects, mange tout, French beans, sweet peas, tomatoes and a courgette.

Grateful for the cooler weather as have a load of courgettes I want to turn into cake and make meringue to go with the blackberries. It's just been too hot to want the oven on as well.

Just trying to research when to pick black Hungarian chillis, seems they do go red eventually, but wondering if I should pick some early to encourage more fruit...

Such a colourful harvest @tizwozliz.

I have my first ever harvest.. a humble handful.

Hoping the humid wet weather doesn't cause blight in my potatoes

Much cooler here today and good soaking overnight so I have at last started tackling the weeds. My outdoor tomatoes are beginning to ripen and the courgettes and cucumbers seem to have slowed down a bit.

I'm over your way at the moment Elephant and yes to it being much cooler. I was worried about leaving my plot and patio pots in the heatwave but a friend has assured me there's been plenty of rain at home. Weeds are top of my list for when I get home, I can't believe how bad they've got again.

Oooh! EasilyDelighted are you on holiday?

Lovely to see the produce! We will be away from the plot for a whole month now due to quarantine restrictions when we get back... so sad for my courgettes...!

Evening!
gorgeous harvest pic tiz , and rookie - I bet they tasted delicious :)
It is a worry if you can't get to the plot - you will have marrows Whattodo !
Well, we have not had any rain

Went off to the plot this morning , and spent my time watering , dead heading flowers and picking beans . The ground is rock hard now for weeding , so didn't even try!
I also picked a proper load from the greenhouse today too , though the cherry toms aren't on the picture , as we ate them for lunch :)

@elephantoverthehill, yes, we come here time and time again.

Slight name change for me BTW in case you are wondering who I am (was ExpletiveD and previously WhoKnows etc)

Enjoy, I hope the weather picks up.

Does anyone have recipes for cucumbers? I have 8 at the moment.

@MereDintofPandiculation

Does anyone have recipes for cucumbers? I have 8 at the moment.

I am not far behind you! :) Courgette, cucumber and spinach soup is lovely . I haven't a recipe , as I do it off the top of my head , but I start with a base of onion and a potato , if that helps

Yep I've got 7. I made really good salted/pickled cucumbers, the next year I couldn't find the same recipe so used another and they were dreadful, from memory this is the nearest I can find www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/cucumber-pickle

I made these a couple of weeks ago but using less water and wine vinegar instead of cider and no celery seeds as I couldn't find any, also shallots not onions

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/bread-butter-pickles

Last year I made dill pickles using a similar recipe but adding a few sprigs of dill to each jar. Both have been absolutely delicious.

I've used this recipe to pickle cucumbers this year

nordicfoodliving.com/cucumber-salad-sliced-pickles/

Still no rain here, water butts are just about empty so hoping we might get some soon. The ground could use a good soaking too.

A couple of sweetcorn now have tassles so I've been busy stroking them to try and help pollination. I didn't have much success with pollination last year.

Picked a few more bits and pieces. Tomatoes seem to be ripening nicely after a slow start. Still no sign of set aubergines although there are plenty of flowers.

Excess courgettes have gone into courgette fritters and courgette cake. Looks like I'll have a bit of a pause before there's any more ready.

@MereDintofPandiculation I make a lot of tzatziki during cucumber season! I tend to make it up now, Greek yoghurt, grated cucumber, drizzle of olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and pepper, mint or dill. Lots of recipes online though that would give quantities. I make pitta chips and can get through rather a lot of both in one go!

Yes, we make tzatsiki too. Also last week we made a satay chicken with cucumber salad, similar to this and delicious

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipe/cheeky-chicken-satay